Keimola
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Keimola Motor Stadium ( fi, Keimolan moottorirata, sv, Käinby Motorstadion) was a dedicated
race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...
located in
Vantaa Vantaa (; sv, Vanda, ) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is part of the inner core of the Finnish Capital Region along with Helsinki, Espoo, and Kauniainen. With a population of (), Vantaa is the fourth most populated city in Finland ...
, Finland. It was founded by Finnish racing driver Curt Lincoln after the closure of the
Eläintarha Eläintarha ( sv, Djurgården) is a large park in central Helsinki, Finland. The name "eläintarha" means "zoo". The park's location acts as a divisor between the districts of Töölö to the west, and Hakaniemi and Kallio to the east. The sout ...
track in 1963. Construction started in 1965 and the track was opened on 12 June 1966. The track was long, consisting of eight turns and a home straight. Multiple racing series, including
Formula Two Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009– 2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name ...
,
Formula Vee Formula Vee (Formula Fau Vee in Brazil and Germany) or Formula Volkswagen is a popular open wheel, single-seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford. On the international stage, Niki Lauda, E ...
and
Interserie Interserie is the name of a European-based motorsport series started in 1970 that allows for a wide variety of racing cars from various eras and series to compete with less limited rules than in other series. Created in 1970 by German Gerhard Härl ...
, raced on the track during the years it was used. After many years of financial difficulties, the track was abandoned in late 1978. For many years of decay, there are plans to transform it into a residential area.


History

Following a fatal accident at Eläintarha racetrack in 1963, the street circuit was closed for good and a need for a permanent racetrack was born in Finland. While the Finnish national motor racing association AKK was planning a new track at Tattarisuo in Helsinki, Curt Lincoln, a Finnish motorsport legend, leased a better suited place near the village of Keimola,
Vantaa Vantaa (; sv, Vanda, ) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is part of the inner core of the Finnish Capital Region along with Helsinki, Espoo, and Kauniainen. With a population of (), Vantaa is the fourth most populated city in Finland ...
. The area of was more than enough to build a racetrack of international proportions. The track was opened on 12 June 1966 with races of various classes. The track was designed to fit
Formula Two Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009– 2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name ...
specifications, being too short for
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
cars. Because Formula One drivers could also participate in Formula Two races during the late 1960s, the track saw legends like Jim Clark, Graham Hill,
Jack Brabham Sir John Arthur Brabham (2 April 1926 – 19 May 2014) was an Australian racing driver who was Formula One World Champion in , , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name. Brabham was a R ...
,
Jochen Rindt Jochen is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Jochen Asche, East German luger, competed during the 1960s *Jochen Böhler (born 1969), German historian, specializing in the history of World War II *Jochen Babock (born 1953), East G ...
and
Denny Hulme Denis Clive Hulme (18 June 1936 – 4 October 1992), commonly known as Denny Hulme, was a New Zealand racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship for the Brabham team. Between his debut at Monaco in 1965 and his f ...
in 1966 and 1967. The track raised interest into
Formula Vee Formula Vee (Formula Fau Vee in Brazil and Germany) or Formula Volkswagen is a popular open wheel, single-seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford. On the international stage, Niki Lauda, E ...
in the late 1960s. In addition to race events, the track was used to host music festivals in the 1970s. They included Helsinki Rock Festivals (or Keimola-Rock) in 1972 and 1973. The 1972 event became known as "Keimola mud festival" after a rainstorm transformed the rallycross track into a lake.


Closure

Financial difficulties finally led to the closure of the track at the end of 1978. The last event held on the track was a world record in reverse driving made by journalists of
Tekniikan Maailma ''Tekniikan Maailma'', abbreviation ''TM'', ( en, World of Technology) is one of the leading automobile magazines in published in Helsinki, Finland, and the biggest all around technology magazine in Scandinavia. History and profile ''Tekniikan Ma ...
and Vauhdin Maailma on 20 and 21 October 1978. They drove a Volvo 343 equipped with a
Variomatic Variomatic is the continuously variable transmission (CVT) of the Dutch car manufacturer DAF, originally developed by Hub van Doorne. It is a stepless, fully-automatic transmission, consisting of a V-shaped drive-belt, and two pulleys, each o ...
continuously variable transmission, which meant the car could be driven at the same speed in both directions. The total distance was covered during 24 hours. After the closure, the track remained in a good condition for some time, with local enthusiasts using the track illegally. These were called the "moonlight races" (Finnish: kuutamoajot). These races ended with a
moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
accident on 10 May 1988, which injured seriously a young motorist. Deep ditches were then cut through the track at five locations. These were quickly filled with sand by moonlight racers, but the owner of the track area soon learned about this and destroyed the surface of the track with a plough in early 1989. This ended the racing for good. The track has been unsuitable for driving for many years, but some structures are left standing, such as the control tower next to the back straight and a television camera tower near turn seven. The control tower was badly damaged in a fire in 2004 and its door is sealed shut with concrete.


