Friday 14th November 2014

Blomqvist monsters the RAC: Time For Tea?

One of the biggest shocks in rallying history hasn't lost any appeal nearly two decades on

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It's that time again - Wales Rally GB kicks off this weekend.

Don't worry, we're not going to turn this into a 'things aren't as good as they used to be' - although obviously feel free to if the mood takes you. Rather it's a perfect excuse to celebrate one of the most remarkable drives the former RAC Rally ever saw - Stig Blomqvist's run to third in a two-wheel drive Skoda Felicia back in 1996.

Yes, the lead image isn't from Wales - this is!

Blomqvist himself needs little introduction, one of Sweden's most famous sons and World Rally Champion back in 1984. But by the mid-90s he was in the twilight of his professional career and, having helped Skoda with the development of the Felicia Kit Car, was offered what was basically a guest drive in that year's RAC. He was 50 years old.

Admittedly, this was an odd year for Britain's national rally, which - for various obscure FIA reasons - wasn't part of the World Rally Championship, but only part of the lesser 2.0-Litre World Championship. That meant few top WRC drivers competed, but the entry list was still packed with talented F2 drivers and top-flight privateers, with serious machinery including two works Toyota Celica GT-Fours, with the event marking the factory team's return from a 12-month ban for cheating with a folding air restrictor.

At which point we'll let the video take up the story. It seems to have been made by Skoda Motorsport, explaining some of the voiceover's slightly odd phrases and references to "our boys", but it still tells the tale of the whole event. (And, on the plus side, you don't have to listen to Tony Mason.) Winter arrived early that year, the weather was extremely cold and conditions were both snowy and icy. Blomqvist (and the Skoda factory drivers) attack from the beginning, and by the end of the first day the Swede is leading the whole event.

It certainly helped that the rally soon turned into a race of attrition, with the treacherous conditions claiming many - including Juha Kankkunen in the lead Toyota and F2 front-runners Gwyndaf Evans and Robbie Head. But by the end of the event - still three days in those days - Blomqvist and co-driver Benny Melander have held onto third, 15 minutes down on winner Armin Schwarz's Celica GT-4, but seven minutes clear of fourth placed Mark Higgins's Nissan Sunny GTI - and with dozens of four-wheel drive Escorts, Lancers and Imprezas further down the order.

Stig comes about as close as he ever does to smiling on the finishing ramp. The man is a legend.

Here's the vid.

 

[tatters40]

Stig Drove for David Sutton Motorsport when I worked there, we prepared a private A2 Quattro the famous 44 CMN for him for the 1983 RAC and he won, beating the works teams including Audi Sport Ingolstadt (we were a private team)

A man of few words (and smiles) who let his driving do the talking, great sense of humour when you got to know him especially away from rallying circles but sit him in a 530 BHP Quattro E2 and it was all business.

Great car control, as good as Mikkola but maybe not quite as good a Rohrl but a Rizla paper between them all.

Could immediately adapt his style to suit 4 wheel drive and 500+ Horses to front/rear wheel drive and 160-250 horses and be immediately on the pace

Great Days

Tatters 40
Ex Audi Sport Mechanic

[Chris Stott]

I marshaled at Chatsworth on the '96 RAC.

At the time I had a series McRae Impreza as a company car and had great fun driving a good part of the stage to get to the section we were covering... we had to be there by c.5am and it was sheet ice with a thin covering of snow.

After the stage ended we were straight back in to the car to drive down to Wales. Slept in the car and spectated at Sweetlamb the next morning (standing in a forest at 5am, fking freezing!), then off to Clocaenog for the final stage.

Everyone was disappointed that most of the big names and cars weren't out, but we still saw some great driving and some pretty impressive accidents!

[Vocal Minority]

I remember both of those rolls at the start Robbie Head and Gwyndaff Evans wasn't it?

[Emeye]

IIRC, this was the year that Armin was complaining that the stages were so icy they were going at walking pace in some places even in the 4WD Celica, with TV footage to match.

These day they would have probably cancelled it for safety reasons.....

And WTF is your problem with the Top Gear legend that is a Tony Mason?!

[skeggysteve]

Emeye said:

...

And WTF is your problem with the Top Gear legend that is a Tony Mason?!

I was wondering that as well.

Tony Mason was a co driver for Roger Clark and Hannu Mikkola.

I think that gives him the right to say what he wants!

[Mr E]

I think I recall an interview with someone in a maxi kit being asked "how's it going?"

"I have 300bhp, front drive and no traction. How do you think it's going?"

