RE: Time for Tea? 1980s Rallycross

[y2blade]

Used to go to Lydden for this with my dad.

good times.

[DH01]

Who was it that used to run a mental 4wd 911 ? European rounds? I'm sure we saw it at Lydden and Brands.

[falkster]

DH01 said:

Who was it that used to run a mental 4wd 911 ? European rounds? I'm sure we saw it at Lydden and Brands.

Was that Matty Allamaki??

[vertico2k]

Like many others I used to go with my dad and then in the late eighties had the pleasure of working for the St. John's ambulance where we were always based down on Chesson's drift so used to have a great view. Had little idea 30 years later I'd be running around in a road going Group B......

[aeropilot]

falkster said:

DH01 said:

Who was it that used to run a mental 4wd 911 ? European rounds? I'm sure we saw it at Lydden and Brands.

Was that Matty Allamaki??

Yup, Alamaki ran a yellow bi-turbo 4wd 911, and Seppo Nittymaki also ran a white/blue bi-turbo 911 around the same time. Seppo had his first IIRC, and first brought it over to Lydden in 1981 or 82ish for the ERC round when it was still just a 2wd version, which was very entertaining, when he was leaving long black lines everywhere

That OP video clip from 1987 was the only ERC British round at Lydden that I missed between 1980 to the present day.

[Rude-boy]

Dave200 said:

Great cars, but 4 laps with no overtaking then two overtakes on the last lap? Last corner aside, it looks as processional as F1...

Yes there is the odd race which is a bit thin on cars or which has little more than a couple of overtakes but then the race is usually only 4-5 laps long with races taking less than that number of minutes, rather than your comparison where they are at it for 90 to 120 minutes... Oh and there are about 20 on average

At all venues I have been to, and I suspect most others, you can see 90% of the lap from one place. It is fast and furious action. The Super Cars are mental beasts and Pat only retired his RS200 a few years ago.

Quite why it isn't more popular is a mystery to me, especially for those with petrol in the veins. If you are struggling to convince the other half then you can always lure her to cheep day cruise to France to do some shopping and stay over in a cheap Travelodge making a weekend of it with Lydden and there area lot of very pleasant places to go for a day out near Croft. Obviously there are other tracks about that you can easily go there and back in a day or make a weekend of it.

[falkster]

Do they still do rallycross at Croft?

[Baryonyx]

Madrabbit said:

Could have been John Welch in the Gartrac Escort. I can remember the STP adverts in Cars and Car Conversions magazine (ah, those were the days) in black and white in those days too of course!

http://gartrac.com/company/johnwelchmk3.htm

I have always loved the Gartrac Escorts. They look superb.

[falkster]

Baryonyx said:

I have always loved the Gartrac Escorts. They look superb.

Well that's that!!! Now where's one of the wife's socks.

[Rude-boy]

falkster said:

Do they still do rallycross at Croft?

Couple of weeks ago...

http://www.rallycrossuk.com/press

[999gsi]

tylerama said:

[quote=Flares&Chestwig] Never really got Schanche, whether it was money, passion,talent or if he was just a complete

I think it was just about balls to the wall racing. He just never gave up, always had his foot buried to the floor. He just didn't give a f*** what anyone thought. it was all about winning.

loved watching world of sport(i think it was) on a saturday watching these mad men..in their mad cars..didnt mr schanche once run onto the track during a race to express his anger at another driver ?

[DH01]

aeropilot said:

Yup, Alamaki ran a yellow bi-turbo 4wd 911, and Seppo Nittymaki also ran a white/blue bi-turbo 911 around the same time. Seppo had his first IIRC, and first brought it over to Lydden in 1981 or 82ish for the ERC round when it was still just a 2wd version, which was very entertaining, when he was leaving long black lines everywhere

That OP video clip from 1987 was the only ERC British round at Lydden that I missed between 1980 to the present day.

Thank you.
Awesome racing, happy days.

[Steve vRS]

falkster said:

Well that's that!!! Now where's one of the wife's socks.

Beer on keyboard moment!

Steve

[falkster]

Steve vRS said:

Beer on keyboard moment!

Steve

Lots of sticky beer

[crockett]

I miss the old days, used go with my mates in our minis and escorts. once went to Brands straight after finishing a night stages rally in my Cooper S, god i was tired until those Grp B monsters fired up !!! John Welch in his Astra, Will Gollops 6R4, the real Stig in a short wheelbase Quattro, Dimi Mavropoulus in likewise and of course "God" Martin Schanke in the RS200 what a driver, complete balls out nutter and my all time hero. i was there at Lyden when Schanke (please forgive me Mr S if i spell your name wrong) went sideways up that grass bank, what a sight, will live with me forever. Can anyone tell me WHY ??? did they stop using GrpB cars ??

[SMcP114]

999gsi said:

tylerama said:

[quote=Flares&Chestwig] Never really got Schanche, whether it was money, passion,talent or if he was just a complete

I think it was just about balls to the wall racing. He just never gave up, always had his foot buried to the floor. He just didn't give a f*** what anyone thought. it was all about winning.

loved watching world of sport(i think it was) on a saturday watching these mad men..in their mad cars..didnt mr schanche once run onto the track during a race to express his anger at another driver ?

You're right, he ran right out in front of him.

[EDLT]

Pr1964 said:

Byronwww said:

There is a fairly new support series in the US called global rally cross, with added x-games style(like shortcuts and big jumps).

Thought it would be rubbish but it's actually pretty entertaining.

Loeb and Gronholm are onboard as well as Ken Block and Dave Mirra.

http://www.global-rallycross.com/

interesting entry Samuel Hubinette 77 USA Eneos Oil 2010 Saab 9.3

One of the cars being a Saab was literally the most interesting thing about the season. Every race Gronholm was in he won by miles until he had an accident that put him out for the rest of the season (broken leg, I think) thanks to the mickey mouse tracks. The tracks were too narrow, 99% (or more) tarmac, the field spread out really quickly leading to bugger all overtaking.

Sebastian Loeb turned up for a race, made everyone look useless and still got called a rookie by the commentators.

Here is some Gronholm doing proper rallycross:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detail...

[coppice]

Baryonyx said:

And quite frankly, who gives a st? F1 cars have never been as cool or exciting as these things!

I have been watching Rallycross for decades and I ceertainly do not give too much of a s**t either. But the lazy old cliche is trotted out year in year out and it ain't true. F1 Cars are jsut as exciting- rather more so in the flesh - but liking one doesn't prevent you from liking the other.

[Le TVR]

grumpy52 said:

Martin schanche is a lovely man !

But you have to admit that he did have hair trigger for going into red mist mode. At which point it was 50/50 as to whether he was out there to 'win or bin' or simply to get revenge.

Never a dull moment though.

[Matt Bird]

DazBock said:

"So, where's the TV coverage now?"

It's on Channel 4 on a Saturday and Sunday morning as part of the GT series 'support' racing. I discovered it by putting the GT series on series link.

It's on their version of iPlayer too - http://www.channel4.com/programmes/motor-sport/epi...

Thanks for this, I had no idea! Will definitely check it out in future, apologies for the article mistake.