Rally Japan 2010

[Rallyper]

Without some exceptions, I would say golfers are sportsmen without any demands of fitness... But having said that it´s hard reaching the top today without any kind of fitness program.

I think most of the top drivers today, have it in one way or another.

N.O.T: The rallies back in the old days where in an other space than todays sprints.
For example 1000 Lakes in Finland back in 1983 where 52 stages, driven from early morning until late in the evening for at least four days, maybe five. So please, don´t compare if you don´t have the full picture, man!

[6789]

Any pics from the Rally? Wold be some great shots with the ruts and loose surface?

[noel157]

Without some exceptions, I would say golfers are sportsmen without any demands of fitness... But having said that it´s hard reaching the top today without any kind of fitness program.

I think most of the top drivers today, have it in one way or another.

N.O.T: The rallies back in the old days where in an other space than todays sprints.
For example 1000 Lakes in Finland back in 1983 where 52 stages, driven from early morning until late in the evening for at least four days, maybe five. So please, don´t compare if you don´t have the full picture, man!

Think you'll find that most (the younger ones) professional golfers are some of the most fit athletes around.

[Mintexmemory]

lets put loeb in a 1800RS Escort versus hannu mikkola in 1979 RAC rally and see what happens.

+1

I think the only way Tony Pond could get through rallies back then was due to the fact that he couldn't drink, chain smoke etc while driving so he felt much better than usual!! I'm sure he knew all about sleep deprivation too

[N.O.T]

Please don't compare the old drivers to the new drivers. Things were very different back then. Rallys were much longer and hard. There was a lot of night driving with very little sleep for 4 or 5 days at a time. Cars were much less reliable and uncomfortable and much harder to drive.

Saying that todays drivers would beat easily the drivers of the old days, rrelatively speaking, is nonsense and is obviously a comment of someone who has no idea what he is talking about.

lets put loeb in a 1800RS Escort versus hannu mikkola in 1979 RAC rally and see what happens.

it would be an ugly spectacle to ridicule mikkola like that....the drivers of today are a different breed...

i prefer to be romantic when it comes to girls and sheep...being romantic with rallying doesn't lead anywhere...

The drivers of the 70s and 80s have nothing to show over the current ones.

[JFL]

the wrc-cars of 2010 drive themselves compared to older cars...you can just go back to Gr.A... I've tried...
thats why youngsters do so great in a WRC car.. they have no limits... they are not scared of the limit...
I dont say that todays top drivers are better or worse..

[Karukera]

Many former champions coming back in a modern rally car for a one shot (Vatanen, Auriol... to recently Kankkunen) would say the engine is nothing special but the handling has improved a lot with the in car comfort.

Today you can drive flat out over any special stage with a wrc car. no need to take care of your car because it is so strong.
You can do the complete rally with one set of shock absorbers, just clean them in the evening service. Unless you hit something big, you can just put the pedal down and worry about your lines. That is why, first of all, young drivers are able to get top results early in their career.

With driving skill, good notes, memory and a good car the result will be there soon. in the old days this was not enough, you needed real brains and a LOT of experience to take your car to the limit but not overdo it !

Today it seems that between the top drivers the difference will be made by the guy who has the most confidence in his car.