Pentti airikkala rally driver

Vhs rallies pentti airikkala in the 1982 austin rover. Hml20001 it was the escort that really put ford on the rallying map, proving capable of winning world championship events from 1968, when the twin cam model was the works frontline rally car. Pentti airikkala, the former world rally driver, died yesterday aged 64. Online archive of fia world rally championship from 1973 to present day. The first irishman since 1974 to clinch the title in codriving, he was codriver to austin machale. In 1981 the rothmans team made history when its driver ari vatanen became the first, and so far only, nonworks world rally champion. Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements. He burst onto the scene in 1976, tackling the british rally championship in an outdated mark one escort and serious discomforting old stagers like roger clark. The finn, 64, contested 36 wrc events between 1973 and 1990 and. He became famous by driving a vauxhall chevette in the 1977 british rally championship.

Most of his top flight competitive experience was behind the wheel of various rear wheel drive vauxhall opels like the chevette hs and magnum coupe, but his greatest success came in the twilight of his career, when he won the 1989 rac rally in a group a mitsubishi galant vr4. Pentti was not only a driver, he was a teacher and mentor who could pass on his skills and vast engineering. Pentti airikkala, one of the stars of british and world rallying in the 1970s and 1980s, has died at the age. I never met him, but paid to watch him drive many times in the 1980s when he was at his pomp. Pentti airikkala first year with the chevette part 1 youtube. Wikimedia commons has media related to rally drivers from finland pages in category finnish rally drivers the following 45 pages are in this category, out of 45 total. While some say that the cars made group b legendary, do not forget that you needed drivers capable of handling such raw machines. Another superstar driver in an escort, henri toivonen competed in a two car total oils team back in 1979. Pentti airikkala, astra gte pentti airikkala, ronan mcnamee, vauxhall astra gte, 1985 rac rally, weston park, shropshire. Pentti was a longtime british resident and loved the rac rally.

My only wrc win pentti airikkala motor sport magazine. Opinionated and outspoken character, pentti was great proponent of leftfoot braking and scandinavian flick, technique he viewed as the only correct one. Pentti airikkala 4 september 1945 30 september 2009 was one of the flying finns who dominated world and british rallying in the past four decades. He was great britain champion in 1979 driving for vauxhall as.

He has lived in great britain for years where he had a rally driving school of his own. Pentti airikkala page 1 general motorsport pistonheads. One of the original flying finns, pentti airikkalas driving style was as. Bought new by david sutton cars ltd, the rs1800 offered here was used on the 1976 lombardrac rally, driven by pentti airikkala, and then in 1977 was overall winner of the mintex rally driven by ari vatanen, who also drove it on that years 1977 scottish rally with gandy brakes sponsorship. After collecting a variety of rally wins at home in finland, airikkala soon. Active drivers listed in bold in the tables are those who have entered a wrc event within the past twelve months. Ari vatanen did most of the driving and i only got a chance towards the end when we were driving round in the dark.

He and machale have also won the irish tarmac rally championship in 1997. It was the 38th rally of the fia world rally championship. Famed for his scandinavian flick method of attacking bends and. Pentti went on to clinch the british championship in 1979. Throughout a long career spanning 1973 to 1990 the finn contested 36 wrc events, taking his only victory on the rac rally. You searched for pentti airikkala and found 1067 photos. Pentti airikkalas ukbased rally driving school profile of airikkala at world. Pentti airikkala says f1 drivers like lewis hamilton and kimi raikkonen are nowhere near as good as sebastien loeb and co. Click on a name to learn more about the drivers achievements and rallying biography. Pentti airkikkalas motorsport career and achievements were vast but his most famous wins were in 1989 when he took victory in a mitsubishi on the rac rally and the international welsh rally.

His flamboyant style and dry wit made him a star and helped put rallying on the map in the uk. Before expatriating from his native finland, airikkala had won 1974 national championship in group 1. Pentti airikkala rally wikia fandom powered by wikia. Ari vatanen, winner of the welsh rally and leader of the scottish in its very early stages, retired when his escorts transmission failed, and pentti airikkala fell back to fourth after two punctures and a rear axle which had to be held in place by a chain. Portions of content provided by tivo corporation 2020 tivo corporation whats new. Jan 02, 2020 the group b drivers while some say that the cars made group b legendary, do not forget that you needed drivers capable of handling such raw machines. When todds leap was preparing to open one of the first callers was championship rally driver pentti airikkala who dominated the rally circuit at that.

Please consider supporting us by disabling adblock. Above all, he was a great storyteller and humorist. Does anyone have any results, or even records of entries, for. Deeply sad news that pentti airikkala has passed away at such an untimely age.

