By The 60th Imatranajo will take place over three days, 3rd-5th of July 2026, at Jarno Saarinen Circuit.
From 1964 to 1982 ‘Imatra’ hosted the Finnish Motorcycle Grand Prix, fifteen times World Champion Giacomo Agostini has accrued sixteen victories overall whilst 39 years ago in 1986, 26 times TT winner Joey Dunlop enjoyed success from Formula 1 TT affiliated action.
TT winners, UK/Irish roads scene tour de forces, to have sampled Imatranajo through the past nine years, since its’ introduction into the IRRC (International Road Racing Championship) series in 2016, include:
Richard Cooper, Jamie Coward, Forest Dunn, TT wins record holder Michael Dunlop.
Rhys Hardisty, Peter Hickman, Martin Jessopp, Gary Johnson, the much-missed Dan Kneen.
Adam McLean, Michael Rutter, Darryl Tweed (2025 IRRC SBK Champion), Davey Todd (2019 IRRC SBK Champion), Britain’s first IRRC Champion Danny Webb, and Brian McCormack.
The main highlight of the latest Imatranajo edition (last July), was 34 years old, Joensuu rider Erno Kostamo’s new lap-record (1.48.743) and fourteen consecutive Superbike race victories.
Lap record holder additionally at Horice and Frohburger Dreieck, Finland’s fastest TT & Northwest 200 exponent, will be next month back at Macau, where he previously emerged victorious in 2022.
Previously projected above, Richard Cooper, set last July, as an Imatranajo newcomer, a new Supersport lap-record (1.53.429) and won all four Supersport races (IRRC x2/Open Encounters x2).
Whilst we patiently wait for published 2026 IRRC (Supersport/Sportbike classes) and newly founded ESR (European Series Road Racing – focusing on Superbikes) dates, we hope both will include Nordic nations top real road race.
Another top-line European road race circuit, the Hengelo located Varsselring, 2026 dates have also been-made public, (2nd-3rd May).
Horice Road Races (300 Curves of Gustav Havel and Czech TT), Chimay Open Trophy, Schleizer Dreieck, Frohburger Dreieck (IFDR) 2026 dates are as-yet not known.
Let’s wish that winter passes by quickly and real road racing thrills, crop up faster than expected!
Photo credit: Nick Wheeler
Words by Jan Vavra
