Kalle Rovanperä called his father. It was Monday evening. Could he come over? Early Christmas party. Around six. Good. The plan was in play.
That was earlier this month. Since he’d returned from Japan and the season’s final WRC round, the world champion had been busy working on a rally car. Just not the one you might be expecting.
Harri: “I was a little bit surprised by the call. We had been in the airport early that morning coming home. It was four in the morning in Helsinki and Kalle had started talking about this Escort I drove in 1996.
“He told me it was a nice car that I drove. It was. First time in a big Group A car. I did 1000 Lakes in it.”
Rewind to the summer of ’96 and a 30-year-old Harri is about to undertake the rally of his life. Starting his home round of the world championship for just the fourth time, the thinking is, he’s ready for the big time. A Malcolm Wilson Motorsport Ford Escort Cosworth is hired and Myhinpää booked for a pre-event test.
“I did 60 kilometers or something like that in the test,” Rovanperä Sr told DirtFish. “Then, straight to Harju [the traditional event opener through the streets of Jyväskylä, which was canceled in 1996]. The times were really good. We had a broken gearbox, we lost fifth gear, but I was still able to make some nice stage times.”
Second-quickest through Ouninpohja was definitely nice. And interesting enough for factory Ford driver Carlos Sainz to be asking about the then-unknown Finn’s settings. On his debut in a four-wheel drive Group A car, Harri ran as high as sixth.
“Everything was going well, I remember that time in Ouninpohja,” Harri continued. “But then front diff broke in Lankamaa. Game was over.
“That car was an important one for me. Without this car, maybe I don’t get the Seat contract for the next season and that was what started everything.”
Back to the Jyväskylä suburbs. Back to Kalle’s place around six in the evening.
“When I arrived I could see a lot of cars and I was thinking: “What is going on now?” I went through the front door and all of Kalle’s friends were there. I heard an engine start, it was an Escort and Kalle drove this car into the room and stopped in front of me.
“What the hell? I didn’t know this was happening. This was a complete surprise for me. He got out of the car and I told him he had bought himself a nice car.
“He said: “No, dad, this one is for you…”
“You know me, my eyes were wet again! It was a big hug and, yes, he has a big heart. I couldn’t believe it. This car we had been talking about in the morning. How had he done this?”
Good time to wheel Kalle in to answer some questions.
The 23-year-old smiles at the moment. Then shares it with DirtFish.
“It was quite emotional moment for Dad,” he said. “It was a complete surprise. It was very cool. One week before he had seen some post on Facebook about the car and shared the picture.
“We’re not really into collecting cars, but a friend of Jonne’s [Halttunen, Kalle’s co-driver] saw it and sent it to me. When I read the description I was sure I wanted to get the car back into the family. After that, everything happened really quickly. I came back from Japan and then we got the car to Finland.
“It’s nice. It was such an important car for him. Maybe it’s the reason he got the Seat deal. Without that car, maybe he wouldn’t have done what he’s done. Without that car, maybe I wouldn’t have done what I have done.”
What now though. The car’s in the family. Is it going to be used?
“I don’t think he will compete with it, but he should do something – I would love to drive that car!”
Harri?
“I will not take that car to the forest,” he said. “But maybe we can go to the [frozen] lake and drive. It’s a full-spec car, so, so nice car. It brings me so many memories of 1996 and this event which helped make my career.
“It’s a nice Christmas present. Kalle is a good boy. That was one very nice Monday evening!”
