(QQ, Summer 2002) — Colleen and I left an unusually warm St. Paul on 15 February bound for the little town of Enontekio in Finland, about 200km inside the arctic circle, for what was to be a trip of a lifetime (although it may just be the first of a few!) Yes our friends thought that we were extremely weird, why would anyone living in Minnesota go somewhere even colder for a vacation in February? Many of them will never understand, but then most of them believe that driving is what you do to work and back every day! After a brief stop in Amsterdam we arrived in a cold and gloomy Helsinki on Sunday afternoon (a day early so that we could be over the jet lag by the time we got to drive).

Monday was another cool and gloomy day in Helsinki, but we were on a sightseeing mission so despite the dense fog and light drizzle we explored many of the historical landmarks. Getting around Helsinki was easy using public transport and for $2.50 for a day pass it was also a great deal! Our initial concerns about communicating across the language barriers quickly disappeared as we discovered that almost everyone in Helsinki spoke English in addition to Finnish and Swedish. Apparently children are taught all three languages at school, and then have the choice of attending either Finnish or Swedish universities in Finland. Another interesting fact is that all education (including university) is free for Finnish citizens.

At 4 PM on Monday afternoon we met the rest of the Quattro Club group (eight in all) at the hotel for a bus tour of Helsinki. We were surprised to see John Lloyd and Bennie Chong, both of whom we had met on a previous trip to Seefeld, Austria. On the bus tour we saw many of the sights that we had seen in a more leisurely way during the day, and although the stops were very short we did get the complete history of the sights revealed to us by our guide. After the tour most of the group were ready for a good nights sleep, so the first group dinner was delayed till later.

Tuesday morning we flew north to Kittila to be met at the airport by 1979 European Rally Champion, Klaus Joachim Kleint (Jochi for short). I did not recognize him but when he introduced himself the name rang a huge bell. When we lived in South Africa, rally driving received extensive coverage in the media and I loved watching the sport on TV. Jochi often featured in the coverage as he and his navigator Frans Boshoff performed extremely well in their Nissan in South African rallies. Talk about a small world, Colleen's sister actually dated Frans Boshoff for quite some time! Needless to say we had a long conversation on the bus reminiscing about South Africa and the 'good old days' over smoked reindeer sandwiches and beer, to the point that by the time we reached the reindeer farm Jochi was ready to take the next flight to South Africa.

At the reindeer farm we were met by Tommy, dressed in a colorful full traditional 'lappie' outfit including boots made entirely of reindeer skin. Tommy allowed pairs of us to take a reindeer sleigh for a ride around the field, although some of us almost did not get to ride since the combined weight of Richard and Benny in a sleigh almost destroyed one of the reindeer! It was also our first taste of the cold, which was exacerbated by a strong wind. After the ride we proceeded to the welcome interior of a teepee, in the center of which a raging fire was burning to warm us up. A teepee in Finland is somewhat different to the American Indian concept of a teepee in that this was a fairly large low structure that easily accommodated our group. We also got further confirmation that it is not only Santa Claus that has uses for reindeer, these animal are good for making reindeer skin boots, smoked reindeer sandwiches and of course reindeer stew which was served for lunch. Before leaving we were each presented with a 'Reindeer Drivers License', with Richard and Benny getting a special 'Abnormal Load Certification' added to theirs.

Then it was back on the bus for the final leg of our journey on the ice covered roads of Lapland. It is quite amazing how stable a bus can be on these roads with studded tires. We learnt that we would be joined later that evening by a group of eleven Hungarian participants, and Oliver! This was a time of crisis for Colleen since she knew Oliver only as 'Oliver the Terrible', who rips off his gloves and jumps on them out of frustration when students do not get it! After checking in at Hotel Hetta, we arrived in our room to a great surprise from the Audi team, beautiful Audi Driving Experience parkas and winter hats laid out on the beds! (and they were the right size as well, too smart these Germans!) We were to meet the Hungarians (and Oliver…) at dinner in a few hours, so we wandered off to the pub for a drink. Colleen hid behind a pillar when she recognized Oliver sitting at the bar, and I literally had to drag her to where he was sitting. I still do not know who was more surprised, although Colleen's little scream did catch Oliver off guard! Oliver promised to be patient with her and after a drink or two all was well. We also met the rest of the Audi team, Claudia the organiser, Alex and Christoff the technicians.

