In 1997, AKK Sports, the marketing company of AKK-Motorsport, took over as the organiser and the WRC teams awarded the event for its safety efforts.[10] A new super special stage was built at Hippos, along with a VIP village for 1,600 people.[11] In the following year, teams voted the event as the Rally of the Year.[10] On his way to a record third consecutive title, Mäkinen set a record with his fifth Rally Finland win in a row.[12] Entry lists included ice hockey star and auto racing enthusiast Teemu Selänne, who finished 33rd in 1997 and 24th in 1998.[13][14] The event also attracted environmental criticism throughout the decade; protests gathered about a hundred participants in 1997 and two hundred in 1998.[15][16] In a 1997 study by the University of Jyväskylä, partly funded by AKK, Jyväskylä and Rally Finland, the environmental impact was estimated to be small; the noise from the rally cars, helicopters and speakers was considered the biggest harm.[17]
References
edit- ^ https://www.ewrc-results.com/final/173-neste-rally-finland-1997/
- ^ https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/event/rally-finland-165009/165009/photos/
- ^ https://www.ewrc-results.com/final/173-neste-rally-finland-1997/?sct=1248
- ^ https://www.ewrc-results.com/video/16583-neste-rally-finland-1997/
- ^ https://www.rally-maps.com/Rally-Finland-1997
- ^ https://www.juwra.com/finland_1997_results.html
- ^ https://www.rally-maps.com/Rally-Finland-1997/Harju
- ^ https://www.autosport.com/wrc/event/rally-finland-165009/504775/photos/
- ^ https://www.juwra.com/finland_1997.html
- ^ a b "Towards the New Era". Neste Oil Rally Finland. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- ^ Rahkonen, Jorma (29 August 1997). "Kirkko? Sirkus? Ei vaan VIP-kylän teltta" (PDF). Keskisuomalainen (in Finnish). p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- ^ Mäntylä, Ari (24 August 1998). "Valtakuntansa vankka valtias" (PDF). Keskisuomalainen (in Finnish). p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- ^ Rahkonen, Jorma (1 September 1997). "Teemu pääsi maaliin saakka" (PDF). Keskisuomalainen (in Finnish). p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- ^ Mäntylä, Ari (24 August 1998). "Jokinen selätti Selänteen omistaman auton rusinaksi" (PDF). Keskisuomalainen (in Finnish). p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- ^ Rahkonen, Jorma (31 August 1997). "Mielenosoitus sujui sopuisasti" (PDF). Keskisuomalainen (in Finnish). p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- ^ Lantto-Tolvanen, Maarit (23 August 1998). "Rallin vastustajat valtasivat kadun" (PDF). Keskisuomalainen (in Finnish). p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- ^ Kuusela, Teijo (16 August 2000). "Vastustajat keskittäneet huomionsa vääriin asioihin" (PDF). Keskisuomalainen (in Finnish). p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2011.