Imatranajo Welcomes World Champions to the Starting Grid in July – Sidecars Included
Finnish sidecar road racing star and multiple world champion Pekka Päivärinta will return to Imatranajo this July after a one-year absence. Päivärinta has also attracted several international World Championship medalists to the event.
Sidecars have been part of the Imatranajo street race on several occasions over the years, and they will once again feature in the event on July 3–5. The sidecar class was initially announced as conditional, requiring at least 15 competing teams. Organizer Imatran Moottorikerho has now confirmed sufficient entries and decided to officially include the sidecar race in the event program.
Fans will also witness top-level Finnish pace from the world stage, as five-time world champion and multiple World Championship medalist Pekka Päivärinta will compete at Imatranajo with British passenger Adam Christie. The 55-year-old rider from Vantaa won the Croatian World Championship round a couple of weeks ago — becoming the oldest rider in history to do so — but racing on the Imatra street circuit is a very different challenge compared to traditional race tracks. Päivärinta is also accustomed to winning at Imatranajo.
“Every year people talk about how demanding Imatra is going to be. The spectators enjoy themselves, laugh and smile in the grandstands, but for us riders a street circuit is genuinely challenging and requires a completely different kind of concentration. Still, Imatra is a lot of fun to ride — it gives you adrenaline, there are huge crowds watching, and everything else that comes with it,” Päivärinta describes.
Having raced internationally for many years, Päivärinta has naturally built strong connections across the paddock. He has also done his part for Imatranajo by encouraging familiar rivals to join the event. British multiple world champion Tim Reeves has already confirmed his participation, and several other world champions are also considering entering the sidecar class.
“Imatranajo will be my only race in Finland this year. If more riders from the World Championship series come, the field will be much more evenly matched. Sidecars are quite wide compared to solo bikes, and a street circuit doesn’t offer as much space as a permanent race track, so overtaking is more difficult. You have to work harder to find racing lines and passing opportunities, and you can’t brake as aggressively, ride side by side, or switch lines as much. The tires don’t grip as well either. Starting position and the start itself play a huge role. But that’s exactly the unique nature of street racing. We’ll go flat out if there are fast riders involved, and the spectators are guaranteed to see spectacular racing. And the World Championship sidecars sound absolutely amazing — I’m sure the audience will love them.”
“Reeves will definitely go all in too, and he’s a very strong street racer. He’s fearless. If nobody immediately finds a place to pass, we’ll all be running right on each other’s rear ends. And that looks great from the stands as well.”
Rider registration for Imatranajo closes on Friday, May 22.
The 60th Imatranajo, held in the center of Imatra, will feature the classes ESR Superbike, ESR Supersport, Open Superbike, Open Supersport, Classic / Retro Superbike, ICGP (250cc and 350cc 2-stroke), Sidecars, and King of Imatra.
The event opens on Thursday with the official opening ceremony, followed by practice sessions and qualifying on Friday, while the actual races take place on Saturday and Sunday.
Image: Eero Scherman
60th Imatranajo – July 3–5, 2026
Jarno Saarinen Circuit Imatra – street circuit
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