Roope Kurkipää | Racing Prodigy

On-Track Summary

Kurkipää has natural skill and zero fear. With more track experience and coaching, Kurkipää is likely to harness his ability more and become even quicker and more consistent. From the drop of the green flag, Kurkipää was flying, but was a little wild in comparison to his main competitors such as Thomas Bellemin. This will come with a little more experience and purposeful coaching. Kurkipää is one of the most naturally gifted in the field.

Off-Track Summary

Kurkipää’s great attitude and willingness to learn, even given his natural instinct, improves his long-term potential as a great asset for a race team. Most racers who share Kurkipää’s skill sets are hard to break through to because they are a “feeling” driver. So trying to communicate with them about inputs can be hard cause they don’t know exactly what they are doing on track; they just do it. But Kurkipää wanted to understand and ask questions despite this, which speaks volumes to his high potential.

Bio

Living in Kangasala, Finland, Kurkipää just finished “Lukio”, which is the Finnish high school or upper secondary school. Studying has been a priority for me and I got the best grade from physics, chemistry and mathematics and the second best grade from English, Finnish and Biology. I will study Automation Engineering in Tampere University next year after I finish my military service, where I will be driving a military fuel truck in Air Forces. Racing and cars has always been my passion. I have been racing in real life for 10 years now and I have played racing games for even longer. I have never really had the success I deserve although I have gotten very close. For example, I was running in third overall in my last legends cars race last year when I got taken out. My cars and karts have also always been used ones so it has been difficult for me to fight on the top when the equipment has been pulling me back. As a person I am calm, friendly and willing to help anyone. I am analytical but I still drive more based on the feeling I have in car. I like endurance and multi-class racing and when I race I’m always trying to lose as little time as possible and finish the race and not send it every time there is an opportunity. Before Racing Prodigy, I had given up on the dream of becoming a professional racing driver and I was thinking of racing as a hobby. Now I have the chance to make my dreams true and I am doing everything I can to achieve them.

Racing History

2014-15: Micro class kart; 2017: SJM karting (Raket 95); 2018-19: IAME Series Finland/Nordic/Baltic (X30 Jr); 2020: IAME Series Finland (X30 Sr); 2021-23: Finn Legends Cars Champ; 2023: Historic Grand Race (Corvette C4); 2024 Euro Fun Cup