Great battles

[T60]

Colin versus Carlos 1995 RAC Rally.
I don't think the end result was too close but, the comeback that followed an off for Colin was legendary and it had me gripped (it was even on TV back then). What seemed impossible slowly looked like being an outside chance and then the win and the championhip came.
I will always remember Tony Mason stuffing his mic into Colin's face, right when he least needed it and asking something like "can you fix the car Colin?" (at this point Colin had a fence post wedged under the bottom arm of his impreza) but he still calmly replied "no problem Tony".
Rallying was just a bit more special then.

[Tomi]

Mikkola vs Blomqvist in 1000 lakes 1982, was one of the best, also Mäkinen vs Rovanperä a few years back in Sweden was good, Märtin vs Grönholm few years back was very good also until the bearring problem in the Peugeot.

[Norwegian Blue]

Was it 2004, a very close Rally GB finish between Loeb and Solberg, about 5 seconds?

[duff]

Just checked - Corsica was even better, just 0.8s between them at the finish!

And Colin took it all on the last stage in the wet! 13seconds I think...

[Erki]

http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?ty...ult&rallyid=74

It was 8 seconds, no .8 of a second. Before 1998, the accuracy of timekeeping was 1 second.

[Corny]

Australia 2000; one of the weirdest rallies ever

[A.F.F.]

Before the rules changed conserning the starting order for day 2 and 3, Rally Australia was near to a farce very often.

[Corny]

Sure, but at least that gave some interesting moments

[Waldrons11]

http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?ty...ult&rallyid=74

It was 8 seconds, no .8 of a second. Before 1998, the accuracy of timekeeping was 1 second.

Ah yes, very good point! Seems strange now that they used to time stages to the nearest second. Actually, I believe 'back in the day' they used to time rallies like safari to the nearest minute!!

[kraut]

Portugal 1978:

Looking back for a few years more. After a long rally over the gravel stages of Portugal on the last day the classic tarmac stages of Sintra, Peninha and Lagua Azol (to be driven three times) had been on the programme.

Markku Alen on the Fiat 131 Abarth and Hannu Mikkola on the Ford Escort were only a second apart and it was a very hard fight. All possible actions had been taken. Sparewheel and tools had already been taken out of the cars. Fiat's teamchef Daniele Audetto, who was well known for dirty tricks intended to place Walter Röhrl's car, which already was out of the rally, clearly visible on a sideroad of the stage together with two persons in overalls and helmets. With this trick Mikkola should think, that Alen's car would be standing in the stage, which would effect Mikkola to slow down after noticing that fact.

But Röhrl still had the keys of the car and refused to cooperate doing those dirty tricks. In the end Mikkola had a puncture and Alen was winning anyway.