ERC: Toomas on podium, third place in Sweden

The youngest driver in the four-wheel-drive main class, 20-year-old Toomas secured fourth place on the grid for the A-final and rose to third place in the course of the race.

The winner of the Swedish round was Tanner Foust, a well-known stunt driver, who also took the lead in the ERC standings. Kenneth Hansen from Sweden was second, with no previous placings this season.

Sverre Isachsen, the current European Champion from Norway, started on pole in Höljes but had to settle for fourth place behind Toomas. In the total scores, Isachsen is second after Foust, two points behind the lead.

After winning the previous round on his home track in Trondheim, Norway, Mats Lysen did not make it to the A-final this time and came seventh. He holds third place in the ERC, five points behind Isachsen. Toomas moved up one place in the total standings and is now in seventh place, only eight points away from third place.

"ABSOLUTELY GREAT"

Toomas, who was fourth, eighth and fourth in the three heats, was very pleased with his upward performance.

"Right from the start of the season my goal has been to achieve podium places, but due to some minor setbacks this never materialised in the previous races. It feels absolutely great to achieve the goal for the first time," he says with a happy smile. "I'm especially pleased that I was able to be at my best in the final, just when it counts."

"The direction is now right. From here, I can confidently go on and pursue my first victory in the season's remaining rounds," said this young driver from Joensuu, with the sixth, disqualified, eighth, fifth and third in the five rounds now behind him.

from: (c) www.erc24.com

Eklund klar för Höljes

Varken ålder eller Saab:s kris kan stoppa Per Eklunds start i rallycross-EM i Höljes
– Man får inte ge sig så lätt, säger nyblivne folkpensionären inför sin säsongspremiär till helgen.

Men starten i årets rallycross-EM har hängt i en skör tråd eftersom hans unge finske adept Toomas ”Topi” Heikkinen har första prioritet i EM. Det är han som betalar.

– Först Topis bil, sedan min, förklarar Per Eklund.

Med andra ord är det mesta sig likt i Eklunds värld - en ständig kamp mot klockan i garaget och på motorbanan.

Det var i fjol som Per Eklund tog in den då 19-årige finske racingtalangen som ”pay-driver”, detta för att finansiera sin verksamhet. Samarbetet blev ett riktigt lyckokast både för Heikkinen och Eklund. Inte nog med att Topi vann finska rallycrossmästerskapet, han vann även finaltävlingen i det nordamerikanska mästerskapet.

Jättetalang
– Vi pratar om en jättetalang, dessutom är Topi smått otrolig i sin ambition, han är en riktig vinnare, säger Per Eklund och tillägger att nu börjar de riktiga framgångarna komma.

– Han är i A-final, bara vägen dit är lika tuff som att köra finalen. Ja, ännu tuffare.

Per Eklund säger att han hoppas att Topis och hans framfart i rallycross-EM stärker Saab och företagets personal.

– Vi ger oss inte, varken Eklund Motorsport eller Saab Automobile.

Minimalt stöd
I dag är stödet till teamet minimalt från Trollhättan av förklarliga skäl. Per har deltagit i större kundevent som förarinstruktör och arvoderats för dessa inhopp under vintern. Inget mer.

– Och sedan finns det moraliska stödet, det är ömsesidigt, säger Per Eklund.

I tungviktsklassen Supercar är 35 ekipage anmälda. Förutom Per Eklund startar även svenskarna Stig-Olov ”Stecka” Walfridson, Kenneth Hansen, Peter Hedström och Mats Öhman. Stecka vann i Höljes 2009 och var fyra i senaste EM-tävlingen i Norge.

from www.nwt.se

Giving it up for the kid

Eklund misses Norwegian chance after muddy test with Heikkinen.

Organising a two-day test at Höljes for his young Finnish protégé, Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen, cost Per Eklund his chance of starting in this weekend’s Norwegian ERC round, but the veteran Swede is as philosophical as ever about it, and reckons the test was more than worthwhile.