Wednesday started with a theory session presented by Oliver in English and German (and translated into Hungarian on the fly by one of the Hungarian participants). Oliver explained at great length how every movement of the car made could be explained using the friction circle. The more times you here this the more it seems to sink in! This time we would experience it in a very real manner, since every time you forgot you were very likely to have to call Risto on the radio and ask for help. After this it was off to the ice for some practical exercises. Each pair of drivers were given a virtually new dolphin gray A4 3.0L quattro equipped with leather Recaro sport seats with Alcantara center inserts (including the extendable center sections). These seats would prove to be very comfortable and extremely adept at holding one in place over in the next few days. (Thanks to Audi North America you cannot get these as an option in the US A4s) The cars were also equipped with studded tires since we would be driving on a frozen lake for the next four and a half days.

The group of nineteen drivers was split into two groups, those who could speak English and those who could not. Each group of five cars then proceeded to their assigned exercise area. Our first exercise was the slalom where the objective was to maneuver the car as quickly as possible around a series of five cones , make a U-turn, repeat the maneuver on the way back and then stop in a garage demarcated by cones. To successfully complete the exercise required the use of power in the straight line between the cones, then backing off the power (thereby transferring weight to the front wheels), using the weight in the front to turn the car to the point that the back end starts to come around, and then accelerating once again (moving weight to the back wheels again) to stabilize the car for the straight line to the next island. Easy, right! Not so in practice though, it takes a delicate touch to get the maneuver feeling like a ballet rather than a bad roller coaster ride! Just ask a one of the Hungarian drivers who got his car to mount a two-foot snow bank on the way to the garage! It took Risto about ten minutes to dig him out. Oliver and company introduced an element of competition by timing everyone's last run. My last run was a disaster and I destroyed about five cones in the U-turn area, so I sneaked in another run setting a time of 42.2 seconds, enough to put me in the top five.

For the next exercise we moved on to the oval course, where we would explore the use of power slides to get around hairpin corners. This time we would drive down the straight section accelerating to about 50 km/h and continue accelerating to an early apex, at which point we would very quickly get off the gas. This would cause a very sudden transfer of between 100 to 150 pounds of weight from the rear to the front of the car causing the rear to break into an over-steer situation, but the trick now was to not counter-steer. Just before the car is pointing parallel to the next straight section (and straight at the snow bank on the inside of the corner!), smooth but quick application of gas would shift the weight back to the rear, helping the studs to bite into the ice and keep the car facing toward the exit of the corner with all four wheels spinning and drifting towards the edge of the track! All the while your natural instincts are screaming 'counter-steer, stabilize the car!', but this is rally style driving and you have to get you instincts to shut up, or at minimum ignore them. Failure to do so would require Risto and his tractor to pay you a visit! It was not as simple as this though, at the other end of the oval we would enter the corner in much the same way, but a little quicker and then gently apply brake pressure to make the car over-steer and come out of the corner facing in the direction of the straight section. By the end of the allotted time I had performed a few successful executions, but a lot more practice was required.

After lunch the 'island slalom' was our next exercise. It was much like the former slalom, except this time there were five islands of four cones each and they were spaced a lot closer than before. Lots of use of over-steer and acceleration was required to negotiate these in a series of 'figure of eight' patterns.

Our next visit to the oval was execute the Scandinavian Flick, where you enter the corner on the wrong side (the inside) then steer progressively to the outside and once you are there a quick steering input towards the inside of the corner destabilizes the car into over-steer. Then again using mainly the throttle you power slide the car around the corner. Getting this maneuver right was quite simply the greatest thrill of all! Rally drivers perform this maneuver effortlessly and it looks extremely cool, but doing it yourself is the coolest thing of all!

