Autosportfoto

Pykalisto Juuso

Juuso Pykalisto and Marcus Gronholm are both rally drivers and Juuso is Marcus' protege but common denominators do not end there. Both started their respective motorsport careers with enduro bikes. For Juuso, bikes were just a transition period while he awaited for the drivers' license and chance to compete with cars.

In a somewhat unorthodox way for a finn, he did not start rallies with rear-wheel driven cars but in Group N Peugeot 205, a FWD car. Whether it was hunger for more speed or unsatisfaction to cars but Juuso changed to RWD Corolla GT and then back to FWD Opel Astra in rapid succession. By 1996 young man had decided to try his hand at international rallies and competed in BRC, missing only one event.

Graduating from two-wheel driven cars to Group N Lancer, Juuso quickly became a common name on top of result sheets of national championship events. Brightest medals seemed to avoid him, though. Driver had enough speed but also lots of bad luck, good results slipping through fingers to driver errors and mechanical problems.

International fame came Juuso's way in Swedish Rally 2003 when on narrow track he rolled into a snow bank. Spectators had just finished putting car back on it's wheels when Harri Rovanpera's Peugeot 206WRC arrived and promptly collided with Juuso, effectively ending the rally for both. Luckily no-one was hurt.

WRC starts: 25
first: Finland 1996
latest: Sardinia 2005
Results wins: 0 (0.0% of starts)
second places: 0
third places: 0
total podiums: 0 (0.0% of starts)
points finishes: 1
total points scored: 1 (drivers' championship points)
DNF's: 17 (68.0% of starts)
Stage wins: 0
Best result: 8th (Sardinia 2005)

First WRC event: 1996 Finland
First DNF: 1996 Finland
First scored point: 2005 Sardinia (8th)
First stage win: no SS wins
First time led rally: has not led
First podium: no podium finishes
First win: no wins