Simo Lampinen

Last updated

Simo Lampinen
Simo Lampinen - 1964 Rally Finland.jpg
Lampinen (left) at the 1964 1000 Lakes Rally with co-driver Jyrki Ahava
Personal information
Nationality Flag of Finland.svg Finnish
Born (1943-06-22) 22 June 1943 (age 82)
Porvoo, Finland
World Rally Championship record
Active years 19731979
Co-driver Flag of Italy.svg Piero Sodano
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Davenport
Flag of Sweden.svg Sölve Andreasson
Flag of Finland.svg Juhani Markkanen
Flag of Italy.svg Silvio Maiga
Flag of Sweden.svg Arne Hertz
Flag of Finland.svg Atso Aho
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Wood
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Henry Liddon
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Broad
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Fred Gallagher
Teams Lancia, Saab, Peugeot, Fiat, British Leyland
Rallies35
Championships 0
Rally wins 0
Podiums5
Stage wins41
Total points0
First rally 1973 Monte Carlo Rally
Last rally1979 RAC Rally
Lampinen drives a Saab Sport at the 1965 1000 Lakes Simo Lampinen - 1965 Rally Finland.jpg
Lampinen drives a Saab Sport at the 1965 1000 Lakes
Lampinen's Triumph TR7 of the 1978 RAC Rally driven at the Race Retro 2008. Triumph TR7 - Race Retro 2008 02.jpg
Lampinen's Triumph TR7 of the 1978 RAC Rally driven at the Race Retro 2008.

Simo Lampinen (born 22 June 1943) is a Finnish former rally driver, and one of the first of the "Flying Finns" who came to dominate the sport.

Contents

Biography

Lampinen's Lancia Beta Coupe of the 1975 RAC Rally. Lancia beta coupe rallye.jpg
Lampinen's Lancia Beta Coupé of the 1975 RAC Rally.

Lampinen was born in Porvoo. Having contracted polio at a young age, he was left with a pronounced limp, and as a result he was granted a driving licence aged 17 so he could travel to and from school more easily. He quickly graduated to competitive driving, and won the Finnish Rally Championship twice in succession in 1963 and 1964.

His early victories were in the Saab 96, before being lured to Lancia in 1970 where he continued his winning ways. He also drove for Peugeot, Fiat and Triumph, though without the same success.

More recently, he has been Clerk of the Course at the Rally Finland, the event he won three times himself, and he has also assisted Saab in two racing events; their Saab 900 Talladega Challenge in Alabama in 1996 where several speed records were set, and the 2000 Pikes Peak race, when Per Eklund won in a race-prepped Saab 9-3 Viggen.

International victories

1963

13th 1000 Lakes Rally (Saab 96)

1964

14th 1000 Lakes Rally (Saab 96)

1968

17th RAC Rally (Saab 96 V4)

1970

3º TAP Rallye de Portugal (Lancia Fulvia)

1972

15ème Rallye du Maroc (Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF)
22nd 1000 Lakes Rally (Saab 96 V4)

Complete IMC results

YearEntrantCar123456789
1970 Lancia HF Squadra Corse Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF MON
Ret
SWE
Ret
ITA
Ret
KEN
Ret
AUT
Ret
GRE GBR
Ret
1971 Lancia HF Squadra Corse Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF MON
6
SWE ITA
Ret
KEN
Ret
MAR AUT GRE
3
GBR
6
1972 Lancia HF Squadra Corse Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF MON
4
SWE KEN MAR
1
GRE
2
AUT
Ret
ITA
Ret
USA GBR
5

References