RALLIART

RALLIART TOPICS
August 18th, 2000


MAKINEN RECEIVES EUROSPORT AWARD IN FINLAND
STOHL STARTS HIS 50TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RALLY

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Reigning World Rally Champion and Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen has been crowned Eurosport TV Profile by its viewers in the Nordic countries.

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Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen receives his award

Eurosport is Europe’s dedicated sports satellite television channel covering events from all over the globe.

The award was presented to Makinen yesterday (17 August), prior to the start of his home round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Finland, by Eurosport Production Manager Mark Jonsson and Communication Manager Ulrika Ericsson.

"It is fantastic to hear that I have won the Eurosport TV Profile Award for Nordic Athletes," commented Tommi. "Of course I am very proud of it. Eurosport is a very important television channel for fans that want to follow the World Rally Championship. I would like to thank Eurosport and its viewers for this special recognition," added the Finn, who received 23% of the votes in an Internet poll.

A panel, consisting of members of the Eurosport office in the Nordic countries nominated eight athletes for the 1999 Eurosport TV Profile award. The nominees for the award were chosen from the Nordic athletes who made the most outstanding performances on Eurosport last year.

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Manfred Stohl (left) with co-driver Peter Muller

Viewers were than given the opportunity to vote on the Eurosport website and, after almost 6,000 votes, Tommi Makinen proved to be the most popular choice.

Coinciding with the 50th Jubilee of Rally Finland - formerly known as the 1000 Lakes Rally - Austria’s Manfred Stohl celebrates his 50th entry into a World Championship rally when he and co-driver Peter Muller cross the start ramp in Jyvaskyla today (18 August).

The Mitsubishi Carisma GT Group N driver, who took the category victory in Rally New Zealand last month, was presented with a full reindeer skin - a typically Finnish acknowledgement - by Pekka Koski of Ralliart Finland during Mitsubishi’s pre-rally party yesterday.

Stohl, who leads the Group N World Cup for Drivers of Production Cars, will be all-out to secure back-to-back victories, however he will be up against a host of young Finnish stars in similar Carisma GT machinery who will be fighting for local honours in their home round of the FIA World Rally Championship.


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