Eläintarhanajot

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Eläintarha track profile, length 2,034 m (1.26 mi) (1932),   2,000 m (1.24 mi) (from 1933)
Eläintarha track profile, length 2,034 m (1.26 mi) (1932), 2,000 m (1.24 mi) (from 1933)

Eläintarhanajot (in spoken Finnish Eltsunajot) or Suomen Suurajot (Finnish Grand Race or Djurgårdsloppet in Swedish) as it was called in 1932 was motor racing competition arranged between 19321963 in Eläintarha, Helsinki, Finland. The idea for the race came from racing driver S. P. J. Keinänen.

Contents

[edit] First race

The First Grand Prix-race was success and it attracted around 25,000 spectators. There was ten cars in first start, six Finnish and four Swedish. The very first win went to the Swede Per Viktor Widengren who drove a Mercedes-Benz, second was S. P. J. Keinänen in a Chrysler and third was Karl Ebb in a Mercedes-Benz.

[edit] Motorcycles

Motorcycles were also raced from the beginning - the first motorcycle win was also taken by a Swede - Gunnar Kalén. The best-placed Finn was Raine Lampinen who finished second in the lower class.

[edit] Last race

The Eläintarha race was an annual happening in Helsinki for almost 30 years until the final race was held in 1963. The winner of this last race was Timo Mäkinen, although the main start Formula Junior was cancelled after a fatal accident. At the start a driver (whose identity has not been confirmed) hit Curt Lincoln's Brabham BT6 (Formula Junior), and the car slid to the left side of track. Most drivers managed to to avoid a collision but Swedish Örjan Atterberg hit his countryman Freddy Kottulinsky. Unfortunately Atterberg's car flipped over and the driver was pinned under his vehicle. As a result of the crash Atterberg sustained fatal injuries. The race was stopped by the race officials one minute after crash and the jury told the race was over.

As the setup was considered too dangerous this was the final race to be conducted on the city circuit.

The racing events that followed the ill fated Eläintarha race were held at Keimola Motor Stadium between 1966-1978.

In the 1930s motor racing events were also arranged couple of times in Munkkiniemi, a residential district in northwest Helsinki.

[edit] Afterwards

The race has been arranged three times since to honour its memory - the first time was in 1982, then 1992 and the last time was in 2002. In the 1992 event Juan Manuel Fangio was present. Around 2005, a detailed and driveable virtual recreation of the circuit appeared for the Grand Prix Legends historical racing simulation.

[edit] Statistics

  • Active years: 1932-39 and 1946-63
  • Circuit length: 2,034 m (1.26 mi) (1932), 2,000 m (1.24 mi) (from 1933)[1]
  • Lap record: David Hitches, Lola Mk 5 Ford, time: 57,1 seconds/126 km/h (78 mph) (1963)
  • Most spectators: 82,597 (1958)
  • Most wins: Curt Lincoln (14)

[edit] Results 1932-1963[1][2][3]

-

Year Driver Car Class Report
1932 Flag of Sweden Per-Viktor Widengren Mercedes-Benz SSK Grand Prix Report
1933 Flag of Finland Karl Ebb Mercedes-Benz SSK Grand Prix Report
1934 Flag of Norway Eugen Bjørnstad Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Grand Prix Report
1935 Flag of Finland Karl Ebb Mercedes Benz SSK 7.1L Grand Prix Report
1936 Flag of Norway Eugen Bjørnstad Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Grand Prix Report
1937 Flag of Switzerland Hans Rüesch Alfa Romeo 8C-35 3.8L Grand Prix Report
1938 Not held
1939 Flag of Sweden Adolf Westerblom Alfa Romeo Monza 2.6L Grand Prix Report
1946 Only motorcycles
1947 Flag of Finland Asser Wallenius Ford Roadster 1934 Class B -
Flag of Finland Helge Hallmann Ford special Formula Libre -
1948 Flag of Sweden Magnus Knutsson BMW Class A -
Flag of Finland Leo Mattila Ford Roadster Class B -
Flag of Finland S. P. J. Keinänen Chrysler special Formula Libre -
1949 Flag of Finland S. P. J. Keinänen BMW Class A -
1951 Flag of Finland S. P. J. Keinänen Jaguar XK120 Production -
1952 Flag of Belgium Roger Laurent Talbot-Lago T26C 1952 Formula One season Report
Flag of the United Kingdom Michael Head Jaguar XK120 Division +2000 -
Flag of Sweden Valdemar Stener Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta Division 2000 -
1953 Flag of the United Kingdom Rodney Nuckey Cooper T23 1953 Formula One season Report
Flag of Finland Curt Lincoln Cooper-Norton Formula 3 -
Flag of Denmark Robert Nelleman Allard +2000 GT -
Flag of Sweden Valdemar Stener Ferrari 2000 GT -
1954 Flag of the United Kingdom Rodney Nuckey Cooper-Bristol F2 Formula Libre -
Flag of Sweden John Bengtsson Ferrari GT 2000 -
Flag of the United Kingdom Eric Brandon Cooper Formula 3 -
1955 Flag of Finland Curt Lincoln Jaguar C-type Division +2000 -
Flag of Sweden Joakim Bonnier Alfa Romeo 1900 Sprint Division 2000 -
Flag of the United Kingdom Eric Brandon Cooper Formula 3 -
1956 Flag of Finland Curt Lincoln Jaguar D-type +2000 production -
Flag of the United Kingdom Eric Brandon Cooper Formula 3 -
Flag of Finland Harry Saaristo Triumph 2000 production -
Flag of Sweden John Kvarnström Ferrari +2000 -
Flag of the United Kingdom Eric Brandon Halselec-Climax 2000 -
1957 Flag of Sweden Arne Lindberg Mercedes-Benz 300 SL GT+2.0 -
Flag of Sweden Joakim Bonnier Maserati 200S S+2.0 -
Flag of Finland Curt Lincoln Cooper T 42 Mark XI Formula 3 -
Flag of Finland Curt Lincoln Ferrari 500 TR 2000 -
1958 Flag of Finland Curt Lincoln Cooper T 42 Mark XII Formula 3 -
Flag of the United Kingdom Graham Whitehead Aston Martin DB3S Division +2000 -
Flag of the United Kingdom Ivor Bueb Lotus Division 2000 -
Flag of Finland Curt Lincoln Ferrari 250 GT GT +2000 -
1959 Flag of Sweden Carl-Gunnar Hammarlund Porsche 356 Carrera GT -
Flag of Finland Carl-Otto Bremer Ferrari 750 Monza S+2.0 -
Flag of Finland Curt Lincoln Cooper T 42 Mark XII Formula 3 -
1960 Flag of Finland Heimo Hietaranta Cooper/Norton Formula 3 -
Flag of Finland Carl-Otto Bremer Ferrari 750 Monza S+2.0 -
1961 Flag of Finland Heimo Hietaranta Cooper/Norton Formula 3 -
Flag of Finland Carl-Otto Bremer Elva 100 Formula Junior -
Flag of the United Kingdom David Hitches Lola 2000 -
1962 Flag of Sweden Olle Nygren Cooper T56 Formula Junior -
1963 Flag of Finland Curt Lincoln Brabham BT6 Formula Junior -

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b ELÄINTARHARATA / DJURGÅRDSBANAN - Helsinki (FIN). kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
  2. ^ Pre-war Races. wsrp.ic.cz. Retrieved on 2007-12-14.
  3. ^ Formule Libre races in Europe 1945-57. pgleize.club.fr. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.

Coordinates: 60.189009° N 24.931991° E

[edit] External links

  • YLE Video archive - Eläintarhanajot
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