when cars had presence

Semi Urban myth mate. Toivonen was driving a Lancia Group C Monte Carlo Turbo At Estoril (not the rallycar) that was entered for Le Mans that year. He desperately wanted to join the team for Le Mans and had a huge bust up with team managers Cesere Fiorio and Georgio Pianta prior to that fatefull Corsica Rally. It is thought that is why he perished- he was just pushing so hard to prove a point.
 
6.5x55":dn4jfpvn said:
I remember hiring a dodgy racing accidents video with my brothers when I was a kid (god knows why). It was fairly grusome. One clip showed two blokes legging it across a Formula 1 track in the 70's. The first guy got taken out by a car and the firing extinguisher he was carrying flew off and killed his mate :shock: .

That was Welshman Tom Pryce at Kayalami in the South African GP. A car had stopped on the straight. The Marshall was just a kid and ran across the track with the extinguisher even though there was no fire to attend to. His friend escaped unharmed. There is a slight crest on that straight which the drivers took it at around 185mph. Pryce hit the marshall at full speed which sent the kid's body cartwheeling into the air. The extinguisher hit Pryce full on in the face killing him instantly. The car continued the full length of the straight at full throttle brushing the pit wall and finally taking two other cars with it into the catch fencing at the right hander several hundred yards away. Tom was a real talent and many believe that he could have become a real title contender. His quiet demeanour and farming background reminded many of Jimmy Clark. There is now a memorial to him in Ruthin, North Wales.
 
Didier Auriol , former wrc driver and world champion , is local to me . he started as an ambulance driver :lol:

anyway , he has quite a large collection of rally cars , including a Metro , Renault 5 turbo , Lancia and Toyota .

really nice, down to earth guy . and he cycles quite a lot too .
 
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