Rally History (part III)

[PuddleJumper]

Please continue the rally history discussion here.

Previous thread:
Rally History (part II)

[ford power]

for anyone interested in old irish rally results go here
http://www.rallyforums.com/forum/sho...ally-results&p

[Mirek]

Today there was an interview with John Haugland on Czech auto.cz server which is actually quite nice. I don't know where to post it. My amateur translation is below. Original source: http://www.auto.cz/rozhovor-s-johny-...sche-911-81638

Auto.cz: "You reached awesome success with Škoda 130RS in the 70'. Was the car so good or You were so good driver?"

J.H.: "Nobody expected anything from a car built in Soviet block but the truth is that it was extraordinarily good. I dare to say that it was the best car of that time only limited by the small engine volume which was however also an advantage in the same time. It could seem that drivers who were able to drive it so good must have been trully awesome ones able of miracles with other cars."

Auto.cz: "In Czechoslovakia it was a big surprise when a Scandinavian driver with Škoda started to appear in the results on top positions thus you were a celebrity here. How did the fans in Norway take your driving for an Eastern block car maker?"

J.H.: "First there was a mistrust and prejudice against the cheap car from the East but as I said the 130RS was very good car and I had results so nobody really cared about my affiliation with underrated brand. On the contrary the popularity of Škoda in Norway and sure elsewhere rose with the time."

Auto.cz: "Škoda 130RS together with Porsche 911 were cars with non-traditional rear engine conception. Can You retrospectively compare both cars?"

J.H.: "I competed only with Škoda but I had a chance to drive Porsche 911 quite often and I don't think they were similar. Škoda 130RS was more similar to Lancia Stratos, it had perfect handling, balance and the back was controllable thanks to the light aluminum engine. The Porsche had very heavy back thanks to the big engine. That brought a lot of oversteer and uneasy handling. In that time Škoda was better competition tool than 911, it was among the best of its time."

Auto.cz: "You say you have the last competition 130RS at home as a remembrance. Did you take it here?"

J.H.: "Yes, I bought the last built 130RS from Motokov company at 1983 before we changed to 130LR. First I liked the car and second I knew it would take a value in time. I still have it at home in Norway. It returned back to Mladá Boleslav only for the 100 years of motorsport celebration when they made a big renovation of it prior a display in museum :-) I still drive it. To keep it in condition I take it out 4-5x per year for various occasions."

Auto.cz: "After the end of cooperation with Škoda in 1990 you worked with other brands and started your own business - rallye school. Do You still have any connection with Škoda?"

J.H.: "I still have a lot of friends in Škoda, my company keeps organizing some winter tests for them and I also cooperate on Škoda Classic because for cars prior Volkswagen they need some drivers from times prior Volkswagen :-) "

Auto.cz: "You lived in the rally era which for us have a taste of good old times. Do You think that the modern motorsport in which You take part by coaching many drivers is more commercial and looses the racing spirit of the past?"

J.H.: "I have to say no, it's same. The best professionals who can take the most out of the available machinery win. We went for example through the times when the 130RS wasn't significantly updated for several seasons and we started to loose. So we examined all options for improvements from front bumper to the rear one and the result was that our car was one second per kilometer faster. Our competitors thought that we were cheating but it was all completely legal."

"Though something changed. Today the cars have much better handling and they are bloody fast although almost every rally driver can get maybe 95% of their performance. The difference is only those 5%. To drive a car in the past you needed more skills, today it's more about concentration and discipline. Nowadays the top drivers are athletes, after the rally they go to a fitcenter and from there to paddock. We used to go to a pub. If somebody asked me if I could keep up with Loeb or Ogier on their cars frankly most likely not. However I'm sure I would be able to defeat modern drivers with the hard-to-drive machines of 70'."

Auto.cz: "You probably answer the following question often. What are your recent cars and which of them is your favorite?"

J.H.: "I'm not an F1 driver :-) I think I have always had only one car. Before 2007 I had two Škoda Octavia and in 2008 I used Subaru Legacy thanks to the cooperation with Subaru. Now I have Octavia again. It's combi 4x4 with 150Hp diesel."

Auto.cz: "No RS?"

J.H.: „I spend a lot of time behind the steering wheel of powerful and fast cars in my rally school and various other actions. I'm calm driver on public roads who makes plenty of kilometers every year so I use more the economy of a diesel. Though some more horsepower wouldn't be bad..."

[FAL]

"Our competitors thought that we were cheating but it was all completely legal."



Including the titanium con rods?

[Mirek]

Including the titanium con rods?

I'm sorry, I can not comment as I don't know anything about that. I was born when John was driving 130LR already

[driveace]

But Christ could he peddle an unusual car Keith
Remember one of the early RACs from Harrogate in the 70s ,my friend worked at one of the very few Skoda dealers in Yorkshire,we went to Harrogate,AND they were short of personal .So we went to John,s hotel room ,met all the small team ,and my friend went along in the chase car to navigate one of the mechanics

[FAL]

But Christ could he peddle an unusual car Keith
Remember one of the early RACs from Harrogate in the 70s ,my friend worked at one of the very few Skoda dealers in Yorkshire,we went to Harrogate,AND they were short of personal .So we went to John,s hotel room ,met all the small team ,and my friend went along in the chase car to navigate one of the mechanics

Pinborough Motors? It was Dick Rowland with their car in Finland in 74 where I picked up all the mutterings about who had titanium rods (Haugland apparently did but Saaristo's Finnish prepared car didn't!). Mechanic with the Pinborough car was Ardash Melamenjian? (spelling?).

[Mirek]

Škoda 130RS was first used in rallying in 1976. In 1974 Škoda used the 120S so You must mean that one.

[FAL]

We didn't mean any particular model - he was quick in them all!

[jrally]

Good morning !

Does anyone has the COMPLETE results of any of these rallyes that could share ?

1995 - Golden Tulip, Condroz,Cyprus,Yu, Budapest, Turkey, Roumania, Olympion, Boucles de Spa
1996 - Ardennes, Olympion, Saturnus, Roumania, Hermes-Dodonis

Thank You in advance
Best regards
Jorge