“I promised Toomas a test before the season began but then we did not get the car finished in time because parts were late and since then it was race, race, race so there was no time for a test. We went to Höljes a couple of weeks ago and did two days with him but it rained a lot and there was so much mud that we had to strip the car completely afterwards and the time we lost doing that made the difference between finishing my car and not,” said Eklund who, true to form, worked marathon hours in a bid to race, “The shell was painted late on Sunday night and we took the shell from the paintshop on Monday and started to build it up. We needed another half-a-day and it would have been finished, I wanted to work through the nights but the rest of them needed to sleep! We could not have tried harder, we got here five minutes before scrutineering finished on Friday.”

Out of action since the end of last year, Eklund is eager to race, but also getting satisfaction from being team boss. “I miss driving but there is not the money for me to race. I know when the tank is empty, not like some of these Norwegians racing on borrowed money. It’s good working with Toomas. He listens to advice and learns fast but he still needs more experience. The test was good for him because these cars are difficult to race in the rain and Rallycross is not like Formula One or Touring Cars where it rains and the drivers say ‘Ooh, we can’t race in this’, they are, what do you call that? Gay!” said Eklund.

Heikkinen also rated the Höljes test as valuable. “It was good to have time in the car, I still need to learn about it and work with the setups. We had one dry day and then it rained so it was good to have different conditions, kind of perfect,” he said, “There’s no time to experiment in a race, you have to learn the track and go for it, so a test like that was very good for me.”

Depending on his progress in Norway and Sweden, and how the car comes through those events, Heikkinen may add the Finnish championship’s ‘Sambacross’ event to schedule. “Mikko Hirvonen will be in that event so it will have more attention and because of that it would be good for us to go there. We are thinking about it but will not make a decision until after Sweden,” he said.

By Tim Whittington, http://www.rallycrossworld.com/

Heikkinen with engineer Per Anders Eklund, son of Per Eklund.

Heikkinen positive, but out

Still one of the youngest drivers in the paddock, Finnish champion Toomas Heikkinen continues to impress in the second event of this first full ERC season, the 19-year-old running under the watchful eye of team boss Per Eklund.

“It’s going the right way, we are close to the front and the direction is right. Per could be my grandfather but it’s really good work with him, he’s a really smooth guy and he gives me a lot of advice about how I could do things better and that helps me a lot. I also have the experience that I can bring from Formula Renault and that helps also,” says Heikkinen who made the switch from circuit racing to Rallycross last year and feels that his previous racing also plays a role in his form on mixed surfaces. “There are many things from circuit racing that I can use here; the basic car control is the same and this is racing just like Formula Renault was racing, the racecraft is a big part of this. Now there is no problem on the gravel either, I drove a lot in the winter on snow and ice and that has helped me a lot with the gravel speed: here I was fastest on the gravel sections on Saturday so actually we have changed the setup in the car a little bit to try and get better speed on the asphalt.”

The Eklund Motorsport Saab 93 Aero has been extensively re-engineered over the winter, it’s Prodrive transmission replaced by a Sellholm system which has allowed the engine to be repositioned for a better weight balance in the car. “There is now more torque in the engine and now the car handles better, the understeer that we had last year is gone and I can use a more aggressive style, it’s much nicer to drive now,” said Heikkinen who won the final event in last Autumn’s inaugural US Rallycross Championship and who is working together with his father to try and return to the States later this year. “I hope to go back. We are talking about it and there is a good possibility, but we still have some work to do before we can say that we will go there. I want to go because I need to be seen there and to keep my name known, so we’ll see how it goes.”

A puncture on Saturday afternoon left Heikkinen with a lot to do and no margin for error on Sunday and while his second heat brought a respectable ninth place the third taught him a harsh lesson of ERC life: exclusion after a run-in with Marc Laboulle bringing his event to a swift and pointless end.

by Tim Whittington, Rallycross world

Toomas in A-Final!

