By 2025 roads season, fastest racers per nation edition take three. Today it’s Nordic Nations roads crème de la crème, Imatranajo (59th edition), Jarno Saarinen Circuit Imatra.
(Best 2025 lap time, positioned near racer’s name)
Finland: Erno Kostamo – 1.48.743 (new lap record holder plus all-time lap record set during qualifying – 1.48.646)
Northern Ireland: Adam McLean – 1.51.048
Sweden: Markus Karlsson – 1.51.734 (now fastest Swedish racer)
England: Richard Cooper – 1.53.429 (new Supersport lap record holder)
Netherlands: Wally Jacobs – 1.54.404
Belgium: Fedrik Matthys – 1.54.443
Czech Republic: Petr Najman – 1.55.555
Germany: Nico Muller – 1.55.580
France: Stephane Bednarek – 1.57.149
Switzerland: Olivier Lupberger – 1.57.553
Slovakia: Emil Krchnavy – 2.00.738
Lithuania: Osvaldas Lazdauskas – 2.03.494 (now fastest Lithuanian racer)
Estonia: Hanno Velt – 2.04.708
Austria: Florian Astner – 2.00.142 (unofficially, lap time only from qualifying)
An added bonus, covering quickest Supersport pilots.
England: Richard Cooper – 1.53.429 (new Supersport lap record holder as fastest 2025 Supersport newcomer)
Northern Ireland: Adam McLean – 1.53.568 (now second fastest Supersport rider of Imatranajo)
Czech Republic: Petr Najman – 1.55.555 (now Czech fastest Supersport racer)
Finland: Niko Tanskanen – 1.56.038
Switzerland: Mauro Poncini – 1.58.341
Netherlands: Ilja Caljouw – 1.58.986
Germany: Rico Vetter – 1.59.406
France: Mathieu Rieder – 2.02.179
Lithuania: Osvaldas Lazdauskas – 2.03.494 (now Lithuanian fastest Supersport racer)
Slovakia: Daniel Chovanec – 2.03.763
Belgium: Thierry Vanhollebeke – 2.04.321
Plus newcomer/female exponents 2025 stats:
Fastest 2025 newcomer: Darryl Tweed (Northern Ireland) – 1.52.763 (plus Niko Lehtiranta debuted with Superbike in Imatra – 1.51.468, the same as above mentioned Adam McLean – 1.51.048)
Fastest 2025 female rider: Jaana Soppa (Finland) – 2.13.792 (plus 2.12.735 set during qualifying / as Sidecar passenger for Petri Makkula)
Just for reminder, 60th Imatranajo racing weekend next year (3rd-5th July) will be host of IRRC (Supersport/Sportbike) and ESR (Superbike) Championship rounds, traditionally supplemented with support races including Sidecars.
Photo credit: Nick Wheeler
Words by Jan Vavra
