The Gravel Roads of Jyväskylä region Await– "It's Great to Experience the Unique Atmosphere"

Lumijoki-based driver Jarno Pentinpuro is preparing for his first gravel rally of the season. Next up is the battle for the Nelivetomies title on the legendary gravel roads of Central Finland during the Secto Rally Finland weekend.

This season, Pentinpuro has focused exclusively on asphalt rallies, making the Vetomies event his first gravel outing of 2026. The two-time Finnish Rally Champion has long wanted to compete in this iconic event.

- I've been dreaming of competing in Vetomies for several years. Now that it fit into our calendar, we decided to make it happen. It's such a unique event in terms of both the atmosphere and the route. I've heard so many stories about the Vetomies rally, so it's great to finally experience it myself, says Pentinpuro.

The Vetomies competition, held alongside Secto Rally Finland, begins on Friday with five special stages. Four of these will be run between the WRC competitors' passes, while the day's final stage, the famous Harju stage, will see the Vetomies competitors run before the WRC field. Saturday features four more special stages between the WRC runs, with the event culminating in the ceremonial finish at the Jyväskylä Paviljonki.

- It's good that the route mainly consists of fast, wider roads, which don't deteriorate as much as the smaller ones. The route looks fantastic and includes many legendary and well-known stages, each of them special in its own way. If I had to pick one, it would be Saarikas, where my aunt is in charge.

Pentinpuro will compete in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX with Matias Toppinen calling the pace notes.

- Matias and I previously competed together in the Juuka Rally in 2022 and have also completed two test sessions in the Mitsubishi. It's always been enjoyable to drive with him, and we've had good pace together, so it's great to head into this event as a team.

- We've managed to complete one test on gravel with the car. It was enough to get back into the rhythm, confirm that everything is working properly, and remind ourselves what driving on gravel feels like.

A total of 71 crews have entered the Vetomies event, with ten crews competing for Nelivetomies title.

- Naturally, our goal is to win, although looking at the entry list, it certainly won't be easy. It's a long rally and a lot can happen, but hopefully we'll have a clean event and some fair, competitive racing in this truly unique competition.