2009 World Rally Championship

  • Bert Van Waes

yep, that was it. those fuel tanks were under there bottoms... very sad indeed.

his niece left a comment on the vid as well and by how she wrote what she wrote you can see how great Henri realy was.
 
Thank you so much. I have yesterday visited the site where it happened. I thank you for a great tribute to my lovely uncle. Sonja Jane Toivonen
I think it's fair to say he wasn't a bad man at all. Real shame that any rally driver gets killed...
 
  • Bert Van Waes

Richard Burns

rb.jpg

Richard Burns

Born in Reading, Berkshire, on 17th January 1971, Richard Burns' driving began at the age of eight, when he took to the wheel of his fathers (Alex) Triumph 2000 in a field close to the family home.
Three years later Richard was a member of the Under 17 Car Club, where, within two years he became 'driver of the year'. After Alex arranged a visit to the Welsh Forest Rally School in 1986, Richard knew that he wanted to be a rally driver, and his career began.
Relentless 'badgering' from Richard forced Alex to allow him to join Craven Motor Club and in 1988 Richard entered his first stage rally in his self-built Talbot Sunbeam. Although a basic rally car, Richard impressed, however, the car was not enough to make a real impression on the competition so the following year he borrowed cars from a fellow competitors!
Rally enthusiast David Williams 'talent spotted' Richard and in 1990 and supplied him with a Peugeot 205 GTi to contest the 1990 Peugeot Challenge - which Richard won...his prize being an entry and backed run on that years Network Q Rally.
1991 saw Richard meet Robert Reid and for the next 12 years, they became driver and co-driver.
In 1992, David provided Richard & Robert with a Group N Subaru Legacy (supported by Prodrive) to contest the National Rally Championship in, which they won. Richard also spent parts of this season assisting Colin McRae with 'gravel notes' - Prodrive saw Richard as a future star.
Richard & Robert joined the Subaru Rally Team in 1993 to contest the British Rally Championship.
With four rally victories under their belt, the crew were crowned British Rally Champion, and at the age of 22, Richard became the youngest driver to win the Championship.
With the World Rally Championship now firmly in the crews sight, driving a Subaru Impreza, Richard & Robert contested a few WRC events in 1994 & 1995, and moved to the Mitsubishi Ralliart team for the 1996 season.
Prospects were there, but didn't really come to fruition until 1998, when the crews first WRC victory was scored. This was the crews first full season contesting the WRC and even with three retirements during the year, Richard & Robert rarely finished outside of the top five on events, and finished their season with their second win, on the crews home event, Rally GB. This event also signalled the end of the Burns/Reid and Mitsubishi Ralliart partnership as the crew headed to the (Prodrive-run) Subaru World Rally Team for 1999.
Out of the 14 rounds in the WRC that year, Richard & Robert failed to finish three and only twice found themselves outside the top five. Their three event wins (Greece, Australia & Rally GB) helped the crew to finish 2nd overall to Tommi Mäkinen & Risto Mannisenmäki, in the latest Ralliart Mitsubishi!
Richard & Robert finished the millennium season in the same position (runners up to Peugeot's Marcus Grönholm & Timo Rautiainen), after racking up four victories, two second places, two fourth places, one fifth and five retirements.

2001 though was THE year.
Although retirement hindered the opening event (Monte Carlo) and a non-scoring 16th place in Sweden meant that the Subaru crew had lost a lot of ground, a fourth in Portugal, seventh in Spain, and couple of seconds in Argentina and Cyprus, revived the crews challenge. Then, retirements in Greece and Kenya stalled their progress. They bounced back with another second place finish in Finland and scored their only rally victory that year on the next event in New Zealand. The Championship was now a three-way battle, one of the other contenders being Colin McRae (now driving for Ford).
Another retirement in Italy stalled progress, but the crew bounced back with a fourth in France and a second on Rally Australia. The crew were now within two points of the Championship leading Ford crew.
Going into the last round of the season (Rally GB), the Championship was still open with any one of six crews (Richard & Robert, Colin McRae & Nicky Grist, Tommi Mäkinen & Risto Mannisenmäki, Marcus Grönholm & Timo Rautiainen, Harri Rovanperä & Risto Pietiläinen and Carlos Sainz & Luis Moya) able to take the title.
With three of Richard's & Robert's challengers falling by the wayside, finishing third on the event was enough for Burns & Reid to be crowned Champions on Sunday, 25th November, 2001. Richard becoming the first Englishman to win with WRC...uttering to Robert as they crossed the finish line, "You're the best in the world".