[IanMorewood]

Chris Stott said:

I marshaled at Chatsworth on the '96 RAC.

At the time I had a series McRae Impreza as a company car and had great fun driving a good part of the stage to get to the section we were covering... we had to be there by c.5am and it was sheet ice with a thin covering of snow.

After the stage ended we were straight back in to the car to drive down to Wales. Slept in the car and spectated at Sweetlamb the next morning (standing in a forest at 5am, fking freezing!), then off to Clocaenog for the final stage.

Everyone was disappointed that most of the big names and cars weren't out, but we still saw some great driving and some pretty impressive accidents!

Is that the year that Gwyndaf Evans hit the tree stump at Chatsworth and somewhat destroyed his Ford Escort?

[jaisharma]

My favourite rally driver of that era. Always seemed to me to get cars (e.g Saabs) higher up than they ought to have been. Made the most of his Quattro opportunity, which was probably the only truly great car he had.
Saw him at the rallysprint at Brands one year. Three GP drivers, 3 rally drivers and 3 up and coming drivers. Memory might not be accurate, but I seem to recall he was fastest in the rally stage, very quick in the driving test and running third in the circuit race (looking spectacular) before being nerfed out. He dragged his car into the pits and got out. Slammed the door pretty hard and I stood back....
Total legend in my book!

[Chris Stott]

IanMorewood said:

Is that the year that Gwyndaf Evans hit the tree stump at Chatsworth and somewhat destroyed his Ford Escort?

Gwyndaf's was impressive

We were on a straight section before that (manning a crowd crossing). Couldn't see it, but we heard the impact and the cheers, that quickly subsided when everyone realised who it was.

You could hardly stand up on the Chatsworth stage... it was just a thick coating of sheet ice over either tarmac or frozen gravel.

Edited by Chris Stott on Friday 14th November 23:44

[LimaDelta]

We were at Pundershaw That event is still one of my favourite rally memories ever. Can't believe it was 18 years ago!



Oh, and Armin Schwartz squished our snowman.

[IanMorewood]

Chris Stott said:

IanMorewood said:

Is that the year that Gwyndaf Evans hit the tree stump at Chatsworth and somewhat destroyed his Ford Escort?

Gwyndaf's was impressive

We were on a straight section before that (manning a crowd crossing). Couldn't see it, but we heard the impact and the cheers, that quickly subsided when everyone realised who it was.

You could hardly stand up on the Chatsworth stage... it was just a thick coating of sheet ice over either tarmac or frozen gravel.

Edited by Chris Stott on Friday 14th November 23:44

I was down near the bottom watersplash and remember a big gap and then a somewhat flattened RS Escort coming through. Footage of the crash (and the next one at the same spot) here:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Ru7m4Cm0XBA

Makes you realise just how well put together those f2 cars actually were.

[boma]

is this the same year I watched Francis Delacour flip/roll his Escort Cossie on a hairpin on one of the Dolgellau stages? It was bloody freezing for the dark hours. 18 years ago. crikey. Think this might also have been the year I wrote off Gwyndaf Evan's courtesy car from his N Wales Dealership, being the sort of teenage driver that caused those insane premium rises... bit of a shameful claim to fame.

Edited by boma on Sunday 16th November 04:58

[Zajda]

IanMorewood said:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Ru7m4Cm0XBA

Makes you realise just how well put together those f2 cars actually were.

More like the rollcage did it's job.

Here you can find the final results to put things to the perspective:
http://www.ewrc-results.com/final.php?e=495&t=...
Off course he had also won the 2-L championship classification, from which the A8 (=<2L turbo 4x4) class cars were excluded.
Difference of a 2.19 s/km in the world of rally is generally more like a difference between the top driver and respectable runner from same class, not between 2WD and 4WD with twice the power.

I can't forget to recall another memorable result from that season, the Rally New Zealand, where the works duo Emil Triner / Pavel Štanc had also won the 2-L classification
http://www.ewrc-results.com/final.php?e=494&t=...
This was followed by Triner's over excited run to the finish ramp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdkAI3WOUd8

Edited by Zajda on Sunday 16th November 16:38

[bucksmanuk]

Phenomenal drive.
We were stood up (almost) at the side of an icy stage and everyone came through this 90 right and then accelerated gingerly away down into a long left. Most people got to the left in 2nd gear. Stig hit 5th, and then just chucked it in on the left foot. Everyone just waited for the headlights to go skyward as the inevitable roll took place. I still have no idea how he did that - just amazing car control. We could hardly stand up walking back to the car on the stage itself…

[Furyblade_Lee]

" Yoohaaaa Kancoonaas " ........ Priceless.

