DD - Flipbook - Page 12
28 June to 10 July 2026
Day 4
Turku Port to Jyväskylä, Finland (451km)
2 July 2026
Having successfully crossed the Gulf of Bothnia
and the Stockholm Archipelago, the Viking Glory
slipped into Finland as dawn broke and discharged
her precious cargo onto the docks in Turku; for the
traditional welcome to Finland breath test ceremony.
The northern night had been a short but comfortable one
and now, as the sun rose, the Nordic Challenge was ready
to open a new chapter. From Turku Port it was a short
run to the MTC in a fuel station in Raisio where the coffee
machine was driven as hard as the petrol pumps.
With tanks filled to the brim, the Kaurinkoski Regularity
was the Rally’s first taste of Finnish competition. Two
Route Checks in Viluksela and Porras ensured we were all
on the right road for the 1,000 Lakes and a pair of fantastic
Tests at the Saukkolan family establishment. These wellused rallycross crew-pleasers bookended the Time Control
at the EK Kahvio café where BBQ’d sausages and coffee,
along with homemade cakes, were gratefully received.
Another Regularity from Koivulahti followed, with a
smattering of rain which dampened down the dust we’d
experienced earlier in the morning. An al fresco lunch at the
Time Control in Länkipohja set us up for the Ounin-Hassi
Regularity, featuring the famous Ouninpohja jump section.
The Nordic Challenge crews took this formidable piece of rally
folklore in their stride. Once they’d touched down, another
Regularity to Ehikki brought the day’s competition to a close.
The night halt beckoned and, via a Route Check in Moksi,
we made our way to Jyväskylä and a well-deserved dinner
in the Solo Sokos Hotel Paviljonki. This is a Challenge event
and, after four days, it’s beginning to take its toll on both
man and machine.
Today Manuel and Irene Dubs’ Ford lost a wheel, the
delay costing them 12 minutes. Andrew Boland and Mark
Bramall’s Ford lost all oil pressure. A repair wasn’t possible
so, sadly, the crew have retired. Peter Spak and Lisa Schell’s
VW was struggling at slower speeds due to a blocked
carburettor jet. They worked, along with the sweeps,
right up until the dinner gong to get to the bottom of the
problem. Neil Smith and Mike McCollum’s Porsche enjoyed
a soft slow-speed slide into a ditch whilst making room for
a logging lorry but, with no damage done, the car and crew
were recovered by the sweep teams.
Ean and Ali Lewin, 1973 Ford Escort RS1600
Martin and Frances Dippie, 1929 Bentley 6½ Litre
Joe and Maggie Hayes, 1973 Porsche 911
www.rallytheglobe.com
Danny Day and Ron Doyle, 1975 Mercedes-Benz 280
