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. 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.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Born | 4 September 1945 Helsinki, Finland |
| Died | 30 September 2009 (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. 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. 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. 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.