The SM Auto Sorsa Riihimäki Rally will be contested on February 27–28, 2026 — patron is Mayor Eho

The Riihimäki Sports Car Drivers Association has invited Riihimäki City Mayor Jouni Eho to be the patron of the SM Auto Sorsa Riihimäki Rally to be held on the last day of February. Eho, who accepted the invitation, states that “organizing the SM Auto Sorsa Riihimäki Rally’s public special stage in the Tehtaankatu Messupuisto, which is easily accessible, is an excellent gesture not only for the city’s residents but also for all rally enthusiasts.”

The final Finnish Championship event of the 2026 winter season, the Finnish Championship Auto Sorsa Riihimäki Rally, will be held on February 28 in Riihimäki and the surrounding municipalities. The rally organizer, Riihimäen Urheiluautoilijat ry, invited Riihimäki City Mayor Jouni Eho to be the patron of the Finnish Championship Rally. Eho accepted the invitation.

"This is an event with a long tradition. I accept the role of patron of the event with pride and honor. As a city, we are happy to host all national sports events, regardless of the sport. Our slogan, Riihimäki – a large small town, or rather, larger in size, fits very well with the organization of a nationally significant rally event in Riihimäki," Eho reminds.

The first Riihimäki Rally was organized back in 1960. The rally organizers praise the seven-decade cooperation with the city of Riihimäki as being straightforward.

"Riihimäki is used to doing things together and the city of Riihimäki has cherished this tradition. The city handles practical matters related to the organization of the rally quickly and smoothly, there is no need to wait for decisions. An excellent example of this is the organization of the rally's public special stage in the city area at Tehtaankatu Messupuisto," says competition director Sari Vainio.

Riihimäen Lasitehdas and Riihimäen Urheiluautoilijat ry worked closely together right from the 1960s. The rally awarded prizes in glass and crystal, and the traditional Kristallimäki competition and the opening or closing special stage of the Riihimäki rally were held at Sairaalanmäki in the Riihimäki garrison. The theme will continue in the upcoming Finnish Championship rally, as the public special stage of the upcoming competition will be held in the immediate vicinity of the Finnish Glass Museum in Tehtaankatu Messupuisto.

“Riihimäki is our country’s leading glass city, where glass is not just a material, but a part of our identity, history and also our future. Our glass museum is one of the most prestigious glass museums in the world, along with the Corning Museum of Glass in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This most famous attraction in Riihimäki is visited by approximately 50,000 visitors annually. It is an excellent thing that the shared history of the SM Auto Sorsa Riihimäki Rally and glass manufacturing continues in the immediate vicinity of our glass museum in the form of a public special stage.”

"The central location of Riihimäki and the city's Messupuisto and excellent transport connections make it easy to go to the rally and follow it. I have a note in my calendar that I will be one of the spectators following the competition during the public special stage. I welcome all competitors and the public to Riihimäki on the last weekend of February," Eho says.

The SM Auto Sorsa Riihimäki Rally (27–28.2 February) is the final event of the Finnish Championship winter season 2026. A total of seven Finnish Championship events will be held in the series.

You can find more information and the rally schedule on the event's own website (riihimakiralli.fi.)