25 replies to this topic

[HistoryFan]

Hello!

He was the owner of the AAW Finnland Racing team which did some F1 races in 1974.
Has some one more infos about this Finish man?

Thanks a lot!

[917historian]

Originally posted by HistoryFan
Hello!

He was the owner of the AAW Finnland Racing team which did some F1 races in 1974.
Has some one more infos about this Finish man?

Thanks a lot!

I believe he was also was the importer for Porsche cars and also ran the Porsche 917K in 1970 and Leo Kinnunens 917 Spyder and 917/10 in the interserie championship from 1971 to 1973.

[Elford68]

Yes, and they ran Kinnunen in 6 F1 races in 1974

[proviz]

Antti Aarnio-Wihuri was probably the most influential man in Finnish motor sport in the late 60's and early 70's. Yes, he was Porsche importer, but much more importantly was quite close to certain key people within the Porsche regime.
I'm currently writing the history of his racing/rally team of 1963-1973 (in Finnish) and will most likely produce a shorter version in English later on.
NOTE: the sad F1 effort under the name of AAW Racing Team will only warrant an epilogue in the full story. Antti Aarnio-Wihuri had next to nothing to do with it, as the race team had been abandoned after 1973 and Leo Kinnunen only secured a permission to use the internationally known name for his attempt at F1. That campaign in no way reflected the commitment and professionalism of AAW's own programmes.

[Barry Boor]

I'm probably wrong but my memory seems to think that Hans Laine (sp?) was killed at the 'Ring in an AAW car.

[Paul Parker]

Yes he was Barry, during practice for the 1970 1000kms.

The 908/2 overturned and caught fire and Laine was trapped underneath still alive. According to contemporary reports Gerhard Koch and some marshals whose fire extinguishers were reportedly inadequate, tried to help but he died in the fire. Laine was 25.

Horrible.

[Barry Boor]

So the memory doesn't always fail! Thanks for the confirmation, Paul.

Again, IIRC, the accident was at the bridge at the end of the long straight.

[proviz]

It was at the end of that straight leading back to the pit/paddock area.
I too have heard (or read) stories that Laine was seen moving underneath the burning car, but a team source says he was told by circuit medical people that Laine had broken his neck and could not have survived even if he'd escaped the fire. I remember Guy Edwards recalling the accident some years ago in "Autosport" - he was apparently one of the first people to stop at the scene.

[Elford68]

I have also heard that he was badly wounded.

[Greatest]

Antti Aarnio-Wihuri was also a well-known & an influential person in the "Super Market" business in Finland in his time...

[HistoryFan]

Originally posted by proviz
Antti Aarnio-Wihuri was probably the most influential man in Finnish motor sport in the late 60's and early 70's. Yes, he was Porsche importer, but much more importantly was quite close to certain key people within the Porsche regime.

Did he try to convince Porsche to take in with his F1 project?

@All: Thanks for posting!

[proviz]

No. See post 4: Mr. AAW himself - Antti Aarnio-Wihuri - had nothing to do with the F1-episode that stumbled along through the summer of 1974 under his initials.

[Doug Nye]

A Gulf-Porsche reception was scheduled in the Nurburgring Sport Hotel immediately after the practice session in which poor Hans Laine had died. John Wyer apparently insisted upon young Leo Kinnunen attending. The normally apparently wooden, uncomprehending Finn was in a terrible state over the death of his friend and compatriot. It was an unhappy sight and experience for all concerned and it would certainly have been more kind had he been excused duty that evening... The scene of the fire at the end of the main straight had been ghastly, very similar to Richard Mainwairing's Elva crash at Dundrod in the 1955 TT, and I believe Kinnunen had witnessed the aftermath.

DCN

[proviz]

Leo Kinnunen was a far more sensitive soul than most people probably realised. I've only recently learned that he had always been terrified of fire - to the extent that he took exception to the "hippie"/flame colour scheme used for the AAW Team's rally VW's in 1971 (but more famously for Porsche 917s the year before). Remember, too, that he ended up not only witnessing Hans Laine's accident, but also that of his ex-team-mate Pedro Rodriguez at the Norisring.

