1997 Rally Finland
The 1997 Rally Finland event was held from 29 to 31 August 1997. The rally took place in Jyväskylä, Finland. The winner was Tommi Makinen, with Seppo Harjanne as co-driver, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 4.
Overview
The total length of the race was 1171.79km, which included road sections. The total liaison distance was 790.24km and the total special stage distance was 381.55km over gravel.AKK Sports, the marketing company of the Finnish ASN, AKK-Motorsport, took over organizing the event, earning praise from WRC teams for safety. This change culminated in the changing of its name to Neste Rally Finland. The company's target was to develop a clearly defined brand for the rally. A new special stage was added at Hippos, along with a VIP area for 1,600 guests. The following year, teams voted it Rally of the Year. Mäkinen, on his way to a third consecutive title, set a record with his fifth straight Rally Finland win. Ice hockey star and auto racing enthusiast Teemu Selänne, also competed, finishing 33rd in 1997 and 24th in 1998. Despite some environmental protests, a 1997 study by the University of Jyväskylä found the impact to be minimal, with noise pollution being the main concern. There were 105 participant entries.