Mika Keski-Korpi, a drifting driver from Ylivieska, attended the event and found it useful. "People have found it surprisingly good to be here, and that also shows that there is a real desire to develop events and support everyone else. A lot of things go forward by helping each other."
Keski-Korpi professionally races in Europe, employs his team and gives the sport wide visibility - his social media channels attract more than 1.5 million views every month. Mika highlighted last summer's drifting event in Nivala, which attracted 6,000-7,000 spectators: "It brought people from all over the region and showed that the conditions here work."
The Motorsport Together event started in January 2025, when the Creative Triangle project organised a trip to the Matka Travel Fair. Twenty tourism entrepreneurs took part, and at the end of the trip, feedback and hopes for the future were collected. The entrepreneurs highlighted the need for joint marketing across municipal borders, a common website and networking events, among other things.
On this basis, the Creative Triangle and NIHAK team began to consider what could be the next concrete step in developing tourism in the region - and whether to focus on something that already has an inherent attraction. Someone mentioned that motor events attract a lot of people, and that Nivala has the highest number of motor enthusiasts in Finland in relation to its population.
Risto Mäkeläinen, Executive Director of the Kattilakoski Cultural Cooperative, shared his experiences of motorway events and how the cultural and accommodation side has been integrated over the years. From all these ingredients, the idea of a motorway networking event was born.
Contacts were quickly made with motor operators to see if such an event would make sense - and if so, what it should include. Networking, information about motoring events in the region and support opportunities emerged as desirable. This was the basis on which the programme for the event was eventually built.
Markus Rytinki from the Creative Triangle project presented the Creative Triangle pilots, Ulla Pirkola from the Oulu2026 project opened the possibilities of the European Capital of Culture year, and Ilkka Peltola from Keskipiste-Leader reminded that Leader support is available, for example, for the renovation of tracks - it is worth getting in touch at the planning stage.
On the education side, Mika Lukkarinen from JEDU talked about development plans for the automotive sector. There are about 100 automotive students in Nivala and Haapavesi, and the planned JEDU Racing Academy could bring more expertise to racing vehicles. Päivi Karikumpu, Mayor of Nivala, said that education, recreational activities and events would strengthen the attractiveness of the area. The city has cooperated with motorsport operators, for example in land use, which has contributed to the realisation of important projects and events.
Dozens of motorsports and vehicle-related events are held in the NIHAK region every year, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. Motorsport has a clear impact on the attractiveness of the region and a great deal of potential is seen for its development. Between this spring and autumn alone, 30 motor sport events will take place in the NIHAK area. Motorsport Together showed that, with cooperation and support, the region can become a strong centre for motorsport. It is at least a promising start.
Our next event will be a similar type of networking event on the theme of sporting events. The Sport Together event will take place on 7th May 2025 in Haapajärvi.
The event was organised in cooperation with the Creative Triangle, KASVA and VATUPASSI projects.
Author: Taneli Linna, Communications Specialist, NIHAK
Photo: Lauri Jouhki, NIHAK
In Kerttu Saalasti Institute's blog we write about the topics of the Institute's research groups, micro entrepreneurship education and the Institute's general topics. The authors are researchers, experts and members of networks.
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