Toni Gardemeister - Suzuki SX4 WRC - Tonigardemeister.com

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Toni Gardemeister, professional rally driver
- Date of Birth: 31.03.1975
- Place of Residence: Monaco
- Marrital status: Dating
- First rally: 1993
- First WRC-event: 1996 Jyväskylän Suurajot (WRC Finland)
- WRC-events in total: 98 (at the begining of January 2008)
- Best results: Finnish Champion 1997 / 2nd in Monte Carlo, Greece and Corsica 2005

Toni Gardemeister is a second generation rally driver. He was born into a family which loved motorsport and was raised by motorsport vehicles surrounding his home back yard. The driver was not Toni - it was his father who has been hobbying rally since 1970.

Young master got his first karting car at the age of four in 1979. Toni's father raised his son to become a motorsport driver and teached him f.ex how to drive in sideways. At the age of seven in 1983 Toni got his first karting car which was highly tuned and very competitive. However circulating in same track was not the thing for him as he was more interested in driving a rally car on ice with his father.

Years went by as Toni seeked his limits f.ex by challenging his father on ice track. At the age of twelve in 1987 Toni was first time faster than his father. In puberty Toni tried f.ex two wheels driving and rally cross. However he retired rally cross shortly due the reason that he was always left behind in the starts and he could not drive as he wanted to do.

After Toni gained drivers licence in 1993 he found himself behind the steering wheel of Opel Ascona rally car. He was about to enter his first rally event which he finished in a victorious way. First seasons went by hobbying without pressures of success. In third season Toni was still in his own class - a dream of professional rally career got started. At the end of season 1995 Timo Jouhki who is the Godfather for Finnish Rally drivers contact Toni to step him up into international rally arenas.

A co-operation with Jouhki started at season 1996 and is still continuing strong. By over 150 rally experience Gardemeister is a familiar sight in WRC as a rally driver and in Finnish rallies as a spectator. Even Toni is a very busy guy, he is a active rally spectator in Finnish national rallies for supporting young drivers to reach their dreams. Rallying is a way of life for Toni.

Tomi Tuominen, co-driver
- Date of Birth: 8.11.1971
- Place of residence: Lohja
- Family relations: married, one daughter
- First rally : 1991 100-Rally Karjaa (Toni Lindqvist, Lancia Delta Integrale gr.N)
- First WRC-rally: 1999 WRC Finland (Esa Saarenpää, VW Golf KitCar)
- Best results: Double Finnish Rally Co-driver Champion as for Sebastian Lindholm (2004 & 2006)

"Rally is in my blood"

Tomi is a natural born rally co-driver. His mother (Lea) was a co-driver in 60'ies and she also did some rallies behind the steering wheel. His father (Timo Tuominen) started rallying also as a co-driver in 60'ies and is still continuing his career as a co-driver. Lea has been a co-driving for f.ex Eeva Heinonen, Marjatta Aaltonen and Taru Ketonen. Timo has been a co-driver for f.ex Harri Väänänen, Sampsa Junnila, Saku Vierimaa and Juha Miettinen. Nowadays Timo is a co-driver for Jukka Westerback in Finnish historic rallies.

Tomi started co-driving with his friend Toni Lindqvist at 1991 with group-N Lancia Integrale which was owned by Saku Vierimaa. During the seasons Tomi has been co-driving for several rally drivers. His best results are from seasons 2004 and 2006 at the times when he won titles of Finnish Rally Co-Drivers Champion as a co-driver for Sebastian Lindholm.

First event for Tomi with Toni Gardemeister was in summer 2007 at Italy as they won GT-class in 1000 Miglia rally. Second event was Finnish Rally Championship event in the region of Kouvola. Again they were fastest, but this time in group-F with BMW M3. For few occasions Tomi has also tried his skills behind the steering wheel. Tomi has also experience from few circuit races.

- I think it is very vital that co-driver has also experience behind the steering wheel. This way co-driver understands his driver how and when he wants his notes to be read, Tuominen tells.

Tomi is a familiar sight in motorsport scene also without driving suit. He has been a commentator for Formula 1 events for three years. Recently he has done WRC-television shows for Finnish national television.