At the first race of the FIA European Rallycross championship at Lidden Hill, UK, Toomas Heikkinen finished 6th in the A-final!

The Finnish champion 2010 driver of the Per Eklund Motorsport team drove a very good qualification. The first heat on sunday 24th of April Toomas drive only a 13th time overall. The next day it was much better. The second heat, it was an amazingly good third time overall and in the third heat it was even a second time overall!
These resuls gave the Saab 9-3 driver a direct third place at the start grid of the A-final.


(c) www.erc24.com

In a finale he was less fortunate. Due to a flat tire, he lost a position and finished 6th. A very good result at this first race.


(c) http://www.erc24.com/

Results A-final

1. Sverre Isachsen (N), Ford Focus


2. Marc Laboulle (F), Citroën C4


3. Davy Jeanney (F), Citroën C4


4. Liam Doran (GB), Citroën C4


5. Timur Timerzyanov (Rus), Citroën C4


6. Toomas Heikkinen (Fin), SAAB 9-3 ASS

Here some very great onboard videos!

First race ERC 2011: Heikkinen

At the first race of the European Championship rallycross at Lydden Hill Race Circuit (Wootton) in England, team Eklund motorsport starts again with 2010 Finnish Rallycross Champion Toomas Heikkinen (SAAB 9-3 ASS).

The young Finn completed the 2010 season with a win in a Rallycross event at New Jersey Motorsports Park at Millville, NJ (USA) back in November.
Heikkinen continues his partnership with Eklund Motorsport in 2011 and therefore Per Eklund and his team build a brand new SAAB 9-3 for the Finn for the complete European Championship. Earlier this week, at Strängnäs Motorstadion in Sweden, the team had their final test session.


from: www.rallycross.com

Eklund missionerar i USA

From www.nwt.se:

Nu ska rallycross-sporten få en bred lansering i USA.
Per Eklund, 64, är en av missionärerna.
Men han sitter inte bakom Saab-ratten själv den här gången.
Rallycross enligt den europeiska modellen har inte fått fäste på den amerikanska kontinenten.

Per Eklund ingår i gänget som ska ändra på det, men han låter sin unge finländske adept Toomas ”Topi” Heikkinen, 19 ratta bilen.

– Andréas Eriksson har lagt ner ett fint förarbete för att skapa intresse för sporten i USA. Nu kommer vi och även Sverre Isachsen, regerande europamästare, samt några andra EM-förare till den sista deltävlingen i US Rallycross Championship 6-7 november i New Jersey, säger Eklund i ett pressmeddelande.

Det är inte första gången som Eklund drar över Atlanten till Nordamerika och USA för att tävla i bilsport. Han har bland annat två segrar i backtävlingen Pikes Peak i bagageluckan. Det här är dock första gången han är på plats för att tävla med sitt team, utan att själv köra.

Fruktbart samarbete
I våras inledde 64-årige och forne VM-föraren i rally Per Eklund ett samarbete med unge finländaren Toomas Heikkinen. Utan att tidigare ha kört en enda rallycrosstävling innan premiären i våras, lyckades Heikkinen köra hem det finska mästerskapet under Per Eklunds överinseende.

– Redan under sin första rallycrossäsong har ”Topi” visat på en smått otrolig utveckling som förare. I dag har han kapacitet att mäta sig bland de främsta i EM även om han saknar erfarenhet, säger Per Eklund.

I USA ställs han mot kända förare som X-Gamesstjärnan Travis Pastrana, WRC-föraren Ken Block och driftingföraren Tanner Faust.

Nästa år kommer Toomas Heikkinen att tävla i rallycross-EM.

Mikael Adamsson

The grapevine had it for some time now that Swedish Rally and Rallycross legend Per Eklund was set to take part in the third and final round of the 2010 'RallyCar U.S. Rallycross Championship' at the New Jersey Motorsports Park on November 6 and 7.

