Prior to the FIA European Rallycross Championship ERC24 asked the two promising Set Promotion youngsters Joni Wiman and Teemu Suninen about their plans for 2013.
Starting last year’s ERC with rather unlucky outings in the JRX class, but later in the season changing to the Super1600s category, the two Finnish youngsters Joni Wiman and Teemu Suninen impressed a lot of people with their skills and impressive results. However, after an only half-a-year long Rallycross career the two teenagers are about to overthink their future now.
In Belgium and Holland it was Marcus Grönholm protégé Joni Wiman who scored the better results, while in Finland and Germany Teemu Suninen made it to the S1600 top. The pinnacle was his overall victory at the German Estering.
ERC24: “What are your plans for 2013, Teemu?”
TS: “You maybe do not believe me, but I have to stop my really short career in Rallycross, as we don’t have enought money to drive a whole season this year. Instead of Rallycross I’m going to do rallying here in Finland, really exciting. The Finnish F-Cup series, run over six one-day events, to be driven without pacenotes.”
ERC24: “How was 2012 for you, did you gain some experience in Rallycross, and how was your co-operation with Jussi Pinomäki and Set Promotion?”
TS: “I think the team did a good job, was working well. Steven Bossard was helping me. We both checked all data together, and we made good plans for all heats and finals. Our ‘junior team’ within Set Promotion was a bit special and was run a little aside from the main team. I mean, with Steven we had our own race engineer. I think that was a good idea, because it would have been hard to keep the focus on all five cars.”
ERC24: “So one can say that your biggest problem for 2013 is to find a budget to drive in the ERC?”
TS: “The biggest and only problem!”
ERC24: “Hi Joni, what about 2013?”
JW: “The plan is to drive in the Super1600s class again, in the new IMG series, but it is very hard to find the necessary budget.”
ERC24: “Are you staying with Set Promotion? And what car, Clio or Twingo?”
JW: “Yes, same team, but with a new Twingo. However, for now we still do not have the budget together.”
Photo: Suninen (left) and Wiman (centre) pictured with their Set Promotion team mate Juspe Leppihalme. © JKR/ERC24