Guests at Imm2023

IMM 2023 GUESTS from all world for MINI OWNERS !!!

Rauno August Aaltonen (born 7 January 1938), also known as “The Rally Professor”, is a Finnishformer professional rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1970s.

Career

Before WRC was established Aaltonen competed in the European Rally Championship. He won the championship in 1965, with Tony Ambrose as his co-driver. He also won the Finnish Rally Championshipin 1961 and 1965. In 1966, he partnered Bob Holden in Australia to win the premier touring car race, the Gallaher 500, in a Mini Cooper S at Mount Panorama in New South Wales.

Aaltonen finished second on six occasions in the Safari Rally, which is considered one of the most difficult courses in rallying. In 1985, he was leading the rally by two hours when his engine broke down before the last few special stages. His other merits include winning the 1000 Lakes Rally in 1961, the RAC Rally in 1965, the Monte Carlo Rally in 1967, the Southern Cross Rally in 1977, and a Coupe des Alpes at the Alpine Rally in 1963 and 1964.[1]

Despite now being remembered as one of the Flying Finns of rallying, Aaltonen started his career on speed boats and later moved on to motorcycles competing in road racing, speedway and motocross. Before he became the first Finnish European Rally Champion, he was the first Finn to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing competition.

Aaltonen was a proponent of left-foot braking.[2] In 2010, he was among the first four inductees into the Rally Hall of Fame, along with Erik Carlsson, Paddy Hopkirk and Timo Mäkinen.[3]

Technique of rotating a car by 360 degrees, while maintaining trajectory, was named after him.

KIMINORI SHIRATORI

One of the most famous names in the world related to MINI model cars, a true master who will be a guest at IMM 2023

Raisys Karolis

Known Lithuanian MINI enthusiast, he has participated and won numerous rallies, Lithuanian rally champion, and has also participated in Rally in Italy, such as the Reggello rally right in the imm2023 area, in recent years he has dedicated himself to the historic Montecarlo Rally winning his category at his first Monte Carlo and finishing in the top 6 in 2023, he will be with us to keep us entertained on roads he knows well

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