Helsinki

Finland’s capital hosted a street race for three years, starting with Class C International Touring Cars in 1995, before switching to FIA GT and F3000 for the final year of the event. Organised by former Trans-Am driver Robert Lappalainen, the inaugural “Thunder in the Streets” race drew a crowd of 110,000 spectators. The circuit was set on the harbour front immediately east of downtown Helsinki and was lined by concrete barriers with the original configuration running under a flyover and past a power station. Two chicanes were later inserted to reduce speeds. The one-off FIA GT was organised immediately prior to the 1997 Le Mans 24 Hours but the entry was decimated when 12 teams missed the event to concentrate on the Sarthe classic. Lappalainen looked at running a Touring Car World Challenge in 1998, but the event was shelved when support was not forthcoming.