Carlos Sainz WRC 98

[marshall100]

You know, the one where 500 meters from the finish, his corolla conked out costing him the title which was so far in the bag it took a magician like 'rabbit in a hat' to remove it.

I've looked all over the place but can't actually find any info that tells me what failed on the car. Does anybody know?

And why on earth didn't they push it the remaining distance to take the flag? or is that/was that not allowed?

[thepawbroon]

marshall100 said:

You know, the one where 500 meters from the finish, his corolla conked out costing him the title which was so far in the bag it took a magician like 'rabbit in a hat' to remove it.

I've looked all over the place but can't actually find any info that tells me what failed on the car. Does anybody know?

From what I remember, there was an engine fire.

marshall100 said:

And why on earth didn't they push it the remaining distance to take the flag? or is that/was that not allowed?

They may well have been able to push the car 500m or so to the stage finish at Margam, but the rally actually finished at Cheltenham - a further 95 miles away. To be classified as a finisher he would have to reach the final control there.

[thepawbroon]

(deleted - double post)

[marshall100]

Ah. There's a vid on youtube by antiwhateverhisnameis that covers the subject very well. I recall the event on the tv back then especially when the co driver launches his helmet through the back window, but the youtube vid does it the world of justice.

Much obliged.

[RumbleOfThunder]

Wasn't it the turbocharger initially, then took the rest with it?

[andygo]

Thought it was the crank failed.

[epom]

Can remember it to this day, watching it on the tv, still one of the toughest breaks for any sportsman, not to mind one of the greatest to ever grace that sport.

[marshall100]

No idea why I found myself looking for it on youtube, but his son seems to be putting in a reasonable turn of speed too.

[Al W]

Extremely cruel twist at the end. Didn't one of them throw their helmet through the rear window in disgust?

[NM62]

His navigator Louis Moya threw his helmet through back window (from memory), I was stood in crowd next to where he stopped. Sainz just walked off.

Think Tommi found out he had won the WDC as he was boarding a plane back to Finland.

[Cyder]

thepawbroon said:

marshall100 said:

You know, the one where 500 meters from the finish, his corolla conked out costing him the title which was so far in the bag it took a magician like 'rabbit in a hat' to remove it.

I've looked all over the place but can't actually find any info that tells me what failed on the car. Does anybody know?

From what I remember, there was an engine fire.

marshall100 said:

And why on earth didn't they push it the remaining distance to take the flag? or is that/was that not allowed?

They may well have been able to push the car 500m or so to the stage finish at Margam, but the rally actually finished at Cheltenham - a further 95 miles away. To be classified as a finisher he would have to reach the final control there.

This is always (and was at the time) conveniently forgotten/not understood by everyone saying how close he was to the finish of the event.

A rally is from the time you leave the first time control at the start of the first road section to the last time control at the end of the last road section, it all counts.

[ralphrj]

NM62 said:

Think Tommi found out he had won the WDC as he was boarding a plane back to Finland.

He was at the airport but giving an interview to a TV crew when his mobile phone rang with the news. There is probably a video on youtube somewhere.

[SmoothCriminal]

All rolled into one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aug0LJfP3cI&fea...

[Old Merc]

I`m pretty sure the turbo blew up,ignited lost oil and stopped the engine.

[marshall100]

This is the video that I've been watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liBLqmeHht8&fea...

[daftandyboy555]

Is it just me, but does Tommi, in the interview when the news broke to him, bare a striking similarity to Dougal from Father Ted

[marshall100]

daftandyboy555 said:

Is it just me, but does Tommi, in the interview when the news broke to him, bare a striking similarity to Dougal from Father Ted

Awesome, I knew I'd seen that child like gurn from somewhere!

[theshrew]

Remember watching that on TV with my Dad. Loosing is hard enough to take at the best of times but that must of crippled him.

[H100S]

NM62 said:

His navigator Louis Moya threw his helmet through back window (from memory), I was stood in crowd next to where he stopped. Sainz just walked off.

Think Tommi found out he had won the WDC as he was boarding a plane back to Finland.

We must have been stood next to each other! Sad to see. I remember seeing colin completely cut the right hand bend just after the bit where Sainz stopped taking the Marshall by suprise too.

[anonymous-user]

and the reason Makinen was out of the rally at the start, a Hillman Imp dumped it's oil during the historic rally that ran ahead of the main event and Makinen lost it on this into the concrete blocks bizarely used to line the corner.