Our navigationsystem kept us going, as it calculated our traveling time left to be in Malmö in time for our last stop on the Tour The wednesday Night Street Race on Meca Raceway, which is a project, realized by the city of Malmö together with the enthusiast Car Clubs and companies in the racebusiness. Many cities around Europe, could and should take example of this. It is the worlds only permanent 201 m ( 1/ 8 mile ) dragstrip, and is now used every wednesday evening for racing, during summer season. Malmö, had a wery bad reputation and statistic in illegal street racing, and this was one of the rasons, why the idea of a permanent strip was born. In the outside of Malmö, in an industrial zone, the right place was found, in order to realize this unique track, which this first summer, has been proved to be in a wery hectic use, all wednesday evenings and in some weekends too. As a result, illegal racing in the Malmö area, has dropped almost to zero !

We left Risto and Virpi behind us , as they where travelling later with ferry from Rostock to Finland, and we drove fast thru Hamburg area and Denmark, and found it wery nice to meet up again with Toni & Mari, Jani & Mika, who we met at a gasstation near Copenhagen. After driving the 8 km bridge from Copenhagen to Malmö, we stopped at the first exit, where our dear friend from Skåne, Kristian, met us with his friends. Kristian, had earlier this summer prooved his skills in drifting and handeling cars on Alastaro Racetrack, and now we had the pleasure of spending an evening together, with Street Racing.

Kristians friend Razvan surprised us with a ultra cool red Tuned Supra, and together we shared the pleasure of entering the Street Racing community for a special Euro Tour parking, and taking part of the racing, going on for the wednesday evening . As sun was setting, various spectacular race and street cars from Southern Sweden and Denmark, hit the track, burned tires and set a time on the tracks timingsystem. We saw wery interesting cars of various styles, and some fast times. For instance an old VW Beetle with kompressor and aluminuim block from Brazil got our special attention, driving low 7 second passes.

Also the tuning cars where fast, but the american cars and bikes where this time the fastest. Especially a small Nova Station wagon performed wheel stands and passes in low 6 seconds.Over all the evening was wery interesting and pleasent, as the cars on hand represented everything from american Drag cars to bikes, Tuning cars, Hot Rods and Classical old and sport cars. As we checked in for a Hotel for the night in Malmö, talk at the nightbar was still going on, around the Skyline and the old VW Buss, with a 911 Porsche technique, rollcage, and 3 racechairs in the front cabin. Its always amazing, what can be completed and built, according to swedish laws. But further than that, You need to have the knowledge, the experience and the visionary inspiration to do something over the normal, and that, is something Vikings are known for.

GTi Magny Cours represented an ocean of cool fantasy creations in colours and bodymodifications from Spain to England, but to be honest, in the cars of the vikings, You will usually also find the interesting technique and the raw power. Street Racing in Malmö was the optimal ending to an unforgettable, almost 2 weeks travel on the road. On way home, we passed Mantorp strip, and could feel the power of Nitro competitions going on, and saw many Hot Rods on the roads, as we drove the last km to Stockholm, to enter the Viking ferry, and once again enjoy the culinarities of the Scandinavian "Smörgåsbord". Back in Finland, we were again after a breake, met by rain, rain and exceptional rain for this summer. The grey every day life did not bother, cause our mind where filled with experiences, memories and plans for next Tour.

After a week of hard driving and lots of experiences, and much organizing, it felt wery good to slow down a bit. While 3 of the tourcars already had to leave for home, 2 others left to enjoy holiday in Italy, and Toni and Mari in the Porsche and Jani and Marco in the BMW , choosed to keep on speeding autobahn and enjoy shopping in Basel, we choosed, to stay one more night in romantic old Nevers. Risto and Virpi, with Celica, who originally had planned to leave for Austria, also thought it was a good idea, to slow down, and in the morning we choosed everything but the big motor roads, we choosed the small roads of France to head North. To enjoy driving theese roads You need to not be in a hurry, instead it´s good with some extra time for pauses to stop in the small beautifull villages for a cup of cappuccino or experiencing old churches and castles, and the atmosphere of the old village..

Between the small villages, we experienced breath taking views from never ending fields to massive woods. Here, in the middle of nowwhere, You can really get a grip on all You have experienced on the way, and still with a hunger enjoy to see what You will find over the next hill, after next little turn and what to see and experience in next little village. It feels in a way, like time has stopped, stress has lost its meaning. You do not need to watch out for the trucks on the road, or watch Your tail, when somebody passes You in 200 kilometers or more. Here, if You park along the road, it´s completely quit, not a sole in sight, except in the villages, where life usually is found around a restaurant, or at the market place.