Rally driver jill robinson posted in the nostalgia forum. One of the flying finns who dominated world rallying in the past four decades. He became famous by driving a vauxhall chevette in the 1977 british. Pentti airikkala, astra gte mike hayward collection. Active drivers listed in bold in the tables are those who have entered a. Did you get a chance to try the car before the rally. When todds leap was preparing to open one of the first callers was championship rally driver pentti airikkala who dominated the rally circuit at that time. Former world rally driver pentti airikkala died yesterday following a long illness.

List of world rally championship drivers wikipedia. His teammate was an equally young malcolm wilson now the ford wrc team boss pentti airikkala in the yorkshire forests 1981 mintex rally one of the most famous escort drivers ari vatanen 1981 sanremo brazil 1981. Bought new by david sutton cars ltd, the rs1800 offered here was used on the 1976 lombardrac rally, driven by pentti airikkala, and then in 1977 was overall winner of the mintex rally driven by ari vatanen, who also drove it on that years 1977 scottish rally with. The expentti airikkala, roger clark, ari vatanen, bjorn waldegard, david sutton cars ltd1975 ford escort rs1800 rally carregistration no. Finlands pentti airikkala, driving a mitsubishi starion, won the 530mile welsh auto rally sunday, finishing half a minute ahead of former champion jimmy mcrae of scotland. It was the year with the irish driver billy coleman seriously challenging the brc, finishing every event and scoring points on all nine events except for the burmah rally, when both he and roger clark both incurred road section penalties through timing errors. Wikimedia commons has media related to rally drivers from finland. Sainz surprise winner of greatest driver vote carlos sainz has beaten sebastien loeb to be. All year i drove a group n mitsubishi in the british championship and we won the category, but i had no prospect for the rac. Before expatriating from his native finland, airikkala had. Pentti airikkala was one of the original flying finns who dominated world rally driving from the late 1970s to the 1990s.

Pentti airikkala circuit of ireland 1981 irish rally photos. Dec 04, 2011 pentti airikkala first year with the chevette part 1 duration. Oct 02, 2009 a tribute to pentti who passed away recently on september 30th 2009. There is little doubt that the late 70s were a hallmark period in the brc. Then mikael ericsson, who had won the lakes for mitsubishi, agreed to drive a lancia for th. I was stumped for a time, trying to analyse bravest, but in the end i had to choose a combination of ultrafast, aggressive, and againsttheodds circumstances. How pentti airikkala overcame the odds to win the 1989 rac rally at the wheel. Bought new by david sutton cars ltd, the rs1800 offered here was used on the 1976 lombardrac rally, driven by pentti airikkala, and then in 1977 was overall winner of the mintex rally driven by ari vatanen, who. But i was very much reminded that i was number two in the team.

The following 45 pages are in this category, out of 45 total. Some of the cars pentti drove during his career, photographer at his funerals. P pentti,went to rally finland back in 1999 and pentti done the welcome meeting and showed us the best places to spectate he was a colourful man and used some interesting words to describe the drivers the stages and the woman. Im looking to write one of my blog posts on jill robinson, who rallied in the uk and europe in the 60s and 70s. A tribute to pentti who passed away recently on september 30th 2009. Oct 16, 2008 1989 rac winner and 1979 brc champion pentti airikkala was at the 2008 rallyday in the uk last month and he had some very forthright views on the state of the world rally championship. I never met him, but paid to watch him drive many times in the 1980s when.

Due to david higgins having multiple codrivers, murphy got the title for having the highest points total for codrivers. Narrow down your search by selecting filters from the left hand menu. Airikkala became famous by driving a vauxhall chevette flat out and completely sideways in the 1977 british rally championship. Pentti airikkala 4 september 1945 30 september 2009 was one of the flying finns who dominated world rallying in the past four decades. The original rally supercars page 6 specialstage forums.

Brian murphy british rally championship wikia fandom. Oct 27, 2009 pentti airikkala, who died last month after battling illness for several years, was one of the most sideways of the flying finns and the one who loved this country the most. Rally driver jill robinson the nostalgia forum the. Another old crossdiscipline competition video was best motorings battle in an evo between a rally driver and a time attack driver. Pentti airikkala, one of the stars of british and world rallying in. I have a list of her international rally results, and i know that she married david sutton, and that her sister, judy simpson, was also a rally driver. Thats a question i was recently asked at a motor sporting forum. His career was more sporadic than many of his contemporaries, and he competed in only three world rally championship wrc events regularly. Airikkala also won the british rally championship in 1979.

This is an incomplete list of drivers who have entered a world rally championship event. Oct 01, 2009 former wrc driver pentti airikkala has died following a long illness at the age of 64. This list may not reflect recent changes learn more. Finland rally 1976 officially 26th lakes rally, the 26th edition of the was rally finland and the seventh round of the world rally championship in 1976. Pentti airikkala, who died last month after battling illness for several years, was one of the most sideways of the flying finns and the one who loved this country the most.