Just heard about this.







Pentti Airikkala (September 4, 1945 – September 30, 2009), was one of the 'Flying Finns' who dominated world rallying in the past four decades. His career was more sporadic than many of his contemporaries, and he competed in only three World Rally Championship (WRC) events regularly; the two Scandinavian rallies (the 1000 Lakes and the Swedish Rally) and the RAC Rally in the United Kingdom.

Airikkala was born in Helsinki, Finland. Most of his top flight competitive experience was behind the wheel of various rear wheel drive Vauxhall/Opels like the Chevette HS and Magnum coupé, but his greatest success came in the twilight of his career, when he exploited his local knowledge as a longtime UK resident to win the 1989 RAC Rally in a Group A Mitsubishi Galant VR-4. He is still the third oldest driver to win a WRC event.

Altogether he competed in 36 WRC events between 1973 and 1990, and a 37th in 2003, scoring 102 points and achieving a best of 9th overall in the 1981 Drivers' Championship. He also contested the British Rally Championship in the 1970s/80s, becoming British Rally Champion in 1979. Since retiring from full-time international competition he operated a highly successful race driving school in Oxfordshire, where his roster of pupils included subsequent World Champions Colin McRae and Richard Burns.

It was 10 years on from that season, however, that Pentti enjoyed his crowning glory - when he won the RAC Rally. He was offered a drive in the factory Mitsubishi team, at the wheel of a Group A Galant VR-4, as a thank you for winning Group N in that season's British Rally Championship, where he had seen off the threat of a certain Colin McRae in a Ford Sierra Cosworth.

After limited testing ahead of the event, Airikkala built his speed through Wales before moving through the gears as the rally headed into Kielder and the south of Scotland. A string of fastest times moved him into the lead fight and when Carlos Sainz hit trouble two stages from the end, Airikkala passed him to collect his one and only World Rally Championship win.

The significance of this win went beyond Airikkala breaking his duck at the highest level; this was an event Sainz was desperate to win - it was the last RAC Rally run without pace notes into the forests. Twelve months later, Airikkala pieced together a last-minute deal to drive a Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4, only to crash spectacularly in Cropton. After that, Airikkala would only make one more WRC appearance - on Rally GB again - when he retired a Group N Mitsubishi in 2003. By that stage, Airikkala was busy running his own driving school, tutoring the likes of current Ford star Jari-Matti Latvala in the mysteries of the Scandinavian flick and left-foot braking. Airikkala was a big character both on and off rallies, and one who will be sadly missed both in Britain and his native Finland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY6_FwXSMU4&feature=sub

Ok, this guy taught Colin Mcrae and Richard Burns a few things as their tutor. Sheesh.

Well, I read the article and watched the video and it's obviously sad, but I just don't have anything to add. It's only in the past couple of years that I've really gotten into rallying, so I can't yet fully appreciate the legends of rallying.

I understand. I have just picked up books and read alot about rally history. In retrospect, one can see that the WRC is a shadow of what it once was, and seems destined to stay in a shadow of Formula One. If you look and the overpriced techno monstrosity that F1 is and look at how comparatively cheap rallying is, I dont understand why a manufacturer wouldn't at least try it for a year at least. There are no bans on testing, but the fucking morons at the FIA did mandate the a factory team must commit to a year. Idiots. I cant think of a better way to shoot yourself in the foot.

You want to know the biggest problem? Exposure. F1 will have a guaranteed viewing figure of over 10million+ people globally and i think that estimate is a bit low.

Now, the problem with rally? I'm not saying air it live but the biggest problem is the way they're doing the TV highlights. It's 24 to 28 minutes for an ENTIRE day of rally. 100km of competitive driving with over 40+ entries and you're trying to cram it into a less than half hour highlight reel the next day. Just doesn't really work out to anything grand.

I've been following the WRC since about '07 watching every single one and that's the biggest problem I can see with it. The lack of exposure. Yes, a manufacturer may spend a fraction of what they spend on an F1 program but at least then they're guaranteed a global exposure.

But, hey, I'm pretty hyped up for '10, '11' and beyond. 5 day rally weeks amongst the other changes and it should be good. But, the highlight/airing of the WRC should AT MINIMUM be 1 hour per day.

Same with me, I totally agree what you're saying. Oftentimes they'll gloss over coverage of entire stages or even omit coverage of a stage. I'm often left wanting more... more details about the drivers/cars/courses/etc., more awesome footage, more interviews, etc. I guess they want you to fill in the details on their website?

Part of the problem with the highlights package is the lack of passion in the announcers. The commnetary is like they are announcing it live when itws obvious its just lights. I miss the old days of Jeremy Hart and Mark James, you could tell they just loved the sport and the culture.


This is Mark James: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ai4wRywdd8...6D86CFC670E7052


Will have to look around for Jeremy Hart.