Ahvenisto Race Circuit

Motorsport venue
Name = Ahvenisto Race Circuit | Nicknames =
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Location = Hämeenlinna, Finland
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Image_caption = Ahvenisto track profile.
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Events = Formula Two, Formula 750, ERC | Layout1 =
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Length_km = 3.040
Length_mi = 1.894
Turns = 10
Banking =
Record_time = 1.13.226
Record_driver = Marko Nevalainen
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Record_year = 2000
Record_class = F3
The Ahvenisto Race Circuit (Finnish: Ahveniston moottorirata) is a motorsport race track located in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The convert|3040|m|mi|3 long circuit is run clockwise. The track has an elevation change of convert|32|m|ft|0, the home straight is convert|280|m|mi|1 and the width varies from convert|9|m|ft|0 to convert|17|m|ft|0.

The track's unofficial lap record, 1:10.000, is held by the 1982 Formula One World Champion Keke Rosberg. Rosberg drove the time as a show run with his Williams F1 FW08C in 1984. The official lap record, 1:13.226, was driven by Marko Nevalainen in a Formula Three car on September 16, 2000. Two-time Formula One champion Mika Häkkinen broke the lap record for Carrera Cup class on May 29, 2004, recording a time of 1:19.905 with his Porsche Carrera. [cite web | title=Ahveniston kierrosennätykset | work=Ahveniston moottorirata - Fanisivut | url=http://www.ahvenistonfanisivut.com/kierrosajat.html | language=Finnish | accessdate=2007-01-29]

History

Ahvenisto Race Circuit was finished on July 15, 1967. "I Hämeenlinnan ajot 1967" was the first international event competed at the circuit. The Formula Two race was won by Jochen Rindt in a Brabham BT23 ahead of Jack Brabham's Brabham BT23C and Jim Clark's Lotus 48. The Formula Three race was a battle between Finnish and Swedish drivers, with Sweden's Freddy Kottulinsky taking the win. Other entrants included Leo Kinnunen, Ronnie Peterson and Reine Wisell. [cite web | title=I Hämeenlinnan Ajot 1967 | work=Le Mans & Formula 2 Register | url=http://www.formula2.net/F267No30.htm | accessdate=2007-01-29]

I Hämeenlinnan ajot 1967

In the 1960s and the 1970s, the track also hosted road racing events such as the FIM Formula 750, and between 1980 and 1999 a total of 18 rallycross events counting towards the FIA European Rallycross Championship, all organised by the club "Helsingin UA". In May 1984, Finland's most severe helicopter accident occurred at the track during a race. The pilot lost control of his helicopter while landing and crashed into the audience area, resulting in five spectators dead and 26 injured. [cite web | title=Viime vuosina ei vakavia onnettomuuksia | work=Nelonen | url=http://www.nelonen.fi/uutiset/arkisto_uutinen.asp?d=1101980556589 | accessdate=2008-01-31 | language=Finnish] The track reached its crowd record in 1985, when over 40,000 people arrived to watch "Tähtien kisat" ("The Race of Stars"). Currently, the track mostly hosts races in national and Nordic championships and cups, including Finnish Touring Car Championship, NEZ Racing Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, Nordic Supercar, SRC Rallycross Championship and Historic Race Finland.

References

External links

* [http://www.ahvenistonmoottorirata.fi/ Official website]
* [http://ahvenistonfanisivut.com/index_eng.html Fansite]