RAC Rally memories

[BDunnell]

So, with Rally GB under way in chaotic fashion and even more a shadow of its former self than ever, I thought I'd start a thread in which to reminisce about the RAC Rally as was.

For me as a motorsport-mad youngster, the RAC was the best event of the year - forget the British GP! Even if the championship had already been decided, it was still brilliant. It offered a fascinating mix of stages and conditions, and was a genuinely challenging event - five days long until the late 1980s, of course, including night stages up to 1986. And there was true British interest in the RAC, even if British drivers capable of winning were few in number for so long, largely due to their equipment. Because it traversed large parts of the country, there were ample opportunities to see it, and when Top Gear introduced its twice-nightly Rally Report in 1984, complete with live Sunday spectator stage from the following year onwards, it began to get the TV exposure it deserved.

For me, the best year was 1985. The entry list was stunning - pairs of 205 T16s, Sport Quattro E2s, Delta S4s and Metro 6R4s, the latter two cars making their WRC debuts. The Audis and Peugeots were all out by the end of the second day, but we were left with an incredible battle in ever-changing conditions between the Lancias of Toivonen and Alen, and Tony Pond's Metro, which no-one thought would last the distance. Yet last it did, and there was a very real chance that Pond - who held second for some time and had been closing on leader at the time Markku Alen - could have won. It wasn't to be, as he made a wrong tyre choice and fell back to third, with Henri Toivonen getting ahead of Alen on the final night, but it had still been a brilliant effort. The crowds that year were massive all along the route, largely as a result of all the publicity for the new British car. A great event.

So, what are your favourite RAC memories?

[sal]

My favourite RAC Rally memories are all the events prior to 1997!

Only been to one Rally Wales/GB since the change in format post 96 apart from a VIP trip to the Silverstone stage in 99 and the current farcical situation with stages being cancelled or shortened due to the wrong tyres having been chosen weeks ago just puts the tin lid on it for me.

My first RAC as a spectator was when I was 6 or 7 years old in the early 70s and I was hooked from there. Up until I passed my test at 17 my experiences were usually just trips to a Mickey Mouse Sunday stage like Bramham or Clumber Park with my dad. However after that it was a full on assault living out of the car (usually a hire one) getting it as dirty as possible and catching sleep and food wherever possible whilst listening to the radio updates and trying to keep up to date with any jams so that alternative stages could be taken in. All this and occasionaly offering a helping hand to a crew who were having problems on a road section. It was an adventure and the closest you can come to that these days is the historic RAC Rally that took place a few weeks ago.

Regards the action then there are too many highlights to mention 85 was a classic year with the ice and snow and Toivonen in the S4.Waking up with half an inch of ice on the inside of the car windscreen in Keilder and then seeing the crews fly past on unstudded tyres on a stage on which it was difficult to keep standing puts today's events into perspective. That was also the year when the half the country appeared to have turned out to wave Union flags every time Pondy in the 6R4 came round a bend...happy days!

[rx-guru]

© by rx-guru

[BDunnell]

Ah, yes, Knowsley Safari Park in 1983!

Tony Pond's first stage crash in the Rover Vitesse there the following year is certainly one of the RAC incidents I most remember. He had the BHP on-board camera with him, and sounded understandably angry: 'I don't f***ing believe it. I don't F***ING believe it.'

[rx-guru]

Ah, yes, Knowsley Safari Park in 1983!

And see who (blue jacket) is pushing the Mikkola quattro: Rally/RX/HotRod legend Barry "No 351" Lee himself...

[J4MIE]

Sadly the days of the "proper" RAC rallies were far before my time but I only got really interested in rallying after watching the '96 RAC on tv. But I'd give anything to experience the events of the 80s, but they will never happen again I really really love the Roger Albert Clark Rally, my current favourite event of the year, as it is longer and harder than any other event out there compared to the usual 4-5-6 stages in an average national event. If only it was guaranteed snow and ice!!

[ste898]

Never been to the new age RAC/Network Q/Corner of Wales International since 2001 and never will go back unless it comes up to the classic kielder stages etc.

But I doubt that will ever happen as there could be ice or snow and then it would get cancelled and turn into the farce it is this weekend!!!

[Donney]

I have never been there, but it has always been my favourite. My first memories come from an old VHS tape my dad had with all the BBC coverage of RAC rally 82 plus the Vatanen Touch.

Those were the days, and may I say it, those were the cars.
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[BDunnell]

Another RAC of which I have very fond memories is 1987. Yes, Group A was a bit of a comedown after Group B, and yes the event was shorter, but so much happened! On the first day, there was the hilarity of the works Vauxhalls all stopping in the water on the televised Weston Park stage, and Alen rolled his Delta at Chatsworth. He did it again in the Yorkshire forests, thereby ending his title hopes against Kankkunen, who of course became the first man to win back-to-back titles. The Lancias self-destructed somewhat, with both Alen and Mikael Ericsson crashing, so once Per Eklund's Audi had been disqualified it ended up with the Sierra Cosworths of Stig Blomqvist and Jimmy McRae, both of whom drove beautifully, finishing second and third.

But the drive of that RAC for me was by Louise Aitken-Walker in her works 1.9-litre Peugeot 205 GTi. She was the leading front-wheel-drive runner for much of the distance, up in eighth place, and very spectacular with it. On the BBC coverage, Steve Rider referred to her 'marvellous exhibition of driving in Clocaenog and Dyfi', and quite right too. If I remember correctly, she set some top six stage times in tricky conditions in the Welsh forests. It was a front-drive performance to almost rival Jean Ragnotti in Portugal that same year. No wonder she was almost in tears after she crashed in Langdale and broke the oil cooler.

[Andy Gregory]

The BBC TV coverage was superb in the 80's and 90's. It was on twice per day, on each day of the event. There were also quite a few great presenters/commentators used for Top Gear Rally Report: William Woollard, Brian Jones, Barrie Gill, Tony Mason, Steve Rider, Steve Lee and Mark James. There are various versions of opening titles from the show on You Tube. I've pasted a link to one of the later ones, the classic theme by the way, is by Propaganda - "Duelled". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUt5A-uWsow

The excitement used to begin for me when my Rallypak arrived which contained all kinds of little goodies and the official programme. Anyone remember how good it used to smell new???

My Mum and Dad took me into the Welsh forests in 1985 (I sadly don't remember as I was two). For many years after, the Chatsworth Special Stage was normally the place they took me although we did Kielder in snow one year.

I remember taking a little battery powered radio into school in the 1990's and getting the updates on 5 Live at break and lunch time. Mark James was normally the reporter. I desperately wished I could be out in the forests watching the action.

I did manage to experience following the event day to day, just before it changed from being the proper Lombard RAC Rally.

The Lombard RAC Rally was a really special event, we can moan about how it was destroyed etc, but at least those of us who were fortunate enough to go in the heydey, have some special memories which will last a lifetime.