The Scandinavian Masterpiece Pyynikki Debuts In Assetto Corsa

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Jide 1600 S, sideways, in front of the famous Pyynikki observation tower
Taking place on public roads inches from trees on both sides is the classic Pyynikki road circuit in Finland. From twisting roads to tight and technical town sections, this public-road-based motorcycle circuit debuts with style in Assetto Corsa.

The Pyynikki Circuit was a street circuit in the region of Tampere in Finland from 1939 until 1971. The circuit was a 3.608 km (2.242 mi) long circuit on public roads through beautiful forests and a small Finnish town in the district of Pyynikki.

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Image: Harald Gallinnis on WikiMedia Commons via CC BY-SA 4.0

The road races on motorbikes were known as Pyynikinajot. They were first run in 1932 and were put on hold from 1939 when World War Two started. Racing resumed in 1946 after the war ended in 1945 and events continued until 1971.

The circuit was eventually shut down over safety concerns and no organised racing has taken place ever since. However, this fantastic niche Scandinavian street circuit lives on in Assetto Corsa with thanks to mod creator Luppa79.

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Honda RC162 Motorbike ridden by Alan Shepherd in the 500cc class in 1962. Image: Benutzer Pessottino via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 de

For the 1962 and 1963 seasons, the Finnish Motorcycle Grand Prix was held at the Pyynikki Circuit. This race was an official round of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship which would become MotoGP in 2002. The circuit was found to be too narrow for future running of the events and the event was therefore moved to the Imatra Circuit in 1964.

Pyynikki in Assetto Corsa​

This version of Pyynikki is an exceptional example of what can be done with some historical knowledge and Lidar data. All of the buildings are in their accurate place, and every bump in the tarmac and tree by the side of the road replicates what it would have been like to blast down public roads on a classic motorbike.

With this being Assetto Corsa, testing the mod involved cars, not bikes. However, cars did compete at the circuit between 1965 and 1967, but their races were swiftly cancelled due to safety concerns. To download and try this circuit for yourself, check out Luppa79 here on OverTake.gg and give this gem of a Scandinavian circuit a try!

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Jide 1600 S sparking as it bottoms out on the bumps.

To get the most out of this brilliant circuit, try to use period-correct vehicles. Classic cars on classic circuits are some of the most fun and immersive experiences you can have in Assetto Corsa. We recommend the fantastic Jide 1600 S, a lightweight French sportscar from the 1960s available for free here on OverTake.gg.

Pairing it with the fantastic road surface of Luppa79's Pyynikki creates an engaging driving experience that will be hard to match elsewhere.

Another fantastic duo of cars to use would be the Mantra MS11 and Honda RA301 that we covered at the start of September. These two V12 Formula One beasts are a real challenge to keep on the black stuff, especially when you are trying to brake on uneven surfaces.

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Mantra MS11 navigating through the town section on Pyynikki.

These cars will give you a good starting point to experience this brilliant circuit. Do not limit yourself to these cars, however. Use what you enjoy driving and let us know how the circuit responds to your favourite cars.

What do you think about the Pyynikki circuit in Assetto Corsa? Let us know in the comments down below!
About author
Connor Minniss
Website Content Editor & Motorsport Photographer aiming to bring you the best of the best within the world of sim racing.

Comments

Very nice, although Finland is technically not a part of Scandinavia, which usually refers to Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Finland is one of the Nordic countries, though.
 
Club Staff
Premium
I've tested it and it's very nice indeed. A bit bumpy but that's realistic, I presume. The only drawback is that it's very hard to overtake another car so when you use it for online racing, it has the 'Monaco' effect where qualifying is very important.
 
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