Mikko Ikonen made a noteworthy start to his 2025 season during the RallyX round in Riga, delivering a strong performance behind the wheel of his Hyundai i20. Enough to spark some fresh ideas for the Finnish driver as he looks ahead to the next RallyX event on home soil, scheduled for June 14–15 at KimyRing.
While the Betomik Racing driver didn’t manage to qualify for the Pro final in either race over the weekend, he still showed plenty of promise—clinching a Top 3 result in the qualifying heats and finishing twice inside the Top 5 overall.
He went on to secure sixth place in the intermediate standings in Race 2 before topping it off with his first victory of the season in the Pro Am final, where he outpaced both Casper Jansson and Fraser McConnell.
It’s the kind of momentum that offers reassurance to Ikonen just one month out from his home race at KimyRing.
“It was a tough weekend. We struggled with the car, especially on the starts. And when you’re having to fight from the back in traffic, it’s never an easy task. That said, I’m really pleased with our lap times and what we managed to build toward by the end of the day. We had fun. The semi-finals were intense—a proper battle. Even though I didn’t make it into the Pro final, it felt like classic rallycross.”
“It was difficult for sure, but also incredibly fun from inside the car. And I was happy to see the performances of the young Finnish drivers too. Anton Seppä, in particular, had a great weekend. He’s extremely fast—clearly a real talent with a bright future. I’m sure it won’t be long before he becomes a superstar, and this weekend in Riga showed exactly what he’s capable of.”
One thing’s for sure—Mikko Ikonen has no intention of easing off the throttle. In fact, the Betomik Racing team boss has already decided to double his efforts for the KimyRing round.
“At KimyRing, I’ll be entering three cars. My wife Outi will continue in the Open 2WD class with her Toyota Corolla, and in addition to racing the Hyundai i20 in Open 4WD, I’m planning to drive a second car in Open 2WD myself. That’s the goal. A driver like Joni-Pekka Rajala often takes on multiple categories at once, so I figured I’d give it a shot too,” Mikko said with a smile.
Beyond Mikko’s ambitions, there’s growing anticipation around the return of Outi Ikonen. The former Folkrace (Jokkis) specialist turned heads in Riga by posting the third-best time in Q2 of Race 1 and clocking the fifth-fastest lap of the race.
“I’m really proud of Outi,” Mikko added.
“She had a great time in Riga, and honestly, that’s what matters most. It had been seven or eight years since she last competed, so seeing her back behind the wheel was a really special moment. She’s a fighter, and I’m glad to see her starting to find her rhythm again. In motorsport, confidence and enjoyment are everything—especially on tracks as beautiful and fast as Riga. From that standpoint, I think we nailed it.”
“Sure, there’s still some fine-tuning to do, but that’s perfectly normal after such a long break from racing. And let’s not forget—she already has an impressive track record, with several podium finishes in the Finnish Jokkis Championship, and she’s also made a name for herself in the Finnish Rallycross scene.”