In 2002, the crew joined Peugeot, but they just didn't have the pace of their fellow team-mates and although they finished 5th in the WRC that year, with the crew still seemingly struggling in 2003, plans were in place to return to Subaru. However, after a black-out on the way to the Wales Rally GB in 2003, Richard was diagnosed with an astrocytoma, which he never fully recovered from.

After nearly two years in-and-out of hospital, Richard passed away on Friday 25th November 2005, four years to the day after he won the WRC. He was 34...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swjSfdKx6wY[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a8OgpBiMoQ[/ame]

He lives on in millions off peoples memories.
And in the little holy grail, Richard Burns Rally...

I still miss you mate!!!
 
I can remember the morning when i found out Richard Burns had passed away and i couldnt believe it, i knew he had a brain tumour but never realised how bad it was. Great driver and im sure he would have gone on to win many more titles if he could.

It's wierd thinking back to when i read the story about him blacking out. I can remember that the story mentioned that he was driving his Porsche 911 with none other than Colin Mcrae as passenger and that Colin had to take hold of the wheel when Richard blacked out.
 
  • Bert Van Waes

He actually had his black out when he was on his way to the Wales Rally GB with Markko Märtin next to him. Indeed Rob, i also thought the tumour wasn't that bad. They stated back then, after alot of chemo and an operation i think, it all went very succesfull...

Yeah, that day the news came he passed away, i was gone,... Not on this planet anymore...

He was more then just a WRC driver,...
 
Just looking back, great battles with Colin and Richard. The Scot and the Englishman. The only 2 British rally champions both passed away in the past 4 years, shocking to think that.

Well they left behind a huge impression on the Rally world. Richard Burns has a place here at RD with the RBR Rally Club. We should set up a sort of memorial event in Novemeber...
 
  • Bert Van Waes

Indeed Mark, great idea.

Maybe something like the tracks he set a time on in the sim. Or England mixed up in it. And it only could be driven with his car fe...
That's how we should keep the legend alive. You should suggest it over @ the ideas thread :)
 
He actually had his black out when he was on his way to the Wales Rally GB with Markko Märtin next to him. Indeed Rob, i also thought the tumour wasn't that bad. They stated back then, after alot of chemo and an operation i think, it all went very succesfull...

Yeah, that day the news came he passed away, i was gone,... Not on this planet anymore...

He was more then just a WRC driver,...

Yeah Markko Martin i knew it was someone well known from back then.
 
IRC or WRC, who will win?

OK, - The IRC is now in full swing with it's new "low cost formula for racing" and it seems to be getting more car companies, and teams attention than the WRC. Can both of the organizations coexist? Or will one or the other have to fail. The IRC does not draw the crowds like the WRC yet, but if the companies start backing it, because of the cheaper racing costs, then will the fans and drivers switch also? I guess time will tell, but what do you all think?
 

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  • Mike Ward

well firstly i think you are wrong about the crowds as they are much smaller now than they was around 4-5 years ago. I know alot fans didnt like the idea of S2000 so hated the IRC so with the WRC going to a 1600cc engine i really think the diehard fans wont be impressed and the wrc will be over (according to fia rules it should be losing its world championship status anyway).
 
I know people like Loeb is opposed to S2000 cars and I'm sure other drivers and teams are too. Citroen and Ford are the only things keeping WRC alive, IRC has the support from so many carmakers.

I think WRC is in trouble, and IRC may become the new WRC. I mean, Ford recently unveiled it's new Fiesta S2000. I'd say they are preparing for the inevitable.
 
  • Stuart Neal

who's watching rally Oz this weekend?
we only get 3 hours of crap on Sunday. Sorry 2 hours of some rally footage and an hour of ads.
 
Last rally in this years championship and one point between Mikko and Sebastien. After 7 stages difference is between them is 2,9 seconds, Seb leading. The others are already far away which proves there are right guys battling for WC.
 

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