[FLB]

Does anybody know if Matias Laine is related to Hans Laine?

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/80499

Edited by FLB, 09 December 2009 - 13:25.

[Ren� de Boer]

Does anybody know if Matias Laine is related to Hans Laine?

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/80499

That was the first thing that came to my mind when I read that news, too. So I phoned somebody of the same age as me (36) who has some more knowledge about junior single seater formulae to try and find out. And guess what the response was... "Who is Hans Laine?". Am I born too late, or do I live to much in the past, or what is it?

[Antti Salmi]

Does anybody know if Matias Laine is related to Hans Laine?

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/80499

Laine is a common last name in Finland, and considering Matias' age I'd guess it's unlikely.

[Tomas Karlsson]

But Hans Laine was the son of Holger Laine, who raced in the Fifties.

[LOLE]

Poor Hans Laine, minutes before his fatal crash...




Gijs van Lennep was testing the car on the Nordschleife and already felt the nose lifting a bit. He warned Hans Laine for this but the latter insisted to do another lap. The mechanics found out that the tires were at too high pressure and they let the pressure down . The tyres had to be run in for the race so Hans Laine insisted to do one lap more…unfortunately.

The left winglet was torn off by Hans Laine, hitting the bushes on the inside of the curbes.
The car lifted it’s nose at high speed at the end of the long strait, the so called “Döttinger Höhe”. The car somersaulted in the air and landed upside down…Hans Laine was screaming from underneath the wreckage.
Hans Herrmann was following immediately behind and while trying to lift the car with some marchals, a blowtoch set the car on fire and the intense heat made further rescue impossible…

Does anyone of you, TNF-members have photographs of the Wihuri (WAA) Porsche 917 from the 1970 season?

[Andre Acker]

Poor Hans Laine, minutes before his fatal crash...




Gijs van Lennep was testing the car on the Nordschleife and already felt the nose lifting a bit. He warned Hans Laine for this but the latter insisted to do another lap. The mechanics found out that the tires were at too high pressure and they let the pressure down . The tyres had to be run in for the race so Hans Laine insisted to do one lap more…unfortunately.

The left winglet was torn off by Hans Laine, hitting the bushes on the inside of the curbes.
The car lifted it’s nose at high speed at the end of the long strait, the so called “Döttinger Höhe”. The car somersaulted in the air and landed upside down…Hans Laine was screaming from underneath the wreckage.
Hans Herrmann was following immediately behind and while trying to lift the car with some marchals, a blowtoch set the car on fire and the intense heat made further rescue impossible…

Does anyone of you, TNF-members have photographs of the Wihuri (WAA) Porsche 917 from the 1970 season?

Carlos,

Rainer Schlegelmilch's website has many photos of this specific 917.

Best regards.

André Acker.

[LOLE]

I know André, but mostly from the 1970 Spa and Monza 1000 Km...
Thanks anyway!

[pertti_jarla]

I'm currently writing the history of his racing/rally team of 1963-1973 (in Finnish) and will most likely produce a shorter version in English later on.

You didn't happen to write the marvellous series on the AAW racing team in the Mobilisti magazine? Lots of great photos and info. In Finnish, but recommended to everyone interested & able to get copies.

[proviz]

You didn't happen to write the marvellous series on the AAW racing team in the Mobilisti magazine? Lots of great photos and info. In Finnish, but recommended to everyone interested & able to get copies.

I did, yes. The idea now is to expand it into a full book, which was intended to coincide with Antti Aarnio-Wihuri's 70th birthday in February, but will be delayed. Additional material should include chapters on key personalities. Some of the interviews just cannot be rushed, so we'll have to wait and see.

[HistoryFan]

Wihuri is now supporting Valtteri Bottas. Why? How came he to Bottas?
And does he also support other finish talents?

[Bjorn Kjer]

Wihuri is not finish neither is Bottas. Sorry only joking , it is Finnish , not finish .

[proviz]

AAW has been out of the limelight since the 70's, but he did discreetly support Henri Toivonen early on. It's been a bit similar with Valtteri Bottas, although I get the impression this has become more substantial.
And please note: the name is Antti Aarnio-Wihuri.