Jari Aulis Mäkinen (born 13 June 1990) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Finland.[1][2] He earned 1 cap for the Finland national speedway team.[3]

Jari Mäkinen
Born (1990-06-13) 13 June 1990 (age 34)
Hämeenkyrö, Finland
NationalityFinnish
Career history
Great Britain
2008Mildenhall Fen Tigers
2009Somerset Rebels
2012Leicester Lions
2013Ipswich Witches
Sweden
2015Vargarna
Individual honours
2014Finnish National Champion
2007Finnish Under-21 Champion

Career

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Born in Hämeenkyrö, Mäkinen took up speedway at the age of eight. He has ridden for several teams in Sweden (including current team Rospiggarna), Poland, and Denmark. In the UK for Mildenhall Fen Tigers in 2008 and the Premier League for Somerset Rebels in 2009.[4][5][6] In November 2011 he signed with Leicester Lions[7] for the 2012 Premier League season. He joined Ipswich Witches in 2013 but was dropped early in the season.

Mäkinen won the Finnish Under-21 Championship in 2007.[4]

In 2014 Makinen decided to sit out the UK season and concentrate on his racing commitments in Sweden and his native Finland which proved to be the right decision as his reduced schedule helped him become the national champion of Finland after winning the Finnish Individual Speedway Championship in 2014.[8]

In 2015 Makinen again rode only in Sweden and Finland while trying to secure a reserve berth in the F.I.M Finnish Grand Prix as well as defending his national title.

References

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  1. ^ "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  2. ^ "JMS Jari Mäkinen Speedway - Rekisteritiedot". Suomen Asiakastieto. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Makinen Signs for Rebels", speedwaygb.co, 27 August 2009, retrieved 2011-11-18
  5. ^ "Allsvensk stjärna klar för Rospiggarna", unt.se, 16 November 2011, retrieved 2011-11-18
  6. ^ "Rebels edged out in Young Shield thriller", thisissomerset.co.uk, 8 October 2009, retrieved 2011-11-18
  7. ^ "Leicester Lions sign King's Lynn Jari Makinen on loan". BBC. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Individual Finnish Championship". Historia Sportu Zuzlowego. Retrieved 12 January 2023.