Tapio Laukkanen
Finland (FIN) |
CAREER
PROFILE 1992: Started rallying with Ford Escort 1993: Finnish Junior Champion with Mitsubishi Galant 1994: His WRC debut in Rally Finland with Mitsubishi 1995: Drives with VW 1996: Finnish Champion with VW 1997: Keep on driving with VW, 2nd in Rally Finland (F2) 1998. Move to Renault, 1st in Great Britain (F2) 1999: Drives with Renault, 1st in Finland (F2), British Champion 2000: Drives VW and Ford, 5th in Australia 2001: Drives Toyota and VW 2002: Drives Subaru
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| Date of Birth: 23/9/1969 at Lahti Marital status: Hobbies:
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| Tapio Laukkanen started
rallying in 1991. After seven junior wins with a Mitsubishi Galant in '92 he went on to
win five of the eight rounds of the '93 Finland novice series and to claim the Finnish
Junior Championship. He also contested 13 other rallies, taking eight wins, three seconds
and two thirds. In 1994 he claimed Group N victory on the Rally of Wales. His first outings with the SBG Sport/Volkswagen team came in '95; he was runner-up in the Finnish Championship taking victory outright on Nokia Rally, plus two second and two third places and claimed a hard-fought fourth in class on the Network Q RAC Rally. Laukkanen was unstoppable on home soil 1996: he won four rounds of the serise – in his VW Golf and claimed the crown with a round in hand. Laukkanen was among the very quickest in the 1996 British Championship also, but attracted more than his fair share of bad luck. His Volkswagen was more often than not among the top three championship contenders and, for the second year in succession, he duelled for the lead of the Scottish International Rally before mechanical problems intervened. In 1997 was A varied rally programme. He finished runner-up in two-litre division on both Pirelli International and Scottish rounds of British Rally Championship as well as Neste Rally Finland world championship round. Other results included third in two-litre division on both Swedish world championship round and on the British series’ finale, the Manx International. He also won final two rounds of Finnish rally series. For the season 1998 he moved to Renault and was in very important role when the team took itīs first British Championship title. Fourth overall in British Rally Championship in debut season with Renault Dealer Rallying. Best results were two second places on both the Scottish and Manx rounds, and second overall on double-header Pirelli International. Finished 18th overall and eighth in Formula 2 division on Corsican round of World Rally Championship. Also led F2 in Finland before retiring, then finished 23rd overall and seventh in F2 in Sanremo despite crashing down a ravine. Ended season on a high with F2 victory on Rally of Great Britain. In 1999 he stayed with Renault dominating the British Rally Championship and taking the title. He also won F2 in Finland and finished 10th overall and third in F2 on Corsican round of World Rally Championship. Renault ended its rallying activity and for the season 2000 Tapio moved back to VW. Season 2000 was not very lucky. He was not able to win the British Rally Championship title and in Rally Finland he made a big step to World Rally Car. He retired his first rally with the Ford Focus WRC, but in Australia he achieved his first ever WRC points when he placed fifth. He competed with the Toyota Corolla WRC and VW Golf GTI Kit Car on selected rallies during the season 2001 and in 2002 he was driving a couple of events in British series with Group N Subaru. |
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