Our matt black Spicy ( New Beetle ) and Ristos and Virpis shiny Celica made their way through the backroads of France in to city of Verdun, where to our surprice, we found more than old historic sights. Our dear friend, our Magellan navigationsystem, found the optimal place for to end the touristic day and spend the evening; a Texas Grill Bar and a good hotel. In the morning, we found out, the city has played a major roll in frensh history, not only in old times, but also in World War One. Despite bombing and destruction, a big part of the town had been saved, and now the historical bridges and roads lead the way for two Viking Tuning cars to pass by. It was fun, where ever we stopped in the villages, Risto always put on a show with his neat Celica, who got lots of interest, both by Young and old people.

Before moving on, we found this old church, Notre Dame, where we lighted a candle a gave a thought for the dead and sick, and everything going on, home in Finland. We also found the authentic bict chairs, that we had to test and where we got our consious cleared about slightly speeding elsewhere than on German autobahns..... and making so many U-turns, on our way.

We continued in to the woods of Luxembourg, where we managed to find a place we wanted to visit. We met Christophe, who is quite experienced and specialized in special cars lowering technique. We saw interesting solutions of hydraulics and airsuspension with huge chrome wheels, making of special aluminium parts and for the moment, it will not be said, what future ideas where discussed. But it is likely, that we have reason to return to Luxembourg, not only for cheap gasoline, food and other shopping items ? At this point , we where to choose our next road, based on our upcoming timeschedule. We wanted to visit a racetrack in Belgium, but becuase of the tight schedule, we entered Germany again, and found our way to an really legendary track, the Nurnburg Ring. We where lucky to be so in time, that we got a feeling of the track and the atmosphere, as the factory teams in the sunset, where building up the pit village for next weekends DTM racees. Because of the DTM, Bonn area Hotels where so full, we had to drive to Essen, to find a hotel for the night.

Friday in Frankfurt was beautiful and hot. No problem for the Vikings, who after a rainy summer enjoyed the heat and the sun. We waited for the cruísenight and nightdrive to start, and while waiting, we detailed and prepared our cars on our Hotel yard. Car detailing went on for 4-5 hours, and cars looked better than ever. So we went to our favorite romantic restaurant, to wait for our cruise night host, Andrea, to arrive, and while waiting, we ordered some juicy steaks to our table. Suddenly in a matter of approx. 30 minutes the heat and the nice weather was changed. Black clouds appeared on the sky, and rain started to pour down. We sat in the garden, under a big tent, so we thought, we were safe, but before we even got our first chew, a huge thunderstorm swept over us. Suddenly, lightning stroke down, only 50 meters from our table, and in a few seconds, 16 tour members had moved to inside tables to continue eating. It seamed weird, that after 5 hours of polishing cars, rain seemed to be our reward.

We waited some 2 hours, and the rain was gone, and Andrea arrived in her unique and beatifully styled Mustang to escort us to the cruise night. On the way, we realized, that the whole Frankfurt was totally up side down, as the hard rain had caused the river to overflow. Fire department drove across the town from one place to another, while we lined up at Hannover Strasses cruising night place. Athmosphere was good, and especially Risto got as expected lots of attention with the neons, the lambodorrs, the big hifisystem and the Nos system, Tony with his detailed Porsche and Ari with his show appealed Corrado. Also Markos Vectra had now found true appreciation, as the Germans immediteately saw through the flake paint, that Markos Vectra was not an normal Vectra, but changed from a 4 door version to a slick 2 door Coupe.We met a lot of interesting new friends. Stephen from USA ( working for Army media broadcasting in Frankfurt ), with his unique styled Mitsubishi 3000 ( who will attend this autumns Gumball run with this car ), X with his unique Toyota AE86, and Alex with his Omega and Claes with the famous Rockford Fosgate Golf, who where going to join us for the night drive to Magny Cours.Claes had made a nice surprice for the whole tour group. He knew by experience, hoiw it is after a week on the road, so he had prepared a Rockford sac to all participants with a new frech shirt to wear. Wery appreciated, Claes.

The Frankfurt cruise night is on every friday night, and consists of interesting local tuning & styling cars. Like Eurocruising in Helsinki, cars line up for show, but it happens, that later in the night cars leave for another destination, to challenge their friends in an ex tempore street race ( No good drag strip in frankfurt area for Youth to drive on ! ).

We gathered our troops and left town around midnight, with destination Magny Cours. Again, on the road, we where rewarded with more rain, and everybody was eager to drive autobahn as fast as possible to get out of the rain. After several stops for drinks, toilet, gas, coffee, energydrinks and snacks it was getting light and rained stop, as we entered a really small highway crossing a mountain that lead to City of Nevers, 10 min from magny Cours race track.Some of our tourmemebers was feeling tired around 5 in the morning, and needed a 15 min sleeping pause in between, but our new tourmember Claes kept the good feeling and the speed up with the fantastic sound of the Golfs R 32 engine and the Rockford Fosgates soundsystem.

