Rally Classics Newsletter by Peter Scott: Dated Thursday 1 OCtober 2015
A LEGENDARY ODE
by Peter Scott (with apologies to John Walter Bratton and Jimmy Kennedy, writers of the Teddy Bears Picnic!)
If you go down to San Marino next week,
You’re sure of a pleasant surprise.
If you go down to San Marino next week,
It really will open your eyes.
For nearly every Delta S4 that ever there was
Will scream through the streets because
Friday’s the day – That eight LEGENDARY cars will do their display.
Leading driver Miky Biasion;
Will lead the group with Italian passion.
Sliding them round the spectacular bends,
And over big jumps with never an end.
When they see them gaily slide about
The incredible crowd will scream and shout,
loving every second with never a doubt.
On Sunday at 5 their owners and drivers
Will take them back to their heated abode
Because they’ve spent quite enough time flying down the road.
The organisers of Rally Legend, the annual spectacle in the tiny state of San Marino, have really excelled themselves this year by attracting eight of the 500 bhp super and turbocharged Delta S4 (Group B) monsters on the 180 car entry list to be led by 1988/89 World Champion Miky Biasion.
As one would expect from an event in the tiny enclave which, although is only 18 km from the sea at Rimini has an altitude of 750 metres at its highest point, Monte Titano, and Italian rally cars are in the majority. Another world champion and works Lancia driver Markku Alen should be the most spectacular of the S4s, but there will also be 26 of the ‘ordinary’ Delta Integrales, five Stratos and seven of the unusual sounding 037 with its unique supercharger whine.
If that isn’t enough, amongst the German cars are twelve M3 BMWs, nine Porsches and seven Audi Quattros. Valentino Rossi’s dad Giancarlo is first off in one of the M3s, current WRC drivers Jari-Matti Latvala (WRC Polo) – with reduced emissions? – and Hayden Paddon (Hyundai i20) should be quickest by a long way but there are also 23 other World Rally Cars from the last 25 years – amongst them Francois Duval in a Fabia, four times champion Juha Kankkunen in a Celica 205 and the ever exciting Francois Delacour in an Escort Cosworth and a lone Metro 6R4..
Some of those in the UK contingent are Tim Freeman in a Chevette, Dave Kedward in a Peugeot 205 T16, Steve Rockingham in a WRC Imprezza, Adrian Kermode in an M3, and Jim Avis in his Ford RS200.. More details on http://www.rallylegend.com/2015/ with the full entry list on the Pilotti tab under Elenco Iscritti. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back!
Peter Scott
YouTube from 2014 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtMPMtBsZug
YouTube of Delta S4 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxldkqOmDiI
Rally Classics Newsletter by Peter Scott: Dated Thursday 1 OCtober 2015
