Pentinpuro takes victory in Leppävirta – Norway next
Jarno Pentinpuro claimed victory in the Finnish Rallysprint Championship round in Leppävirta. His next event is already scheduled for next weekend.
The autumn season of Rallisprint SM got underway on Saturday in Leppävirta. Jarno Pentinpuro, who was second in the four-wheel-drive championship standings after the winter rounds, put in a strong performance throughout the event and was the fastest driver on both runs of the 3.8-kilometre gravel course.
- The first run went quite well, although there was still some room for improvement. The road cleaned up for the second run, and I managed to eliminate a few mistakes, which improved my time. This time, it was enough for the win, the victorious Pentinpuro said after the event.
- I’m happy with today’s competition. The car worked well and so did I. Thanks to everyone for the support and to our sponsors and partners. This is a great way to continue the season, Pentinpuro added.
Following the Leppävirta round, Pentinpuro is tied for the lead in the four-wheel-drive championship standings with Juho Mäki-Tammela. Both drivers have two round victories to their names, setting the stage for a tight battle in the final two rounds of the season. The first of those, MRF Tyres SM Sprint, will be held in Ylistaro on 19 September.
After his victory in Leppävirta, Pentinpuro and his team will have little time to celebrate. The next event is already coming up this weekend, and it will be a very different kind of challenge. Rally Larvik in Norway is a tarmac rally and part of the Nordic Rally Championship.
- Rally Larvik is part of the Nordic Rally Championship, just like Rally Kjellerup in Denmark, where I competed in May. Both are good learning events for tarmac driving, although they are quite different in character, Pentinpuro explains.
Pentinpuro will compete in the event with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, with Juho-Ville Koskela in the co-driver’s seat. The team will leave Lumijoki on Wednesday, with Friday reserved for recce and Saturday for the actual competition. Rally Larvik consists of two runs through a loop of four special stages, making a total of eight stages. Just as in Denmark, Pentinpuro will be the only Finnish driver competing in the event.
At the Danish event, Pentinpuro took victory in the Nordic Rally Championship round and finished second overall in an exceptionally competitive field. Once again, his ambitions are high, both in terms of results and learning.
- Of course, we will aim for the best possible result, but our main goal is to gain as much experience as possible of tarmac driving and of this different type of road. When you have to push towards the limits of both yourself and the car in a close competition, that is when you learn the most. So hopefully we’ll have exactly that kind of challenge!
