f-s-p 832 Posted February 5, 2009 (edited) We're back once again! Finnish Extraliiga will be once again a five team series with the same teams as last year. The date for the league entries was January 15th and the lineups had to be entered January 31st. There hasn't been an official press release on the subject, so I wont bother with the unofficial. In ice racing, both the test match between Finland and Sweden and the Nordic individual Championship has been cancelled. The test match was first when there wasn't a track available at Tampere and now the Nordic final has been cancelled, because the Swedish clubs wont change their league meeting dates. Instead the Seinäjoki club are hosting an international meeting on the same date. Also a meeting scheduled for Seinäjoki for February 7th was always a no-go and apparently a misunderstanding that never got corrected. Qualifier for the Finnish ice racing final will be held at Kuortane on February 14th and the final is at Forssa on the 28th of February. Riders seeded to the final include: Antti Aakko, Kai Lehtinen, Tommy Flyktman, Jussi Hytönen, Janne Vilponen, Joni Kontoniemi and Jouni Seppänen. Since Kontoniemi is now out for the season, Henri Malinen has taken his place in the final. 9+2 places are available for the final at Kuortane Interesting to see how things shape up along during the spring, but hopefully there are results to be posted and rumours to be exaggarated!! Edited February 5, 2009 by f-s-p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pugwash 3,208 Posted February 5, 2009 (edited) and rumours to be exaggarated!! Surely not by you? A respected journalist at that. Fleet Street beckons, maybe? Edited February 5, 2009 by pugwash Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,988 Posted February 5, 2009 Surely not by you? A respected journalist at that. Fleet Street beckons, maybe? Surely there is no such thing as a respected journalist,pugwash? And is it true that the finnish swear word translates as "in the restaurant",f-s-p? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f-s-p 832 Posted February 5, 2009 (edited) And is it true that the finnish swear word translates as "in the restaurant",f-s-p? Hope you didn't actually pay for the book! I'll teach them all to you some day... pugwash, I only tell the rumours forward as I thought I heard them, so it wasn't me... Edited February 5, 2009 by f-s-p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f-s-p 832 Posted February 9, 2009 Lineups for next years Extraliiga were announced today. Only for teams now look to compete, as Pori is missing from the lineup. They are having difficulties getting enough riders together. Appe Mustonen has been snatched up to Seinäjoki from Pori. Jokerit also looks a lot better than in previous seasons with Kalle Katajisto staying and now getting fast improving Niko Siltaniemi there too. Joni Keskinen switching away from Kotkat is a surprise to me, but a good move for him. JOKERIT (KauhjMK) Markku Autio, Kalle Katajisto, Joni Keskinen, Niko Siltaniemi and team manager Timo Kujanpää HAUKAT-ROYALS (SsMK-FMS) Aarni Heikkilä, Tomi Reima, Joni Kitala, Janne Nyman, Jani Eerikäinen, tm Harri Heikkilä KEITTIÖPISTE (KMMK) Teemu Lahti, Timo Lahti, Tero Aarnio, Toni Stenberg, Aleksey Poptsov, Fedor Poptsov, tm Asko Sorvo KOTKAT (SeMK) Kaj Laukkanen, Juha Hautamäki, Rene Lehtinen, Appe Mustonen, tm Mikko Koskinen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f-s-p 832 Posted February 10, 2009 Paholaiset is now indeed out of the -09 Extraliiga after they were unable to put a side together. Two major problems in the equation were lack of riders and lack of funds to get riders from elsewhere. This was really bad news in my opinion, but the league is still there with four teams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f-s-p 832 Posted February 12, 2009 (edited) Finnish Individual ice racing championhip qualifier at Kuortane, February 14th. Draw as follows: 1. Mats Järf 2. Markku Weckman 3. Johan Ahponen 4. Christer Biskop 5. Esko Rantanen 6. Janne Ruismäki 7. Teppo Toivola 8. Harri Saari 9. Ari Tuomisto 10. Tommi Suolammi 11. Jarmo Malinen 12. Sven Holstein 13. Timo Kankkunen 14. Kai Ilkka 15. Sami Hassinen 16. Mark Uzzell Holstein and Uzzell are not gonna qualify no matter what. Edited February 12, 2009 by f-s-p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vicar 2 Posted February 12, 2009 When and where will be final? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f-s-p 832 Posted February 12, 2009 When and where will be final? Forssa, February 28th. First heat at 2 PM. