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BUSINESS STORY: Shakedown Park

1.3.2024

Jyväskylä has always been known as the sanctuary of Finnish rally. However, only a few motorsport enthusiasts can guess what lies behind the doors of the premises located at Kuokkalanpelto – Shakedown Park, established in 2023, is a versatile activity center that combines rally simulators, high-quality meeting and sauna facilities and a Garage space that offers the opportunity to get up close with sports cars and experience the thrill of speed with historic rally cars.

“We breathe the same air and the same gasoline”

The core of operations at Shakedown Park is in electronic rally simulation, as known as e-rally, around which various meeting and experience packages can be tailored for both companies and individuals. Behind the company are long-time motor enthusiasts Jouko Neuvonen and Matti Luhtala, who share their passion for motorsport through their business. Together, they have created an environment where the experience of competitive racing is accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level.

Neuvonen has been following rally since he was young, spending his youth behind the wheel on gravel pits and ice tracks. His love for the thrill of speed and the smell of fuel eventually culminated in 2020 when he got his first own rally car. The idea for Shakedown Park began when Neuvonen started planning a private garage space for his race car that could be also suitable for rally simulators and other activities.

Jouko Neuvonen poseeraa BDA Escort -ralliautonsa ohjauspyörän takana. — *Shakedown Park entrepreneur Jouko Neuvonen in his BDA Escort rally car.*

Matti Luhtala is an entrepreneur and e-motorsport coach, who became Neuvonen’s partner by chance – they met through a mutual associate when Luhtala was looking for new premises and opportunities for expansion for his former sim racing business, Simupaja Oy.

Luhtala’s experience in motorsport traces back to his junior years in kart racing, which led to a transition towards simulator activities. Luhtala has been involved in e-rally and sim racing since 2008, and his years of experience with various simulators and competitive racing support his expertise in coaching too.

Adrenaline and the joy of driving

With the involvement of Luhtala, Neuvonen’s idea of a “small-scale rally garage” took off towards business. Eventually, Shakedown Park was shaped into a broader, experiential entity that offers an easily accessible trial and hobby environment for motorsport. The company’s premises currently have four rally simulators, whose high level allows drivers to have an almost authentic rally experience – the simulators offer the opportunity to race rallies, track races, and Formula races on real-life circuits and with cars whose technical data has been meticulously imported into the simulation.

Matti Luhtala poseeraa rallisimulaattorin kanssa. — *Entrepreneur Matti Luhtala showcases the simulator facility at Shakedown Park.*

“The sport is suitable for drivers of all kinds, regardless of age, physique, and gender, whether you’re a beginner or a rally driver craving a challenge. Almost the only requirement is that your feet reach the pedals.”

-Matti Luhtala

The difficulty level of the simulation can also be adjusted, for example, by scaling the steering wheel resistance and gearbox. Luhtala notes that the sport also involves various performance factors, as driving requires the driver to have static grip strength, coordination, and reaction ability. The heart rate stays high throughout the performance, and adrenaline makes even the more experienced driver sweat.

As the conversation shifts to goal-oriented driving, Luhtala notes that European sim racing is already quite high-level. Finland also has many long-time enthusiasts, but nationally there are still few professional drivers. The entrepreneurs have considered opportunities to support junior and youth-level hobbies and to develop models for goal-oriented competitive driving, as Shakedown Park’s facilities, equipment, and related expertise would also serve electronic rally coaching paths.

Vision of community

Shakedown Park aims to grow as an low-treshold hobby center for e-rally through community and collaboration. The concept is still in its early stages, and the entrepreneurs are running the business part-time, but they are open to growth as well.

Currently, the simulator space can host driving events for up to 8–12 people, so the facilities are already in good shape for both small gatherings and larger corporate events. Although the operations of Shakedown Park are planned to grow step by step, the entrepreneurs dream of doubling the number of rally simulators, so the race events could be held with even greater capacity.

*Shakedown Lounge is suitable for different kinds of events and gatherings.*

Shakedown Park is a partner of Center of Expertise in Esports in Central Finland -project. As a project operation, the entrepreneurs will start a service design project which will be carried out as a student assignment. Through the project, Neuvonen and Luhtala will receive motivated helping hands and fresh ideas for developing their business operations. Neuvonen welcomes external scrutiny as very welcome and encourages other local actors to join the CoEsports network too: “There can be some targets for development, which might not be seen within the company.”

Participation in the CoEsports network also supports the discovery and linking of sim racing enthusiasts to Shakedown Park. According to the entrepreneurs, the local e-rally culture needs to grow and stabilize through diverse expertise, employees, mentors, and enthusiastic drivers. When the facilities for the practise or hobby activities are in order, the community has the power to grow.

Visit Shakedown Park’s website at www.shakedownpark.fi