A trip to Sweden.
A typical morning in the beautiful, calm of the Finnish countryside. The outskirts of Seinäjoki look really nice today, the sun was shining, green grass fields shined in the light, barely any traffic onto the dirt roads. The weather was a bit cooler than the previous days, however nothing to really worry about, the birds chirped as the day began for everyone. The few that were driving that day, were either calm pensioners, going to the lake, fishermen going to get their boats, the local convenience store owner with his little Japanese hybrid hatchback, all and all, a perfect scenery.
A scenery, that would get ruined, by a sound all too familiar to the experienced finns.
PERKELE!!!
Today was the faithful day, the Seinäjoki Speed Freaks would be finally traveling to Sweden, to take part in this fabled 24 Hour race, with their trusty czech sedan. And the scream, it was produced by none other than Akseli Vanhala, the team’s obsessive compulsive mechanic, screaming onto the phone. Why was he screaming onto the phone? We don’t know. He came in by truck, his dad’s GIFU flatbed truck, pretty worn out and used, being a septic truck back in the 90s by some man from Peräjärvi, before being converted to flatbed duties in the modern day. On the door of the truck, there was written “Amis Auto: Korjaamo, Tuning, Tiepalvelu”, meaning “Amis Auto: Repair Shop, Tuning, Roadside Assistance”. The old, worn out I6 with a ton of engine hours, was replaced with a powerful, diesel V8, and on the back of it, the team’s trusty Sedlak Silva, which would hopefully let them win. He was wearing the shop’s hoodie, with black cargo pants, sneakers and a watch.
Akseli: I knew it, I knew it! It’s day of departure and he’s late! Why am I friends with him! Haista vittu…
Meanwhile, inside of the house, someone was doing the fastest he could to hopefully get dressed in time for Akseli not to scream back at him. And that someone, was Jani Kyllonen, one of the team’s drivers, and clearly not someone who likes doing things on time. He was completely rushing it all, quickly putting on his flannel shirt, grabbing a 24 pack of Euroshopper for the road, he had even more in the backpack, and while sipping from one of the cans, he quickly ran out of the house, still fixing his hair.
Akseli was outside, tapping his watch as he gave a stern look to Jani.
Akseli: You’re late! You’re fucking late!
Jani: I-…I-…it’s only 5 minutes I- I was getting ready-
Akseli: Breathes in… we’re on a schedule, Jani. You know I like my schedules, you’re lucky it’s not race day, or else me and Mikko would’ve hit you with a tire iron.
Jani: I see you two are becoming friends now…SPEAKING OF HIM! WHERE IS HE! You say I’m late, weren’t you supposed to pick him up!
Akseli: Oh, that. He’s waiting for us at Tommin Kauppa, let’s get going?
Jani: Sigh I’m tired…
Tiredly sipping on his energy drink, Jani hopped inside the truck, and as Akseli started the engine, the air would be filled with the sound of a large, straight-piped Diesel V8, before he closed the exhaust valves.
Akseli: Now, now, no need to show off the party trick already.
And with that, the duo would drive off towards the store to pick up Mikko. Apparently he had a surprise for all of them, but they didn’t know what exactly it was. Knowing Mikko, he either had a case with 1 million euros, or the SUPO searching for the three of them.
Jani: What the hell did you do to this thing! It flies!
Akseli: It used to be a Septic truck, some guy from Peräjärvi, he lost the license and my dad bought it from him. We swapped out the Inline 6, and we got the V8 from one of those “Italtrasporti” trucks, the Italian ones. 17.7l V8 engine, 485 horsepower, with the exhaust and map we got almost 600.
Jani: You’re pushing supercar power on a truck!
Akseli: You should see how it climbs hills, it’s like nothing can stop it.
Jani: Man, you’re good…
The duo arrived at the convenience store, and what they saw, was something that they did not expect. Mikko was there, yes, for some reason he was driving a camper van, but now that you see it, they needed somewhere to sleep. Smart choice, yes. But alongside him, there were about 6 or 7 modified cars, from Swedish bricks, to old Japanese hatchbacks, to German sedans, and each of the drivers had at least one or two passengers, and enough sausages, beers and energy drinks to feed an army, as well as enough speakers to create a Rave Party.
Akseli was attempting to park the enormous, unwieldy Flatbed truck inside the parking lot, as Jani looked outside the window. Many of the people, he did know, few he didn’t, one of them immediately stood out to him.
He saw this girl he had never seen before, hanging around Mikko and his crew. Her name, as he would later find out, was Alexandra Boyd, and she was from Hamilton, Canada, studying abroad in Finland at the University of Tampere. Things that were clearly distinctive? Everything! Her blue hair, her clothing style (why was she wearing work pants???), the fact that she drove a modified German sedan, the fact that someone like her hung out for someone like Mikko, the fact that she would go with them to Sweden, everything! However, now it’s not the time to know her.
SHE’LL BE IMPORTANT FOR UPCOMING SHITBOX RALLY
Mikko: Huh? You guys like the surprise?
Akseli: Saatana… was all of this necessary? Who are these guys?
Mikko: What do you mean “necessary”, they’re my squad! Of course they’re coming with me.
Jani: Will we all fit in the campervan?
Mikko: I mean…I gutted it out to make space for matresses, if there’s not enough space…someone’ll sleep in the truck’s sleeper cab?
Squad Member 1: Who are these guys, Mikko?
Mikko: They’re my team for the race. Guys, this is Kari.
Kari: Hey, nice to meet you dudes.
Jani: Nice to meet you too, dude. I’m Jani, he’s Akseli. He doesn’t really speak a lot, so…
Akseli: I can handle myself! I’m Akseli.
An awkward shake of hands took place.
Squad Member 3: Mikko! Let’s get going!
Mikko: Yeah, yeah! Let’s do this, guys.
And with that, the squad departed, going onto the main roads and causing havoc with 6 modified cars, a campervan and a flatbed truck with a Sedlak Silva on it, with one objective: going to Sweden, and winning the 24 Hour rally.
Continues in Part 2 whenever I have time
Bunch of dickheads…“, he mumbles, after which he realizes who they are, courtesy of the rather… obvious announcement, " 
