the Finnish Championship 2004 (open meeting)

[f-s-p]

Was won by Kaj Laukkanen. The title was his seventh, and like many times before, he had to battle for it. And like many times before, again, his biggest rivals were Kauko Nieminen and Juha Hautamäki. Joonas Kylmäkorpi didn't ride (I think he's still injured) and Sergei Darkin was a no show, due to his Coventry deal, I presume.

 

I will post heat details and comments within 24hrs, but after driving home in absolutely terribly weather for 3hrs, stopping 3 times because cuoldn't see trough the rain, I think I need a relaxing chat with ms(?) Stella Artois and mr Newcastle, B.A.

[Jenn]

GO KAJ!!!!

 

I knew he'd win it!

 

Pretty good day to be an Aces rider really..........unless your one of the ones at Eastbourne..........

[malteser]

poor kauko

it should have been his title this year

[TwoMinuteWarning]

I think I need a relaxing chat with ms(?) Stella Artois and mr Newcastle, B.A.

Now why would something light, bubbly, and full of gas be female; and something dark and heavy be male? Hmmmm

[f-s-p]

Finnish Championship, Seinäjoki, 24.7.2004

 

Kaj Laukkanen SeMK 3 3 3 3 3 15

Juha Hautamäki KMMK 2 3 3 3 3 14

Tero Aarnio KMMK 3 2 3 2 2 12

Jani Mäkelä SEMK 2 3 3 2 2 12

Juha Mäkelä SeMK 3 2 1 3 1 10

Rene Lehtinen SeMK 1 2 2 2 3 10

Kake Nieminen SEMK 3 3 2 X - 8

Toni Salmela FMS 0 2 0 3 3 8

Margus Mandre Eesti 1 1 2 2 2 8

Panu Karvonen KMMK 2 1 2 X 1 6

Joni Keskinen SEMK 2 1 0 1 0 4

Jani Eerikäinen 1 0 1 1 1 4

Teemu Lahti KMMK 0 0 1 0 2 3

Aarni Heikkilä FMS 0 0 1 1 1 3

Petri Koskela 1 1 0 0 0 2

Joni Kitala SSMK 0 0 0 1 0 1

 

Q 1: Keskinen Eerikäinen, Lahti

Q 2: Koskela, Kitala, Heikkilä

Q 3: Eerikäinen, Lahti, Heikkilä

 

Heat 1: Laukkanen, Hautamäki, Mandre, Lahti 61,96

Heat 2: Aarnio, Ja Mäkelä, Lehtinen, Salmela 63,75

Heat 3: Nieminen, Keskinen, Eerikäinen, Heikkilä 64,13

Heat 4: Ju Mäkelä, Karvonen, Koskela, Kitala 66,05

Heat 5: Laukkanen, Lehtinen, Keskinen, Kitala 61,23 (new track record!)

Heat 6: Hautamäki, Salmela, Karvonen, Eerikäinen 64,87

Heat 7: Nieminen, Aarnio, Koskela, Lahti 63,98

Heat 8: Ja Mäkelä, Ju Mäkelä, Mandre 65,64

Heat 9: Laukkanen, Nieminen, Ju Mäkelä, Salmela 62,97

Heat 10: Hautamäki, Lehtinen, Heikkilä, Koskela 64,66

Heat 11: Ja Mäkelä, Karvonen, Lahti, Keskinen 66,27

Heat 12: Aarnio, Mandre, Eerikäinen, Kitala 64,33

Heat 13: Laukkanen, Aarnio, Heikkilä, Karvonen(exl. tapes) 61,93

Heat 14, 2nd re-run: Hautamäki, Ja Mäkelä, Kitala, Nieminen (f, exl.) 65,43

Heat 15: Ju Mäkelä, Lehtinen, Eerikäinen, Lahti 67,25

Heat 16: Salmela, Mandre, Keskinen, Koskela 68,79

Heat 17: Laukkanen, Ja Mäkelä, Eerikäinen, Koskela 62,04

Heat 18: Hautamäki, Aarnio, Ju Mäkelä, Keskinen 65,22

Heat 19: Salmela, Lahti, Heikkilä, Kitala 70,03

Heat 20: Lehtinen, Mandre, Karvonen 68,52

 

B-Final: Lehtinen, Salmela, Ju Mäkelä® 66,63

A-Final: Laukkanen, Hautamäki, Aarnio, Ja Mäkelä 61,84

 

Racing suffered due to a poor first bend (soft and patchy). Laukkanen had to fight hard against Nieminen in heat 9. He missed the start totally (clutch broke), and was third exiting the first bend. For three laps he was allover Kake, and finally an all or nothing move going into turn 3 on the last lap, then cutting on the inside made him victoriuos by a margin of 50cm.

 

Heat 14 Jani Mäkelä and Nieminen collided, and Nieminen hit the fence quite hard. This incident wrecked his number 1 bike, and in the first re-run, still a bit shaken, he fell on his own and was excluded. Basicly this demolished his chances of making it to the A-final, so he packed it in.

 

A-final was from the tapes, no passing after first bend. Move of the meeting was made by Juha Hautamäki in heat 6, going wide and taking Salmela from the outside of second bend, just enough ahead to cut infront of him going in to turn one.

 

Attendance was close to 500, weather was cloudy but dry.