After making a strong impression at Montalegre and Valkenswaard, Tommi Hallman is set to return to RallyX competition this weekend, with the long-awaited round at Finland’s Kymiring circuit.
This weekend marks a historic milestone for Finnish motorsport, as the Kymiring will finally host its first-ever Rallycross event.
Naturally, Hallman will enter the race as the clear hometown favorite and a top contender for victory.
“This weekend is shaping up to be something special. I’ll finally get the chance to race in front of my home crowd, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had that opportunity,” Hallman said.
“And to be honest, the situation is quite unique. This will be the first time I can leave home and drive straight to the track. In fact, getting to Kymiring takes me less time than getting to Helsinki Airport, which is usually the starting point for every race weekend.”
Hallman had a chance to visit the Kymiring facilities a few weeks ago. Although he hasn’t yet driven the new layout, certain features of the track left a strong impression.
“The start/finish straight is really long, and there are plenty of gravel sections. Most of the corners are on gravel, which is becoming increasingly rare in rallycross. It’s great to see a track like this. The first fast corner is wide, and I think we’ll see some exciting action right from the start,” added the Finnish driver, noting that the Open 4WD class cars could reach speeds approaching 200 km/h.
More than anything, Hallman is thrilled by the depth of competition, with no fewer than 19 drivers set to line up on the grid in the premier class.
“That’s a real positive! I’ve rarely seen so many cars and such a high-quality field in Supercar. Looking at the entry list, I’d say there are at least 8 to 10 drivers who could win if everything clicks. It’s going to be fiercely competitive,” Hallman said.
“To come out on top in a group like this, you’ll need a flawless performance. The good news is that the track is new for everyone—nobody has any past data to rely on. We’re all starting from scratch. And honestly, I’ve always done well on gravel-heavy layouts like this one.”
There’s also a sense of anticipation around recent developments on the FC2 cars, engineered by First Corner and OMSE, which Hallman is eager to assess firsthand.
“Obviously, the goal is to win and land on the podium. If you’re not showing up to win, you might as well stay home. This will also be a great opportunity to see if the latest updates bring us closer to the top-tier Supercars. We’ve also made some changes to the chassis that we’ll be testing during a short session on Wednesday.”