After this the two groups were set loose on two separate 'parcours' (Road Courses) as Oliver called them. We went to 'parcours one' first, this was a one mile course with about twenty corners ranging from tight hairpins to long sweepers. We started off slowly trying to memorize the corners as best we could, then experimenting with the various techniques that we had 'perfected' in the morning to see which worked best for each particular corner. All too soon the sun started hovering low in the sky, it was time to call it a day, and we were still far from flying round the course. We had already required the services of Risto and his tractor twice. Luckily there were three and a half more days left to get it right!

That evening we all got fitted with snow mobile suits and helmets for two reasons. Firstly we were going for dinner at a little lodge in the woods that evening, and the only way to get there was by snowmobile. Secondly we were going on a snowmobile expedition the next morning or afternoon (ten people each session). There was a third reason too, it was damn cold (10° F) and there was a wicked wind blowing. We left for dinner on three sleds each of which seated eight, towed by the snowmobiles. They took us on a trail through dense forest and after about twenty minutes brought us to a small lodge (we only just fitted in). A huge fire and some extremely potent local schnapps warmed us up (yes we had seconds). We were treated to an amazing salmon dinner, and entertained by a local lappie dressed in full traditional dress. He explained the history and significance of all his pieces of clothing, and then sang a traditional lappie song. Then it was back through the cold forest and back to the hotel. It was during this trip that Colleen and I decided we would skip the snowmobile trip the next day and rather enjoy the comfort of A4s on the lake, it was just too cold (plus we needed more driving practice!).

Next morning while the Hungarians headed off into the cold with their snowmobiles, we jumped into the pre-heated A4s (courtesy of the Audi team) and headed for the ice. Sunrise and sunset seems to last forever up in Lapland, it takes about thirty minutes from the time the sun first appears till when it clears the horizon. Eight-thirty we were on the ice and the sun was still rising, even though it had been light for about an hour already. Today we were on 'parcours 2 - short', a two mile course with over thirty corners, again spanning the full range of corner types. We were learning all over again! This course was wider and faster with longer straight sections and some gentler (and trickier!) corners. Trying to remember the corners (and how you approached them last time) was becoming increasingly difficult. My natural instinct to correct over-steer jumped in all too often and interfered with the successful completion of a lap. Colleen and I would complete four laps (about twenty minutes) before switching drivers and then sometimes whoever was not driving would relax in the lodge for a while between drives. Driving required intense concentration and sometimes you just had to get out of the car and rest, or you would find yourself in a snow bank calling Risto and his tractor. In the afternoon a few of the American group went on the snowmobile trip but we continued driving, alternating between courses one and two. By the end of the day we were starting to feel comfortable with both courses, but this was not to last very long.

Friday morning we arrived on the ice to find a new and extended course two. It was now almost four miles long with fifty- six corners! After the customary parade lap to show us the course we were once again left to our own devices. That being said, Oliver or Jochi were always available to help - all we had to do was ask. Needless to say Risto and his tractor were pretty busy Friday morning! By lunchtime we were starting to get it, then after lunch came a new twist. We were given a lecture on the basics of writing and interpreting rally pace notes, the notes that rally drivers' navigators use to tell the driver what to expect next. Later that afternoon each driver would be given one opportunity to drive around course two in the opposite direction to what we had been doing so far, and dictate pace notes to our co-drivers who would then carefully write these down. The co-drivers were then afforded the same opportunity, after which we were allowed to test each set of pace notes by driving twice around the course and making any modifications if required. After dark we would return again to the ice, this time driving against the clock in a night rally team competition! The sum of the two drivers' times to complete one lap would be used to determine which team won. Did I mention that there would be no tractor on duty? Yep, no tractor on duty, so any team that got stuck would be disqualified and would have to hitch a ride back to the hotel since the car would stay on the ice till Saturday morning.

Before dinner, we visited Risto's Snow Castle. Risto may be the tractor guy on the ice, but at the Snow Castle he is King! Every year he builds a spectacular Snow Castle complete with bedrooms, bathrooms, restaurant, bar and chapel. Tables, chairs, night stands, water beds, toilets and bathtubs are carved out of sheets of ice cut from the frozen lakes. Even shot glasses are carved in ice. Over ten thousand people visit Risto's creation each year, and Risto glowed with pride while he entertained us inside this work of art!

