History
Following a fatal accident at Eläintarha racetrack in 1963, the street circuit was closed for good and a need for a permanent racetrack was born in Finland. While the Finnish national motor racing association AKK was planning a new track at Tattarisuo in Helsinki, Curt Lincoln, a Finnish motorsport legend, leased a better suited place near the village of Keimola, Vantaa. The area of 52 hectares (130 acres) was more than enough to build a racetrack of international proportions. The track was opened on 12 June 1966 with races of various classes.
The track was designed to fit Formula Two specifications, being too short for Formula One cars. Because Formula One drivers could also participate in Formula Two races during the late 1960s, the track saw legends like Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, Jochen Rindt and Denny Hulme in 1966 and 1967. The track raised interest into Formula Vee in the late 1960s.
In addition to race events, the track was used to host music festivals in the 1970s. They included Helsinki Rock Festivals (or Keimola-Rock) in 1972 and 1973. The 1972 event became known as "Keimola mud festival" after a rainstorm transformed the rallycross track into a lake.
Read more about this topic: Keimola Motor Stadium
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