Timo Mäkinen (18 March 1938 in Helsinki, Finland – 4 May 2017) was a Finnish race car driver and one of the original "Flying Finns" of motor rallying. He is best remembered for his hat-trick of wins in the RAC Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally.
_(cropped).jpg) Timo Mäkinen (1966) | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Finnish |
| Born | 18 March 1938 Helsinki, Finland |
| Died | 4 May 2017 (aged 79) Helsinki, Finland |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1973–1981, 1994 |
| Co-driver |  Henry Liddon John Davenport Jean Todt Atso Aho Erkki Salonen Martin Holmes Paul Easter |
| Teams | Ford, Toyota, Peugeot |
| Rallies | 39 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 4 |
| Podiums | 7 |
| Stage wins | 73 |
| Total points | 7 |
| First rally | 1973 Monte Carlo Rally |
| First win | 1973 1000 Lakes Rally |
| Last win | 1975 RAC Rally |
| Last rally | 1994 Monte Carlo Rally |
Career edit
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Mäkinen's start in international rallying came in the 1959 1000 Lakes Rally (now Rally Finland), in a Triumph TR3. He later drove works Austin-Healeys and Minis. In the big Healey, he finished fifth in the RAC Rally in 1963. Mäkinen drove Minis during most of 1964 but came second in the RAC Rally in a Healey, at the end of that year. He returned to the Mini Cooper S in 1965, winning the Monte Carlo Rally and the 1000 Lakes, and capturing a Coupe des Alpes at the Alpine Rally.[1] He came second in the 1965 RAC Rally, again in a Healey.
In 1967, Timo Mäkinen drove his Mini at a high speed through the famous Ouninpohja stage of the 1000 Lakes with the car's bonnet open. Leather straps holding the bonnet were not thoroughly tightened, and they opened after a few rough bounces. He tried to put his head out of the side window but his helmet was too big and he could only stick his head halfway out. So he had to skid the car sideways continuously to see the road ahead. Even so, Mäkinen was third fastest on that special stage and he also won the rally overall, for the third year in a row.
In 1975, Mäkinen won the RAC for the third time in a row, at the wheel of a Ford Escort RS1800, preceded only by Erik Carlsson (Saab 96) in that feat. Mäkinen won the Finnish Rally Championship three times, the ice track championship six times and the saloon car race championship three times.
In 1969, Mäkinen competed in the very first Round Britain Powerboat Race, which he won. In 1994, Mäkinen made a brief return as Mini celebrated the 30th anniversary of their 1964 Monte Carlo win by Paddy Hopkirk, who also participated in the event. Mäkinen retired on the second stage with a fuel system problem. In 2010, he was among the first four inductees into the Rally Hall of Fame, along with Carlsson, Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen.[2]
Mäkinen also traveled to Australia to race Mini Coopers in the Bathurst 500 road race. He finished 6th outright and 3rd in class in 1965 co-driving with Northern Irish rally driver Paddy Hopkirk while finishing 7th outright and 3rd in class in 1967 with Australian driver John French.[3][4]
Death edit
Timo Makinen died on May 4, 2017, of natural causes in Helsinki, Finland.[5]
Career results edit
Complete IMC results edit
| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Ford Motor Company Ltd | Ford Escort Twin Cam | MON 7 |
SWE Ret |
ITA | KEN | AUT | GRE | GBR Ret |
||
| 1971 | Ford Motor Company Ltd | Ford Escort RS 1600 MKI | MON | SWE Ret |
ITA | GBR 5 |
|||||
| Ford Escort Twin Cam | KEN 20 |
MAR | AUT | GRE | |||||||
| 1972 | Ford Motor Company Ltd | Ford Escort RS 1600 MKI | MON 31 |
SWE | KEN 8 |
MAR | GRE | AUT | ITA | USA | GBR Ret |
Complete WRC results edit
Complete British Saloon Car Championship results edit
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pos. | Pts | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Don Moore | Morris Mini Cooper S | A | SNE | GOO | OUL | AIN | SIL | CRY | BRH 9 |
OUL | 21st | 4 | 9th |
Source:[6]
| ||||||||||||||
Complete Bathurst 500 results edit
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 |  BMC
|
Paddy Hopkirk
|
Morris Cooper S | C | 128 | 6th | 3rd |
| 1967 | BMC Works Team
|
John French
|
Morris Cooper S | C | 127 | 7th | 3rd |
International wins edit
- 1964 Tulip Rally (Mini Cooper S)
- 1965 Monte Carlo Rally (Mini Cooper S)
- 1965 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S)
- 1966 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S)
- 1966 Three Cities Rally (Mini Cooper S)
- 1967 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S)
- 1972 Hong Kong Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
- 1973 Arctic Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
- 1973 1000 Lakes Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
- 1973 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
- 1974 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
- 1974 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Ford Escort RS1600)
- 1975 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1800)
- 1976 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Peugeot 504 V6)
References edit
- ^ Pfundner, Martin (2005). Alpine Trials & Rallies: 1910 to 1973. Veloce Publishing Ltd. pp. 90–91.
- ^ "New Inductees to Rally Hall of Fame". Neste Oil Rally Finland. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
- ^ The Armstrong 500 (1965)
- ^ Mount Panorama Bathurst - The Great Race - 1967 highlights
- ^ "Finnish Rally Legend Timo Makinen Has Died". 5 May 2017.
- ^ de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 12 October 2022.