Henri Toivonen

[Brother John]

Hey Brother John, don't go and touch that electric fence over there ->

I said lets not make this a thread about Loeb and what do you go and do?

I just do here what you generally do on the forum! :

[sal]

My fave memory of Mr T was seeing him on the 82 Mintex in the Rothmans Ascona 400 at Olivers Mount in North Yorkshire a tarmac race circuit carved into a hill side. He flung the car around like nothing else I have seen since even Colin couldnt have been more spectacular. Henri was to rallying what Gilles Villeneuve was to F1 ie prone to greatness and apparent recklessness in equal measure. A flawed genius Gone but not forgotten

[rx-guru]

Something few may remember about that time is that when Toivonen was injured in 1984, a young Juha Kankkunen had a brief outing in one of those 911s on the Manx International (his second British appearance of the year, as he'd deputised for Per Eklund in the works Group A Toyota Corolla GT on the Circuit of Ireland.)

I took my first pics of "Kankku" during the 1982 RAC (a blue German reg Opel Manta GT/E) and some weeks later during the 1983 Boucles de Spa in Belgium (a white German reg Opel Manta GT/E). IIRC I mentioned in my story for the German mag 'Sportfahrer' something like "Watch out all you Rally lovers, there is a true great one to arise".

[Daniel]

I just do here what you generally do on the forum! :

I'm trying to have a serious discussion here though....

I guess seeing is believing. AFF, Noel, RX-Guru and yourself have seen him and I respect your opinions. I certainly agree with BDunnell that he is the greatest lost talent that the WRC has had.

[BDunnell]

I took my first pics of "Kankku" during the 1982 RAC (a blue German reg Opel Manta GT/E) and some weeks later during the 1983 Boucles de Spa in Belgium (a white German reg Opel Manta GT/E). IIRC I mentioned in my story for the German mag 'Sportfahrer' something like "Watch out all you Rally lovers, there is a true great one to arise".

Excellent.

[Tomi]

The problem with Henkka was that he got a competitive car very late that make the statistic look how it looks, he had even to drive track racing because he did not get rally jobs from any team at some point.
Like rx-guru said his 911 driving was amazing.

[BDunnell]

The problem with Henkka was that he got a competitive car very late that make the statistic look how it looks, he had even to drive track racing because he did not get rally jobs from any team at some point.

Tony Fall said in the MotorSport interview I mentioned that he used to encourage Henri to do circuit racing, because it filled the gaps between the events he did for Opel and helped keep his racing lines sharp.

[Daniel]

Tony Fall said in the MotorSport interview I mentioned that he used to encourage Henri to do circuit racing, because it filled the gaps between the events he did for Opel and helped keep his racing lines sharp.

You should change your name to Walking British Rallying Encyclopaedia by deed poll If something has happened in Britain with regards to rallying or was said in an article or interview you seem to have it on file somewhere in that brain of yours

[Tomi]

I took my first pics of "Kankku" during the 1982 RAC (a blue German reg Opel Manta GT/E) and some weeks later during the 1983 Boucles de Spa in Belgium (a white German reg Opel Manta GT/E). IIRC I mentioned in my story for the German mag 'Sportfahrer' something like "Watch out all you Rally lovers, there is a true great one to arise".

btw. Kankku will drive in next years 1000 Lakes.

[A.F.F.]

And his charge to fourth after that, scrapping with Grundel's Peugeot, was quite something as well, wasn't it?

All in all some of the best years of rallying ever.