But today it became official that the old warhorse has entered his 19 years old Finnish protégé Toomas "Topi" Heikkinen to drive his own 2010 Saab 9-3 ASS ERC at Millville in New Jersey. Under the fatherly care of Eklund the former Formula Renault 2.0 racer won the 2010 Finnish Rallycross Championship in early August and has his eyes focused on the 2011 ERC now.

After Norwegian Frode Holte shipped his Volvo C30 ERC to the USA about a week ago also the other Swedish car manufacturer will be present at the Lightning Raceway to demonstrate Scandinavian Rallycross machinery on American soil now.

Heikkinen wins again in Finland!

At the second round of the Finish Rallycross championship in Hyvinkää, Toomas
Heikkinen took a very good start. He managed to stay ahead of his rivals and won again in a thrilling final.

Results:

1. Toomas Heikkinen (FIN), SAAB 9-3
2. Atro Määttä (FIN), Ford Focus
3. Harri Arola (FIN), Mitsubishi Lancer
4. Martti Simonen (FIN), Ford Fiesta
5. Jukka Lautamäki (FIN), Ford Escort
6. Janne Kanerva(FIN), Škoda Fabia

Eklund nära sättas på plats av egna adepten

From www.vf.se:

Det var nära att Per Eklund sattes på plats av sin unge adept Toomas Heikkinen på Westombanan.
Men till slut visade han att gammal är äldst och blev fyra.
– Hade han slagit mig hade jag inte blivit sur, skrattar veteranen.

Norsk triumf i Arvika Skriv ut sidan Tipsa en kompis Kommentera Per Eklund, snart 64, har rutin så det räcker och blir över – så nu han delar med sig till 19-årige Toomas Heikkinen som hyr en Saab 9-3 av Eklund i år.
Samarbetet har burit frukt omgående.
Heikkinen vann sin debuttävling i det finska mästerskapet och i Arvika kvalade han ut nestor Eklund – i teamets tredjebil.
– Men bilen är minst lika bra som min, den är lättare, kortare och hade samma motor som i den ordinarie bilen han kör, säger Eklund.
• Vad säger du om att han besegrade dig i kvalet?
– Jag undrar hur arrangörerna tänkte. Jag hade tre femteplatser och han två sjätteplatser- och en fjärdeplats. Att han skulle starta före mig i finalen kändes konstigt – även om han gjorde det bra.
Finnskogaföraren var dock snabbt förbi finländaren när A-finalen flaggades i gång.
– Jag hade inte blivit sur om han besegrat mig. Men han har fortfarande lite att lära, ler Eklund som själv hade en hård dust med Mats Öhman.
Öhman tvingades bryta efter att bilarna touchat varandra på startvarvet och Eklund kunde gå i mål som fyra i tävlingen, trea i SM.
– Starkast vinner, säger Eklund med ett leende på läpparna.
• Nöjd?
– Det får duga. De andra har ju kört mycket mer än jag i år, säger Eklund
Toomas Heikkinen var också nöjd med sin insats när han för första gången mötte riktiga storfräsare.
– Det här var en väldigt nyttig erfarenhet, säger den unge finländaren som i fjol tävlade i Formel Renault.
– Rallycross är mycket billigare. Det behöver inte kosta lika mycket att ta sig till toppen, förklarar han grenbytet.
Nästa gång Heikkinen ställs mot giganterna blir i Höljes EM-tävling i juli. Men att göra som landsmannen Marcus Grönholm och vinna i Höljesdebuten räknar inte 19-åringen med.
– Den målsättningen får jag nog vänta något år med...

Rallycross Norden: Eklund 4th

Resuls Division 1 Rallycross Norden, Arvika, Sweden

After a rainy day, Eklund drove to a 4th position in the A-final.
Student Toomas Heikkinen drove with his old 9-3 to a 5th place.

