EXCLUSIVE: Niki Tuuli - Q&A
An exclusive interview with Niki Tuuli, who is stepping up to the factory-backed Kallio Racing Yamaha squad in World Supersport for 2017.
The Finnish rider stormed into the headlines by notching up up three seco♕nd places in three races in the World 𝄹Supersport championship, and in the process beating some established names, and caught the attention with Kallio Racing to secure Yamaha backing for a full 2017 campaign.
Tuuli reflects on his racing education in Finland ice racing helped him hone his skills in World Supersport and how a stint of national service in the Finnish army gave him a career boost🍃.
wuqian0821.com:
Is it true that you're currently having difficulty with your racing commitments due to do💎ing your national service?
Niki Tuuli:
Yeah, I've been in the army for the whole year but thank𓆏fully ꦡI've only got 4 days left now so will be able to focus on racing more.
Honestly though it only got🌃 in the way of my racing a bit so didn'𒉰t ruin things completely.
wuqian0821.com:
So did you have to negotiate with the army when you needed ဣto ღbe away racing?
Niki Tuuli:
Yes, it's tr𓂃ue so in a way the Finnish army supports my rac🌱ing.
I'm not in the army again next year but it🐽's good fun using a machine gun.
wuqian0821.com:
Researching your car𓄧eer𝄹 is a little difficult for me as I don't talk Finnish - please fill us in
Niki Tuuli:
I started riding 600's in the IDM Yamaha R6 cup in 2012. After I won thꦉat championship I continued racing in the European Superstock 600 with my own team but by this time Vesa (Mika Kallio's brother) had noticed me and was helping me.
My father was actually a pretty successful racer himself - he was the first Finnish rider to take🙈 part in a 600cc WSS race - so I think 𒉰the enthusiasm came from him. But his success was mainly in Finland.
I may have got the idea from him but the drive to race is all mine, it's something I wanted to d🅺o. I didn't do it just for fun though I was keen to make a career of it right from the start.
Both my parents support me a lot in my racing but my main support has com🌌e from my grandfather.
wuqian0821.com:
Sur🎐e𒅌ly between national service and weather it's pretty difficult to get started in racing in Finland?
Niki Tuuli:
For me not really they're just difficulties you have to live with. In summer time it's fine and we've got mayb꧅e 6 tracks where we can race. The only problem is that they're quite small tracks so don't really prepare you for the international tracks like Jerez.
The problem for tarmac circuit racing is of course is the winter but that's fine for us because we keep our👍 skillܫs up by doing ice racing with Motocross bikes.
In America they use flat tracks to improve bike control and here we've got ice racing. The only problem can be the spikes in the tyrꦉes but we hav🎶en't had a problem yet.
wuqian0821.com:
So your ice racing skills transfe🎶r🌄 well to track racing?
Niki Tuuli:
Yes, definitely. It's a diffꦺicult form of racing and means that I can practise in the long winter months - in my recent races in WSS I'v🍰e noticed that those skills helped me a lot.
wuqian0821.com:
Tell us about Kallio racing
Niki Tuuli:
It's a team run by Mika Kallio's brother Vesa which is running and helping a number of Finnish riders like myself. Mika also comes along to help when he can but at the moment he's a little busy with 🏅K🌠TM.
They are running a couple of young riders in Finland and one in the Spanish championship and this yeaꦿr they will also be running 2 riders in World Supersport - I'm one of those.
I started racing with the team in 2014 in the Superstock 600 class of the European championship and I have to say that it was quite difficult at the beginning and I only won 1 race in Assen ওand 🐻finished the championship in 4th.
I feel comfortable in the team because it is all Finnish speaking and hꩲas good resources for the riders, I've got 3 mechanics a🦋nd a total crew number of 10 to 12 depending on the race. Mika and Vesa's father also comes to help me out.
I have always ridden a Yamaha🧸 and the team has always stuck with that bike.
wuqian0821.com:
Does the ♑team get any official support from Yama🍌ha?
Niki Tuuli:
Not this year but we're going to be gett⛦ing some suppor𝓀t for next year [2017].
wuqian0821.com:
How did🦩 your rides in this season's WSS come about?
Niki Tuuli:
I was actually racing and practising in Finland and the first part💎 of the WSS wouldn't have fitted with that. I also had to serve my time in the army so the first round that I could ride was Germany and all I can say is that when I got into the WSS series it really went as planned.
wuqian0821.com:
How did you feel on the grid before that race?
Niki Tuuli:
I w🧸as pretty nervous because i⛦t was a big step up in level from my racing in Finland.
Honestly though in a way for me it was easy because I didn't have any pressure and wasn't fighting for the championship anಞd all I had to𒀰 do is get what I could get.
It's true that I was really nervous but I had been waiting😼 for that moment all y📖ear so it also felt really good.
wuqian0821.com:
Did you have any expectations?
Niki Tuuli:
As I said, I was nervous but didn't feeℱl any pressure for results, I just had to go o🎃ut and do what I could.
Just from testing and practise we knew that if I handled things right a podium would be p☂ossible so there was a lot of motivation so perhaps I can say that our plan was a podium and I got that.
Of course WSS has very strong competition and even though I knew the bike was good, getting that podiumꦜ surprised me a bit. As I rode the race though, even the win seemed possible.
At the moment our Yamaha🎉 see🐎ms to be every bit as good as the Kawasaki and MV and if you asked me I would say that it's the best bike in WSS.
wuqian0821.com:
As someone riding their first race that season and not fighting for the championship, did you feel any pressure to n🦩ot get in people's was and show some respect?
Niki Tuuli:
Oh that's easy - maximum attack at all times!
I really enjoy racing against rider🍨s like Kenan though, beating𝓡 him would really mean something.
wuqian0821.com:
In theꦍ last race it looked as if🐟 the win was possible - was that you being sensible and taking whatever place you could or didn't you have the pace?
Niki Tuuli:
Kenan was actually very strong in the last 2 laps and I was also really keen to take my podium so I felt that it was better to 🤪finish the last race of the season on the podium than in the gravel trap. Missing a geꦜar in the last 2 laps also helped that decision.
wuqian0821.com:
Has your career changed 🎶after those 𒁃impressive race performances?
Niki Tuuli:
Yes, maybe a little. I'm contacted more♔ by the media and enjoy d♋oing interviews like this one but I wish my English was better. I think I will have to do some learning to prepare for 2017 to do better interviews then.
wuqian0821.com:
...and what is happening in 2017?
Niki Tuuli:
Well, it will be so much easier because we will have a Yamaha supported team and new bikes - we'll have the old model first and get t🎃he new♚ one from the European rounds. Kallio racing will be the officially supported Yamaha team.
I'll be riding a full season ꧅in WSS so♐ with the extra support, people and new bikes our target has to be the championship
wuqian0821.com:
But your contract is with Kallio racing right?
Niki Tuuli:
Yes.
wuqian0821.com:
Past WSS Yamaha champions have included Sam Lowes, Chaz Davies and Cal Crꦺutchlow - which do you see as a model for your career?
Niki Tuuli:
I think Sam Lowes, I remember watching hi🔯s riding and really being impressed. My target is Moto2 in the same way that he did it.
wuqian0821.com:
...an🎉d how about your current sisu♊ [Finnish spirit] level.
Niki Tuuli:
oh very high!
wuqian0821.com:
Thanks Niki
Niki Tuuli:
Thanks.
