Juha Kankkunen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Juha Kankkunen

Kankkunen in Helsinki in 2006.
Personal information
Nationality	Finnish
Born	(1959-04-02) 2 April 1959 (age 66) Laukaa, Finland
World Rally Championship record
Active years	1979, 1982–2002, 2010
Co-driver	Timo Hantunen Rolf Mesterton Staffan Pettersson Dave Whittock Juha Piironen Fred Gallagher Nicky Grist Denis Giraudet Juha Repo
Teams	Toyota, Peugeot, Lancia, Ford, Subaru, Hyundai
Rallies	162
Championships	4 (1986, 1987, 1991, 1993)
Rally wins	23
Podiums	75
Stage wins	700
Total points	1140
First rally	1979 1000 Lakes Rally
First win	1985 Safari Rally
Last win	1999 Rally Finland
Last rally	2010 Rally Finland

Juha Kankkunen is a famous Finnish former rally driver. He competed in the World Rally Championship from 1983 to 2002. Juha won 23 world rallies and earned four world championship titles.

He was once the record holder for most wins and championships. Later, other drivers like Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier won more titles. However, Juha was the first driver to win world championships with three different car manufacturers. This was a very special achievement!

Juha started his career with Toyota Team Europe in 1983. He got his first win with them in 1985. His great driving then led him to join Peugeot in 1986. He became the youngest champion in the series at that time.

After Peugeot left the championship, Juha moved to Lancia. He became the first driver to win two titles in a row. He returned to Toyota for a short time, then went back to Lancia. In 1991, he won his third world title.

In 1993, Juha rejoined Toyota and won his fourth championship. After a break, he raced for Ford and then Subaru. He won his last rally in 1999. Before he stopped racing full-time in 2002, he also drove for Hyundai.

Outside of rally racing, Juha also won the Dakar Rally in 1988. He also won the Race of Champions twice. After retiring from rallying, he worked in business and even tried politics. He also set world speed records on ice in a Bentley Continental GT car.

Juha's Early Life and Start in Rallying

Juha Kankkunen grew up on his family's farm in Laukaa, Finland. This area was very close to the route of the famous Rally Finland. His father enjoyed rallying and ice racing as a hobby. He taught Juha how to drive on an ice racing track.

Juha started driving cars when he was only seven years old. He even owned his first car by the age of 12! He began competing in rallies in 1978. His first World Rally Championship event was the 1979 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland. He finished 14th in a Ford Escort RS2000.

A friend of his father's, Timo Mäkinen, coached Juha. With financial help from Timo Jouhki, Juha was able to race often. This helped him gain a lot of experience quickly.

Racing with Toyota: First Wins

In 1983, Juha joined Toyota Team Europe, which was Toyota's main rally team. In his first season, he drove a Toyota Celica Twincam Turbo. He finished sixth in the 1000 Lakes Rally.

In 1985, he achieved a big surprise victory at the Safari Rally. He was the first driver ever to win this tough event on his very first try. He then won his second rally in the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire.

Becoming a Champion with Peugeot

A Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 rally car.

Juha's strong performances with Toyota caught the eye of Peugeot. This team was the defending champion. They signed him for the 1986 season. Juha took this chance and won three rallies that year: the Swedish Rally, the Acropolis Rally, and the Rally New Zealand.

The 1986 season ended with some arguments. Rally cars from the "Group B" category were banned for safety reasons. Then, the Peugeot team was removed from the Rallye Sanremo event. Despite these issues, Juha became the youngest champion in the history of the series.

Winning Back-to-Back Titles with Lancia

After Group B cars were banned, Peugeot left the championship. Juha then moved to drive for Lancia Martini. He quickly felt comfortable in the Lancia Delta HF 4WD car. He won the Olympus Rally and the RAC Rally.

This made him the first driver to win the world title two years in a row! Even though he was a champion, he decided to move back to Toyota for the 1988 season.

Return to Toyota and Other Adventures

Juha returned to Toyota Team Europe in 1988. He drove the Toyota Supra Turbo. Toyota also introduced a new car, the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165. This car had some problems at first.

However, outside of the World Rally Championship, Juha had great success. He won the Dakar Rally on his first try. He also competed in the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb and the first-ever Race of Champions. He became the first "Champion of Champions" at that event.

In 1989, the Toyota car improved a lot. Juha won the Rally Australia and finished third in the championship.

More Championships with Lancia

A 1992 Lancia Delta HF Integrale like the one Juha Kankkunen drove.

In 1990, Juha rejoined Lancia. He won in Australia again and finished third in the championship. Lancia also won their fourth manufacturers' title in a row.

The 1991 season was amazing for Juha. He won the Safari Rally, the Acropolis Rally, his home event 1000 Lakes Rally, and the Rally Australia. Before the last rally, he was in a close fight for the championship. By winning the RAC Rally, Juha became the first person to win three world titles. He also set a record for the most points in a single season.

