Mullilahden Monako FK-rata

In Sastamala, in the Pirkanmaa region, the Mullilahden Monako is an outdoor asphalt karting track of around five hundred and seventy metres. It is run by the karting section (FK) of a local motorsport club, which had the layout surfaced in the late nineteen-nineties, right next to an amateur racing track. So you drive here on a real asphalt circuit, in the atmosphere of a club run by volunteers rather than a commercial centre.

Karting is practised both for leisure and competition, with deliberately modest daily fees. It is the kind of track where local drivers come to train regularly and where beginners can get started cheaply, in a supervised setting. As often in Finland, opening follows the warm season and the club calendar, so it is best to check before setting off.

Sastamala is a municipality in western Pirkanmaa, formed around the old town of Vammala, in a region of rivers, lakes and forests typical of inland Finland. Tampere, the region's main city, is not far, nor are the coastal towns of neighbouring Satakunta. The quiet surrounding countryside rounds off a day of karting nicely, and the short but technical layout suits anyone wanting to work on their lines with friends. About an hour from Tampere, it is a sporting stop easy to combine with a visit to the nearby city. The short, winding layout rewards consistency more than power, which makes it a good learning ground.