The international racing season at Northern Europe’s largest motorsport center, KymiRing, will officially begin in a week with two rounds of the RallyX series. A large group of Europe’s best drivers will arrive at KymiRing to compete on June 13–15.
RallyX is a rallycross series that has grown from its Nordic roots to a wider series, with events all the way to Southern Europe. Over 70 cars in five different classes will arrive at KymiRing to compete during the RallyX weekend. Almost 20 of the drivers will participate in the top class of the Open 4WD series. There will also be over 20 CrossCar cars.
In total, drivers will arrive from twelve different countries. Finnish drivers Pasi Penttinen and Mikko Ikonen will compete in a double competition, participating in two different classes. Both will drive in the Open 4WD Pro Am class, in addition to which Penttinen will drive in the CrossCar class and Ikonen in the Open 2WD class. Last year’s RallyX series champion Joni Turpeinen will also be participating, and Tommi Hallman will be returning to RallyX. More than half of the participants in the CrossCar Junior class will be competing in their home country, but this time no one will be able to enjoy the real home track advantage, as the KymiRing is a new arena for everyone to learn.
It promises to be an eventful weekend, as in addition to the competitions, there will be a variety of other entertainment on offer. On Friday, June 13, admission to the Kymiring events is free, allowing everyone to easily explore the track and the KymiRing area. Friday’s program includes the RallyX Show and free practice. The third round of the series will be contested on Saturday and the fourth on Sunday.
– In addition to high-level competitions, KymiRing also offers a variety of other entertainment. There will be a fan area with music, interesting food and drink options, driving experiences and a children’s area. On Friday, KymiRing will be free to enter, allowing the public to enjoy a rallycross show and get to know the track surroundings and many cars up close. On Saturday and Sunday, the public can stay in the fan area after the competitions to enjoy live music, says Kornél Őry, CEO of KymiRing.
KymiRing will also host two other major international competitions this summer. The FIM MXGP World Championship will be held in July and the FIA World Rallycross Championship will be held in August. In addition, the track will host numerous domestic events.
KymiRing is the only GP circuit in Northern Europe designed to meet the highest international standards. The brand new rallycross circuit is 1,448 kilometers long, of which 690 meters are asphalt. The track is fast, with many elevation changes and exciting elements that will entertain fans and drivers alike.
During the race weekend, a completely new online service will also be available to the public. The service called Bannerse provides a wealth of additional information about Kymiring and its competitions, such as schedule and area maps, up-to-date news releases, information about food and sales outlets, and special offers. Bannerse also has fun game elements throughout the weekend. Bannerse is available throughout the event, and it does not require downloading an application, but works easily in a browser.
KymiRing organizes the events in close cooperation with AKK Motorsport and the Finnish Motorcycling Association. Important partners also include the City of Kouvola, the Visit Lahti tourism organization, and the Municipality of Iitti.