Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen celebrates his victory in the 2000 Race of Champions
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Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen took victory in the 2000 Race of Champions last weekend (10 December), restoring national honours by becoming the first Finn to do so in nine years.
Based on the Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa, the Race of Champions celebrated its 13th running this year. The original competition, which began in 1988, featured only stars from the world of rallying and moved from its original base in France to Germany and Spain before settling in the Canary Islands in 1992. It was, and still is, a stand-alone knock-out format of head-to-head runs for individual rally drivers over three heats, culminating in a final duel between the two fastest drivers.
In the build-up to the final, Makinen overhauled French World Championship rival and winner of the Tour de Corse and Rallye Sanremo, Gilles Panizzi, the pair alternating between a Toyota Corolla WRC and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution during the timed heats. In the other quarter-final, Marcus Gronholm and Didier Auriol were head-to-head, the Finn ultimately beating the French winner of the 1999 Race of Champions.
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen powers his Lancer Evolution on the Spanish Circuit Deportiva Islas Canarias
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In the all-Finnish final between Mitsubishi’s four-times World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen, and newly-crowned Champion Marcus Gronholm, Makinen powered ahead of his rival, winning both heats in a Toyota and a Saab to take his first victory in the Race of Champions.
"I was totally concentrated on my racing because I really wanted to win this year, after getting knocked out either in the final or in the preliminary phases in the past", commented Tommi. "I took care not to make any time-consuming mistakes with the Toyota and kept it as smooth as possible with the Mitsubishi in the quarter and semi-finals. It’s a great win, an enjoyable event and a nice way to finish off the year".
Tommi Makinen is the first Finnish to win the Race of Champions in 9 years
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Makinen was also invited to defend Finland’s victory in the 1999 Race of Champions Nations Cup, which brings together top names from all forms of world class motor sport in one competitive team event. The Finnish team - comprising Makinen, 2000 ALMS Championship driver Harri Toivonen and 1999 250cc Enduro World Champion Vesa Kytonen - was up against stiff opposition from seven other national teams and was knocked out by Italy in the semi-finals.
Winter sunshine added to the attraction for the thousands of spectators who flocked to the purpose-built dual-lane 2.6 kilometre super stage at the Spanish Circuit Deportiva Islas Canarias, 10 kilometres from the Gran Canaria capital city of Las Palmas. Despite a long and arduous season, stars from the worlds of rallying, formula one, grand prix and super bikes and Indy cars put on a spectacular display in this annual end-of-year showdown.
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