The construction of Ahvenisto Race Circuit was finished on 15 July 1967. The same year, "I Hämeenlinnan ajot 1967" became the first international event to be held at the circuit. The
Formula Two race was won by
Jochen Rindt in a
Brabham BT23 ahead of
Jack Brabham's
Brabham BT23C and
Jim Clark's
Lotus 48. The
Formula Three race saw a battle between Finnish and
Swedish drivers, with Sweden's
Freddy Kottulinsky taking the win. Other notable entrants included
Leo Kinnunen,
Ronnie Peterson and
Reine Wisell.
I Hämeenlinnan ajot 1967 Sports car and single-seater racing is however, not the only form of motorsport that Ahvenisto has hosted over the years. Notably, the 1960s and 1970s saw
road racing events such as the
FIM Formula 750 held at the circuit, and between 1980 and 1999 a total of 18
FIA European Rallycross Championship events were organized on a modified, mixed-surface version of the circuit, with some of the run-offs converted into gravel sections. On 6 May 1984, what remains today the most severe helicopter accident in the history of Finland occurred at the track during a race. The pilot lost control of his helicopter while landing and crashed into an audience area, resulting in five spectators dead and 26 injured. The track reached its crowd record in 1985, when over 40,000 people arrived to watch
Tähtien kisat ("The Race of Stars"), in which both
Formula 1 and
World Rally Championship stars from around the world, including
Nelson Piquet,
Keke Rosberg,
Timo Salonen and
Michele Mouton, gathered at Ahvenisto to race in identical and near-standard
BMW cars. Currently, the track mostly hosts races in national and
Nordic championships and cups, including
Finnish Touring Car Championship, NEZ Racing Championship, Nordic Supercar, Finnish Rallycross Championship and Historic Race Finland. ==Lap records==