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 Matti Pellervo Kankkunen (born 2 April 1959) is a Finnish former rally driver. He was a professional rally driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC) from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four world championship titles, which were once records in the series. While other drivers have won more titles since, Juha was the first to win championships with three different car manufacturers. That's pretty cool!

Juha Kankkunen started his WRC journey with Toyota Team Europe in 1983. He got his first WRC win in his third year with the team. His great driving skills led him to sign with Peugeot in 1986. He quickly became the youngest-ever WRC champion at that time.

After Peugeot left the championship, Juha moved to Lancia. He became the first driver to win the title two years in a row. He later returned to Lancia and won a record third title in 1991.

In 1993, Kankkunen joined Toyota again and won his fourth championship. After a break, he returned to the WRC with Ford in 1997. He then moved to Subaru in 1999, where he won his first rally in over five years. Before he stopped racing full-time in 2002, he also drove for Hyundai.

Outside of the WRC, Juha also won the famous Dakar Rally in 1988. He also won the Race of Champions in 1988 and 1991. After retiring from rallying, he has been involved in business and even politics. In 2007 and 2011, he set world speed records on ice in a Bentley Continental GT.

Juha's Rally Career

Juha Kankkunen grew up on his family's farm in Laukaa, Central Finland. This was close to the route of the 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 when he was seven years old. He owned his first car at the age of 12.

He began rallying in 1978. His first World Rally Championship event was the 1979 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland. He finished 14th in a Ford Escort RS2000. Juha was coached by Timo Mäkinen, a family friend. He got financial help from Timo Jouhki, who later managed many Finnish rally drivers. This help allowed him to race often and gain experience.

Driving for Toyota (1983–1985)

Because of his good results with Toyota Finland, Juha signed with Toyota Team Europe. This was Toyota's main WRC team, led by Ove Andersson. In his first season in 1983, driving a Toyota Celica Twincam Turbo, he competed in three events. He finished sixth at the 1000 Lakes and seventh at the RAC Rally.

In 1984, Juha competed in four WRC events with Fred Gallagher as his new co-driver. In 1985, he started the season with a surprising win at the Safari Rally. He was the first driver to win this tough event on his first try. He then won his second WRC event, the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire. He finished with the same time as his teammate but won on a tiebreaker.

Becoming a Champion with Peugeot (1986)

The powerful Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 rally car.

Juha's strong driving with Toyota led him to join Peugeot. This team was the defending champion. They signed him for the 1986 season to replace Ari Vatanen, who was recovering from a big accident. Juha took his chance, winning the Swedish Rally, the Acropolis Rally, and the Rally New Zealand. He also finished on the podium in three other events.

The season ended with some arguments. First, Group B cars were banned after a fatal accident. Then, the Peugeot team was disqualified at the Rallye Sanremo in Italy. This was because of a rule about the car's design. Even though Juha's rival was ahead, Peugeot's appeal was successful. The FIA (the racing authority) said the disqualification was wrong. They cancelled the Sanremo results, making Kankkunen the youngest WRC champion ever!

Defending the Title with Lancia (1987)

After Group B cars were banned, Peugeot left the WRC. Juha Kankkunen then moved to drive the Lancia Delta HF 4WD for Lancia Martini. He quickly felt comfortable with the car. He almost won his first Lancia race in Monte Carlo. But his team boss asked him to finish second behind his teammate. Juha later won the Olympus Rally by just 12 seconds.

In a close fight for the championship, he beat his teammates by winning the final race, the RAC Rally. He became the first driver to win the world title two years in a row. Even though he was a champion, Juha didn't like the team orders. So, he decided to move to another team for the 1988 season.

Back to Toyota (1988–1989)

Juha chose to return to Toyota Team Europe. His title defense in 1988 was not successful. Toyota introduced a new car, the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165. But the car had many problems. Juha had to stop racing in three rallies because of engine issues. He finished 37th in the standings.

However, outside the WRC, he had great success. He drove a Peugeot 205 T16 again and won the Dakar Rally on his first try. This happened after his teammate's car was stolen while leading. Juha also raced for Peugeot at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. He finished second there. He also won the first-ever Race of Champions, beating another former champion.

The 1989 season was better for Toyota. Juha gave the GT-Four its first win at the Rally Australia. He also finished third at the Tour de Corse and the RAC Rally. These results placed him third in the drivers' championship. Toyota also achieved their best-ever second place in the manufacturers' standings.

Winning More Titles with Lancia (1990–1992)

Kankkunen's 1992 Safari Rally Lancia Delta HF Integrale car.

Even after his win with Toyota, Juha had already signed to rejoin Lancia for the 1990 season. Halfway through the season, he was fourth in the championship. Toyota was leading with their new star driver, Carlos Sainz. Juha won in Australia again and got two more podium finishes. But Sainz won the championship. Juha finished third in the drivers' championship. Lancia won their fourth manufacturers' title in a row.

In the 1991 season, Juha won the Safari Rally, the Acropolis Rally, his home event 1000 Lakes Rally, and the Rally Australia for the third year in a row. Before the last rally, Sainz was just one point ahead of Juha. By winning the RAC Rally, Juha became the first person to win a third drivers' title. His 150 points that season are still a record for most points in a single season. He also won the Race of Champions for the second time.