1. Sverre Isachsen Ford Focus, -
2. Michael Jernberg Škoda Fabia, 20
3. Stig-Olov Walfridsson Renault Clio, 17
4. Per Eklund SAAB 9-3 ASS, 15
5. Toomas Heikkinen SAAB 9-3, -
6. Mats Öhman Volvo S40, 13
7. Frank Valle Ford Focus, -
8. Tomas Andersson BMW 120, 12

Toomas Heikkinen (SAAB 9-3) and Per Eklund (SAAB 9-3 ASS) pictured together during this moorning's free practice. (Photo: © Johan Persson)

*** update ***
from http://www.rallycross.com/:
The young Finn joined Eklund Motorsport and is taking part in the 2010 Finnish Rallycross Championship with a SAAB 9-3 ASS. "Toomas' priority this season is clearly the Finnish Rallycross Championship," says Per Eklund. "He just need as much as possible practice as he is still new to the sport of Rallycross and therefore he is on the entry list. The results he will get here today are less important, he is not here to win. We also decided to let him use the 'old' SAAB 9-3 but after this event i will prepare the SAAB 9-3 ASS again for the next event in the Finnish championship on Saturday at Hyvinkää."


First appearance of the season for Per Eklund (SAAB 9-3 ASS) on his hometrack at Arvika. (Photo: © Johan Persson)

No finish for Eklund at the Nürburgring

Nico Gasparatos and Per Eklund didn't finish at the 3 hour race ADAC 24h-Classic at the Nürburgring, Germany last Friday.

"At Thursday at the training, everything was running very well", tells Nico Gasparatos, owner of the Saab 900 racing team.
"Per made some small ajustmenst on the settings of the Saab 900 and he was very enthusiastic about the nürburgring!".

In the race on Friday, Per took the start very good, but after 5 laps the bevel gear broke and the car had to stop due to Gear damage.

Heikkinen wins first Finnish rallycross race

SRC Finnish Rallycross Championship 2010 - Round 1
Division 1

1. Toomas Heikkinen (FIN), SAAB 9-3 ASS T16 4x4
2. Martti Simonen (FIN), Ford Fiesta ST T16 4x4
3. Ari Perkiomäki (FIN), Ford Fiesta ST T16 4x4
4. Janne Taskila (FIN), Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5
5. Anssi Rytkönen (S), Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
6. Sami Pakkala (FIN), Honda Civic Type-R Mk2 Standings:
1. Toomas Heikkinen (FIN) 20
2. Martti Simonen (FIN) 17
3. Ari Perkiomäki (FIN) 15


Toomas Heikkinen (SAAB 9-3 ASS) won the first round of the 2010 SRC Finnish Rallycross Championship at Hämeenlinna. (Photo: © Toni Ollikainen)

Per kör 900 Turbo i 24-timmars

Michael Åhman - 2010-04-26 12:13

Tre legender möts den 14 maj: Per Eklund ska köra en Saab 900 Turbo 16S vid 24-timmarsloppet på Nürburgrings nordslinga. Han får ovanligt många svenska konkurrenter.


Här är bilen som Per Eklund ska köra i årets upplaga av 24-timmars på Nürburgring: En Saab 900 Turbo 16S av 1984 års modell. Med "minst" 310 hästar under huven.

- När jag fick erbjudandet att tävla med en klassisk 900 Turbo på Nordslingan så tände jag direkt, säger Per.

Per Eklund, 64-årig legend gör comeback i 24-timmars på Ringen.
Bilen (en 1984 års 900 Turbo 16 S) ställs i ordning och ägs av Saab-handlaren i Hamburg och Nordslinge-experten Nico Gasparatos. Den är ombyggd enligt grupp A-reglementet och motorn ger "minst" 310 hästkrafter.

- Jag blev glatt överraskad när jag provkörde, speciellt över prestandan i motorn. Vi kommer definitivt att ha roligt, säger den nu 64-årige Eklund om att tävla med 900 Turbo på Ringen. Han har kört loppet tidigare - för trettio år sedan.

