The knee injury stopped one possible sports career from Marcus Grönholm, but started another.
Marcus Grönholm descends to the Peugeot 206 Rally Car Cup at the Rally Museum.
The silver -colored Peugeot 206 WRC is a car where “Bosse” Grönholm won his second consecutive world championship in 2002.
Marcus Grönholm’s Home Museum in Inkoo is buzzing with stunning cars. Pete anikari
We return to the top and roots – where did the spark went to rally car at all?
Was it blood from the father, rally carrier From Ulf Grönholmwho died tragically in a traffic accident when Marcus was only 13 years old?
Grönholm stares at the wheel of Peugeot for a moment.
– I started with motocross. I drove on a little bike when Faija died and went on to pull that career – drove motocross. But then I injured my knees and had to stop it.
After thinking about a short time, Grönholm realized that the fire was still tough.
– I decided to try the rally. In fact, I got my first rally car with the insurance money I got from that knee injury, Grönholm reveals.
– Of course, I had had a mandatory competitive license that included insurance. When the injury left disabled, I received compensation. The insurance company paid me FIM 15,000 for it. I got my insurance money in my account and went to buy a rally car. The car cost FIM 7,000.
So the accident eventually turned to joy?
– You can say so. I wouldn’t have wanted to stop motocross, I liked it, but then I just offended that generation so badly that I couldn’t continue…
In every second race out
Marcus Grönholm sat down his championship car in his ruling museum in Inkoo Pentti J. Rönkkö
The car purchased with insurance money was “such an old escort”, Ford Escort 1300.
– It was originally a rally car. It was really nice bulging, but it had been old and had seen the bumps. That’s what we and my friends were built and improved to the first race.
Does the master remember his first race with Escort purchased with insurance money? Grönholm nods and expression tells us that the memories are bright in mind.
– I remember. It was a hundred rally in Karelia. It went well. I went with a really minimal training. I won my class and I was third in the junior competition.
What happened to Escort?
– I sold it to something.
Did you drive other races?
– I drove the winter and one summer race. Every other race I drove out and every other I got to the finish. Then the car changed to that yellow Ascon, Grönholm refers to the shoulder in the direction of a yellow car.
The first Finnish championship won the Yellow Ascon. Pete anikari
– By that car, I won the Finnish Junior Finnish Championship in 1988.
In the last race of the championship, there was plenty of excitement. Grönholm should have been in the top three in the top three to confirm the championship, says the Technology World.
However, Grönholm drove Ascona to his roof and even though it was brought back to his bikes, the front support arm got so badly winged that the front wheel did not rotate properly.
– Well, with another car, we pulled the front bar straight and we got to the finish third, Grönholm now recalls.
That’s where it left – the path of the upcoming world champion.
At home again
The picture shows the Peugeot 206 of Grönholm’s second world championship. Pete anikari
Ascona Grönholm, who brought the junior championship, sold out right after his championship year. The car was found in over 30 years in northern glands, but Grönholm bought it, and the car mechanic Juha Maunula The car was restored from Kokkola.
In 2022 Grönholm rejoiced on Instagram:
– Opel Ascon is home again. My 1988 Junior Championships. Many thanks to Juha Maunula, who has completely restored the car.
Now the yellow Opel Ascon is standing in the museum a couple of cars from the championship deureot where we just sit. Opel’s paint surface is shiny and the engine compartment is clean, but work has been done in front of it.