Mika Kallio has some big shoes to fill. Being a Finnish motorsport star usually means F1 or Rally and Mika is the first successful Finn on two wheels in over thirty years. Before him the 1970s were the most successful period for Finnish riders with legend Jarno Saarinnen winning the 250cc title in '72 before his untimely death in 1973. The last Finnish GP win before Mika was back in 1975, gained by Pentti Korhonen who was appropriately nicknamed the Flying Finn - just like Mika is today.
After a spectacular switch from Honda to KTM in the middle of the 2003 season, Mika remained faithful to the Austrian brand for six seasons, finishing runner-up in 125cc twice and third in 250cc last season. Now he'll tackle the MotoGP class and maybe he can become the new Finnish legend on two wheels.
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