Tuesday 3rd June 2008

Galli Wins Colin McRae Trophy

Italian driver records fastest average speed at Acropolis Rally

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Ford driver Gigi Galli won the inaugural Colin McRae Trophy at the Acropolis Rally, given to the driver with the fastest average speed through a stage. Galli recorded the rally’s fastest average speed - 100.77kph - though Sunday’s 15.14 kilometre Avlonas stage (SS14).

The organising committee of the Acropolis Rally created the award to commemorate the life of McRae, who holds the record for the most outright victories on the event. From 11 starts the Scottish driver won the rally five times. His most recent win, for Ford in 2002, was his last European WRC victory.

‘It is a very special feeling and a big honour to receive this award,’ said Galli. ‘Colin was a great hero of mine. My rally has not gone according to plan but I pushed as hard as I could when I could to get some fastest times and I’m sure he would have done the same thing in that position. People say we drive in the same style with a lot of energy and passion and it is fantastic when I hear this. Even with a bad rally this has really lifted my spirits.’

You can see Galli’s winning drive below.

Rally Acropolis 2008 Gigi Galli Onboard
Uploaded by RallyBase

[massive1]

I alwaways thought Gigi was a damn good driver, I hope we see great thing from him now he’s in the top ranks.

Have a look at a few of the Gigi clips on You tube , stunning


Oh, he also has a personality which is a rare thing in the WRC

[pixelpimp]

Gigi's driving has improved massively over the past season agreed, but he's not the only personality in WRC though.
Petter Solberg, Mikko Hirvonen the ever so slightly camp Latvala have usually got something funny to say.
This season's really hotting up. I can even stomach DAVE's coverage now that they have stopped patronising us.

[massive1]

Agreed, he isnt the only driver with a personality but one of very few that can drive and hold an interview.


2008 have been one of the better WRC years (so far)

[Jasper Gilder]

Is he any relation to Nanni Galli who had a works Alfa drive in sports cars in the early 70's

[DamoLLb]

Fantastic, When the car looks to be going in a realitivly straight line, the driver input is huge!

Well done!

[flattotheboards]

Well done to gigi. The WRC coverage has gone downhill since it left channel 4 imo, on channel 4 there used to be coverage for everyday of the rally - friday, saturday and sunday. Then it went to ITV and they just used to show it on sunday for an hour and now dave does the same thing. We need better coverage of the rallying as it is a great sport to watch.

[Nicol@]

Gigi is a lunatic driver amd person.

I am so pleased he has a 'proper' drive this year.

[Dover Nige]

Excellent.

Galli is a driver very much in the spirit of McRae. He's flat out and sideways everywhere and is a real showman. Couldn't have gone to a more apt driver.

Looking forward to meeting him when I go out to WRC Catalunya later this year. Great driver.

I agree with all the comments above, we need more WRC on the tv. It's a great sport and surely the manufacturers want exposure for their cars showing how durable they are (even if they only resemble them in shape and get called the same thing - it does annoy me that only Subaru make a road going AWD turbocharged car, when the others are not even similar in layout to their rallying counterparts).

[Fastra]

Fantastic drive, even more impressive when you see what he's driving.....

[patmahe]

Excellent choice Colin would definitely approve of anyone capable of the above

[Xaero]

Well done him

[Gizmo!]

Well done indeed.
Can someone explain to me the difference between 'fastest average speed' and 'fastest'? Given that rallies are done over closed stages, surely the highest average will just be the winner of the stage?

[GingerWizard]

Safe as fuk, balls out driving, very impressive, esp when in a reverse slide through a corner for the next...

It still makes me sad that Collin and Burns are no longer with us.... great loss.........


GingerWizard

[GravelBen]

Gizmo! said:

Well done indeed.
Can someone explain to me the difference between 'fastest average speed' and 'fastest'? Given that rallies are done over closed stages, surely the highest average will just be the winner of the stage?

I took it to mean the fastest average speed recorded through any one stage of the rally - obviously he must have won that stage in the process but his average speed through the stage he won was higher than that of the winners of any other stages.

[cowellsj]

patmahe said:

Excellent choice Colin would definitely approve of anyone capable of the above

Nice clip, this is the clip I think of whenever the name Gigi Galli is mentioned. Incredible car control and bravery in his driving style, much like McRae in that sense.

[robwales]

It's good when drivers have dropped so much time due to damage etc. that they have no thing to lose and put in some great drives like this and Petter's ar Onunpojah(sp).

cowellsj said:

patmahe said:

Excellent choice Colin would definitely approve of anyone capable of the above

Nice clip, this is the clip I think of whenever the name Gigi Galli is mentioned. Incredible car control and bravery in his driving style, much like McRae in that sense.

That's very good, but almost certainly a case of lose and recover rather than planning to take the hairpin that way.