Regards

The team at l’autista

After an informal, interactive introduction by Rallyschool boss Mick Ryan, head instructors Steve Glenney (2008 1st outright Targa Tasmania, 2009 1st Classic Targa Wrest Point), Brendan Reeves and co-driver Rhianon Smyth (2010 Pacific Cup Rally Champions, 2010 1st 2WD Showroom Targa Tasmania) took over the laid-back vibe, whilst discussing the key points of difference between tarmac rallying and circuit racing, with attitude, safety and ‘getting the car to the finish’ being the main priorities.

The group was then split into drivers and co-drivers, the drivers taking practical instruction in their own vehicles on the challengingly narrow and undulating 2.16km Broadford circuit (chosen to simulate a tarmac stage) whilst the co-drivers gained further insights from Rhianon on all aspects of co-driving, focussing on preparing rally documentation, safety requirements, reconnaissance and pace noting.

This split format allowed the drivers a solid two hours of instructional track time, where they could call on the services of Steve and Brendan to hone their tarmac lines, which Steve said “should allow for a metre of road on either side of the car, to allow you room to re-adjust should something unexpected occur”.

“It was an awesome experience,” said Ryan, a rookie who is building an Escort for Targa High Country. “The old work ute (which he brought along) hasn’t seen 5000rpm for a long time! The guys taught us to be alert, to look for where the surface is greasy or bumpy, and to drive with a safety margin…because anything could lie beyond that blind crest on a Targa stage.”

Over a tasty lunch of scones and rolls the crews reconvened with the instructors to communicate their learning experiences. The importance of working as a team and preparing for consistent, sustainable pace was re-iterated, along with some driving tips that would contribute to finishing well- things like running one gear higher than you might on a circuit to ease tyre degradation and modulating braking over inconsistent surfaces.

Rhianon passed on some basic pace notes for Broadford, which the teams could take on-circuit to modify as they worked on developing their own rhythm.

For the afternoon session crews jumped in and out of the pits, speaking with Mick and the instructors, who answered an array of questions from setup (“Soften the suspension from a circuit spec, for traction and bump compliance”) to numbering corners in the notes (“On a 1 to 10 system, a 3L should represent a 90 degree left turn…”).

Andrea and Lyndal, who were “Co-Drivers A and B” in Scott’s Evo 6, were amazed at the level of advice Rhianon provided. Lyndal, who was already looking to book further training with Rallyschool, confessed to “having the bug,” but after seeing her climb weak-kneed out of the Evo, we weren’t sure which bug she was referring to!

Just as the crews were gaining confidence, Mick played his joker. The cars would now run the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction- a first, according to the Broadford officials.

All of a sudden the circuit became a Targa stage, full of unknowns. Though the instructors remained on-hand, the onus of developing notes now fell on to the crews.

Continuing to practice what they had learned on the day, confidence returned, and speeds rose in correlation to the smiling faces. Lapping continued well into the afternoon, the session ending after 4pm- a great deal of instructional and free lap track time for only $375 ($95 for co-drivers including food through the day).

As goodbyes were exchanged, Mick summarised the feedback he had received: “The groups that had some experience all said, ‘We wish this training was available when we were rookies!’ whilst the newcomers commented that the day has given them a far more solid grounding for the coming Targa events than they otherwise would have received.”

Rallyschool’s aim is to host more of these events in future, which is a great thing for the sport.

UPDATE: Rallyschool received the following feedback from one of the Broadford training participants, Owen Boak:

“As a competitor with quite a few years driving around racetracks I came to Targa with the attitude that I can drive fast – so let’s go and show ‘em… and crashed like many from the same background before me (including many ‘name’ drivers).

The reality is that rallying is a totally different mindset and unless you realize this and the importance of the team effort involved you will likely come unstuck.

I only wish that I could’ve had the opportunity to spend some time with top flight drivers to learn more about the different approach required when I first started – I think Targa should make this course mandatory for ALL newcomers who do not come from a rallying background- no matter how big their reputation, ego or bank balance.”

We encourage you to sign up, create topics, and make suggestions.

Regards

Adam and the lautista team

Brendo and Rhi have entered the 2010 Pacific Cup, which takes in three rounds of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). Their first forest foray of 2010 was at New Zealand’s Rally Whangaeri earlier in July, where they finished 3rd overall and 2nd in the Pacific cup to Kiwi Hayden Paddon, who will not be in Queensland this year. The final Pacific Cup event will be held in New Caledonia at the end of August. As they have been granted ‘wildcard’ entry to Rally Queensland, they will also be eligible for APRC points.