In 1992, Juha finished on the podium in every rally he entered. He won the Rally Portugal. The championship was very close again, but he finished second overall.

Fourth Title with Toyota

Juha Kankkunen's winning 1993 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185 rally car.

After Lancia left the WRC, Juha rejoined Toyota in 1993. He drove the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185. Even with some changes in his co-drivers, Juha won a record fourth world title. He won five rallies that year, including the Safari Rally, Rally Argentina, Rally Australia, and the RAC Rally.

His win at the RAC Rally was his 20th victory, breaking a record. He also became the second motorsports person to be named the Finnish Sportsman of the Year.

In 1994, Juha started well with a second place and a win in Portugal. He had some bad luck later in the season, including a crash and mechanical problems. He finished third in the championship.

In 1995, Juha was leading the championship with two rallies left. However, his team, Toyota, was found to have illegal parts in their cars. The team was banned for 12 months. Juha and other Toyota drivers lost all their points. The racing organization said the drivers did not know about the illegal parts.

Racing for Ford and Subaru

Juha Kankkunen with his co-driver Juha Repo.

In 1997, Juha joined the Ford factory team. He helped his teammate Carlos Sainz in the championship fight. He finished second in several rallies, including his home rally in Finland. He lost that race by only seven seconds, which was the closest finish ever for that event.

Juha stayed with Ford in 1998. He finished on the podium seven times. Both Ford and Juha finished fourth in their championships. In 1999, Juha moved to the Subaru team.

With Subaru, Juha won the Rally Argentina and Rally Finland. His win in Argentina was his first in over five years. He won his home event, Rally Finland, which was his last victory in the WRC. He finished fourth in the championship again. The year 2000 was not as successful for him.

Later Career and Other Interests

Juha Kankkunen with a Hyundai Accent WRC car in 2001.

Juha did not race full-time in 2001. He competed in one rally for the Hyundai team. In 2002, he raced in nine rallies for Hyundai. He finished fifth in the Rally New Zealand, which was the team's best result that year. After the 2002 season, Juha retired from the WRC.

After retiring, Juha thought about going into politics. He ran for the European Parliament in 2004 but did not win a seat. He was also a part-owner of a Finnish airline called Flying Finn.

Juha Kankkunen driving in the 2010 Rally Finland.

In 2007, Juha set a new world speed record on ice. He drove his own Bentley Continental GT car on the frozen Gulf of Bothnia in Finland. He reached a top speed of 331 kilometers per hour (205 miles per hour). In 2011, he broke his own record, reaching 330.695 kilometers per hour (205.48 miles per hour) in a different Bentley car.

In 2010, Juha returned to race in the 2010 Rally Finland to celebrate the event's 60th anniversary. He was 51 years old and finished an impressive eighth place.

Juha's Personal Life

Juha Kankkunen lives in Monaco but also spends time at his family farm in Laukaa, Finland. He has a large collection of cars, including six Ferraris. He also owns all four rally cars that he used to win his world championships.

Juha has two sons, Tino and Niko. His father, Pekka, and his brother, Timo, were also rally drivers.

Juha's World Rally Championship Wins

Juha Kankkunen won 23 rallies during his career in the World Rally Championship. Here are his victories:

Number	Event	Season	Co-driver	Car
1	Safari Rally	1985	Fred Gallagher	Toyota Celica TCT
2	Rallye Côte d'Ivoire	1985	Fred Gallagher	Toyota Celica TCT
3	Swedish Rally	1986	Juha Piironen	Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
4	Acropolis Rally	1986	Juha Piironen	Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
5	Rally New Zealand	1986	Juha Piironen	Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
6	Olympus Rally	1987	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta HF 4WD
7	RAC Rally	1987	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta HF 4WD
8	Rally Australia	1989	Juha Piironen	Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165
9	Rally Australia	1990	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
10	Safari Rally	1991	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
11	Acropolis Rally	1991	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
12	Rally Finland	1991	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
13	Rally Australia	1991	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
14	RAC Rally	1991	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
15	Rally de Portugal	1992	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta HF Integrale
16	Safari Rally	1993	Juha Piironen	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
17	Rally Argentina	1993	Nicky Grist	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
18	1000 Lakes Rally	1993	Denis Giraudet	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
19	Rally Australia	1993	Nicky Grist	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
20	RAC Rally	1993	Nicky Grist	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
21	Rallye de Portugal	1994	Nicky Grist	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
22	Rally Argentina	1999	Juha Repo	Subaru Impreza WRC 99
23	Rally Finland	1999	Juha Repo	Subaru Impreza WRC 99

See also

In Spanish: Juha Kankkunen para niños