Pontus Tidemand ready for Rally Finnskog
Two weeks have passed since Pontus Tidemand scored his first WRC points in Rally Sweden and this weekend it’s time for him to get back in a rally car. This time it’s all about Skoda Fabia Super 2000 on Rally Finnskog and Pontus is looking forward to take on the last winter rally of the season.
Rally Finnskog is Norways’ biggest rally and it was also the start of the Rally Norway project. For as long as 15 years, it was a European Championship event and in 2007 it became a part of WRC. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the event, something that has resulted in more than 90 entries. Pontus and co-driver Ola Fløene participates in EVEN Management’s Skoda Fabia Super 2000, which is included in the same category as the predecessor to Super 2000 – the R5 – that Pontus will be driving in the WRC2 series this season.
“I haven’t done an event with this kind of car since 2012 so it will be a lot of fun” says Pontus. “It will also give a boost towards the rest of the year as the difference between S2000 and R5 isn’t that big. Rally Finnskog is usually a really great event with nice roads so I’m just going to enjoy being behind the wheel again.”
Based in Kongsvinger, twelve special stages will be completed during the two days of Rally Finnskog. The event begins on Friday afternoon and before the overnight break awaits the four first stages, consisting of two relatively long stages of 16,78 and 26,95 km that will be run twice. The remaining eight stages will run on Saturday. Just like the opening stages, the second day’s stages are devided into two loops – four stages that runs before the midday service break and will be repeated in the afternoon. Two of them are approximately six kilometers, while the other two measures 23,95 and 14,75 km. The finish takes place at Town Hall Square in Konsvinger at 16:45 and prizegiving is scheduled for later in the evening.
Competitors in the same category as Pontus include Frank Tore Larsen, Pål Try and Svein Frustøl, all three in Ford Fiesta R5, and Thomas Kvam in a Ford Fiesta S2000.
Itinerary Rally Finnskog 2014:
Friday 21 February
| SS1 | Sandsjøbekken 1 | 16,78 km | 17:58 |
| SS2 | Varaldskogen 1 | 26,95 km | 18:30 |
| SS3 | Sandsjøbekken 2 | 16,78 km | 21:12 |
| SS4 | Varaldskogen 2 | 26,95 km | 21:44 |
Saturday 22 February
| SS5 | Ormberget 1 | 23,95 km | 10:11 |
| SS6 | Kongshov 1 | 6,97 km | 10:47 |
| SS7 | Løvhaugen 1 | 14,76 km | 11:10 |
| SS8 | Nesteby 1 | 6,51 km | 12:22 |
| SS9 | Ormberget 2 | 23,95 km | 13:58 |
| SS10 | Kongshov 2 | 6,97 km | 14:34 |
| SS11 | Løvhaugen 2 | 14,76 km | 14:57 |
| SS12 | Nesteby 2 | 6,51 km | 16:09 |
Photo: Andre Lavadinho