Keke Rosberg

[Steve Holmes]

Folks, below is an email I received last night from a new member to The Roaring Season from Finland named Tapani. Tapani has been working on a book, details below, and was hoping some of our Kiwi Roaring Season members could help with his request for photos of Keke Rosberg during his visit to NZ. Please see below:

Hello Steve,

I'm finalising my a book, "Finnish Formula History 1947-89, from Midgets into Modern Times" and our GP-stars Keke Rosberg and Mikko Kozarowitzky raced in NZ back in 1977 in the Tasman series (well, Mikko was unlucky and didn't really qualify into F1 races, due to several reasons, including a broken arm, but Keke did OK there)
I got a hint from a friend of mine who lives in Oamaru, NZ, about your forum and photos of Keke - we have a huge collection of old photos, ca 60.000 in digital format, from mid-50's into early 90's but NOTHING from NZ.
Would it be possible to get permission to use one or two of these Terry Marshall photos in our book? Or any photos of Keke in that series.
And even better if you could find something about Mikko Kozarowitzky in your files!!!

This book will have texts in English and Finnish and it's financed by us = Scuderia Naftalin, historic formula team, driving F Vee cars (= my wife and myself, that is)
We have the first formula car of Keke Rosberg (Veemax Mk IV 1970) and some others in our garage. And we can't afford paying for the photos, but are happy to share with you what we have - i.e. in exchange, photos from Finland.

Any help is appreciated.
And as always, we are soon in a hurry as everything should be ready by March 20.....

[BMCBOY]

I have quite a lot of stuff he may be interested in - is there a contact email address?

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[seaqnmac27]

Have a talk to Kevin Thomson, hes got some great ones of Keke from Teretonga
These are Dads from Manfield
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[David McKinney]

The mechanics - sorry, engineers - in the two-tone Opert Racing shirts are Dick Bennetts (left) and Tom Hooker

[southspeed]

Some at Teretonga International 1977
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[southspeed]

Some from Teretonga International 1978
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Thats Keke sitting on the wheel of the car. In the second top photo he is adjusting his sunglasses on the back right.

[southspeed]

Teretonga International 1978 - car had engine problems and a backup car (blue car) appeared at the track on the Sunday. However an engine change was carried out in front of a large crowd on the red car.16748167491675016751

[kiwi285]

Some really great shot there - good to see some off track action

[Spgeti]

I agree great photos from a neat era. The way it use to be.

[Naftalin]

Hello folks,
really great photos! And I'm always surprised how much stuff there is, stored by people who appreciate the value of history - and when I say "there" I mean every other country but Finland! Despite the fact that we've had some pretty nice races here since early 30's -but of course nothing like the Tasman / Pacific Series. It's really hard to find this kind of photos from the Finnish races.
Too bad we can't use more than some photos in the book - but after the one that should be ready in a couple of weeks time, there might be some follow-up and/or other publications so I'm definitely going to keep in touch and will contact some of you pretty soon.
Thanks for the nice photos,
Tapani Lehtinen / scuderia.naftalin@gmail.com
ps will post some of our photos here....

[Naftalin]

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These are from Keimola Circuit in Helsinki (in use 1966-78) - Keke's first year in "big" formulas after Karting, Mikko had already been in this class since 1968, had F3 -experience from 1970-71, Super Vee since 1971 but no Karting experience.
Keke's car looks the same today - hasn't even been repainted. He sold the car after the season but it was never raced by the new owner(s) after him.

[Naftalin]

...will be uploaded when I stop getting error messsages. And I've got some of Howden Ganley and Denny Hulme, racing in Finland 1966-68, will try to post those as well.

