Rauno Aaltonen

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Rauno Aaltonen
Aaltonen in the late 1970s
World Rally Championship record
Nationality	Finnish
Active years
Teams
Rallies
Championships	European Championship 1965, Finnish Rally Championship 1961, 1965
Rally wins
Podium finishes
Stage wins
Total points
First rally	1956

Rauno August Aaltonen (born January 7, 1938), also known as "The Rally Professor", is a Finnish former professional rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1970s. 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 Championship in 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 RAC Rally in 1965, the Monte Carlo Rally in 1967 and the Southern Cross Rally in 1977.

Aaltonen pictured in 2008

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.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Rauno Aaltonen

• Aaltonen at RallyBase

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