Race report – 1933 Eläintarhanajot

DRAMA AND DARING DEEDS UPON THE BUMPY STREETS OF HELSINKI!

Helsinki, 7 May 1933 — The thunder of high-compression engines echoed through the Finnish capital today as the fourteenth round of the Golden Era Championship unfolded upon the treacherous and narrow Eläintarharata circuit. This unforgiving course, a winding labyrinth of bumpy tarmac, unforgiving hay bales, and sturdy Finnish timber, demanded absolute precision and iron nerves from every pilot. The day’s proceedings followed a grand and taxing format, consisting of two fifteen-lap qualifying heats to determine the elite few who would face the ultimate test of a fifty-lap final.

A Masterclass in the First Heat

The opening heat saw Anssi Hyytiainen command his magnificent 1932 Alfa Romeo P3 with such authority that he appeared nearly invincible, securing a flag-to-flag victory and setting the fastest time of the session at one minute and 0.383 seconds. Behind the flying leader, Kari Uotila piloted his Bugatti T51-1 with great consistency to claim the second position, while Daniel Withoeft displayed admirable grit to secure the final podium spot of the heat. Further back, the proceedings were far more turbulent as Erik Halin and Heru Lah engaged in a spirited duel that resulted in a heavy collision on the fourth lap. Halin heroically brought his Talbot 700 across the line in fourth despite a rear puncture and a car that was described as being slightly on fire. Heru Lah and the plucky Evadne Cleo, the latter handling her diminutive Amilcar with grace, secured fifth and sixth respectively.

The most dramatic misfortune befell Vesa Tolonen, who, after a collision with Lah, found himself inverted upon his roof after missing a braking point while attempting to adjust his fuel mixture to cool down the overheating engine as his radiator had suffered in the collision. Teofil Lubomirski, though entered, unfortunately remained in the pits and did not take the start.

The White Arrows Command the Second Heat

The second heat proved to be a display of absolute dominance by the TissiTuning Racing team as Markus Peltonen and Eetu Nurmi launched their Alfa Romeo P3s to the front, finishing first and second separated by a mere two seconds. Jessie Lamure delivered a superb performance in his Delage 15S8 to take third, followed closely by Ruy Lázaro, who navigated a Maserati 8CM through a somewhat unorthodox start that required a detour through the pit lane to avoid the early melee.

Drik Crozet and Hayley Smith provided the crowd with a thrilling spectacle as they fought wheel-to-wheel, with Smith ultimately finishing sixth behind Crozet’s Bugatti. Renaud Ledu drove a measured race to finish seventh in his Talbot. The true hero of the hour was Ville Korkiakoski, who, after a frightening spin into the trees that stripped both left wheels from his Bugatti T59, managed to perform enough repairs to limp across the line in eighth. Federico Juan Quintero Megías and Kent LeFredge were less fortunate, with Megías suffering environmental collisions and LeFredge being forced into retirement after a disastrous flat tire.

A Fifty-Lap Test of Fortitude in the Final

The grand final commenced under darkening skies that threatened rain, though the heavens ultimately spared the drivers a deluge. At the drop of the flag, Anssi Hyytiainen once again surged into a commanding lead, eventually building a cushion of over twenty seconds over his pursuers. Disaster struck the leader on the thirty-third lap when a heavy crash left him facing the wrong direction in the pit lane, shattering his hope for a victory and handing the lead to the pursuing Alfa Romeos of Peltonen and Nurmi. Eetu Nurmi, who had earlier survived a questionable pit entry and a collision with Drik Crozet, began a relentless charge to catch his teammate. In the closing stages, the gap between the two TissiTuning pilots vanished, and they crossed the finish line in a heart-stopping blur of white, with Markus Peltonen claiming the victory by a scant half-second over Nurmi.

Survival Against the Odds

Behind the leaders, the race became a brutal struggle of mechanical sympathy and survival. Hayley Smith drove a magnificent and clean race to finish as the best non-Alfa driver in fourth, while Jessie Lamure and Vesa Tolonen—the latter recovering admirably from his heat one catastrophe—secured fifth and sixth.

Evadne Cleo performed the surprise of the day by bringing her underpowered Amilcar home in a spectacular seventh place. Kari Uotila drove once again with skill and precision and was about to secure top four finish for the Finnish until fate decided otherwise and he suffered the unexpected pileup in front of him. Eventually he finished eighth despite that a late excursion that was described as a brief trip to the moon, that’s how bad it looked, followed by Renaud Ledu in ninth.

Perhaps the most extraordinary sight was Daniel Withoeft, who, having suffered two burst front tires and severe chassis damage, managed to reverse his machine up the final hill to claim tenth place under a literal smoke screen. Drik Crozet battled a damaged steering rack to reach the flag in eleventh, while Ville Korkiakoski, Heru Lah, and Ruy Lázaro were all forced to retire after the punishing Helsinki streets proved too much for their magnificent machines. Markus Peltonen stands today as the undisputed master of Eläintarhanajot, a victor of both speed and steadfastness!

Final standings of the race

Race broadcast