50 Years Of Grunt And Glory
Autosport|February 02,2017

A decade ago rallycross almost fell off the radar, but now, as it approaches its 50th anniversary, the sport is entering a golden era to rival its Group B glory days

Hal Ridge
50 Years Of Grunt And Glory

To many, the golden era of rally cross was when the explosive Group B machinery of the mid-1980s was exiled from the rally stages and found a new home, with Murray Walker nearing hysteria as they burst off the line at Brands Hatch in the British Rally cross Grand Prix. Talk to a casual fan of motorsport, and they might have said: ‘Ah, I remember, we used to watch that on television. What was the British guy called? Will Gollop. He drove that ridiculous twin-turbo Metro 6R4. It was awesome. What happened to it? Do they still do rally cross…?’

Forward we travel into the modern social-media-driven era, and suddenly rally cross has gone viral thanks to Kevin Eriksson’s audacious, crazy pass at the first corner to take victory at Estering last October in the penultimate round of the World Rally cross Championship.

With its 50th anniversary coming up this Saturday, rally cross has returned to – and even surpassed the heights of – its Group B heyday.

Yes, it’s even better than when grids bulged with 6R4s, Ford RS200s, Audi Quattros and, to a lesser extent, Peugeot 205 T16s. The sport had strength and depth not only on the international scene but domestically too. Despite being made for television, where rally cross remained as popular as it had been a decade earlier (with Walker’s commentary, the BBC having joined ITV as a rally cross broadcaster in 1968 and subsequently taking the reins), events were also well-attended by spectators. The annual season-closing standalone British Rally cross Grand Prix at Brands Hatch regularly attracted over 30,000 spectators in frosty December.

Finns Seppo Niittymaki and Matti Alamaki won four straight European Rally cross Championship titles in 205s, and Martin Schanche claimed a crown in his RS200 in 1991.

Esta historia es de la edición February 02,2017 de Autosport.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición February 02,2017 de Autosport.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE AUTOSPORTVer todo
Autosport

The Shock Of The New

If the spectacle of Lewis Hamilton carving his way to the world title seems familiar, much is changing off-track in the new Liberty era.

time-read
4 minutos  |
October 26,2017
Vettel Proves Ferrari Is Back
Autosport

Vettel Proves Ferrari Is Back

FORMULA 1'S NEW ERA IS ALL ABOUT BIGGER CARS, WIDER TYRES, MORE downforce, and greater performance than ever before. But this category remains one defined by small margins, and ultimately it was minor details that meant Ferrari rather than Mercedes went home victorious from the first grand prix of 2017.

time-read
9 minutos  |
March 30,2017
Nigel Roebuck
Autosport

Nigel Roebuck

A genuine threat to mercedes.

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 30,2017
Autosport

Dan Gurney 1931-2018 

Dan Gurney 1931-2018

time-read
10+ minutos  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

How Kubica's F1 Racing Dream Was Put On Hold

How Kubica’s F1 Racing Dream Was Put On Hold

time-read
4 minutos  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

Halo It's Here

Like it or loathe it, the halo safety structure is a fixture for Formula 1 in 2018. Here’s how it’s set to affect the cars.

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

Rosenqvist's 10-Step Guide To Beating Buemi

The Swede turned the tables on Formula E’s top dog, beating the reigning champion and taking the lead in the title chase.

time-read
7 minutos  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

Ferrari's Finest

A selection of the Italian marque's racing machinery provided a compelling centrepiece to Autosport International 2018.

time-read
4 minutos  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

Richards' Latest Task

The Prodrive boss andnewMSA chairman assessed the challenges and opportunities facing British motorsport in 2018.

time-read
2 minutos  |
January 18,2018
Newey F1's Aero Artist On Its New Aero Era
Autosport

Newey F1's Aero Artist On Its New Aero Era

The Red Bull design guru can see some interesting elements in the new rulebook.

time-read
7 minutos  |
March 02,2017