It will be great competition for the brother-sister team, as it gives them a chance to gauge their pace against ARC drivers on gravel for the first time since their accident in Rally SA last year, as well as sharing the stages with guys like Alister McRae, Chris Atkinson and Cody Crocker who will be participating in the APRC section.

Atkinson was complimentary of Brendo in NZ:

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After leasing an Impreza in NZ and transplanting their own suspension, Brendan and Rhianon will be back in their own www.rallyschool.com.au STi for Queensland and hope to build on the solid performance achieved in NZ. “The first day in New Zealand, perhaps we were a bit too conservative, just easing back into things on gravel after all our tarmac rallies this year,” said Brendo. “We were happier with our rhythm on the second day and being back in our own car on home soil should be an advantage for us.”

We will be watching the stage results with interest.

The official Rally Queensland press release text can be found below:

THE biggest field for a championship rally in Australia in years, 83 cars, will start the International Rally of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast this Friday.

The final entry list for the 30 July-1 August event features teams from India, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Australia, plus a star-studded driver line-up.

Starting in Caloundra on Friday night with two tarmac special stages at the Coates Hire Rally Shootout, the event will host round four of the 2010 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, round five of the Australian Rally Championship, rounds three and four of the Queensland Rally Championship, the third and final round of the Australian Classic Rally Competition and a category for All Comers.

Event Director Errol Bailey promises spectators will be treated to a thrilling display of skill by international drivers making their only Australian appearance this year.

They international line-up comprises Australian Chris Atkinson, formerly with the Subaru World Rally Team and now the factory Proton R3 Malaysia squad, teammate and British Rally Champion Alister McRae (Scotland), Team MRF’s Asia Pacific champion Katsu Taguchi (Japan) and his Indian Rally Champion teammate Guarav Gill (India), Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia), Atsushi Masumura (Japan), Brian Green (New Zealand) and Jean-Louis Leyraud (France).

Three young Australians, Brendan Reeves (21), Glen Raymond (25) and Nathan Quinn (24), have been given a chance to showcase their talents with wildcard entries in the Asia Pacific field, but the man who beat everyone in the 2009 event, Victorian Simon Evans, will run only in the Australian Rally Championship division in a bid to clinch his fourth driver’s crown.

“This is a fabulous field for the International Rally of Queensland. There will be more talent, more cars and more variety than has been seen at a championship rally in Australia for many years and certainly at our own event since the mid-nineties,” Mr Bailey said.

“If spectators have never seen a world-ranked driver like Chris Atkinson at work in a genuine works rally car like the Proton Satria Neo S2000 before, they’re in for a fantastic experience.

“There will be great battles to watch in every part of the field – the Classics will be particularly exciting to watch – and plenty of chances for spectators to see the cars in action and at rest.”

Promoters Brisbane Sporting Car Club have added new opportunities for spectators to see the cars on this year’s event, the 42nd as a round of the Australian championship.

After the Caloundra-under-lights Coates Hire Rally Shootout, the rally resumes on Saturday with an 8 am service break in the main street of the pretty hinterland town of Kenilworth, where fans and locals are expected to turn out in force.

At the end of the day, crews will make a meet-and-greet visit to Cooroy from 5 pm en route to the secure overnight compound (parc ferme) at the ocean-front SurfAir at Marcoola resort and rally headquarters.

Of the crews not required to enter the parc ferme, many will spend the night at Imbil, the location of the Novus Autoglass Service Park, where the Mary Valley Show Society will welcome them and spectators at the inaugural U-ROCK when IROQ party. The headline act is the harmonica-playing Mayor of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council Bob Abbot with his eight-piece Boreen Point Connexion band.

The Service Park at the Imbil showgrounds and the Spectator Park just outside the town will be the hub of weekend activity.

Crews will contest eight gravel special stages in the Imbil State Forest on Saturday and a further eight on Sunday, returning to the Service Park – a popular place for fans to see the cars and drivers – a total of five times before the winner arrives at the Imbil finish podium at 3.30 pm.

Group B inception
The Group B World Rally Championship was introduced for the 1982 season and was intended to motivate major manufacturers into building cars for racing and rallying. It led to the fastest, most outrageous and powerful rally cars ever seen, the consequences of which eventually led to them being banned. The FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) established an engine capacity of 3 litres for naturally aspirated units or two litres for forced induction, including turbo charging, super charging, or a combination of the two.

As part of Group B, only 200 cars were required to be built for homologation by the FIA and engine, suspension and aerodynamic improvements could be used on evolution models. The cars didn’t require production body shells and only the central body section was to be from the original car. As a result of this, front wheel drive, front engined cars with four seats appeared as four wheel drive, two seaters, mid-engined in some cases. The cars had outlandish looks with big wings and flared guards in comparison to the Ford Escorts, Fiat 131 Abarths and Talbot Sunbeams that preceded them in the Group 4 days.

