As I’ve remarked on numerous occasions, you should never be surprised at what turns up on social media. Since the AI kernel of Facebook predicts what you might be interested based on what presently ARE your interests, you never can be sure.
Such is the case with the picture above and the story that has grown out of it. FB thought I might be interested in this group, a bunch of classic bike racing nuts, who posted this picture the other day.
Now the fact that it was about bike racing should have been enough, but this was classic bike racing IN FINLAND! Coming right on the recent anniversary of the death of Finland’s favourite racing son, Jarno Saarinen, it captured my attention and I roped in my Finnish wife to do some translation for me.
The event is being held in a town called Tampere, which is slightly north west of Finland’s capital, Helsinki. It is being held to celebrate the important part that the circuit, named Pyynikki, has played in the motorcycling life of Finland. The track was a street circuit and races were run on it from 1932-1939, and, after the end of WWII, racing resumed and continued from 1946 to 1971 at which time racing ceased there mainly over safety concerns. The top photo probably illustrates that better than any words can. It shows Jarno leading Teppi in the Grand Prix there in 1971.
The circuit was 3.608kms in length (2.242 miles) and ran in a clockwise direction. It was used for local races as well as local championship races and was, for 2 years (1962 and 1963) part of the World Championship with such luminaries as Tommy Robb, Jim Redman, Luigi Taveri, Hugh Anderson and the great Mike Hailwood being starters.
It is from the Pyynikii circuit that we get some of the earliest recorded images of the great Saarinen competing right at the beginning of his career.
We also get some of the great Teuvo Lansivouri, Saarinen’s constant rival.
These photos also clearly illustrate why the circuit was later deemed to be unsafe.
Here’s another great shot from 1971.
Jarno returning to the pits after a win, piggybacking his gorgeous wife Soili. Also worth noting here is Jarno’s preferred extreme angled clip-ons.
And here’s a modern-day shot of the start/finish line of the Pyynikii circuit.
Again, the efforts that were made to ensure rider safety can be clearly seen.
I am going to try and get my wife’s cousin to duck over there when the races are on (she lives near Imatra on the other side of Finland) and get some photos for me and maybe even some memorabilia.
Finally, a fascinating bit of history that I never knew, I wonder if you did.
In 1961, when the races were for local championships only, Australia’s Tom Phillis, who was to win the 125cc World championship for Honda that year, raced there and won the 125cc, 250cc and 350cc races setting a new lap record in each of the classes. Sadly, Tom was to lose his life at the Isle of Man TT in June 1962, underlying just how dangerous road racing was back then.
Social media is a never-ending source of fascinating information, isn’t it?
