The Arctic Lapland Rally is organized for the 59th time in the Arctic Circle in the coming February. After a few years, the rally has returned to its traditional time frame at the turn of January and February, leading to increased interest, especially internationally. The legendary winter rally will once again be held as a Finnish Rally Championship event with elevated points in the Rovaniemi and Kemijärvi regions on February 2-3.
Following tradition, the organizers have crafted a challenging two-day route for drivers, featuring both familiar well-tested special stages and new acquaintances, totaling 200 competitive kilometers.
“Every year, we aim to offer something new for competitors and the audience, and this year, they can be found in the direction of Kemijärvi. We will run a special stage right near the center of Kemijärvi along the shores of Lake Pöyliöjärvi. Along this special stage, we will also build a spectacular VIP event. At the same time, on Saturday afternoon, the service area will be in the city center, providing plenty to see for the locals.
Early winter in Lapland has been cold and snowy, so the conditions for a fantastic Arctic rally adventure are certainly in place,” says Heikki Poranen, the chairman of the Arctic Lapland Rally organizing committee, also known in rally circles as “Mr. Arctic Rally.”
Kalle Rovanperä’s World Championships have brought a lot of buzz to the world of rally, evidenced by the current hot ticket sales for the traditional Mäntyvaara VIP village, according to Poranen.
Will we see WRC drivers in the Arctic Circle?
Arctic Lapland Rally is now held two weeks before the Rally Sweden, providing an excellent opportunity for teams and drivers to test and adjust their equipment for snow and ice. In the early winter, there has been considerable speculation in rally circles about which WRC 1 and 2 teams and drivers might be seen in Rovaniemi.
“The Arctic special stages are traditionally run on fast forest and village roads, very similar to the roads in the WRC rally held in the Umeå region of Sweden. The distance between Rovaniemi and Umeå is only 500 kilometers. This way, our rally serves competitors going to Sweden perfectly in terms of conditions and location.
Indeed, emails and phones have been ringing at an accelerating pace in recent days. Several teams from abroad have inquired about snow conditions, hotels, and many other practical matters. Interest is abundant in the air, and the first foreign drivers have already officially registered,” Heikki Poranen reveals the rally’s popularity among international participants.
When trying to inquire more specifically about potential WRC-level drivers and teams, “Mr. Arctic Rally” remains mysteriously silent.
“I know there’s a lot of wild speculation on social media about participants, but we as rally organizers don’t participate in that discussion. I can reveal that there seem to be some big names coming, but drivers and teams will announce their participation on their own schedule. After the registration deadline on Sunday, January 21, the names will start to be clear,” Poranen sheds light on the situation amid the rumours.