17.35

[Richard A Thackeray]

I think someone (maybe even me) has featured this in the past

Just had a look back , & in the same year, the average speed would have placed him 4th in the 'Superbike', 5th in 'Senior' events
Plus won the Supersport!!

An average speed of 128.73MPH
Note the monitoring; speed, RPM. 'G', gear, steering input, plus Higgins own heart-rate. respiration



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRg5Sp1iQMc


He's undoubtedly got to be as precise as the riders, due to the width of the car

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Can you imagine how far he would have gone & what damage it would have caused if he had got it wrong at those speeds, Motorsport has got safer due to no obstructions to hit if the driver/rider gets it wrong, but not here.

 

[Jody]

I think you have posted this before but it's a great clip.

Still think the nutters with 200BHP+ resting on their knackers are kings around the IOM but this is a great bit of driving.

 

[Reynard]

Actually, if you want totally nuts on the IoM, how about this - Ari Vatanen with Terry Harryman in the hot seat, Opel Manta 400, 1983 Manx International Rally...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxDz0Z066NI


I may have posted this before too, but it's too good not to share.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Can you imagine how far he would have gone & what damage it would have caused if he had got it wrong at those speeds, Motorsport has got safer due to no obstructions to hit if the driver/rider gets it wrong, but not here.

Like most rallys then, & yes, I know that's why the Group B cars were banned (after some 'offs')

Actually, if you want totally nuts on the IoM, how about this - Ari Vatanen with Terry Harryman in the hot seat, Opel Manta 400, 1983 Manx International Rally...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxDz0Z066NI


I may have posted this before too, but it's too good not to share.

Excellent!!!

Also worth watching... https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/sideways-escort.257301/

 

[Reynard]

Like most rallys then, & yes, I know that's why the Group B cars were banned (after some 'offs')

Was more than just a few "offs" which caused Group B to be banned. Rallying in the early to mid 80s had brewed up this perfect storm of massive and poorly-controlled crowds by the side of the road, very long and demanding events leaving drivers over-tired and physically shot, and then these cars that designers had effectively been given a carte blanche to develop with very little in the way of restrictions. Plus a governing body that just about turned a blind eye on things.

Ari Vatanen on the '85 Rally Argentina, where he rolled on a bad stretch of road and his seat snapped, injuring him badly. But this was in the middle of nowhere, and it took ages for help to arrive. Ari was lucky to survive.

The Portuguese rally of '86 where an RS200 in the hands of a local driver unused to Group B machinery ended up in the crowd killing several people and injuring many others. The driver was more used to campaigning an Escort on domestic rallies.

Then of course Henri Toivonen on Corsica. To this day no one really knows why the accident happened, but what cretinous moron puts the (non-armoured) fuel tanks inside the car and then fixes the driver and co driver's seats on top of them?!?!?!?!?! The tanks were punctured when the car left the road, and with the car dangling upside down in the trees in a place where there were no marshalls for miles, you kind of get the picture.

It was only after Henri's accident that FISA (now the FIA) pulled the plug on Group B, and from '87 onwards, rallies were shortened and the cars were run to Group A and Group N specs.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

@Reynard

I know the (approximate) history of it, but didn't go into detail

 

[biggs682]

Group B cars were the dogs dangly bits

I don't todays cars are much slower over the same stages though

 

[Reynard]

Group B cars were the dogs dangly bits

I don't todays cars are much slower over the same stages though

They're talking about toning down rally cars again, not just because the current generation of WRC cars are getting a bit too quick, but also because of the costs and falling entries.

 

[biggs682]

They're talking about toning down rally cars again, not just because the current generation of WRC cars are getting a bit too quick, but also because of the costs and falling entries.

Last time I was involved in freelance rally servicing in the late 80's . It was costly enough I dread to think what the costs are these days for privateers never mind works teams .

 

[Reynard]

Last time I was involved in freelance rally servicing in the late 80's . It was costly enough I dread to think what the costs are these days for privateers never mind works teams .

I bet... And that would have been Group A / Group N and likely some older Group 4 machinery eg Escort RS1800. Comparatively speaking, easy cars to work on, parts readily available fia a manufacturer's competition department or somewhere like Demon Tweeks and not much in the way of electronics bar the basic stuff...

 

[biggs682]

Original M3 on circuit of Ireland , Isle of Man and Tour of Ypres all in one year the following year the owner fancied a try at a Mazda 4 X 4 in factory group n spec strangely enough the next year it was a Suzuki swift GTi

 

[Reynard]

Mmmmm, neat.

The factory-spec Mazda (323F?) would've been just a mite spendy, I'd imagine...