Career
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, and in the United Kingdom for Mildenhall Fen Tigers in 2008 and in the Premier League for Somerset Rebels in 2009. In November 2011 he signed with Leicester Lions for the 2012 Premier League season.
He joined Ipswich Witches in 2013 but was dropped early in the season.
In 2014 Makinen decided to sit out the United Kingdom 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 scoop the Finnish National Speedway Title against much more fancied riders.
