60th Imatranajo Opens – Three Days of Street Circuit Racing Ahead

The opening ceremony of the 60th edition of Imatranajo took place on Thursday. The real motorcycle racing action on the street circuit begins on Friday and continues through Sunday. The trophies will be presented on the very same podium where world champion Jarno Saarinen celebrated his title decades ago.

The history of Imatranajo, renowned for its street circuit motorcycle racing, dates back to 1962, when the first international TT motorcycle race (Tourist Trophy, the term used before today’s road racing and circuit racing) was held on the banks of the Vuoksi River in Imatra. Two years later, Imatran Moottorikerho organized its first World Championship round, giving birth to Imatranajo. Over the decades, Imatranajo has evolved, serving as a World Championship, European Championship and Finnish Championship event, as well as a non-competitive demonstration event.

Today, Imatranajo is the largest street circuit motorcycle race in the Nordic countries, featuring multiple racing classes on public roads in Imatra that are closed to regular traffic for the event. New for this year, Imatra will also host a round of the newly launched European Series Road Racing (ESR) Championship.

The opening ceremony was held on Thursday on the pedestrian street, although the traditional riders’ parade was cancelled due to rain. Friday’s programme includes practice sessions and qualifying for the ESR Superbike class. The day begins with an air show at 15:30, followed by motorcycles on track from 16:00 to 20:00. On Saturday, qualifying continues along with the weekend’s first races and podium ceremonies from 9:30 to 20:00. Racing continues on Sunday, culminating in the King of Imatra race and the final prize-giving ceremony from 10:30 to 18:00.

“Street circuit racing is a rare event in Finland and a truly unique experience for spectators. Apart from the FIA World Rally Championship round in Jyväskylä, Imatranajo is practically the only motorsport event in Finland that attracts several thousand spectators. The atmosphere is something every fan should experience in person,” emphasizes Imatranajo Race Director Sami Backman.

Backman says the atmosphere ahead of the event is full of anticipation and already thanks the volunteers for their tremendous work before the racing has even begun. He also highlights Imatranajo’s long history, with one of its greatest milestones being Jarno Saarinen’s World Championship title in 1972. Saarinen remains the only Finnish rider to win a solo-class Road Racing World Championship. The rider from Turku secured his title right here in Imatra.

“We’re now using the very same podium as in 1972 – the one where Saarinen stood and celebrated becoming world champion!”

Kostamo Attending as a Spectator

The racing classes at Imatranajo are ESR Superbike, ESR Supersport, Open Superbike, Open Supersport, Classic / Retro Superbike, ICGP (250cc and 350cc two-stroke), Sidecars, and King of Imatra.

The Sidecar class features an impressive line-up. Multiple-time Sidecar World Champion Pekka Päivärinta, currently second in the World Championship standings, returns with passenger Adam Christie. Among their rivals are the reigning World Champions, British brothers Sam and Tom Christie. Contrary to earlier information, fellow World Champion Tim Reeves of Great Britain will not compete in Imatra after being unable to secure a passenger for the event. However, 2015 World Champions Bennie Streuer and his current passenger Manon Vissenberg will travel from the Netherlands to compete.

Although rain fell in Imatra on Thursday, several riders interviewed during the opening ceremony on the city centre stage welcomed the wet conditions.

“Rain isn’t something riders are afraid of. Many actually said they perform well in wet conditions. For example, international Superbike riders Nico Müller and Laurent Hoffmann both told us they enjoy racing in the rain,” says Backman.

Multiple Imatranajo winner and King of Imatra champion Erno Kostamo will be unable to compete this year due to injuries sustained at the Isle of Man TT. However, he will attend the event as a spectator. It was also announced on Thursday that Niko Lehtiranta of Masku, currently leading the Finnish Superbike Championship in circuit racing, will race in Imatra aboard the Alpha Racing-built BMW M1000RR Superbike that Kostamo had originally planned to ride at Imatranajo.

Imatranajo – A Brief History

1962–1963 International event
1964–1982 FIM World Championship round
1983–1985 European Championship round
1986 European Championship and World Championship rounds
1990–2015 Finnish Championship round
1999–2014 Muistojen Imatranajo (Historic demonstration event)
2016–2025 IRRC round (International Road Racing Championship)
2026 ESR round (European Series Road Racing Championship)