Bilen har en toppfart på 253 km/h. Men Per lär inte ha några problem att tygla hästkrafterna. Under de senaste åren har mannen som kört nästan alla världens bilmärken i nästan alla världens rallytävlingar kört en 650-hästars Saab 9-3 Turbo 4x4 i EM i rallycross.

Några av er kanske också minns den monster-Saab med 850 hk som Per slog backrekord med uppför Pikes Peak år 2000

Per Eklund fährt ADAC 24h-Classic auf dem

Rallyelegende Per Eklund fährt ADAC 24h-Classic auf dem
Nürburgring

Hamburg, 23. April 2010.
Über 30 Jahre nach seiner letzten Teilnahme an
einem 24h-Rennen auf dem Nürburgring, tritt Rallyelegende Per Eklund mit
einem Saab 900 Turbo 16S beim ADAC 24h-Classic Rennen am 14. Mai auf der
Nordschleife an. Der Wagen wird vorbereitet und eingesetzt vom Hamburger
Saab-Händler und Nordschleifenkenner Nico Gasparatos.

Normalerweise tritt Per Eklund, einer der erfolgreichsten Rallyepiloten der ´70er
und ´80er Jahre, mit seinem rund 650 PS starken Saab 9-3 Turbo 4x4 in der
Rallycross Europameisterschaft an. Doch beim diesjährigen 24h-Classic Rennen
im Rahmenprogramm des 38. ADAC Zurich 24h-Rennens auf dem Nürburgring,
zieht es den 64jährigen Rallycross-Champion von 1999 in ein Cockpit der
besonderen Art. „Als ich das Angebot bekam, mit einem klassischen Saab 900
Turbo auf der Nordschleife antreten zu können, war ich sofort begeistert“,
kommentiert der schwedische Rennfahrer seinen unerwarteten Einsatz.

Das Fahrzeug, ein Saab 900 Turbo 16S, aufgebaut nach dem Gruppe AReglement,
präsentierte sich bei einem ersten Test auf der Strecke im dänischen Padborg bestens vorbereitet. „Ich war überrascht, wie präzise sich der Wagen
fahren lässt, vor allem die Leistungsentfaltung des 300 PS starken Motors
begeistert – wir werden definitiv Spaß haben“, freut sich Per Eklund aufs Rennen
am Ring.

Oldtimer- und Saab-Spezialist Nico Gasparatos tritt mit seinem Saab 900 Turbo
seit über 10 Jahren erfolgreich in der Youngtimer-Rennszene an und konnte die
Zuverlässigkeit des extravaganten Klassikers entscheidend verbessern. Der Saab
900 Turbo 16S ist aus dem Jahr 1984 und verfügt über die üblichen
Sicherheitsdetails, wie eine eingeschweißte Sicherheitszelle, einen
Sicherheitstank und eine spezielle, der Homologation entsprechende,
Bremsanlage. Besonderes technisches Highlight des Fahrzeugs ist das
sogenannte APC-System, eine elektronische Steuerung des Turbo-Ladedrucks.
Das System schützt nicht nur den Motor vor Beschädigung, es sorgt vor allem für
kraftvolles Drehmoment. Saab war 1982 der erste Hersteller, der eine aktive
Ladedruckregulierung anbieten konnte.

Leistungsdaten:
310 PS bei 6400 U/min, 520 Nm Drehmoment bei 4000 U/min,
Höchstgeschwindigkeit: 253 km/h, maximaler Turbo-Ladedruck: 1,6 bar.

Hinweis:
Diesen Text sowie Bildmaterial finden Sie in der Datenbank von
Gasparatos Automobile GmbH www.saabservice.de

Toomas Heikkinen

From: http://www.rallycross.com/

The Swedish Rallycross Championship, the 'Rallycross Norden' events and probably eight events of the 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship is the plan for Per Eklund this year. Like Michael Jernberg yesterday, Andréas Eriksson this last saturday, and Kenneth Hansen last week, Eklund also attended Strängnäs Motorstadion for some testing before the season. He had this time only brought his "old" SAAB 9-3 with him. "Everything underneath is the same – it is only the model that is older – otherwise it is just as fast as my other Division 1 cars,"he explained.


