Round 5 of the 2021 FIA European Historic Rally Championship will be held in Finland with the host city of Lahti providing the only gravel event on the calendar. The gravel tracks through the Finnish forests, surrounded by freshwater lakes, provide the competitors with one of the most demanding challenges on any rally in the world.
A total of 29 cars are entered for the 2021 Lahti Historic Rally, with a small contingent of EHRC eligible cars among them. 2019 FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship Team Champions Historic Rally Club Finland are well represented for their home event with 13 cars on the entry.
AUDI, OPEL, PEUGEOT, SKODA, TOYOTA ENTERED IN CATEGORY 4
Of the 10 Category 4 entries, 3 are eligible to score championship points.
Finland’s Ville Silvasti and Risto Pietilainen are the leading EHRC entry in the no101 Audi quattro A2. Silvasti is currently 3rd in the championship standings on 46 points, 26 behind Rallye Weiz winner Daniel Alonso, the Spaniard electing to miss the event in Finland.
Jukka Aromaa and Asko Sairanen will be starting their first EHRC rally of the 2021 season in the no122 Skoda Favorit 136L, with fellow Finns Matti Tarvainen and Rauno Hurskainen also taking part in their first rally of the season in the Historic Rally Club Finland run no129 Skoda Favorit 136L.
The rest of the Category 4 entry consists of an all Finnish entry, featuring another Audi quattro A2, an Opel Manta B 2.0E, a Mercedes Benz 190 2.3 16v, a Toyota Corolla GT, another Skoda Favorit 136L, making three entries for the Czech car, and a Peugeot 205 GTi.
AUDI, FORD, OPEL, PORSCHE, TALBOT, VAZ AND IN CATEGORY 3
The Category 3 entry for the Lahti Historic Rally will feature 9 cars.
With the winners of the opening four rounds of the 2021 season, ‘Zippo’ and Denis Piceno, deciding to miss the demanding gravel rally in Finland, it is a golden opportunity for others to take the top spot with the no117 Volvo 244 of Germany’s Siegfried and Renate Mayr, who finished 2nd in Austria last time out, taking up the challenge.
The Category 3 entry list will also feature an Audi quattro, two more Volvo 244s, two Ford Escort RS, a Talbot Lotus, an Opel Kadett D and a VAZ 21011.
DATSUN, FORD, TOYOTA AND TRIUMPH IN CATEGORY 2
Category 2 on the Lahti Historic Rally has received six entries, two of which are eligible for championship points.
Britain’s Ernie and Karen Graham are currently third in the EHRC Category 2 championship table with 46 points after finishing second in Austria. With Paolo Pasutti (62 pts) and Laszlo Mekler (57 pts) electing to miss the rally in Finland, this will be Ernie Graham’s golden opportunity to close the gap in the no109 Ford Escort RS1800.
Category 4 winners on the 2019 Lahti Historic Rally Will Graham and Michael Johnston will be competing in their first rally of the 2021 season. Like his parents, Will Graham will be competing in a Category 2 Ford Escort, his car an RS1600.
The Category 2 entry list will also feature a Ford Escort 1300GT, a Toyota Corolla, a Datsun 100A and a Triumph TR7.
ALFA ROMEO, BMW AND VW IN CATEGORY 1
The Category 1 entry for the Lahti Historic Rally will feature three cars, with one eligible for championship points.
Finland’s Teuvo Hamalainen and Pirjo Rosberg will be making their first EHRC start of the 2021 season, the Finns competing in the Historic rally Club Finland run no130 Alfa Romeo Giulietta t.i.
The entry list for Category 1 will also feature a BMW 2002 Ti and a Volkswagen 1500S.