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vicar 2 Posted February 12, 2009 Bad, I'm going to visit Poland then :F Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DutchGrasstrack 804 Posted February 13, 2009 Finnish Individual ice racing championhip qualifier at Kuortane, February 14th. Draw as follows: 1. Mats Järf 2. Markku Weckman 3. Johan Ahponen 4. Christer Biskop 5. Esko Rantanen 6. Janne Ruismäki 7. Teppo Toivola 8. Harri Saari 9. Ari Tuomisto 10. Tommi Suolammi 11. Jarmo Malinen 12. Sven Holstein 13. Timo Kankkunen 14. Kai Ilkka 15. Sami Hassinen 16. Mark Uzzell Holstein and Uzzell are not gonna qualify no matter what. Holstein wont be riding because he's going to ride in the U21 European Championship in Saransk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f-s-p 832 Posted February 13, 2009 Holstein wont be riding because he's going to ride in the U21 European Championship in Saransk. I heard yesterday that Jussi Nyrönen was a reserve for this meeting. Maybe he'll take his place. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f-s-p 832 Posted February 14, 2009 (edited) Finnish qualifier for the individual final today at Kuortane. Pics here. Teppo Toivola ASMP 33323 14+3 Kai Ilkka OMK 33233 14+2 Mats Järf VaMK 33313 13 Ari Tuomisto FMS 20332 10 Christer Biskop KMS 13222 10 Janne Ruismäki VMK 22213 10 Timo Kankkunen P-KMK 22132 10 Jarmo Malinen FMS 32121 9 Markku Weckman SsMK 21311 8 Harri Saari P-KMK d1102 4 Sakari Piirainen OMK 1d201 4 Esko Rantanen PirMM 111R0 3 Sami Hassinen P-KMK 01RNN 1 Tommi Suolammi HäMK 0NNNN 0 Mark Uzzell GB 12F30 6 Erä erältä: 1. Järf, Weckman, Biskop 64,9 2. Toivola, Ruismäki, Rantanen, Saari d 63,7 3. Malinen, Tuomisto, Piirainen, Suolammi 67,9 4. Ilkka, Kankkunen, Uzzell, Hassinen 65,6 5. Järf, Kankkunen, Rantanen, Tuomisto 67,8 6. Ilkka, Ruismäki, Weckman 66,1 7. Toivola, Malinen, Hassinen 65,3 8. Biskop, Uzzell, Saari, Piirainen d 68,7 9. Järf, Ruismäki, Malinen, Uzzell d 69,4 10. Weckman, Piirainen, Rantanen, Hassinen R 71,6 11. Tuomisto, Ilkka, Saari 66,5 12. Toivola, Biskop, Kankkunen 66,1 13. Ilkka, Toivola, Järf, Piirainen 65,6 14. Kankkunen, Malinen, Weckmann, Saari 70,2 15. Uzzell, Rantanen R 72,3 16. Tuomisto, Biskop, Ruismäki 68,4 17. Järf, Saari 69,5 18. Toivola, Tuomisto, Weckman, Uzzell 66,5 19. Ruismäki, Kankkunen, Piirainen 70,7 20. Ilkka, Biskop, Malinen, Rantanen 68,5 Uusinta: Toivola, Rantanen 67,4 Katsojia 305 I'd say it was an ok if not better for entertainment with a few good battles and some close racing during the day. Uzzell was never gonna qualify so I placed him as last. He would have gone through as the second reserve. He had a nasty looking fall in heat 9 when his back tyre just slid off from under him and it looked like he was dragged by the bike for a 10 meters or so. We had a talk after the meeting and he was OK. No new holes in his leathers that he noticed... Going back to Sweden now and heading back next weekend for the meeting at Seinäjoki. There'll be a few Swedes, some polish riders and most of the field from today riding in the international open meeting. Kai Lehtinen will be the top Finn if my memory is correct from the hasty look to the list of riders. Meeting starts at 1 PM just south from the city centre at Lake Kyrkösjärvi. EDIT: Funny thing happened. Last year at the same track I took pic's from the outside of turn 1. Today I was specificly asked to leave the outside for the inside. So I did. In heat eight Sakari Piirainen would have made a hole in my boots if I had stayed still when he fell and came over the inside kerb... I lost several seconds of my total 15 minutes of fame when I had to take a few steps to keep myself clear from the bike as everyone was watching. I would have preferred to save them for later... Edited February 15, 2009 by f-s-p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zetters 0 Posted February 19, 2009 So Kylmäkorpi will be riding on a swedish licence 2009 after all. No surprise. He will ride for Indians in the elitleague and Bajen in allsvenskan. And if He rides in Finland He will be foreigner:) He can still riding for Finland in SWC because His passport BUT He cant ride for Finland in the GP-qualifier´s!! Cheers f-s-p. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f-s-p 832 Posted February 20, 2009 So Kylmäkorpi will be riding on a swedish licence 2009 after all. No surprise. He will ride for Indians in the elitleague and Bajen in allsvenskan. And if He rides in Finland He will be foreigner:) He can still riding for Finland in SWC because His passport BUT He cant ride for Finland in the GP-qualifier´s!! Cheers f-s-p. I'll bet you 1l bottle of Jack Daniels that Kylmäkorpi will represent Finland next season in the GP qualifiers and longtrack world championship... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