The regulations of this era gave unlimited freedom and reducing the minimum production requirement from 400 cars per year to 200 enabled an increasing number of manufacturers to develop special competition cars. Reducing the total allowed car assembly to be sub-contracted to an outside company, without disrupting a major car plant at prohibitive cost. There was also a reinterpretation of the evolution rule and once 10% of the production total for the group in question had been made, homologation was granted.

This meant that a manufacturer could add a bigger turbo or new gearbox by building just 20 cars. Lowering the production number however flirted with danger. Car makers were invited to design sports cars with amazing levels of performance that bore no resemblance to their showroom counterparts. Although four wheel drive and turbo charging already existed, neither had been exploited to anything like their full potential. Although neither is fundamentally dangerous, and both are still used in world rallying to this day, in the Group B period there was no mechanism for
controlling them and four wheel drive was poorly understood. The regulations also had no safeguards in the use of materials or control of fuel systems that racing demanded.

The main contenders
Audi
Arguably the most unmistakable engine sound in rallying history was from the five cylinder turbocharged engine used in the Audi Quattro. The Quattro launched the four wheel drive revolution and were the first of the true Group B rally cars. The birth of the Quattro was in 1976, when Audi, part of the VW group, was contracted to produce a new 4WD utility for the German Army. Known as the Iltas, it was powered by a four-cylinder engine from the Audi 80. Audi engineers thought about developing a 4WD car and developed a prototype based on the 80, however with a five cylinder turbocharged engine. By the middle of 1978, the programme was approved by the VW Board with the car to be used for both road and rally.

The WRC regulations of 1978 forbade the use of 4WD machines, therefore Audi, without revealing the Quattro, asked the other manufacturers if they had any issues about withdrawing the rule. The response was ‘of course not’ due to the fact that the only car that the others knew about at the time was the 75bhp Iltas.

The Quattro was then revealed at the 1980 Geneva Show and Hannu Mikkola was approached to drive the car in 1981. The potential of the car was shown when Mikkola was allowed to drive at the Algarve Rally at the end of 1980 as a course opening car. His special stage times were recorded and had he been competing, would’ve won the event by 26 minutes.

The car’s official debut in the WRC was at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1981. Mikkola was joined by Michèle Mouton, and after six stages Mikkola was leading by almost six minutes but ended up finishing 91st due to mechanical issues and driver error. At Sweden, Mikkola won, however in future events the car was struck with engine cooling issues. Audi finished fifth in the WRC and Mikkola third in the first season of competition. In 1982, Audi not surprisingly took the manufacturers
championship with Mouton finishing in second position ahead of Mikkola. Mouton could have won the 1982 championship in the Quattro but was forced to retire on the final stages of the Ivory Coast Rally, the last event of the season.

In 1983 revised versions were introduced for the Group B competition, including the A1 and A2. These versions were known for their long wheelbase and engine mounted well forward which meant they had a tendency to understeer. In this season, Mikkola won the driver’s title but Lancia narrowly won the constructors with their 037, two points ahead.

In 1984, the two-door Quattro Sport (E2), which had over 400bhp was revealed however Stig Blomqvist stuck with the 300bhp A2 until the new car proved itself later in the season. Blomqvist went onto win the driver’s championship and Audi the constructors. The E2 was seen as a disappointment by some, and the short wheelbase exaggerated the car’s nose-heavy weight distribution.

Mid way through 1985 a Sport Evolution model was released, the fire breathing S1, known to have over 500bhp with outrageous aerodynamics for the time. The S1 version had an improvement in weight distribution, mainly because the radiators and oil coolers were moved to the boot. The wings and spoilers generated downforce and brought an appreciable benefit at speed. Walter Röhrl, who drove for Audi in 1985, loved the car because it ‘was the ultimate driver’s car and a pure challenge to handle with plenty of power everywhere at any speed’. Audi withdrew in 1986 because of the lack of crowd control which was commonplace throughout the Group B period and the accident at the Tour of Corsica that resulted in Henri Toivonen’s untimely death.

Lancia
Lancia built two cars to compete in the Group B competition. The rear wheel drive Lanica 037 was the first attempt and was loosely based on the Beta Monte-Carlo two door coupe, but you needed quite an imagination to get the connection.

