Plus, of course, the chances Pond had in both events shouldn't be forgotten either.Quote:
Originally Posted by FAL
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Plus, of course, the chances Pond had in both events shouldn't be forgotten either.Quote:
Originally Posted by FAL
Fred Gallagher mentioned elsewhere that Peter Ashcroft's prediction to him at the start in 80 was that Pond would win. I was never sure how driveable the early 6R4 was - too "cammy" to have much advantage on ice over the Lancia in 85?Quote:
Originally Posted by BDunnell
Folks,
You are straying a l_o_n_g way off topic. Fascinating as the discussion is, shouldn't it be a thread on Rally History?
Reminder: the topic is "Your top10 drivers" and your reasons for making those choices.
I actually think this very interesting discussion deserves its own thread!
The very same view on Ashcroft's part was mentioned in the narration of ITV's contemporary report on the event.Quote:
Originally Posted by FAL
Didn't Pond make a wrong tyre choice on the final night too?Quote:
Originally Posted by FAL
Indeed. Any way the comments about Toivonen could be hived off into a separate thread in the rally forum? It's a discussion I'd very much like to continue, but agree that this isn't the place.Quote:
Originally Posted by D-Type
My top ten drivers are as follow with the top 5 in no particular order as I have never been able to decide who the best is and I probably never will either.
Anyway, the list:
Ayrton Senna – Tragically robbed of what could have been titanic battles between Senna and Schumacher – Always a candidate for best ever no matter who comes along in the future
Micheal Schumacher – Intelligent, fast, consistent and technically magnificient 7 times WDC
Alain Prost – Intelligent, fast, 4 times WDC
Jim Clark – Give him a car that was 2nd or 3rd best on the grid and he’d win with it. Give him a quad bike and he’d do something amazing with it.
Juan Manuel Fangio – 5 times F1 WDC champion. Who knows what he would have done if he was born 20 years later?
Colin McRae – 1 time WRC champion. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him drive, he simply woo’d me
Tazio Nuvolari – An incredibly talented individual that drove both bikes and cars. If only he were born in the more modern era I believe he would be considered by many others as an all time great too.
Valentino Rossi – probably the best ever on a motorbike. It’s incredible some of the things he has done on a bike.
Richard Burns – the computer. Can’t say enough of this talent and a career that was tragically cut short. If he were around I doubt Loeb would have 7 WRC Championships.
John Surtees – as someone said above – he won championships on two wheels and four
1. Not old enough to have seen him but from the film archives Nuvolari stands head and shoulders above his contemporaries pre WW2
2. Sir Stirling Moss. Dutiful No2 to Fangio but an amazing record in all forms of racing
3 J M Fangio 5 times world champion at a time when the driver made a difference and mechanical reliability was hit or miss
4 Jim Clark. Indy and 2 x WC winner, GP Victories record holder at the time of his death and arguably had stffer opposition in the form of Surtees, Hill, Brabham and Hulme from 62-67. Almiost certainly would have dominated '68 in the Lotus 49 and would have performed well in the Turbine car at Indy.
5 Ronnie Peterson -google the story about the customer March F1 test
6 Vic Elford Strange choice you might think but in 68 he scored F1 points in the dog that was the Cooper-BRM in his first GP, won the Monte Carlo Rally and the Group 6 championship events at Daytona and the Targa Florio (which performance is legendary). The ultimate all-rounder at a time when JYS had started the trend towards specialisation.
One of the handfull of drivers who could tame the Porsche 917.
7. Senna- Beat his contemporaries and the FIA!
8 Schumacher Dominant for longer than anyone before or since
9 Loeb See Schumacher
10 Juha Kankunnen imho the best rally driver until Loeb re-wrote the book
I am delighted to see someone make mention here of Vic Elford. His record of success in completely different formulae in the first few months of 1968 is truly remarkable (you missed out, by the way, the fact that he won the first round of that year's British Saloon Car Championship too!) yet represents only part of his career's achievements. A truly great driver.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mintexmemory
To be accurate he only won his class at Brands Hatch (Ford Cortina iirc) in the BSCC (support race for the F1 Race of Champions). The o/a race was won by Brian "Yogi" Muir in a Falcon - I was there ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by BDunnell
Ah, I see! Thanks for the correction. I thought he was also driving a 911 on that occasion?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mintexmemory
Anyway, glad to see another Elford enthusiast here.