Iiro Reinola keeps EDRS Pro Nordic MC Super Gas Bike title in the team
Iiro Reinola claimed the 2017 EDRS Pro Nordic MC Super Gas Bike title and by doing so, the 25 year old Finn followed in the footsteps of his Sweet Cheek Racing teammate Janne Koskinen, who won the title the year before. Reinola didn’t only race his Suzuki, but also helped Koskinen in his first steps in Pro Stock Motorcycle last season. Reinola is one of those young Finnish riders with a long and bright future ahead of them, in a team that want to learn and make progress every year.
Iiro Reinola didn’t win a race in the 2017 EDRS Pro Nordic MC Super Gas Bike Championship, but the Finn was the most consistent of all, attended all races and scored enough points to win the 2017 title, to succeed his Sweet Cheek Racing teammate Janne Koskinen. Time to look back at a very successful season, but also to look at the new season that will start pretty soon.
“Last season was amazing. Starting the season, I only had one goal, and that was to win this championship title, and I did it! Every race was important for the championship, but in my opinion the most important race was the third race at Gardermoen Raceway, Norway. In that race I started to trust my bike again after the big wheelie in the first race at Tierp Arena. I got my self-confidence back and racing started to be fun again,” said Reinola.
While Janne Koskinen stepped up to Pro Stock Motorcycle after his 2016 championship, Reinola will defend his title in 2018. “I will ride in the EDRS Pro Nordic MC again. My goal is to win the championship and to be in the top four in every race. I will still use my Suzuki GSX-R 1000 bike. I made some changes to the suspension system, and I renewed my shock absorber. Now I have the shock absorber that I wanted. My bike is easy to ride, but I want to make it even better to run in this 9.50 second index class. I will also be in Janne Koskinen’s Pro Stock Motorcycle team again, but we don’t race in the same events. When Janne rides, I need to give all my focus to his Pro Stock Motorcycle.”
The T.Reinola Oy and Vainio-Racing supported Super Gas Bike champion is looking forward to some good competition this season. “I hope we get more riders to run the whole EDRS Pro Nordic MC Super Gas Bike series. Then we will see who is the champion of the Nordic countries. I hope to challenge the riders from other countries who didn’t attend all the races.”
Reinola will continue to work with the same team. “This team is the same Sweet Cheek Racing team that we have in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category, my brother Pyry Reinola and Janne Koskinen. Last year I had a good helper for my team in Sami Ylhäinen. He helped me to be a better rider and hopefully he will help me at some events this season as well. Competition weekends take a lot of time, so you need many friends who can help you when others can’t.”
Reinola enjoys the sport: “Drag racing is a really nice hobby and sometimes it feels like this would be my second job. Last season was the first real season for me in Super Gas Bike. In other years I was just testing and did some races in Finland. For the past two years I was in Janne Koskinen’s team to help him win the 2016 EDRS Pro Nordic MC Super Gas Bike Championship. One of biggest things that happened in my career, and also our Sweet Cheek Racing career, was when Janne Koskinen and my brother Pyry Reinola bought the Pro Stock Motorcycle. Our dream came true. Pro Stock Motorcycle is a very interesting class and it needs a good team, and we have it. We have to learn a lot, but we are really motivated to work for the Pro Stock Motorcycle. I want to give all my focus to Pro Stock Motorcycle as I want to learn all about this category, and hopefully we will make a long career in that class. But you never know what the future will bring for me as a rider, there are still many years left for me.”
