Remembering Rallying 1960-2005
Discussion
LotusOmega375D said:
Your profile says you just paid 56K for your 22B.
Blimey!
I bought it new in 98 from Japan, upgraded the engine with RCM then sold it in 2003 and after a string of Scooby's I finally found the owner of it, so I sold my 2014 WRX STI and bought it again xD Best car I've ever driven, never mind owned. I was gutted to see that the Speedlines it had when I sold it on 2003 are no longer on it, although it does still have the 2000 Turbo steering wheel Blimey!
Edited by Alan_I_W on Wednesday 2nd November 14:42
MG Mark said:
Two particular favourites.
First - the late 60s and through the 1970s, as a kid living next to Sutton Park and walking in for the RAC stage there every year. Walked and watched pretty much wherever you liked along the stage, listen for the whistles, and look for what was coming next. Saabs, Ford Escorts, Minis etc all the way down to Ladas and Moskvichs....
Second was the developments in the 80s that culminated in the Group B. Opels, Quattros, Stratos, Deltas, 6R4s etc etc. Power, awesome sounds and sights.
Other than that, the McRae/Burns/Sainz/Makinnen era was good. Thereafter, interest has mainly waned as it has become relatively short special stages with little transit between them; people no longer turn out to see the rally come through their area as the RAC used to do across great swathes of the country.
Makes me laugh when the motorsport year kicks off with the Dakar and I see a single day on that with the special stage much longer than an entire WRC rally's stages combined, let alone the extra transition distances to/from the stage.
MG Mark
I think a lot of it was watching cars that we would love to own being smashed down dirt stages, whereas now it's just economy cars with massive amounts of health and safety. Where's the excitement if there's no sense of danger? We all remember seeing McRae flying in that Scooby First - the late 60s and through the 1970s, as a kid living next to Sutton Park and walking in for the RAC stage there every year. Walked and watched pretty much wherever you liked along the stage, listen for the whistles, and look for what was coming next. Saabs, Ford Escorts, Minis etc all the way down to Ladas and Moskvichs....
Second was the developments in the 80s that culminated in the Group B. Opels, Quattros, Stratos, Deltas, 6R4s etc etc. Power, awesome sounds and sights.
Other than that, the McRae/Burns/Sainz/Makinnen era was good. Thereafter, interest has mainly waned as it has become relatively short special stages with little transit between them; people no longer turn out to see the rally come through their area as the RAC used to do across great swathes of the country.
Makes me laugh when the motorsport year kicks off with the Dakar and I see a single day on that with the special stage much longer than an entire WRC rally's stages combined, let alone the extra transition distances to/from the stage.
MG Mark
West17 said:
Great thread…So many memories – mostly Scottish based.
Must have been around 1986 and I was about 14. Knockhill was used as a stage in one of the Scottish Championship events. David Gillanders charging round the circuit in a 6r4. I’d never seen once before, in fact, just hearing coming up the road section was exciting!
An incredibly hot, dry and dusty Scottish Rally (92?) watching Q8 Cosworths and the likes through the dust clouds in Craigvinean forest.
Malcolm Wilson running the new escort cosworth as a course car through the Carron Valley stage. Even the road going chase cars seemed exciting when you’d never seen one before. Watching the same driver in the Michelin Pilot Grp A car out in the forests.
McRae in the Subaru legacy. Arriving late at a stage and walking in only to meet a well rolled legacy coming sideways out of the stage a long way after the flying finish!
Pushing Murray Grierson’s 6r4 back onto a very icy road in a gloomy Clashindarroch forest. The noise as thing roared off into the forest was just sublime.
Planning routes with mates the night before, pouring over OS maps, driving through the night, between stages, sleeping in cars. Great craic! Night time stages in the forests during the Scottish Rally – what an atmosphere!
Really enjoyed the Burns/Makinen/MacRae/Evo/Subaru years but lost interest in the WRC thereafter. The end of homologation spoilt it for me.
Still go over to Mull most years – to me that retains much of the excitement and atmosphere of rallying.
Great read! Can't imagine a rally special Skoda Fabia or Ford FiestaMust have been around 1986 and I was about 14. Knockhill was used as a stage in one of the Scottish Championship events. David Gillanders charging round the circuit in a 6r4. I’d never seen once before, in fact, just hearing coming up the road section was exciting!
An incredibly hot, dry and dusty Scottish Rally (92?) watching Q8 Cosworths and the likes through the dust clouds in Craigvinean forest.
Malcolm Wilson running the new escort cosworth as a course car through the Carron Valley stage. Even the road going chase cars seemed exciting when you’d never seen one before. Watching the same driver in the Michelin Pilot Grp A car out in the forests.
McRae in the Subaru legacy. Arriving late at a stage and walking in only to meet a well rolled legacy coming sideways out of the stage a long way after the flying finish!
Pushing Murray Grierson’s 6r4 back onto a very icy road in a gloomy Clashindarroch forest. The noise as thing roared off into the forest was just sublime.
Planning routes with mates the night before, pouring over OS maps, driving through the night, between stages, sleeping in cars. Great craic! Night time stages in the forests during the Scottish Rally – what an atmosphere!
Really enjoyed the Burns/Makinen/MacRae/Evo/Subaru years but lost interest in the WRC thereafter. The end of homologation spoilt it for me.
Still go over to Mull most years – to me that retains much of the excitement and atmosphere of rallying.
Old Merc said:
We then put a deal together to enter the Peugeot GTI Championship and I built this.
Our driver was a young lad called Richard Burns.
I think the guy who wrote that bit got it dead right.
The Richard Burns? The hero of post McRae Subaru WRC?Our driver was a young lad called Richard Burns.
I think the guy who wrote that bit got it dead right.
Edited by Old Merc on Thursday 3rd November 15:50
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