Network Q RAC Rally 23-25 November 1996

Day 1 Rally Report

First major retirement was Ari Vatanen who deranged the steering of his Escort Cosworth on the first stage after hitting a log and crawled out of the stage on three wheels. He was already 15 minutes late and soon after he went off the road on a link section.

The incident which cost Kankkunen his chance of a fifth win happened on the third stage by which time the Celica GT-4 of the German star Armin Schwarz had moved into a strong lead which he was to maintain until the end of the day.

The least surprised driver as the crews ended the day in darkness was the Japanese driver Masao Kamioka in his Subaru Impreza. Used to driving on snow and ice in northern Japan he adapted quickly to the treacherous conditions in his first outing in his Group A car.

Kamioka, who has won the Japanese championship three times, finished ninth when he last did the rally.

The next surprise was the form of the 50 year old star of yesteryear, Stiq Blomqvist from Sweden who had been recruited by Team Skoda to lead their six car attack in their bid for World 2 litre points against rivals Renault and Seat. At the end of the day Stiq commented "The car is going as well as the Saab used to but it has been extremely slippery out there - and there is along way to go"

Other notable retirements after less than one third of the rally has been completed include the Finn Jarmo Kytolehto, who went off at the same corner as Kankkunen, in the second of the Escort Cosworths prepared by Malcolm Wilson motorsport - who this week was appointed manager for the Ford works team for next year's World Rally programme.

The day ended with another major casualty for Ian Duncan from Kenya was forced out with clutch failure in the second of the works Toyotas

So ended a dramatic day in which four of the top five crews have fallen by the wayside.