Network Q RAC Rally 23-25 November 1997

From rally@vianet.net.au Sat Nov 22 15:28:11 1997
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 11:14:10 +0800
From: Guy Churchill 
Reply-To: owner-wrc@vianet.net.au
To: wrc@vianet.net.au
Subject: [WRC] 1997 Network Q RAC Rally  -  Background Information

53rd Rally of Britain (RAC)
Round 14 of the World Rally Championship 
23 November - 25 November 1997


The RAC is one of the oldest and most prestigious rounds of the World Rally 
Championship.   Since the formation of the FIA World Rally Championship in 
1973 the event's international reputation has always been strong.  As the RAC 
is one of the country's major sporting events, many cities and towns including 
London, Birmingham, Bath, York, Chester, Cheltenham,  Harrogate and Nottingham 
are eager to host the rally.

Expect fans to be in excess of two million to watch local favourites like 
Colin McRae, who loves nothing better than living on the edge, race for the 
RAC win and possibly a championship win as well.  But since the event took to 
the forests, Scandinavian drivers have dominated, only Britain's Roger Clark 
(twice), Carlos Sainz  (once) and Colin McRae (twice) have managed to beat the 
Finns and Swedes.

The entry list is extensive with 163 entrants and over 30 reserves.

The RAC is likely to be a four way fight between motor manufacturing giants 
Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford, and the still unproven Toyota WRC Corolla.  But most 
interest will be focused on the battle between Colin McRae and Tommi Makinen.  

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart is poised to win the crown and Tommi is the odds-on 
favourite to become World Rally Champion for the second year in a row.  
Makinen has four wins already this year and a near - unbeatable points lead as 
he prepares for the RAC.  He will be World Champion provided he finishes in 
the top six and scores just one point, but if Colin McRae fails to win the 
rally, Makinen is automatically champion.  With much of the United Kingdom 
behind Colin he'll be pushing it all the way.

And according to Colin himself ..... "Just a couple of events ago it was hard 
to think we'd be in a position to be fighting for the World Championship on the 
final round," said Colin, "but if there was anywhere I'd rather do it, the RAC 
Rally is obviously the event that favours me most. It's not going to be easy 
though; we've got to win and Tommi (Makinen) has got to be out of the points. 
Even then, it would go down to a tie-break on points and we would win by having 
five victories over Tommi's four, so I'm under no illusion that a straight 
victory will clinch it.

While Tommi's attitude is somewhat different .... "Of course it's going to be 
difficult, because the RAC is a tough rally, but I don't think it is going to 
be a problem. It is just a question of concentrating and making sure that we 
finish," said Makinen. "I have driven a lot in Britain, so I know what to 
expect in the forests and, although I haven't had good results on the RAC in 
the past, this year is going to be different!"

So while Subaru 555 team has already tied up the manufacturers championship for 
the third year in a row with the win in Australia, it's now the individual 
drivers championship that has all the focus.

The 386 kilometres of timed special stages of this year's event will test the 
drivers,  and fittingly, ultimately decide the 1997 FIA World Rally 
Championship.

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Conditions Expected:

The weather in Britain in late November is impossible to predict.  But it will 
almost certainly be bad. The chance of sunshine is minimal and competitors are 
more likely to encounter rain, fog, hail, ice and snow.  Varying weather 
conditions are an integral part of the rally's unique challenge.  It will make 
forest stages slippery and treacherous, a true test of a drivers nerve, skill 
and even luck.

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1996 Network Q RAC Rally

(**Note 1)

Day 1
The weather and accidents eliminated Ari Vatanen, Juha Kankkunen and Jarmo 
Kytolehto.  Armin Schwarz and Stig Blomqvist took the leads in there categories 
which they held to the finish.  Masao Kamioka and Krzysztof Holowczyc benefited 
from there lower running numbers to finish the day second and forth 
respectively while little known backmarkers often gained remarkable stage 
times.

Day 2
Gwyndaf Evans and Robbie Head both went off on stage 11 after rolling their 
cars in the same place.  Organisers had a sleepless night deciding which crews 
should be allowed to continue after delays the day before.

Day 3
Skoda's championship hopes were dashed when Sibera retired.  SEAT became 
champions!

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Final Results of the 1996 Network Q RAC Rally

1  Schwarz/Giraudet    Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD    4h46m50s
2  Kamioka/Gormley     Subaru Impreza 555         4h54m42s
3  Blomqvist/Melander  Skoda Felicia Kit Car 1600 5h02m02s
4  Higgins/Mills       Nissan Sunny GTI           5h09m11s
5  de Mevius/Fortin    Renault Maxi Megane        5h11m20s
6  Easson/Cook         Ford Escort RS Cos         5h13m59s
7  Buckley/Ewing       Subaru Impreza WRX-RA      5h16m54s
8  Rovanpera/Repo      SEAT Ibiza Kit Car         5h20m40s
9  Webber/Hiemer       SEAT Ibiza Kit Car         5h22m24s
10 Baumschlager/Wicha  VW Golf Kit Car            5h23m25s

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Previous Winners of the Network Q RAC Rally

1996  Armin Schwarz/Denis Giraudet (D/F) Toyota Celica GT-Four
1995  Colin McRae/Derek Ringer (GB) Subaru Impreza 555 
1994  Colin McRae/Derek Ringer (GB) Subaru Impreza 555 
1993  Juha Kankkunen/Nicky Grist (FIN/GB) Toyota Celica Turb 4WD 
1992  Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya (E) Toyota Celica Turb 4WD 
1991  Juha Kankkunen/Juha Piironen (FIN) Lancia Delta HF Integ 
1990  Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya (E) Toyota Celica GT-Four 
1989  Pentti Airikkala/Ronan McNamee (FIN/IRL) Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 
1988  Markku Alén/Ilkka Kivimäki (FIN) Lancia Delta HF Integ 
1987  Juha Kankkunen/Juha Piironen (FIN) Lancia Delta HF 4WD 
1986  Timo Salonen/Seppo Harjanne (FIN) Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 


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Note 1
(** source = Pirelli World Rallying 1996-1997,
Martin Holmes Rallying, 1996)

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