Olli Pahkala, founder of sim rig manufacturer OverPower joins Nitro Nights to discuss sim racing and creating a business.In this week’s episode of Nitro Nights, Steffi chats to Olli Pahkala who founded the sim rig manufacturer, OverPower. The Finn explains his love of sim racing and describes what it takes to start a company from scratch and nurture its growth.
From humble beginnings
The story of OverPower begins back in 2015 when Olli, who was already an accomplished sim racer, decided to custom-build himself a rig to improve his performance. The aptly-named Woodboost was made from spruce. It might look rather simplistic, but Olli went on to win two bronze medals in the iRacing World Championship Grand Prix Series. He explains to Steffi that the rig “fulfilled a need” for him, so he thought others could benefit from this too. Fast-forward to 2020 and OverPower Ltd. was founded. Their product catalogue is expanding each month as demand for these custom-built rigs is high.
A family affair
Racing has been in Olli’s blood ever since he started karting at just 5 years old. However, this is a passion shared by his entire family. When he was young, his father was the engineer, taking responsibility for the kart that Olli and his younger brother both raced. The family connection still runs deep to this day – his father Risto plays a key role in the running of OverPower, while his cousin Jouni has a hands-on job creating some of the rigs.
According to Olli, the aim of OverPower is to cover the requirements of anyone who might want a rig. Their designs cater for every ability level ranging from novice to pro, and are compatible for every country. At the end of the episode, Olli treats us to a quick video tour of the impressive facilities. So don’t miss your latest dose of Nitro Nights!
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