Heikkilä to tackle Finnish gravel roads ahead of WRC Finland and Estonia

Mikko Heikkilä competes this weekend in the fifth round of the Finnish rally championship in Jyväskylä. The main objective for the fresh ERC winner is to prepare for the two Northern European WRC rounds of Finland and Estonia.

Finnish rally driver and WRC2 competitor Mikko Heikkilä and co-driver Kristian Temonen will compete in the Finnish rally championship event this weekend in Jyväskylä, the home of Finnish rallying. After winning his first international-level rally, ERC Sweden, in May, the TGS Motorsport’s Skoda driver is building on proven pace ahead of the fast gravel events of Northern Europe; Delfi Rally Estonia and Secto Rally Finland. The event marks Heikkilä’s return to FRC gravel events for the first time since securing his Finnish championship back in autumn 2022.

-It’s nice to compete in Jyväskylä in other ways than Secto. This is kind of lite version of rallying, since the preparations are lighter than in WRC events. The atmosphere is more relaxed too, even though we take the competition and our goals as serious as ever. It’s been a while since I’ve been competing in the FRC apart from Arctic Lapland Rally, and the level of competition is still very high, Heikkilä said.

SM Jyväskylä Ralli includes seven special stages and around 91 special stage kilometres. The route includes many stages familiar from past Finnish WRC events, such as the rally-opening Laajavuori, Saturday’s first stage of Moksi, and the rally-ending Urria. In recent years, these stages have not featured in their current format in the WRC, and Heikkilä welcomes the new additions.

- When comparing from a map, there’s just two parts that I have driven in WRC Finland, and the others are unfamiliar to me. It’s a nice change, and great recce training, too.

- The biggest difference between WRC and FRC events in Jyväskylä from a competitor’s stand point is of course the length of the event. Whilst all competitions require maximum performance on all stages, in a shorter rally every lost second is highlighted perhaps more. Another difference is the tire feel, as we use different manufacturer’s tires in WRC, Heikkilä summed up.

Even though there’s still time until WRC Finland, Heikkilä recognizes the benefit of preparing early for the summer’s WRC events whilst keeping the gap between rallies in bay. The benefits for competing in Jyväskylä are clear to the Skoda driver.

- The main point is to have good practice and routine for Secto, and Estonia too. There’s definitely benefits to be had, as the roads are similar in character as in Secto Rally Finland, and similarly fast as in Delfi Rally Estonia. As we drive relatively little it’s important to use all opportunities to our benefit, and the benefit is what we’re after, Heikkilä said.

Jyväskylä offers great stage for a national-level competition for both Finnish and Estonian rally championships as a joint round. With the traditional scenery and service area well-known from WRC Finland, Heikkilä believes in a true rally festival ahead of the main event of the Finnish motorsports later in the summer.

- A big thank you for our cooperation partners for the support and getting us here. I’m hoping for a lot of spectators along the route. The event has all the makings of a great sporting event, not least by the fact that service is held at Paviljonki, which is known for being the service area of WRC Finland. I’m especially looking forward to Laajavuori, hopefully in front of a large crowd of spectators, Heikkilä stated.

SM Jyväskylä Ralli is held from 12th to 13th of June. The event is shown live via FlyingFinn.tv streaming service with live timing found on rallism.fi.

SM Jyväskylä Ralli schedule

Friday 12.6.

19.09    Start – Jyväskylä harbour           

19.30    SS1 – Laajavuori             4,02 km

Saturday 13.6.

10.24    SS2 – Moksi                       18,07 km

11.02    SS3 – Jussilanperä         10,46 km

13.25    SS4 – Ylä-Muuratjärvi   14,52 km

14.27    SS5 – Halinen                   11,43 km

17.07    SS6 – Sahloinen              17,81 km

17.34    SS7 – Urria                         14,99 km

19.00    Podium – Jyväskylä harbour