Sometimes rally drivers become drifters. Sometimes drifters become rally drivers, and here we have the latter case. Ville Kaukonen, a very well-known drifter in Finland and beyond, has made a very special entry in rally history and his CV this winter. Coming from a drifting background, he naturally needed help, and that help was provided by Arttu Asunmaa and Samsonas Motorsport friend Teemu Suninen. Arrtu provided a BMW E36 with Samsonas equipped with an H-pattern gearbox and Teemu provided his assistance as co-driver. Ville is no stranger to Samsonas gearboxes as he uses a sequential gearbox in his 700+ hp S14 drift car. So why did the professional drifter tackle one of the most difficult snow rallies in the world? Ville was happy to answer.
So, first of all, how does the drifter become a rally driver?
I’ve been drifting for 9 years and thought that I need to try something different in the wintertime since I have some free time. I have been an interviewer in SM rallies, so I thought would the next thing be to drive a rally car.
Why Arctic Lapland Rally? There are easier events to start with
Arctic Lapland rally was chosen as the rally because it’s the best winter rally and it has been praised by everyone, for example, Janne Ferm and Teemu Asunmaa. Also, when you do something big (social media, YouTube, announcements) you can’t choose a small rally so that the partners and the project get as much visibility as possible. My style is to do everything big and not small!
How did Teemu Suninen end up in your BMW?
Teemu is crazy enough and had enough time. I found him at the Driftmasters finals in Poland and invited him to our VIP box where I then asked if Teemu would like to join this project and thankfully he joined, I could not imagine a better co-driver who can also teach me how to drive.
How was the Arctic Lapland Rally? Was it more difficult or easier than you expected?
Arctic rally was just what I expected. I’ve had discussions with different drivers about what would come, i.e., days would be really long, a lot of driving, with a big number the roads are paved, so the only surprise was that in a rally you are always in a hurry. But it was an incredible experience just like I’ve been told! Really big experience.
Three things you learned from this weekend
I will not be a Finnish top rally driver.
In rally, you are always in a rush. To the starting point, at the time checkpoint, to eat, to refuel, at every stage you’re in a hurry.
Overall things in a rally event. Registrations, schedules, rules, etc.
Tell us more about the BMW car you drove
Arttu Asunmaa BMW E36 325i. Samsonas Motorsport h-pattern gearbox, Reiger suspension kit. About 220hp
How and when did your relationship with Samsonas Motorsport begin? started?
I had a chat with Samuli Saarimaa about gearboxes and what I should use since I’ve had problems with the old one. He then said to go with Samsonas RS90 and he called Jukka Hara (Dogbox OY) and introduced me to Jukka. From that on our cooperation with Jukka and Samsonas started.
Any chance of seeing you in a rally car again?
Yes! I think you’ll see me at the Arctic Lapland rally next year if we can get the budget together. Of course, if someone wants to see more it’s only a matter of time and money, drifting takes most of the time and money so it’s challenging to find the time and money for a rally.
