Eläintarhanajot
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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 1932–1963 in Eläintarha, Helsinki, Finland. The idea for the race came from racing driver S. P. J. Keinänen.
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[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 |  Per-Viktor Widengren |
Mercedes-Benz SSK | Grand Prix | Report |
| 1933 |  Karl Ebb |
Mercedes-Benz SSK | Grand Prix | Report |
| 1934 |  Eugen Bjørnstad |
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza | Grand Prix | Report |
| 1935 | Karl Ebb |
Mercedes Benz SSK 7.1L | Grand Prix | Report |
| 1936 | Eugen Bjørnstad |
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza | Grand Prix | Report |
| 1937 |  Hans Rüesch |
Alfa Romeo 8C-35 3.8L | Grand Prix | Report |
| 1938 | Not held | |||
| 1939 | Adolf Westerblom |
Alfa Romeo Monza 2.6L | Grand Prix | Report |
| 1946 | Only motorcycles | |||
| 1947 | Asser Wallenius |
Ford Roadster 1934 | Class B | - |
| Helge Hallmann |
Ford special | Formula Libre | - | |
| 1948 | Magnus Knutsson |
BMW | Class A | - |
| Leo Mattila |
Ford Roadster | Class B | - | |
| S. P. J. Keinänen |
Chrysler special | Formula Libre | - | |
| 1949 | S. P. J. Keinänen |
BMW | Class A | - |
| 1951 | S. P. J. Keinänen |
Jaguar XK120 | Production | - |
| 1952 | .svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small} Roger Laurent |
Talbot-Lago T26C | 1952 Formula One season | Report |
 Michael Head |
Jaguar XK120 | Division +2000 | - | |
| Valdemar Stener |
Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta | Division 2000 | - | |
| 1953 | Rodney Nuckey |
Cooper T23 | 1953 Formula One season | Report |
| Curt Lincoln |
Cooper-Norton | Formula 3 | - | |
 Robert Nelleman |
Allard | +2000 GT | - | |
| Valdemar Stener |
Ferrari | 2000 GT | - | |
| 1954 | Rodney Nuckey |
Cooper-Bristol F2 | Formula Libre | - |
| John Bengtsson |
Ferrari | GT 2000 | - | |
| Eric Brandon |
Cooper | Formula 3 | - | |
| 1955 | Curt Lincoln |
Jaguar C-type | Division +2000 | - |
| Joakim Bonnier |
Alfa Romeo 1900 Sprint | Division 2000 | - | |
| Eric Brandon |
Cooper | Formula 3 | - | |
| 1956 | Curt Lincoln |
Jaguar D-type | +2000 production | - |
| Eric Brandon |
Cooper | Formula 3 | - | |
| Harry Saaristo |
Triumph | 2000 production | - | |
| John Kvarnström |
Ferrari | +2000 | - | |
| Eric Brandon |
Halselec-Climax | 2000 | - | |
| 1957 | Arne Lindberg |
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | GT+2.0 | - |
| Joakim Bonnier |
Maserati 200S | S+2.0 | - | |
| Curt Lincoln |
Cooper T 42 Mark XI | Formula 3 | - | |
| Curt Lincoln |
Ferrari 500 TR | 2000 | - | |
| 1958 | Curt Lincoln |
Cooper T 42 Mark XII | Formula 3 | - |
| Graham Whitehead |
Aston Martin DB3S | Division +2000 | - | |
| Ivor Bueb |
Lotus | Division 2000 | - | |
| Curt Lincoln |
Ferrari 250 GT | GT +2000 | - | |
| 1959 | Carl-Gunnar Hammarlund |
Porsche 356 Carrera | GT | - |
| Carl-Otto Bremer |
Ferrari 750 Monza | S+2.0 | - | |
| Curt Lincoln |
Cooper T 42 Mark XII | Formula 3 | - | |
| 1960 | Heimo Hietaranta |
Cooper/Norton | Formula 3 | - |
| Carl-Otto Bremer |
Ferrari 750 Monza | S+2.0 | - | |
| 1961 | Heimo Hietaranta |
Cooper/Norton | Formula 3 | - |
| Carl-Otto Bremer |
Elva 100 | Formula Junior | - | |
| David Hitches |
Lola | 2000 | - | |
| 1962 | Olle Nygren |
Cooper T56 | Formula Junior | - |
| 1963 | Curt Lincoln |
Brabham BT6 | Formula Junior | - |
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b ELÄINTARHARATA / DJURGÅRDSBANAN - Helsinki (FIN). kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
- ^ Pre-war Races. wsrp.ic.cz. Retrieved on 2007-12-14.
- ^ Formule Libre races in Europe 1945-57. pgleize.club.fr. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
[edit] External links
- YLE Video archive - Eläintarhanajot
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