We arrived GTi meet pretty early in the morning,( 9 am) but obviously not enough, because the carlines to the Magny Cours area was massive. And we were guided first around the camping field, and we were in a big need of car wash, after the night drive in rain. To our surprice we found no other carwash in the place than a 2 m hard plastic hose, where cold water could be used to wash the wheels of the car. Could this be possible ? 10.000 of cars, and such a primitive carwash ? We managed to get a basic wash and headed for a carplace, where we made our viking camp, toatally exhausted. After a finnish coffebreak and as sun come out, we got new energy, and started to explore the huge site of Magny Cours and GTi Tuning International.

What a party for Your eyes and senses ! So many wild and cool fantasy cars, and customisations with lots of usage of mixture with wild colours, both in exterior and interior. So many cool cars, on the main stage daredevil race activities, a whole village with Tuning and Hifi, another racetrack with street racing and so little time. Time went by fast, we met Sebastian and among new friends, our dear old friend, Phillippe, and enjoyed the sun and + 36 degree weather, lots of cold drinks and the party atmosphere in the air. Suddenly, some of our tour cars where asked for photo shootings for magazines, and finally the whole group ended up in this activity, as the day was getting to an end, sun was getting down, and almost everybody could feel a slight tireness after last nights drive and a hectic day. To end the day in a nice way, we found our hotel, checked in and sat down in the garden restaurant for some food and beer. At the same time we had a good view of the cruising going on in and out of Nevers. And You can be sure of the fact that our nightsleep, despite sunburned tan, felt soo good...

In the morning, we found a carwash near the hotel, got our cars totally finished and came to the area a bit earlier than the day before. Now, things looked even brighter, as we found out that GTi organisator had reserved a special place for our Viking Tour members.We rolled into the big Magny Cours Village, parked for show, and stárted to take part of the show and programme. Before ending the showday, we took a farvel of 3 of our tourcars and their pilots, who had to leave earlier for home 2 other had planned to leave for holiday in Italy, and left driving in the other direction, while rest of us stayed to watch the end of the show. We also met Heikki from Finland, who travelled fast with Sannas Pug, just in for the weekend in Magny Cours. And our new friends from Denmark, Björn and Lasse had been struggeling hard with their project car since Belgium show.

Some problems had been overcome, and after they choosed to use the campground, they were so tired that it was almost hard to understand, that it was announced, that their matt black airride Peugeot 206 was chosen to be among the Top 20 !!! What a joy, what a happy way of ending the #1 Tour to Magny Cours. The Vikings did not come to Magny Cours without a reason. The barbarians from North, had now a trophy besides all travelling memories and stories, to take with them home, to show around and enjoy.

In Frankfurt we got a tremendous help of Andrea Pinkerton, from Sema, who helped us with lots of things, like quit and good hotel. And in the morning of Thursday, we went out on the road, again, now heading for a wery known tuning industry, Folia Tec, in Nurnburg.

On the way, Alex, joined in the tour near Frankfurt with his wery beautiful Gold Opel Omega STW. We got a warm welcome, and cool drinks where appreciated in the only hotter weather that now, was a fact. After a factory and showroom tour, we stoped at a store for some shopping and also in the center of the old towns castles for some coffee brakes and other shopping. As we got to know Alex more, it became clear that we had a total Opel Specialist within the tourgroup. He was specialized in Manta etc older model, and ownes 25 Opels ! and also runs a Tuningstore near Frankfurt.

We left Alex for the night to catch up with him on Fridays cruising and nightdrive to Magny Cours. Back in Frankfurt Minna and Juha had found the perfect romantic restaurant, where under a bright nightsky with stars we sat in the garden enjoying juicy rump steaks and cold German beer in t - shirts and shorts, Friday is now on, and we have visited a truelly interesting German Tuner,Haico, who are specialized in Volvo Tuning. Also a new finish team stoped by, as participants where washing cars.

Tommi Kaukua, from Helsinki had been driving nonstop his Airride Audi A4, and stopped to say hello, as they hurried on for camping on Magny Cours. Its now Friday afternoon, and we have soon been a week on the road together. We have had lots of fun, together on the road, on the stops and on the communication radios between the cars, and it feels like we have become like a family, in a way.

We are now getting us ready in all ways for the big step. First, we detail our cars and then we will be escorted to Frankfurts own Cruisenight, from where we will be performing a night drive from Frankfurt to France and Magny Cours. It is left to be seen who will we see and meet, who will join us, and what will happen. Story coninues after Magny Cours....

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