Per Eklund, explains Toomas Heikkinen how Rallycross has to be driven. (Photo: © Lennart Pettersson)

The reason that Eklund is not attending the first two events of the 2010 European Championship this year is that he will be in Finland at the Finnish Rallycross Championship that kicks off at Hämeenlinna on May 8 – though, he will not be driving. This year, Eklund is taking young Finnish driver Toomas Heikkinen under his wings. Heikkinen, only 19 years old, is this year entering the Rallycross stage by renting one of Eklund's Divison 1 SAAB's, and has at the same time gained a mentor in Eklund. Eklund (64 years old in June) realizes the importance of getting young drivers into Rallycross and wants to support them as much as he can with his knowledge and experience. His first step is to act as a 'teacher' for Heikkinen, whom he sees much potential in. "This test is actually for Toomas, though I do of course get into the car as well," Eklund says. Even no matter how experienced as Eklund is, he too needs testing before the season and sat yesterday both in the driver's and co-driver's seat.


Toomas Heikkinen was already very fast in the "old" SAAB 9-3 of Eklund Motorsport. (Photo: © Lennart Pettersson)

He thinks that it is important to help "the new generation of young drivers" forward in their careers. And to be there as a mentor is something he really looks forward to. Even though Toomas Heikkinen has not yet competed in any Rallycross event, nor even driven a Rallycross car before coming to Strängnäs Motorstadion, Eklund sees a big potential in the young Finn. Heikkinen has a background in karting and Formula Renault, and has earlier teamed up with drivers such as Timmy Hansen (son of Kenneth Hansen) and Marcus Ericsson in karting. Yet a few laps on the track in a rented Group A Rally car (a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10) and Eklund's Division 1 SAAB 9-3 Rallycross car, he soon learned more about how to make full use of the track, and even came down to laptimes faster than Michael Jernberg initially had yesterday. "He beat Michael!!!," mentor Eklund shouted with a smile when the Finn got out of the car.


Toomas Heikkinen will focus on the Finnish Rallycross Championship in 2010, however he is already making plans for a European Rallycross season in 2011. (Photo: © Lennart Pettersson)

Heikkinen will this year drive in the SRC Finnish Rallycross Championship in a SAAB 9-3 SportSedan of Eklund Motorsport. The biggest difference from Formula Renault to Rallycross was not, as probably expected, the new wider driving style; "the seat is on the left side of the car!" Heikkinen laughed, as he is used to sit in a kart. He is also a little worried over the roughness that sometimes does occur in Rallycross. "In Formula Renault we drive with distance to each other, and you won't get much damage on your car, however in Rallycross – you can," Heikkinen says. Though the fear of rough competition and the trouble of a left-seated car, seem not to be too big problems for the young Finn who plans to have his first and second event as learning events, and then, during the rest of the season he hopes to be competitive in the 'A' finals. In 2011 Heikkinen plans to drive a full season in Division 1 in the European Rallycross Championship. Will he succeed? This is not known yet, however we will for sure keep our eyes on this new young driver.

Heikkinen chooses Rallycross

from http://www.erc24.com/:

Finn Toomas "Topi" Heikkinen has made the move from circuit racing to Rallycross and will take part in this year’s Finnish 'Super Rallicross' championship in an Eklund Motorsport Saab 93 ERC.
Heikkinen (18) will contest a full season in the Finnish championship as well as driving the Saab in the Finnish round of the ERC in July. Further outings will be considered on the basis Heikkinen’s progress. Starts in the Swedish ERC round, and late season ERC events that fall after the end of the Finnish championship are under discussion.