[iva cosworth]

boma said:

is this the same year I watched Francis Delacour flip/roll his Escort Cossie on a hairpin on one of the Dolgellau stages? ]

Probably not the same year as said in the article not a full WRC round so works Ford won't have entered

Delecour.Was FD even still at Ford in 1996 ?

Anyhoo,I followed that year in my Fiesta RST.

I remember the Scottish borders being very snowy.

[ArnageWRC]

boma said:

is this the same year I watched Francis Delacour flip/roll his Escort Cossie on a hairpin on one of the Dolgellau stages? It was bloody freezing for the dark hours. 18 years ago. crikey. Think this might also have been the year I wrote off Gwyndaf Evan's courtesy car from his N Wales Dealership, being the sort of teenage driver that caused those insane premium rises... bit of a shameful claim to fame.

Edited by boma on Sunday 16th November 04:58

That sounds more like the 1993 RAC...which was also quite a snowy one.


I remember debating whether to go, with it being not a full WRC event. Decided on the Thursday evening to go; bought supplies on the Friday, watched the TopGear preview and shortly after set off with a younger brother for Kielder, were I'd never been before.

It must have been after midnight when we approached the car park, as there was a queue of cars waiting to get into the Kershope stage; it seems as if somebody had opened the stage exit, rather than the entry to the car park...... and as it was slightly uphill and like ice, everybody needed a push to get to the forest car park. I'm not sure people really knew what was happening and it was about -10. Ended sleeping in my coat as well as sleeping bag!

Anyway, got a decent spot and could see them for about a minute before they disappeared into the forest - returning about 10 minutes later; Kankkunen was first through - not particularly quick, then Kytolehto, Vatanen with his right front damaged....Brundle came trundling past in the Escort Cosworth. Watched them all through, and headed back to the car, and decided to return home; and found out about the carnage; with Schwartz ;leading from Kamioka and Stig in the F2 Skoda Felicia....incredible.

Watched the live stage on the Sunday; and the mega accidents for Head & Evans....but also how calm Stig was in the Felicia - 1600cc FWD and barely 200BHP.
Decided to make the trek down to Hafren, as Dyfnant was cancelled because of snow; and a 6 o clock stage start, in the dark. Proper rallying!! I'm sure one of the Felicia's was actually fastest on this stage - was it Emil Triner?? And this was the stage that Brundle had his sizeable shunt.
Moved onto Clocaenog East for the final stage were there was plenty of snow...but still some good action on the stages.

In the years since, I've read/heard stories about what really happened on this event; about lots of crews going OTL, etc

This was the last RAC to feature 'Killer' Kielder - a whole generation of WRC stars have never been there. Instead we have the Tour of northern Wales....and while it is enjoyable - it isn't the same. And more's the pity.

As for Stig, in 2004 he became the first winner of the new R.A.C. Rally in a Escort MkII...Total legend!!

[stuckmojo]

Legendary driver.

The video itself is a collection of understeer and wheel shuffling, but it does showcase his incredible car control.

[Gad-Westy]

LimaDelta said:

We were at Pundershaw That event is still one of my favourite rally memories ever. Can't believe it was 18 years ago!



Oh, and Armin Schwartz squished our snowman.

We were at Pundershaw too. I was 16 and that was the first proper rally stage I'd been to. Remember walking on the track before the first cars came through and barely being able to stand up. At that point I assumed the cars would come through at a snail's pace. Think Armin Schwarz was the first car through and he swiftly put that thought to bed.

Blomqvist was excellent that year. It was a great event for underdogs. Was it that year that Tiff had a crack in a Skoda as well?

[LimaDelta]

Gad-Westy said:

LimaDelta said:

We were at Pundershaw That event is still one of my favourite rally memories ever. Can't believe it was 18 years ago!



Oh, and Armin Schwartz squished our snowman.

We were at Pundershaw too. I was 16 and that was the first proper rally stage I'd been to. Remember walking on the track before the first cars came through and barely being able to stand up. At that point I assumed the cars would come through at a snail's pace. Think Armin Schwarz was the first car through and he swiftly put that thought to bed.

Blomqvist was excellent that year. It was a great event for underdogs. Was it that year that Tiff had a crack in a Skoda as well?

Aye, Tiff was there too.

I was only 18 - we slogged our way there in a red 1.0l metro at daft o'clock. Dark when we arrived, dark when we left. We were well up the stage from the car park at the bottom of a long downhill straight into a 90R - Armin was first on the road (after the classics) and certainly wasn't holding back!

I'd love to see a return to Kielder.