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Pentti Airikkala

Pentti Airikkala
Personal information
NationalityFinland Finnish
Born(1945-09-04)4 September 1945
Helsinki, Finland
Died30 September 2009(2009-09-30) (aged 64)
Bray, Berkshire, United Kingdom
World Rally Championship record
Active years1973–1990, 2003
Co-driverFinland Heikki Haaksiala
United Kingdom John Davenport
Finland Risto Virtanen
United Kingdom Mike Greasley
United Kingdom Mike Nicholson
New Zealand Rodger Freeth
New Zealand Chris Porter
United Kingdom Phil Short
Finland Juha Piironen
Finland Seppo Harjanne
Republic of Ireland Ronan McNamee
Republic of Ireland Brian Murphy
United Kingdom Nigel Gardner
TeamsPrivateer, Vauxhall, Rothmans Ford, Mitsubishi Ralliart, Martini Lancia, Nissan, Q8 Team Ford
Rallies37
Championships0
Rally wins1
Podiums6
Stage wins147
Total points102
First rally1973 1000 Lakes Rally
First win1989 RAC Rally
Last rally2003 Wales Rally GB
Airikkala's Team Ralliart-entered Mitsubishi Lancer 2000 Turbo from the 1982 1000 Lakes Rally.

Pentti Airikkala (4 September 1945 – 30 September 2009) was one of the "Flying Finns" who dominated world rallying in the past four decades.[1] His career was more sporadic than many of his contemporaries, and he competed in only three World Rally Championship (WRC) events regularly; the two Scandinavian rallies (the 1000 Lakes and the Swedish Rally) and the RAC Rally in the United Kingdom.

Airikkala was born in Helsinki, Finland.[2] Most of his top flight competitive experience was behind the wheel of various rear wheel drive Vauxhall/Opels like the Chevette HS and Magnum coupé, but his greatest success came in the twilight of his career, when he won the 1989 RAC Rally in a Group A Mitsubishi Galant VR-4.[3][4] He is still the third oldest driver to win a WRC event.

Altogether he competed in 36 WRC events between 1973 and 1990, and a 37th in 2003, scoring 102 points and achieving a best of 9th overall in the 1981 Drivers' Championship.[5] He also contested the British Rally Championship in the 1970s/80s, becoming British Rally Champion in 1979. Since retiring from full-time international competition he operated a highly successful rally driving school in Oxfordshire teaching left-foot braking, where his roster of pupils included subsequent World Champions Colin McRae and Richard Burns.[6]

Death

Airikkala died at Bray, Berkshire, UK, aged 64. He had been battling illness in recent years and was admitted to hospital shortly before his death after suffering liver problems and a fall.[7]

WRC victories

 #  Event Season Co-driver Car
1 United Kingdom 38th Lombard RAC Rally 1989 Ronan McNamee Mitsubishi Galant VR-4

Racing record

Complete IMC results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1971 Opel Mobil Team Opel Kadett Rallye MON SWE ITA KEN MAR AUT GRE GBR
Ret

Complete WRC results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 WDC Pts
1973 Auto-Airikkala Oy Opel Kadett GT/E MON SWE POR KEN MOR GRE POL FIN
Ret 		AUT ITA USA GBR FRA N/A N/A
1974 Auto-Airikkala Oy Vauxhall Magnum Coupé MON
C 		SWE
C 		POR KEN GRE
C 		FIN
16 		ITA CAN USA N/A N/A
Centre Hotels / Clarke & Simpson Ford Escort RS1600 GBR
Ret 		FRA
1975 Dealer Team Vauxhall Vauxhall Magnum Coupé MON SWE KEN GRE MOR POR FIN
Ret 		ITA FRA GBR
20 		N/A N/A
1976 Team Avon Tyres Ford Escort RS1800 MON SWE POR KEN GRE MOR FIN
2 		ITA FRA GBR
DSQ 		N/A N/A
1977 Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica 2000 GT MON SWE
Ret 		POR KEN NZL GRE N/A N/A
Dealer Team Vauxhall Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS FIN
Ret 		CAN ITA FRA GBR
16
1978 Dealer Team Vauxhall Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS MON SWE
Ret 		KEN POR
DNS 		GRE FIN
3 		CAN ITA CIV FRA GBR
Ret 		N/A N/A
1979 Dealer Team Vauxhall Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS MON SWE
3 		POR KEN GRE FIN
3 		CAN ITA FRA GBR
7 		CIV 15th 16
GM Dealer Team New Zealand NZL
Ret
1980 Dealer Team Vauxhall Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR MON SWE
6 		POR KEN GRC ARG FIN
Ret 		GBR
Ret 		CIV 36th 6
Masport Ford Escort RS1800 NZL
Ret 		ITA FRA
1981 Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800 MON SWE
3 		POR KEN FRA GRC ARG BRA FIN
5 		ITA CIV GBR
4 		9th 30
1982 Team Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer 2000 Turbo MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL BRA FIN
3 		ITA CIV GBR
Ret 		15th 12
1983 Martini Racing Lancia Rally 037 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
5 		ITA CIV GBR 21st 8
1984 Team Nissan Europe Nissan 240RS MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN
Ret 		ITA CIV GBR NC 0
1985 British Telecom / GM Dealer Sport Vauxhall Astra GTE MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
Ret 		NC 0
1986 British Telecom / GM Dealer Sport Vauxhall Astra GTE MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
16 		USA NC 0
1987 GM Euro Sport Opel Kadett GSi MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret 		NC 0
1988 Safety Devices Lancia Delta Integrale MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
4 		30th 10
1989 Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 SWE MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV GBR
1 		14th 20
1990 Q8 Team Ford Ford Sierra Cosworth 4X4 MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
Ret 		AUS ITA
11 		CIV GBR
Ret 		NC 0
2003 Pentti Airikkala Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI MON SWE TUR NZL ARG GRC CYP GER FIN AUS ITA FRA ESP GBR
Ret 		NC 0

References

  1. ^ Pentti Airikkala, 'Flying Finns' website
  2. ^ Hope-Frost, Henry; Davenport, John (2004). The Complete Book of the World Rally Championship. Saint Paul, Minnesota: MotorBooks International. p. 62. ISBN 0-7603-1954-5.
  3. ^ 38th Lombard RAC Rally, Final classification, Rallybase.nl website
  4. ^ "My only WRC win -- Pentti Airikkala". Motor Sport Magazine. February 2005. p. 19. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  5. ^ 1981 World Rally Championship for Drivers, Final classification, Rallybase.nl
  6. ^ Pentti's Champion Pupils Archived 2006-05-04 at the Wayback Machine, leftfootbraking.com
  7. ^ "Rally star Airikkala dies". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. 2009-01-10. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
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