This was my second RAC Rally I ever saw and luckily this was only two miles from where I live. I used to love seeing these monsters around Knowsley Safari park. Thanks Dad for getting me hooked on motorsports.
My Dad and I (aged 12) are standing right opposite the tree that Pond runs into. I remember this as clearly as having spent the night sleeping in my Dad's Mini to get into the stage early!
So not only did the car take a huge bite out of a huge tree it still managed to get to the end despite a fairly bent front end. Considering how hard it hit it actually wasn't even that badly damaged. I'd wager that shell saw competition again after such a violent shunt.
At this point in time, the RAC was a non pace note event, the co driver used a road book and had to call it as he saw fit, not the safest way to do it.
Thought the bloke in the blue jacket was the late Bob Milloy. I got to know him over the past fifteen years. The man obviously never had hair. RIP Bob & Tony.
Bob was a top bloke. He did commentary on lots of events in North West England and he was an encyclopaedia of rallying. Plus he drove a beautiful VW Corrado. I still can't quite believe he's gone. Gone but definitely not forgotten. - A true Gentleman.
Why did they think a SD1 would be a good choice for a rally car, to heavy and this size of it and the weight of the engine. My dad had a sdi when I was a kid and to me it was a bus not a car
Are you kidding? It weighed less than 3000lbs as a road car... less as a rally car. It was big but handled, wide track, rwd, had excellent crash safety and was good at getting the power down. I'm confused as to why you'd think it WOULDN'T make a good rally car.
How little you know...Tony pond actually said it handled like a big escort...the engine heavy?... not that engine..all aluminium construction v8..as light as a four banger ...true..I've had many of them... it was an excellent rally car...and a superb race car...if you look at the video..its wet ..and there's leaves everywhere...no grip on wet leaves....to summerise...it was a brilliant all round car..with a brilliant all round driver...even the best have off days.
@@Goober-o3n Indeed it was a leap forward to lighten the front and the SD rally cars were far lighter too, nearly 300 hp in those days was plenty Then Rover came out with FWD 827 and Tony held the IOM TT record for over 20 years - what a driver .
It comes to something when your crash gets a special mention in a book.
That’s how I got here too!
This was my second RAC Rally I ever saw and luckily this was only two miles from where I live. I used to love seeing these monsters around Knowsley Safari park. Thanks Dad for getting me hooked on motorsports.
My Dad and I (aged 12) are standing right opposite the tree that Pond runs into. I remember this as clearly as having spent the night sleeping in my Dad's Mini to get into the stage early!
I tried sleeping in my mini once. I gave up about 3am, and drove home.
Gold
I saw him in the tr7 v8 in Bath he was rapid to say the least.
“Oh no” the moment he knew that Tree was looming. God bless them TP and RA
Hero's to lots of us
So not only did the car take a huge bite out of a huge tree it still managed to get to the end despite a fairly bent front end. Considering how hard it hit it actually wasn't even that badly damaged. I'd wager that shell saw competition again after such a violent shunt.
Notice the lack of pace notes & comments from Co-driver compared with nowadays events, when you cant shut them up!!...
At this point in time, the RAC was a non pace note event, the co driver used a road book and had to call it as he saw fit, not the safest way to do it.
Bob Milloy to the rescue
Thought the bloke in the blue jacket was the late Bob Milloy. I got to know him over the past fifteen years. The man obviously never had hair. RIP Bob & Tony.
Bob was a top bloke. He did commentary on lots of events in North West England and he was an encyclopaedia of rallying. Plus he drove a beautiful VW Corrado.
I still can't quite believe he's gone.
Gone but definitely not forgotten. - A true Gentleman.
Legend
I remember it well
I saw Prdrive fix Kenneth Erikson's Impreza WRC in a jiffy after such a mishap on the Safari Rally.
The registration plate was not a good omen.
Why did they think a SD1 would be a good choice for a rally car, to heavy and this size of it and the weight of the engine. My dad had a sdi when I was a kid and to me it was a bus not a car
Are you kidding? It weighed less than 3000lbs as a road car... less as a rally car.
It was big but handled, wide track, rwd, had excellent crash safety and was good at getting the power down.
I'm confused as to why you'd think it WOULDN'T make a good rally car.
How little you know...Tony pond actually said it handled like a big escort...the engine heavy?... not that engine..all aluminium construction v8..as light as a four banger ...true..I've had many of them... it was an excellent rally car...and a superb race car...if you look at the video..its wet ..and there's leaves everywhere...no grip on wet leaves....to summerise...it was a brilliant all round car..with a brilliant all round driver...even the best have off days.
@@Goober-o3n Indeed it was a leap forward to lighten the front and the SD rally cars were far lighter too, nearly 300 hp in those days was plenty
Then Rover came out with FWD 827 and Tony held the IOM TT record for over 20 years - what a driver .
Imagine the concentration all that power and no handling.
No handling? These cars were excellent handling machines.