Eläintarhan ajot explained

Eläintarhan ajot (Finnish: Suomen Suurajot; Suomen Grand Prix) was a Finnish motor racing competition arranged between years 1932 and 1963 in Eläintarha, Helsinki, Finland. The idea for the race came from a racing driver, S. P. J. Keinänen. Its racing history included the pre-war Finnish Grand Prix.

First race

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

Motorcycles

Motorcycle races were also held 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.

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 canceled 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 avoid a collision but the 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.

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.

Statistics

Results 1932–1963

[1] [2] [3]

YearDriver CarClassReport
1932 Per-Viktor WidengrenMercedes-Benz SSKGrand PrixReport
1933 Karl EbbMercedes-Benz SSKGrand PrixReport
1934 Eugen BjørnstadAlfa Romeo 8C 2300 MonzaGrand PrixReport
1935 Karl EbbMercedes Benz SSK 7.1LGrand PrixReport
1936 Eugen BjørnstadAlfa Romeo 8C 2300 MonzaGrand PrixReport
1937 Hans RüeschAlfa Romeo 8C-35 3.8LGrand PrixReport
1938COLSPAN=4Not held
1939 Adolf WesterblomAlfa Romeo Monza 2.6LGrand PrixReport
1946COLSPAN=4Only motorcycles
1947 Asser WalleniusFord Roadster 1934Class B
Helge HallmannFord specialFormula Libre
1948 Magnus KnutssonBMWClass A
Leo MattilaFord RoadsterClass B
S. P. J. KeinänenChrysler specialFormula Libre
1949 S. P. J. KeinänenBMW 328Class A
1951 S. P. J. KeinänenJaguar XK120Production
1952 Michael HeadJaguar XK120Division +2000
Valdemar StenerFerrari 166 MM Touring BarchettaDivision 2000
Roger LaurentTalbot-Lago T26CFormula 1Report
1953 Robert NellemanAllard+2000 GT
Valdemar StenerFerrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta2000 GT
Rodney NuckeyCooper T23Formula 1Report
Curt LincolnCooper-NortonFormula 3
1954 Michael HeadJaguar C-typeGT +2000
John BengtssonFerrari 166 Touring BarchettaGT 2000
Rodney NuckeyCooper-Bristol F2Formula Libre
Eric BrandonCooper-NortonFormula 3
1955 Michael HeadJaguar D-typeDivision +2000
Curt LincolnJaguar C-type+2000 production
Joakim BonnierAlfa Romeo 1900 Sprint2000 production
Eric BrandonCooperFormula 3
1956 Curt LincolnJaguar D-type+2000 production
Harry SaaristoTriumph TR22000 production
John KvarnströmFerrari 750 Monza+2000
Eric BrandonHalselec-Climax2000
Eric BrandonCooperFormula 3
1957 Joakim BonnierMaserati 200SS+2.0
Curt LincolnFerrari 500 TRS 2.0
Arne LindbergMercedes-Benz 300 SLGT+2.0
J.A. IversenPorsche 356 CarreraGT 2.0
Curt LincolnCooper T 42 Mark XIFormula 3
1958 Graham WhiteheadAston Martin DB3SDivision +2000
Ivor BuebLotus 12 Coventry ClimaxDivision 2000
Curt LincolnFerrari 250 GT TDFGT +2000
Curt LincolnCooper T 42 Mark XIIFormula 3
1959 Carl-Otto BremerFerrari 750 MonzaS+2.0
Curt LincolnCooper MonacoS 2.0
Carl-Gunnar HammarlundPorsche 356 CarreraGT
Curt LincolnCooper T 42 Mark XIIFormula 3
1960 Jimmy BlumerCooper MonacoS 2.0
Heimo HietarantaCooper/NortonFormula 3
Curt LincolnCooperFormula Junior
1961 David HitchesLola2000
Heimo HietarantaCooper/NortonFormula 3
Carl-Otto BremerElva 100Formula Junior
1962 Carl-Gunnar HammarlundPorsche 356 CarreraGT +1300cc
Curt LincolnLotus EliteGT 1300cc
Curt LincolnCooper T 42 Mark XIIFormula 3
Olle NygrenCooper T56Formula Junior
1963 Holger LaineVolvo PV544ST +1600cc
Timo MäkinenMorris Mini CooperST 1150cc

References

60.189°N 24.932°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ELÄINTARHARATA / DJURGÅRDSBANAN – Helsinki (FIN). 2007-12-09. kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman. 2016-03-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130236/http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/t5.htm#ELAINTARHA. dead.
  2. Web site: Pre-war Races. 2007-12-14. wsrp.ic.cz. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080924170842/http://wsrp.ic.cz/prewar1932.html. 2008-09-24.
  3. Web site: Formule Libre races in Europe 1945–57 . 2007-12-15 . pgleize.club.fr . https://web.archive.org/web/20080511033427/http://jpgleize.club.fr/gp/flpost.htm . 2008-05-11 . dead .