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2001 Season 2001 was disappointment. At the beginning of the season all looked nice. Marko got contract about driving Hyundai WRC in Brittish Rally Championship series. However Motor Sports Association cancelled this year's Championship when five events were lost to Foot & Mouth Disease. So most important event in year 2001 was Finnish round of World Rally Championship. Marko was aiming to top places in Rally Finland`s group N competition. Unfortunately rally ended in last day`s first stage. Marko was second in his group and he attacked with big risk. This time car crashed at top speed to the forrest. Marko and co-driver Harri Kiesi were OK, but race was over. Marko took superior win in national Kemi-rally. In Rally Australia Marko was looking for exprerience. He
was 10:th in his class with Group N Subaru Impreza after one light rolling. 2000 This year Marko took the a big challenge. He started to fight for Brittish Rally Championship win with own group N car against the works team drivers. In the first championship event, rally of Wales, Ipatti won his own class and was the third in the overall event ahead of Vauxhall's factory team drivers. In the next championship event Pirelli-rally Ipatti took his first overall win in the British Isles. He passed Hyundai driver, Finn Jarmo Kytölehto, in the last stage. Again in Scotland-rally he won his class and was the second in the entire race. Ipatti was placed eighth in Seat Jim Clark Memorial Rally's
overall event and he was the third in his own class. The catch was only a few points.
There was a narrow race in asphalt because Ipatti had heavy Mitsubishi Lancer against
light front wheel drive cars. Marko's worst competitor Neil Wearden had to drop out in the
first stage in next asphalt race Manx-rally and the win was Marko's. Late in the summer
Ipatti took superior win in Mänttä-rally with Subaru group N car. Rally Finland ended
with technical problems. 1999 Season 1999 was complete disaster. Development with Corsa
kitcar started. Different kind of failures caused retiments. At Neste Rally Finland we led
"super1600"-class, but we retired at second leg by technical reasons. 1998 Finnish team of Marko Ipatti/Kari Kajula won group N
championship title on the Mobil 1 Championship series with Mitsubishi Carisma GT. Marko
was practically definite Production Cup champion even before final event. Finally Marko
won the title over 30 point difference to David Mann. Finns won four event, were fourth
once and retired twice. They also competed in Network Q RAC-rally with Ford Escort Super
Rally Car, but unfortunately their competition ended with techical problems at the first
day. 1997 In Neste Rally Finland Marko was
(photo: rallyzoom) third in group N after Jouko Puhakka and Olli Harkki before Gustavo
Trelles and Juha Kangas. At the end of the season he got bronze medal in Finnish
Championship series in group N category. Marko won all local rallies in Oulu area. In
summer team got Mitsubishi Carisma GT (photo: pro technic), which
is already Marko´s fifth Mitsubishi rallycar. No retirements in whole season. 1996 Marko won Finnish Championship title in ice
track series. Few wins in national rallies. 1995 In 1995 Rally of Thousand Lakes
he was 7th overall and second in group N after Mika Korhonen. Many wins in rallisprint
competitions. 7th in Finnish Rally Championship series. 1994 In 1994 Rally of Thousand Lakes Marko
was the fastest Finnish driver and 4th overall at F2 category with VW Golf after Gregore
de Mevius, Alister McRae and Freddy Loix. Same year he was 5th in Finnish Championship ice
track series. 1993 Marko was 8th in Finnish Junior Rally Championship series
with Mitsubishi Galant (photo: rallizoom). During the season many
good fights against Tapio Laukkanen. 1986 - 1993 Marko Ipatti drove his first rally in 1986 with Ford Escort RS2000. In 1992 Escort was changed to Lancia Delta HF 4WD and later in same year Marko´s got his first Mitsubishi rallycar |
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