Sparks under the hood

Around the world, Jyväskylä is known for three things: fast vehicles, gravel and mud. It is also where Aki Teiskonen was born around the Midsummer of 1981, into the noise and dust kicked up by rumbling rally cars. His father carried the gravel of the Lankamaa dirt road in his bones, and his mother would change the diapers of their third son on the hood of their car. It is quite likely that this is what originally sparked a passion for rally cars in young Aki’s heart. Today, over 3000 VIP guests get to marvel at the flames ignited by that spark every year.

In retrospect, it looks like the road to hosting the world’s best rally VIP event has been a straightforward one, even though it has also included some surprising turns and unexpected jumps.

First, there was the rally – then came the VIP

Aki, the third son of the family, was also destined for the world of rally. It was amazing, and expensive. The promising boy received support from home and from the rally community, but getting money to continue driving was more challenging. The first Finnish Rally Championship in 1999 brought Aki his first sponsorship, but the money from that was not enough to even buy four tires.

In 2004, Aki was set to compete in his first World Rally Championship. Always ready to offer up their time and labor, his family rallied together to support him, pitching up a marquee to serve fried fish and waffles to rally spectators. In the early hours of August, the family rose with the sun to get everything ready at the race site in Lankamaa, inviting everyone they knew to lend a helping hand: family, friends and neighbors alike. 72 rally guests attended. After a successful day, the mother uttered her dream out loud: Perhaps there would be a band playing in the marquee one day. And that is how the first version of the Teiskonen VIP event came to be!

Time to roll up your sleeves

For the first few years, the event was run by hard-working volunteers. Aki was growing up fast, dreaming of real champagne and laurel wreaths around his neck, but he still found the time to work on the event with his family. The profits from the VIP event were supposed to fund his rallying career, but the food sales did not bring in much money, and they were no closer to hiring that band. Everyone’s pockets and accounts were empty, and the loan taken out for the rally was close on their tail.

The year 2007 was a turning point in Aki’s life and the VIP event. The event had become more important than his rally career. Aki had to admit that it was easier to earn a living by developing and expanding the VIP event than it was by racing cars. This was the beginning of a new, exciting era.

Dream small, get small results

Dream big, and you can get that band to play at your event, and you can trade the hot dogs for filet mignons and juice boxes for champagne flutes.  From the start, it was clear that Aki wanted to do everything better than anyone else. His open and enthusiastic attitude ignited a spark in his friends, acquaintances and everyone else. A skilled team added new fuel to the flames. They wanted to create an experience that would create the same kind of buzz as your first two pints of beer on a Friday night. The key was to get people to relax and enjoy themselves, and the goal was to offer them an unforgettable experience that they would remember long after the rally.

The heart of the event was found in the details

Today, Teiskonen VIP is a group of uncompromising professionals from different fields who want to create an even better event each year. Rallying is still the main course of the event, but several other side dishes have been added to the menu, making it the best rally VIP event in the world. This first-class, safe and exciting event is made up of carefully thought-out details. New ideas, reliable partners and rally professionals together make the Teiskonen VIP event a world-class experience.

Over the course of more than twenty years, the simple and cozy event marquee has grown into the largest and most prestigious VIP event in the Jyväskyllä Rally, as well as an inspiring workplace for dozens of people and a well-known operator in the event sector. Teiskonen is a familiar name among international partners and local operators. The secret to its popularity is still the heart that beats under the hood with a burning passion for rally.