Simo Lampinen

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Lampinen (on the left) at the 1964 1000 Lakes Rally with co-driver Jyrki Ahava

Lampinen drives a Saab Sport at the 1965 1000 Lakes

Lampinen's Triumph TR7 of the 1978 RAC Rally driven at the Race Retro 2008.

Simo Lampinen (born Porvoo, 22 June 1943) is a Finnish former rally driver, and one of the first of the "Flying Finns" who came to dominate the sport.

Biography

Lampinen's Lancia Beta Coupé of the 1975 RAC Rally.

Having contracted polio at a young age, Lampinen was left with a pronounced limp, and as a result he was granted a driving licence aged 17 so he could travel to and from school more easily. He quickly graduated to competitive driving, and won the Finnish Rally Championship twice in succession in 1963 and 1964.

His early victories were in the Saab 96, before being lured to Lancia in 1970 where he continued his winning ways. He also drove for Peugeot, Fiat and Triumph, though without the same success.

More recently, he has been Clerk of the Course at the Rally Finland, the event he won three times himself, and he has also assisted Saab in two racing events; their Saab 900 Talladega Challenge in Alabama in 1996 where several speed records were set, and the 2000 Pikes Peak race, when Per Eklund won in a race-prepped Saab 9-3 Viggen.

International victories

1963

13th 1000 Lakes Rally (Saab 96)

1964

14th 1000 Lakes Rally (Saab 96)

1968

17th RAC Rally (Saab 96 V4)

1970

3º TAP Rallye de Portugal (Lancia Fulvia)

1972

15ème Rallye du Maroc (Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF)

22nd 1000 Lakes Rally (Saab 96 V4)

References

Persondata
Name	Lampinen, Simo
Alternative names
Short description	Finnish rally driver
Date of birth	22 June 1943
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death

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