Jarno Pentinpuro is Nelivetomies 2026

The Finnish National Vetomies titles were contested alongside Rally Finland. Nelivetomies delivered an impressive victory for debutant Jarno Pentinpuro dominated the event despite encountering several setbacks.

Making his first-ever appearance in the prestigious Vetomies Ralli, the event also marked Pentinpuro’s first gravel rally of the season. The two-time Finnish Champion proved that his speed and gravel-driving skills remain as sharp as ever. The 21-year-old from Lumijoki took the overall lead on the opening special stage and never looked back.

This year’s Vetomies Ralli featured nine special stages in two days. On Friday, Pentinpuro and co-driver Matias Toppinen claimed four of the five stage wins, with only the Harju super special escaping them, although the rally began with an unexpected challenge.

- It was a really great day. The start wasn’t ideal, as we had to push-start the car before the opening stage in Laukaa. Once we got going, we found a good rhythm. We also had a small incident after Saarikas, where we hit something. The team replaced the front driveshaft during service, and after that the car was working perfectly again. Then it started raining on the Harju stage, so we decided not to take any unnecessary risks, Pentinpuro reflected after Friday’s action.

Saturday’s scorching temperatures greeted both the fans and competitors, with four legendary special stages remaining. Pentinpuro maintained his commanding pace by setting the fastest time on three of the four stages, making it no surprise that the newly crowned 2026 Nelivetomies Champion crossed the finish line with a broad smile.

- It feels absolutely fantastic! We won by a comfortable margin even though the field included multiple Finnish champions. We built a solid lead on Friday, which allowed us to avoid the biggest risks and rocks on Saturday. The car was working well throughout the day, but about five kilometres before the finish an intercooler boost hose came off, and suddenly we had a naturally aspirated Mitsubishi! At that point I thought we’d lost the victory, but fortunately our lead was big enough, Pentinpuro said with a smile at the finish.

- It’s a great feeling to come out on top, especially in my very first Vetomies Ralli. Most of the other competitors already had several Vetomies events under their belts.

Driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, Jarno Pentinpuro and co-driver Matias Toppinen secured the 2026 Four-Wheel Drive Vetomies title by 42 seconds over runner-up Mikko Lehti. Two-time defending champion Ville Hautamäki completed the podium in third place, finishing more than 52 seconds behind Pentinpuro.

- The Vetomies Rally is a unique event in terms of both its atmosphere and its route, and winning it makes the experience even more special. A huge thank you to my co-driver, the team, our partners and everyone who supported us throughout the event!