Harshest Sackings

[BDunnell]

Walter Rohrl - Lombard RAC Rally 1982.

He'd already claimed the Title (the last 2WD drivers Title), and was known to be not a fan of 'blind' events, as the RAC was in those days. Rothmans Opel Team Manager Tony Fall wasn't impressed with this attitude, and so sacked him! Now I can't remember if he had already signed with Lancia for 1983, but that is were he drove that year.

A Rothmans publicity event was taking place just before that event, highlighting how the Rothmans Opel team had won the World, European and British titles in 1982. Röhrl elected not to attend, not wishing to do any more than he had to in order to promote cigarettes. This certainly didn't help the situation.

[FAL]

Fall shooting himself in the foot by confronting Rohrl at his breakfast table the morning after the Rothmans party. Jochi Kleint (coincidently the subject of a current thread on here), whom Fall flew in to drive Rohrl's car, was never likely to do as well. Caused me a smile when we passed the rear end of it sticking out of the trees on one stage.
Rohrl hated the RAC irrationally, since he was actually quite good at it. He just seemed to psyche himself out of liking it because he knew he was the acknowledged best on heavily practised tarmac. This got to the point when his complaining in 85 went largely ignored because of his bias and it was Timo Salonen who gets the blame for getting the RAC changed to "9 to 5 rallying" for 86.

[BDunnell]

Rohrl hated the RAC irrationally, since he was actually quite good at it. He just seemed to psyche himself out of liking it because he knew he was the acknowledged best on heavily practised tarmac.

His win on the 1984 Ulster International in the Sport Quattro showed he wasn't too bad on not-so-heavily-practiced tarmac, too.

This got to the point when his complaining in 85 went largely ignored because of his bias and it was Timo Salonen who gets the blame for getting the RAC changed to "9 to 5 rallying" for 86.

Apropos of nothing, didn't Röhrl blame Phil Short for his crash on the 1985 RAC?

[FAL]

I can't recall what was said at the time but I'm sure Short was brought in to partner Rohrl because he was good "on the maps" and any information would help Rohrl more than most other drivers. Rohrl then probably placed too much confidence in his map reading. Short had "coached" Pons on the maps during one previous RAC to help Mouton at a critical point.

Perhaps we should explain, for those not so familiar with the days of the "secret" unpractised RAC rally stages, that they could be read off 1:25000 scale maps but this was (is still on the R.A.C. retro event) something of a "black art" as there were inaccuracies that meant some of the detail was more "advice" than the equivalent of pace notes.

[BDunnell]

I can't recall what was said at the time but I'm sure Short was brought in to partner Rohrl because he was good "on the maps" and any information would help Rohrl more than most other drivers. Rohrl then probably placed too much confidence in his map reading.

Röhrl's first RAC since the year he drove the 131 with Geistdorfer sitting in the back, wasn't it?

[FAL]

That was 78 and he was also entered in a 131 in 79 and 80 (with conventional seating!)but I can't recall seeing him so maybe he didn't start. Not entered in 81.

[rjbetty]

(Don't let me break the conversation above by interjecting with more)

JAMES THOMPSON, West Surrey Racing Honda, 2000 (BTCC)
I don't know the ins and outs but I know that James really went through the grinder with WSR boss Dick Bennetts. Thommo was sacked, but he since went on to show what a class act he is. Looks like Dick Bennetts made a big mistake - I think Thompson was better off without WSR.

[BDunnell]

JAMES THOMPSON, West Surrey Racing Honda, 2000 (BTCC)
I don't know the ins and outs but I know that James really went through the grinder with WSR boss Dick Bennetts. Thommo was sacked, but he since went on to show what a class act he is.

Hadn't heard this one before. Was it a sacking, or just the end of the WSR Honda programme? I seem to recall Anthony Reid and Warren Hughes being confirmed very early for the WSR MG programme that followed, and would assume — given their parallel sportscar effort — that these were MG appointments rather than WSR ones.

Looks like Dick Bennetts made a big mistake - I think Thompson was better off without WSR.

In his Vauxhall years, I agree, but thereafter I'd argue Thompson would have achieved more success with WSR than he has done elsewhere.

[BDunnell]

That was 78 and he was also entered in a 131 in 79 and 80 (with conventional seating!)but I can't recall seeing him so maybe he didn't start. Not entered in 81.

Ah, yes — he definitely competed in 1979, finishing eighth, but there were no works Fiats on the 1980 RAC.

[FAL]

He was on the original 1980 RAC entry list at No.2 in a works 131 but I certainly don't recall him at the first passage control so agree DNS.