Mikko Heikkilä is about to take on the challenge of the Secto Rally Finland this weekend alongside his old Finnish championship team, TGS Motorsport. Driving the latest winner from Skoda Motorsport, the Fabia RS Rally2, Heikkilä is aiming to maintain top speed on his home turf.
Mikko Heikkilä along with his co-driver Samu Vaaleri, are chasing success in the WRC2 class at the upcoming Secto Rally Finland, carrying the number 30. The pair will be revving up in the new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, driven by the Finn in the ERC Rome event last weekend. Heikkilä will be driving with his old championship-winning team from FRC, TGS Motorsport.
"It's a pleasure to drive in Finland with the new car with my old team. We conducted some test runs on the gravel a few weeks back, covering nearly a hundred kilometers, and started off with a few dozens of kilometers in early summer. Both trips left a great impression; the car fit like a glove, especially on the gravel," Heikkilä shares his pre-race excitement.
Jyväskylä's WRC rally week marks back-to-back rallies for Heikkilä. Last week, the driver from Nurmijärvi took part in the sixth round of ERC in Rome, Italy. Although the schedule is tight, Heikkilä's preparation has been thorough.
"In the previous tests, we made adjustments to the car, and it was already set up for the terrain, so we focused on fine-tuning, mainly the springs and stabilizers. The car's balance was exceptional. We've also been reviewing videos from last year and the year before, making necessary changes to the pace notes. We'll take one last look at them during the recce yesterday and today. We almost went straight from Rome to Jyväskylä," Heikkilä explains.
The reigning Finnish champion returns to the high-speed gravel roads of Central Finland after almost a year’s absence from domestic races. Having displayed impressive pace among the front-runners last year, Heikkilä is once again eager to challenge the WRC elite.
"We're definitely going to push hard. Based on last year's performance, our pace should be competitive with the front runners, and if there's been any improvement over the year, we should still be up there this time around. It's going to be fierce, considering the entry list, but I want to place as high as possible," Heikkilä concludes.
The WRC Secto Rally Finland will take place from August 3rd to 6th in Jyväskylä. The event consists of 22 special stages and covers a total of 320.56 kilometers of thrilling action. The event can be followed through the WRC+ platform, Cmore streaming service, and local YLE Ralliradio.
Schedule: WRC Secto Rally Finland
Thursday 3.8. – 3,48 km
09:01 Shakedown - Rannankylä (4,48 km)
19:05 SS1 – Harju 1 (3,48 km)
Friday 4.8. – 104,76 km
08:05 SS2 – Laukaa 1 (11,78 km)
09:03 SS3 – Lankamaa 1 (14,21 km)
10:21 SS4 – Myhinpää 1 (15,51 km)
11:35 SS5 – Hattula 1 (9,14 km)
14:32 SS6 – Laukaa 2 (11,78 km)
15:30 SS7 – Lankamaa 2 (14,21 km)
16:48 SS8 – Myhinpää 1 (15,51 km)
18:05 SS9 – Hattula 2 (9,14 km)
20:05 SS10 – Harju 2 (3,48 km)
Saturday 5.8. – 160,68 km
08:05 SS11 – Västilä 1 (18,94 km)
09:05 SS12 – Päijälä 1 (20,19 km)
10:05 SS13 – Rapsula 1 (20,56 km)
11:05 SS14 – Vekkula 1 (10,65 km)
15:35 SS15 – Västilä 2 (18,94 km)
16:35 SS16 – Päijälä 2 (20,19 km)
17:32 SS17 – Rapsula 2 (20,56 km)
18:35 SS18 – Vekkula 2 (20,65 km)
Sunday 6.8. – 51,64 km
07:53 SS19 – Moksi-Sahloinen 1 (16,56 km)
09:05 SS20 – Himos-Jämsä 1 (9,26 km)
10:30 SS21 – Moksi-Sahloinen 2 (16,56 km)
13:15 SS22 – Himos-Jämsä 2 (9,26 km)
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