In 1992, Juha finished on the podium in all nine WRC events he entered. But he only won one race, the Rally Portugal. The championship fight was very close again. Sainz won the title in the final rally.

Fourth Title with Toyota (1993–1996)

Juha Kankkunen's winning 1993 RAC Rally Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185.

After Lancia left the WRC in 1992, Juha rejoined Toyota. He drove the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185. Even though he had to use two different co-drivers after Juha Piironen became ill, Juha won a record fourth drivers' title. He won five of his ten WRC events. These included the Safari Rally, Rally Argentina, Rally Australia, and the RAC Rally. His win at the RAC was his 20th career win, breaking a record.

Juha and his teammate helped Toyota win the manufacturers' title. This was the first time a Japanese car maker won it. Juha also became only the second motorsports person to be named the Finnish Sportsman of the Year.

In 1994, Juha started well with a second place in Monte Carlo and a win in Portugal. He had some bad luck later in the season. He finished third in the overall standings, behind his teammates.

In 1995, Juha was leading the championship with two rallies left. But at the Rally Catalunya, he crashed out. After this event, Toyota was found to have used illegal parts in their cars. The team was banned for 12 months. Juha and other Toyota drivers lost all their points. The racing authority said the drivers didn't know about the illegal parts. In 1996, Juha competed for private Toyota teams. He finished fourth in Sweden, third in Indonesia, and second in Finland.

Driving for Ford (1997–1998)

Juha Kankkunen with his co-driver Juha Repo.

In the middle of the 1997 season, Juha joined the Ford Motor Company factory team. He was there to support Ford and his teammate Carlos Sainz in their fight for the title. He started well, leading his second event with the team, the Acropolis Rally. He had to let his teammate pass him due to team orders. Juha finished second in Indonesia, New Zealand, and his home rally in Finland. He lost the Finland rally by only seven seconds, which is still the closest finish ever for that event.

Juha stayed with Ford for the 1998 season. Ford was already working on a new car, the Ford Focus WRC. The team didn't win any races with the old car that year. Juha finished on the podium seven times. Both Ford and Juha finished fourth in their championships. For the 1999 season, Ford signed another star driver. So, Juha moved to Subaru.

Time with Subaru (1999–2000)

Juha's first year with the Subaru World Rally Team and the Subaru Impreza WRC was great. He won in Argentina and Finland. In Argentina, he won his first race in over five years, beating his teammate by just 2.4 seconds. In his home event, Finland, Juha won what would be his last WRC victory. For the third year in a row, Juha finished fourth in the drivers' championship.

The 2000 season was not as good for Juha. His best result was second place in the Safari Rally. He had only two other podium finishes. He ended up eighth in the drivers' standings.

Later Rally Career and Other Ventures

Juha Kankkunen with an Accent WRC car at the 2001 Rally Finland.

Juha Kankkunen did not sign a new deal with Subaru for 2001. He only competed in one world rally that year, the Rally Finland, for the Hyundai team. He had to stop racing due to technical problems with his car. For the 2002 season, Hyundai offered Juha a deal to race in nine gravel rallies. Even with a new car, Hyundai couldn't compete with the top teams. Juha's fifth place in the Rally New Zealand was the team's best result that season. Juha retired from the WRC after the 2002 season.

After retiring from racing, Juha said he wanted to enter politics. In 2004, he ran for the European Parliament. He was a candidate for a conservative party in Finland. He did not win enough votes to get a seat. Juha was also a shareholder in a Finnish airline called Flying Finn. The company's first airplane was named after him. Juha has also been involved in a company that builds fancy houses in Finland.

In 2004, he joined the Volkswagen rally raid team. He competed in the 2005 Dakar Rally. He had to stop racing after his car rolled over and another car crashed into it.

Juha Kankkunen racing at the 2010 Rally Finland.

In 2007, Juha set a new world speed record on ice. He drove his own Bentley Continental GT on the frozen Gulf of Bothnia in Finland. He averaged 321.65 km/h (200 mph) and reached a top speed of 331 km/h (206 mph). He broke the old record. In 2011, he broke his own record, reaching 330.695 km/h (205.48 mph) in a convertible Bentley. Bentley even made a special limited edition car to celebrate this achievement.

On July 23, 2010, it was announced that Juha would race in the 2010 Rally Finland. This was to celebrate the event's sixtieth anniversary. He drove a Ford Focus RS WRC 08. At over 51 years old, Juha finished an impressive 8th place, beating many younger, regular WRC drivers.

Personal Life

Juha Kankkunen lives in Monaco. But he also spends time at his family farm in Laukaa, Finland. The farm has a large country house and lots of land. He has a big car collection. This includes six Ferraris and all four rally cars he used to win his world championships. Juha and his wife Pirjo got divorced in 2008. They have two sons, Tino and Niko. Juha's father and his brother were also rally drivers.

WRC Victories

Here is a list of Juha Kankkunen's 23 wins in the World Rally Championship:

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

Complete WRC Results

This table shows all of Juha Kankkunen's results in the World Rally Championship races.

See also

In Spanish: Juha Kankkunen para niños