[Naftalin]

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I might have managed to add the photos now - Mikko Kozarowitzky sitting in his Veemax Mk V Super Vee in 1972, Keke at the Keimola circuit pits the same year.
And some Kiwis - Denny Hulme in Keimola 1966, in a F2 + two photos of Howden Ganley driving F3 in 1967 & 1968, same Keimola Circuit in Finland. A track that doesn't exist any more.

http://scudnaftalin.kuvat.fi/
That's where we are going to publish our photos - unfortunately this site is currently in Finnish only, but if you click "Kuvat" (photos), then "Ratakuvia" - that's the one with the blue Rosberg Veemax photo - and then finally click at the one starting with "Ulkomaalaisia..." and you'll see some kiwis. More photos will be added, when we've finalised this current book project....

[BMCBOY]

I somehow managed to find one of Mikko and Keke in the same shot

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[Naftalin]

...Mikko ahead of Keke - they were quite even in those days. Great photos!!!!!

[Carlo]

...Mikko ahead of Keke - they were quite even in those days. Great photos!!!!!

If my memeory is correct this has to be reasonably early in practice or in testing as Keke only got a few laps in during official practise before striking issues. Mikko ended up with pole and Keke 2nd. From the race start Keke took the lead and was never headed. It was the first time any of us had seen Keke drive and I was up on the hill by the chicane and 1st time though there Keke just about backed the car in rally style and the field dropped back expecting a spin but he gathered it up and then did the same next time around and again the field backed off. By the third lap he had a gap on the field and took a proper race line and that was the last the field saw of him until the race was over and he was back in the pits having a smoke

[GD66]

I was up on the hill by the chicane and 1st time though there Keke just about backed the car in rally style and the field dropped back expecting a spin...


He also developed an army of enthusiastic followers among the armchair brigade watching the GP on television from his jawdropping attack on Champion Curve lap after lap !

[Michael Clark]

Naftalin - I have forwarded the photo of Brabham #10 to Howden whith the questions - where and what date?

The first guess was wrong - but he's hughly competitive so it won't take long!

[Naftalin]

Michael,
that's great - and quite funny - here are the exact details: venue: Finland, Keimola Circuit, Helsinki; date: June 9, 1968
#10 Howden Ganley (NZ), Brabham BT-21
I'd like to send the original photo to him so if you can drop me a line (private message or email, details are shown above...somewhere), that would be nice.
Thanks!

[Naftalin]

Seems that Keke's driving style is still remembered...that's the Finnish Way, derived from ice races and rallies - too bad the new cars in F1 and other modern classes have so advanced electronic systems, better tyres and suspension,too much downforce etc so real racing is gone....now races are won by engineers :) (Keke's son Nico was quite fast earlier today in Melbourne in rain - that's also something Keke was fond of, snow or torrent....)

[Naftalin]

If my memeory is correct this has to be reasonably early in practice or in testing as Keke only got a few laps in during official practise before striking issues. Mikko ended up with pole and Keke 2nd. From the race start Keke took the lead and was never headed. It was the first time any of us had seen Keke drive and I was up on the hill by the chicane and 1st time though there Keke just about backed the car in rally style and the field dropped back expecting a spin but he gathered it up and then did the same next time around and again the field backed off. By the third lap he had a gap on the field and took a proper race line and that was the last the field saw of him until the race was over and he was back in the pits having a smoke

You are right - I was talking in general terms...Mikko was the European Super Vee Champion in 1975, Keke 4th, in NZ 1977, Keke was the Champ, Mikko 4th....just to mention some events/series

[Michael Clark]

He got it!

I'm now forwarding him the other photo as well.

As for Keke - I can remember like it was yesterday the 1977 NZIGP at Pukekohe. I'd been aware of this Finnish guy driving a Toj in F2 but he came here and was extraordinary! A year later in the red B39 he seemed, if it were possible, even more spectacular and I am sure I was not the only Kiwi wondering why he hadn't been snapped up by a top Formula 1 team.

[Carlo]

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As for Keke - I can remember like it was yesterday the 1977 NZIGP at Pukekohe.

