Cool pictures
I think it's fair to say he wasn't a bad man at all. Real shame that any rally driver gets killed...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
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swjSfdKx6wY[/ame]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.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!
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.
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...
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,...
Bugger. Again.