Niemela Co-Hosts Poroholma GP September 5-6, 2009

Dana Point, June 8, 2009: Current Atlantic Champion Markus Niemela is helping to organize and promote an innovative street-circuit karting round September 5-6 in Rauma Finland. The two-day event, will offer corporate team sessions Saturday, run in four-stroke karts, including team qualifying, leading to semifinal heats, followed by the day's final event. Sunday will offer a celebrity race, running 125cc Vortex TAGs, with several famous Finns including F1, and WRC Rally drivers, plus a host of music and entertainment celebrities.

The 500 meter circuit will be run in the middle of Rauma and travels along the shoreline, and through a tunnel beneath two restaurants affording diners with an amazing motorsports lifestyle experience. According to Markus, "...the race track is like a mini-Monaco."

The event is being co-organized by Mika Metsamaki, and will be organized around a festival concept, not just the racing alone. Early ticket interest projects a two-day audience of 3000 according to Niemela and Metsamaki, which is significant since Rauma's daily population is only 36,550.

"I've always wanted to do a street race with karts and finally there's a chance to do it, so I'm really looking forward to driving there, probably in both classes!"

About Markus

Markus Niemela was born and raised in Rauma Finland in 1984. His racing career started in Karts at the age of five. After winning several FIA-KF1 (formerly Formula A) Karting championships in Finland and in greater Europe, he moved up to Formula Ford in 2004, subsequently winning the Finnish Championship, the Swedish Championship, and the STCC Formula Ford championship, finishing the season second in total International Formula Ford points.In 2005, he moved up to the UK Formula Renault Winter Championship after an abortive run in Formula BMW-ADAC with Team Rosberg, averaging 3rd in qualifying for the season, with one win, and one pole

In 2006 he moved to Formula Renault UK with Mark Burdett Motorsports. There he produced one win, one fastest lap, one pole, won multiple “driver of the day” awards and finished 7th in the Championship.In 2007 he campaigned in GP2 with BCN Competition, Formula Renault Eurocup with BVM Minardi, and also ran in the Asian Formula Renault Championship with March 3 Racing. In 2008 he came to the U.S. to run in the Cooper Tire Atlantic Championship Powered By Mazda Series with Brooks Associated Racing, where he subsequently won the 2008 Atlantic Championship.

About Rauma

Rauma Finland, founded in 1442, is an idyllic seaside town steeped in culture. Rauma offers its inhabitants high-quality modern services. The town is a dream come true for shoppers and gourmets. Especially during the summer months, the marketplace is a popular meeting place. The heart of the town is Old Rauma, which is the largest preserved coherent medieval wooden town area in the Nordic region. In 1991 the area was selected for UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

About Poroholma

Poroholma Camping is an idyllic campsite situated in Rauma by the sea, within walking distance from the town centre.