After dinner, each car left Hotel Hetta at a specified time, and was required to arrive at the start of the 'special stage' (course 2) within thirty seconds of a specified time. I got to drive first and we arrived at the line exactly on time. It had been snowing since we left the ice earlier that afternoon, causing snowdrifts to narrow the course and impair visibility. Oliver started us and we were off, Colleen reading the pace notes like a pro. Getting the timing right required some work since it was very easy to get ahead or behind the driver, not to mention lose your place in the notes which would effectively render them useless! We may as well have been driving the track for the first time; It was completely different in the high beams of the A4. Despite a few close calls, we reached the end. Then it was Colleen's turn. We once again sped around the course and safely reached the end. Then it was back to the hotel for the prize giving. Our American group did pretty well, with Richard and Benny taking third place, and Colleen and I taking fifth. Colleen and I both have a new found respect for rally drivers, it takes a lot of nerve and concentration to do this stuff, especially at night!

Next day was another day a driving the course in the same direction as we had been for the rally. The snow had continued falling through the night and the track was a lot narrower than before thanks to the snowdrifts. At one point Oliver was driving us around the track and we observed six of the nine cars stuck in the snow banks, with Risto rushing as fast as his tractor would allow him to free them all. Oliver of course very quickly got on the radio and advised them how ridiculous it was that only three cars were moving, without slowing down our car as he powered it through a hairpin with the radio in one hand and the steering in the other! It was another great day of driving, but sadly there was only one more morning of bliss left.

Saturday night we were in for another special treat. After dinner we drove out to a narrow forest road near the airport, where Jochi was waiting in a modified S4 equipped with some pretty extreme spiked rally tires. The S4 was also equipped with huge rally driving lights up front, a modified suspension, roll cage and rally seats with five point harnesses. Each of us had a turn to ride in the passenger seat with him as he navigated the winding, narrow, tree lined, snow covered road at extremely high speed. The huge headlights made it seem like daylight, and Jochi talked me through the route on the intercom system built into the helmets as we went barreling down the road. The car seemed to respond as if it was merely an extension of its own body, responding instantly to his every move. After this exhilarating drive, my own performance in the rally the night before paled into insignificance, and it was rather obvious that I would simply have to return next year for more training!

We returned to the hotel for our farewell gathering. One of the Hungarians 'treated' all of us to special Habanero Schnapps from Hungary. This stuff smelt wicked and I drank the toast cautiously, it was like home distilled moonshine combined with 'Hotter than Hell' chili sauce. Oliver was not as careful, and being a polite host he downed the entire shot glass full, and could hardly breath for a few minutes. He was also rather tipsy for the rest of the night, often crashing the simulated helicopter on his laptop into the ground. We were all presented with certificates and Audi Driving Experience chronograph watches as a farewell gift.

Next morning after packing we returned to the ice yet again. Today we would drive course two the other way round again, the Audi team knew just how to keep things interesting. To add a little spice to the last day, a helicopter appeared in the parking area on the lake, and in threes we were taken for an aerial tour of the course and Enontekio. The view of the track was quite amazing, especially watching the cars sliding their way around the corners. All too soon it was 11:30 AM and we made our way back to the hotel one last time to collect our baggage, bid the Audi team a fond farewell. 'Oliver the Terrible' had become 'Oliver the Patient One' and he even got a parting hug from Colleen! Then it was off to the single small building that was Enontekio Airport for the start of our long and painful journey back to reality.

This was truly an amazing event presented by Audi AG. If ever there was an event that was all about driving, this is it. There is no waiting, just driving! Colleen and I each drove in excess of three hours each day, and by the end of each day we were exhausted, exhilarated, and impatient for the next morning to arrive so that we could drive again. The oval, course one and course two were always open making over five miles of groomed course available to the nine cars at any time. I believe that even the ice racing associations in America could only wish for this much groomed ice to be available for their events. There is only one thing left to do…. Call Karen and secure two places for Colleen and I for the 2003 event!