Vivid memeory for me too Michael. Then at Wigram I sauntered out from the pits to stand with David McKinney who was taking photos as they exited the hairpin at the end of the straight. Keke came down in 5th gear flat then hard on the brakes, a Scandinavian rally flick to eliminate the understeer that the Chevron had to turning into the corner then drop it straight into 1st gear and he was gone like a cork out of a bottle. David and I watched for a number of laps until we both agreed that this man was going to be a world motorsport champion and that it could be either racing, rallying or perhaps both. Simply stunning to watch and admire.

[Michael Clark]

I guess a lot of wondered about these little cars after F5000 - Keke was almost solely responsible for helping many people accept Atlantics.

It still amazes me that it took the top end of F1 so long to discover what we all knew. Atlantic was not the natural path to the top but Ferrari selected Gilles after McLaren decided Patrick Tambay was the better bet while Keke was struggling with ATS and the privateer Wolf. Sure money helped Hector Rebaque to the second Brabham seat while Rosberg was pissing about Fittipaldi but what a waste of talent!

Had both Reutemann and Jones not retired simultaneously, Rosberg may have never so much as slid into a top F1 car!

[Naftalin]

So right - to get into F1 without a lot of money requires a lot of luck. And that's what Keke had, on top of his talent. Two retirements, no other drivers "hanging around" so late in the season, possibly a modest salary request...right place, right time...and the determination to reach his goals!

....regarding the other photo of Howden, it's from Keimola as well, date is May 4, 1967....

[Steve Holmes]

Awesome thread, and I've really enjoyed the photos. Thanks to everyone who posted on here, and thanks also Tapani for sharing some of your beautiful photos. Good luck with the book!

[Naftalin]

Hi again,
finally, the book is out!
I.e. we've managed to produce the first ever "Finnish Formula History, from Midgets into Modern Times 1947-1989" and it became a 463 page / 1100+ photo / 370+ person / 300+ car model -book, hardcover and text in English and Finnish. And as we've noticed some minor errors, found out that some stories should be there but are not etc, we've decided to keep producing new content and error corrections on-line at our web site:http://www.scuderianaftalin.com/suomalainen-formulahistoria
Additions will look like this : http://files.kotisivukone.com/scuderianaftalin.palvelee.fi/tiedostot/cart__indy_500_1988-89.pdf

Most of the information at our web site is still in Finnish but soon in English too - if interested, check out or email me - price of the book is 49 euros and unfortunately shipping one copy to NZ cost 32 euro....so if you want to order a book, try to persuade some of your friends to share the mailing cost in a joint order :-) as sending 2-3 books will be 42,00 and up to six books 65,00 - and for a larger order, I will offer a special price :-)
- classes covered: Midgets (F3 / 500cc, 1947-62), Formula Junior, F3 1000cc screamers 1964-70, Formula Vee, Super Vee, VW1600, Formula Ford, F1, F2, F3 - cars built in Finland, most important domestic drivers and races -and the over seas adventures of the internationally know Finns (+ "world stars" who have visited Finland and a brief international background regarding the start of each class) - and some of the photos seen here are included, thanks again for your contribution!
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[Steve Holmes]

Hey Tapani, congratulations! This is really exciting, and I hope the sales go very well. Its always a great feeling getting to hold that first copy for the first time.

[Naftalin]

Thanks, yes it was exciting to see the final outcome - and when some of our family and colleagues saw the book, the first comments were "...it is a real book!" :)
...Keke and Mikko K have received a copy each - thanks again everybody. I'll keep following this forum, and maybe I'll get a chance to travel again in the years to come...

[Michael Clark]

Tapani - no doubt you were delighted to see 'son of Keke' win at Monaco - a great story 30 years after his dad's win there. It was a great drive by Keke in 83 - greasy conditions and more than once I thought he'd bite a wall but the car control was superb. I wonder where Keke rates that amongst all his wins in F1/F2/Atlantic etc

Best wishes for the book