Having raced karts since the age of eight, Heikkinen progressed to cars in a fairly conventional career path and drove in Formula Renault events in 2008 and ’09. The move to Rallycross is not unique; Finland’s most recent European champion, Jussi Pinomäki, was also an accomplished racer before switching codes.
“It is great to start taking part in a sport in which Finns have a fantastic history and several European champions. My team manager, Per Eklund, has also won the European championship, and Matti Alamäki, the living legend of Rallycross and a five-time European champion, is still driving in the Finnish championship. In company like that, you just have to grab the wheel like a man!” said Heikkinen, “Obviously there is a huge amount to learn. Just to start with, I’m not familiar with the high-powered engine and four-wheel drive of my car. During the winter I have been learning to drive a four-wheel drive vehicle in a Mitsubishi rally car on various Rallycross tracks. Rally driver Riku Tahko has been sitting beside me, and I’m starting to get the hang of it."
In kart racing Heikkinen was a contemporary of Timmy Hansen, Tom Blomqvist and Marcus Ericsson, he was a race winner during the 2009 Formula Renault NEC Cup season.

Eklund has high hopes for his young protege and is looking forward to the task of working with a young driver, "Toomas tested my car at the end of last year, it was just a short run but he drove well. He is going to come to Sweden now and we will work together, driving in the snow and on Rallycross tracks. I’m going to teach him like he was my own son," said Eklund, "He has a lot of experience from karts and Formula Renault, has a very professional attitude and good backup. He’s not quite 19 yet and he wants to learn everything, I’m looking forward to working with him."

Heikkinen’s switch to Rallycross is already viewed as a multi-year project by his father Jarmo, "We are by no means saying never again to the Formula classes, but for now we are seriously investing in Rallycross and aiming to move to the ERC in 2011," he said, "We are happy to face the new challenges and delighted to have Per Eklund with his tremendous experience by our side, not forgetting the team and the fast, reliable car. Rallycross is very popular in Finland and Europe, and I’m convinced this colourful sport would surely be a hit in the United States too. It is also a splendid thing that both the Finnish and the European Championships will be broadcast on TV."
Heikkinen Senior also pointed out the economic advantages of Rallycross: "After karting we drove in the Formula Renault class, and I must say that they are both excellent ways of draining your funds. When I started to find out about Rallycross as a sport last autumn and had discussions with Eklund Motorsport, I noticed that there is still some sense left in the 'price tags' of this sport. It is not exactly cheap either, but it is a lot more sensible compared to the prices in karting and Formula Renault, where the situation is rather overheated,” he said.

Eklund has yet to confirm his own programme of events for 2010, but is set to contest the Finnish championship rounds in Kauhajoki and Joensuu (Heikkinen’s home town) alongside his young team mate. Eklund Motorsport is the latest of the sport’s established operators to embrace the commercial team model, joining OlsbergsMSE and KHM in expanding its activities by running other drivers.

Finnish Rallycross Championship
May 8, Hämeenlinna
May 29, Hyvinkää
June 19, Oulu
July 17, Kauhajoki
August 7, Joensuu
August 21, Kouvola

Model news part 7: Audi Quattro

On the site of Gass models (I), I found a Audi Quattro Gr.B from Eklund and his co-driver

Björn Cederberg.

They drove with this car the RAC rally (UK) in 1985 to a 4th position.

Model with scale 1:43
Code Gass 32
Code Gass 32 K (Kit)

Model news part 6: Fiat Ritmo

On the site of Tron-models I found the Fiat Ritmo Alitalia R. Motec Group 2 Rallycar from 1979.

Eklund drive this car with co-driver Hans Sylvan at the Monte Carlo rally 1979 in Monaco.

Prices:
p273 kit scala1/43 rd scale € 55,00
bb070B model scala 1/43 rd scale € 130,00

Searching on the internet results in these photos of the Fiat Ritmo:

Eklund at "Save Saab" convoy at Trollhättan

On www.saabsunited.com we found a picture of Per Eklund at the "Save Saab" convoy at Trollhättan.



The “Save Saab” gathering in Trollhättan, Sweden was quite impresssive as the over 2,000 Saabs parked in Saab Automobile’s factory parking lot!