Pentti Airikkala

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.

Pentti Airikkala

Personal information
Nationality	Finnish
Born	(1945-09-04)4 September 1945 Helsinki, Finland
Died	30 September 2009(2009-09-30) (aged 64) Bray, Berkshire, United Kingdom
World Rally Championship record
Active years	1973–90, 2003
Co-driver	Heikki Haaksiala John Davenport Risto Virtanen Mike Greasley Mike Nicholson Rodger Freeth Chris Porter Phil Short Juha Piironen Seppo Harjanne Ronan McNamee Brian Murphy Nigel Gardner
Teams	Privateer, Vauxhall, Rothmans Ford, Mitsubishi Ralliart, Martini Lancia, Nissan, Q8 Team Ford
Rallies	37
Championships	0
Rally wins	1
Podiums	6
Stage wins	147
Total points	102
First rally	1973 1000 Lakes Rally
First win	1989 Lombard RAC Rally
Last rally	2003 Wales Rally GB

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	38th Lombard RAC Rally	1989	Ronan McNamee	Mitsubishi Galant VR-4

Complete WRC results

^[2]

Year	Team/Entrant	Car	WRC Round																				WDC	Points
			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
1973	Opel Finland	Opel Kadett	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	MAR	GRE	PLD	FIN RET	AUT	ITA	USA	GBR	FRA								N/A	N/A
1974	Dealer Team Vauxhall	Vauxhall Magnum Coupé	POR	KEN	FIN 16	ITA	CAN	USA															N/A	N/A
	Center Hotels/ Clarke & Simpson	Ford Escort RS1600							GBR RET	FRA
1975	Dealer Team Vauxhall	Vauxhall Magnum Coupé	MON	SWE	KEN	GRE	MAR	POR	FIN RET	ITA	GBR 20	FRA											N/A	N/A
1976	Privateer	Ford Escort RS1600	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	GRE	MAR	FIN 2	ITA	FRA												N/A	N/A
	Team Avon Tyres											GBR RET
1977	Toyota Team Europe	Toyota Celica	MON	FIN	SWE RET	POR	KEN	NZL	GRE	ITA	SA	PLD											–	0*
	Dealer Team Vauxhall	Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR											FIN RET	ITA	CAN	FRA	ITA	AUS	ESP	FRA	GBR 16	CIV
1978	Dealer Team Vauxhall	Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR	MON	FIN	SWE RET	KEN	POR	GRE	SCO 2	PLD	FIN 3	NZL	CAN	FRA	ITA	ITA	AUS	ESP	CIV	FRA	GBR RET		10th	10*
1979	Dealer Team Vauxhall	Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR	MON	SWE 3	POR	KEN	GRE	NZL RET	FIN RET	CAN	ITA	FRA	GBR 7	CIV									15th	16
1980	Dealer Team Vauxhall	Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR	MON	SWE 6	POR	KEN	GRE	ARG	FIN RET				GBR RET	CIV									36th	6
	Masport	Ford Escort RS2000								NZL RET	ITA	FRA
1981	Rothman's Rally Team	Ford Escort RS1800	MON	SWE 3	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	ARG	BRA	FIN 5	ITA	CIV	GBR 4									9th	30
1982	Team Ralliart	Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	NZL	BRA	FIN 3	ITA	CIV	GBR RET									15th	12
1983	Martini Racing	Lancia Rallye 037	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	NZL	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									–	0
1985	British Telecom Mobile Phone	Vauxhall Astra GTE	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	NZL	ARG	FIN	ITA	CIV	GBR RET									–	0
1986	British Telecom Mobile Phone	Vauxhall Astra GTE	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	NZL	ARG	FIN	CIV	ITA	GBR 16	USA								–	0
1987	GM Dealersport	Opel Kadett GSi	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	USA	NZL	ARG	FIN	CIV	ITA	GBR RET								–	0
1988	Safety Devices	Lancia Delta Integrale	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	USA	NZL	ARG	FIN	CIV	ITA	GBR 4								30th	10
1989	Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe	Mitsubishi Galant VR-4	SWE	MON	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	NZL	ARG	FIN	AUS	CIV	ITA	GBR 1								14th	20
1990	Q8 Team Ford	Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4	MON	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	NZL	ARG	FIN RET	AUS	ITA 11	CIV	GBR RET									–	0
2003	Fairfield Motorsport	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI	MON	SWE	TUR	NZL	ARG	GRE	CYP	GER	FIN	AUS	ITA	FRA	GBR RET								–	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 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.

External links

• Profile of Airikkala at World Rally Archive
• Profile of Airikkala at Rallybase
• Memorial page 2012-02-27 at the Wayback Machine