Future

During the next few years, the track will be redeveloped into a
residential area A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family resi ...
with some roads running on the original track. The control tower will also be preserved as a historical monument. The track area is owned by media group
Sanoma Sanoma Corporation (, formerly SanomaWSOY) is Finland's largest media group. The company has media business in Finland and a learning business in Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Norway and Spain, among others. The company is headquarte ...
.


Layout

The track was designed by Curt Lincoln and another Finnish race driver, Fred Geitel, using a ruler and
compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself wit ...
. This resulted in clearly defined corners joined by long straights. The track length was measured to be on the center line. Its width varied between with height differences of only . The pits were located on the back straight, between turns 1 and 2. Access roads between the front and back straights allowed various layout configurations to be used. The first Finnish rallycross track was built partly inside of the twistier part of the circuit, partly outside of it, in 1974. A twisty karting track was built behind the turn two Volkswagen grandstand in 1971. Many well-known Finnish racing drivers, such as
Mika Häkkinen Mika Pauli Häkkinen (; born 28 September 1968), nicknamed "The Flying Finn", is a Finnish former racing driver. He won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1998 and 1999, both times driving for McLaren. Häkkinen is one of three Fo ...
,
JJ Lehto Jyrki Juhani Järvilehto (; born 31 January 1966), better known as "JJ Lehto", is a Finnish racing driver. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, in 1995 and 2005. He is also a former Formula One driver. He was a protégé of Finnish 1982 Formula ...
and
Mika Salo Mika Juhani Salo (born 30 November 1966) is a Finnish former professional racing driver. He competed in Formula One between and . His best ranking was 10th in the world championship in 1999, when he stood in for the injured Michael Schumacher ...
took on the track in their youth. The track length was and its width .


Racing events in Keimola


Interserie

Keimola was host to a round of the European prototype series
Interserie Interserie is the name of a European-based motorsport series started in 1970 that allows for a wide variety of racing cars from various eras and series to compete with less limited rules than in other series. Created in 1970 by German Gerhard Härl ...
between 1970 and 1972 after a grid of three cars participated in a round of the Nordic Challenge Cup in 1969. Finnish driver
Leo Kinnunen Leo Juhani "Leksa" Kinnunen (5 August 1943 – 26 July 2017) was a Finnish racing driver, and the first Formula One driver from Finland. Kinnunen won the Nordic Challenge Cup in 1969, the Interserie from 1971–1973, and helped Porsche in motors ...
from AAW Racing Team drove three full seasons between 1971–1973 and won the championship in every year, which increased interest into the series. The track record is also held by Kinnunen who drove it in 1972 Interserie race with Porsche 917/10 TC. The lap time was 1:11.740 with an average speed of . The winners of these races are listed as:


Drag racing

Keimola hosted Finland's first ever drag racing competition in 1975. The quarter-mile track was run on the front straight, opposite to the normal running direction.


Rallycross events in Keimola


1970s

The first Keimola Rallycross race was organised and driven on 9 June 1974. It was a round of the Embassy/ERA European Rallycross Championship that was won by Swede
Björn Waldegård Björn Waldegård (12 November 1943 – 29 August 2014) was a Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979. His Swedish nickname was "Walle". Career Waldegård, who came from Rimbo, had a ca ...
. Between 1974 and 1978 there were a total of five ERC rounds at the venue, all organised by the Helsinki-based club ''Helsingin Urheiluautoilijat'', and the last three were recognized by the
FIA FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used. Fia or FIA may also refer to: People * Fia Backs ...
as rounds of the
FIA European Championships for Rallycross Drivers FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English language, English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used. Fia or FIA may also refer to: Peo ...
.


All ERC round winners at Keimola

* 09.06.1974: Björn Waldegård (Sweden), Porsche Carrera RSR * 01.06.1975: Dick Riefel (Netherlands), VW 1303S with Porsche Carrera engine * 30.05.1976: Franz Wurz (Austria),
Lancia Stratos HF The Lancia Stratos HF (''Tipo 829''), widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a rear mid-engined sports car designed for rally racing, made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for ''High Fidelity''. It was a very success ...
* 29.05.1977: Herbert Grünsteidl (Austria), Alpine A310 V6 * 28.05.1978: TC Division – Per-Inge Walfridsson (Sweden), Volvo 343 Turbo * 28.05.1978: GT Division – Olle Arnesson (Sweden), Porsche Carrera


Lap records

The fastest official race lap records at the Keimola Motor Stadium are listed as:


References


Notes


Literature

* *


External links


Keimola Motor Stadium
by Heikki Siltala, Martti Alkio and Jari Debner.

by Lauri Vartiainen in 1998.
Photos taken in August 2009.Videos related to the track
in
YLE Yleisradio Oy ( Finnish, literally "General Radio Ltd." or "General Broadcast Ltd."; abbr. Yle ; sv, Rundradion Ab, italics=no), translated to English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, found ...
's Living Archive. {{in lang, fi Buildings and structures in Vantaa Defunct motorsport venues in Finland