With only 5.3 millions of inhabitants and an area comparable to Germany, Finland seems to offer the best conditions for motor sport talents. The nation has produced a series of outstanding motor sports people such as Keke Rosberg, Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikönen. With the young emerging Finnish talent Julius Nieminen, who starts in the BFGoodrich Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring for the team Kissling-Motorsport, another fellow countryman of the Formula 1 world champions now joins this group of race drivers.
Since many years already, the Finnish national flag has been displayed on the race cars of the Kissling team, which is based in Bad Münstereifel, for their race driver Hannu Luostarinen. Whether in an Opel Astra OPC or a Corvette – the fast race driver from Northern Europe controls the touring cars and GTs of the traditional racing team safely and quickly when competing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. At the beginning of the season 2009, Luostarinen brought some back-up to the Eifel region. Without any experience at the Nordschleife or even any racing experience, the 21 years old blond boy Nieminen stood in front of Helmut and Stefan Kissling at the beginning of the season and wanted to race at the Nordschleife – in the Corvette.
It goes without saying that for the moment being, this request could not be fulfilled. The Nordschleife is the most difficult racing circuit of the world – and the Finnish forests are at most a reference for rally drivers. At the beginning of the season, Nieminen hence found himself in a yellow Opel Corsa in class SP2 and showed from the very beginning that he is a very talented driver. The newcomer at the Nordschleife quickly got used both to car and track. Coached by Stefan Kissling and his country fellow Luostarinen, Nieminen could very soon celebrate his first successes at the Ring. At his second participation of the season already, the Finn achieved third class position and collected his first cup award. At his next race, the hard-working race driver even won his class as solo driver. Two weeks later, Nieminen proved the astonished competitors in his class that this result was not a one-day wonder. As solo driver again, he dominated the race clearly and finished first again in class SP 2.
After the 6h Race, Helmut and Stefan Kissling remembered the at that time quite adventurous request of their new young talent to drive the Corvette. In a supporting event of the Truck-Grand-Prix at the Nürburgring, Nieminen was then for the first time competing in a touring car race in the Corvette C6.SP and astonished his competitors and team manager likewise. He used each and every kilometre of the race weekend at the Grand Prix Circuit to get used to his new race car and his third place out of 36 starters turned out to be a great success.
Although Nieminen enjoyed driving the powerful Corvette V8, he will have to compete in the Opel Corsa again at the next round of the endurance racing championship. It was however certainly not his last participation in the fast super sports car. Who knows, there might very soon be a purely Finnish team in the Corvette?