The 037 used a version of Fiat’s well-proven, long stroke twin cam engine equipped with a belt-driven Volumex supercharger. It lacked the sheer urge of a turbocharged car but had 325 horsepower which meant instant throttle response with no lag. It also had long travel suspension and twin dampers at the rear, and was so light that it just made the 960 kilogram limit.

The 037 had development problems in its first year of competition in 1982 however these problems were eventually solved in 1983 and the drivers took five wins out of 12. The car had a tendency to understeer but excelled on tarmac events. Markku Alén described the 037 as being ‘fantastic on tarmac’ where he was able to win in Corsica in 1983 and 1984. He also noted that ‘the balance of the 037 was good, especially on the jumps in Finland where I was always
confident to take very big risks’. The last ever world rally win for a two wheel drive car was taken by a 037 in 1983.

By 1984, Audi made it obvious that four wheel drive was the way to go. Lanica introduced their Delta S4 and although the car was not as visually appealing as the 037, was built to the limit of Group B regulations. The car was based on their front wheel drive Delta compact car but bore little resemblance except for the centre section, with the rear section constructed of fibreglass.

The S4 had a four cylinder supercharged and turbocharged engine which resulted in an even spread of power across the rev range; the supercharger having most effect at low to mid range rpm and the turbo taking over at higher revs. This proved to be effective and the S4s finished one-two in their first event at the RAC rally in 1985 and battled with Peugeot in 1986. The S4 was thought to be the ultimate expression of a Group B rally car. It was Lancias first four wheel drive car and handling was never as sure footed on loose surfaces as the Peugeot 205 T16 or Ford RS200. The car controversially had the fuel tanks positioned under the seats- which exploded into flames after Toivonen’s Corsican crash.

Peugeot
The Peugeot 205 T16 broke Audi’s stranglehold and like the Lanica S4 was built as close to the limit of Group B regulations as possible. The manager of the team was none other than Jean Todt, former Ferrari F1 manager who had a very thorough approach to team management. A 205 hatchback was chosen and in road form was front engine and front wheel drive. The T16 however was redesigned to house the engine where the rear seats originally were.

The 205 T16 was developed as a result of more than two years of painstaking and often frustrating development. It was the only top Group B rally car to use a transverse engine. The car first made its presence felt with fourth at the tour of
Corsica in 1984. Later that year, Ari Vatanen won the 1000 Lakes, San Remo and RAC rallies. Timo Salonen in the 205 T16 went onto win the championship in 1985 with the constructors going to the Peugeot team.

In 1986, Juha Kankunnen won the driver’s championship and Peugeot again won the constructors. In this season, the car used was the ‘Evolution 2’ and featured changes to the 1775cc four cylinder engine. A new head was developed with better porting and a Garrett turbo replaced the previous KKK. Power went up from 350bhp to an official 435bhp. The monocoque structure at the rear was replaced with a tubular arrangement that was lighter and stiffer and aerodynamics changed with the addition of extra front spoilers and a substantial rear wing. Juha Kankkunen was incredibly fond of the 205 T16, describing it as being ‘very powerful with great looks, good handling and being easy to drive’.

Ford
The Ford RS200 arrived too late to make an impact in the Group B championship. Stig Blomqvist led the team in 1986 however a crash at Portugal which resulted in spectator deaths ended Fords involvement. The Ford was an attractive mid engine sports car with perhaps the best chassis of all. It had an aluminium monocoque, double wishbones all round and twin dampers at each corner. A turbocharged, 1803cc engine was used and installed longitudinally behind the crew. Ford sited the gearbox at the front, along with the front and centre differentials.

Homologation was delayed with the car until 1986, and this meant that the car weighed 1080 kg and was short of aerodynamic devices, unlike the Lanica and Peugeot that weighted under 1000 kg. The car was short on development
and was known to sometimes catch fire. Its best result occurred at its first WRC event, a third place in Sweden in 1986 in the hands of Kalle Grundel. The car went onto success in the British championship with an engine capable of pulling to 9000rpm and producing an estimated 600 horsepower.

MG
The MG Metro 6R4 was built on a production line at Longbridge and arrived too late into the Group B competition to make any real impact. The 6R4 outlived its Group B rivals, however its best result was on its debut at the 1985 RAC Rally, where it placed third with Tony Pond. The car had a different engine configuration to its counterparts and featured a non-turbo mid-mounted three litre V6 with four wheel drive. The engine however epitomised the car’s failure and chronic problems with the cam belts caused a rash of failures well into 1986. The car didn’t deliver the 400bhp promised and the exhaust system caused serious power drops between 4000-5000 rpm. Williams F1 made the prototypes however the homologated car ended up being heavier than Williams intended, and the size and nature of the engine caused handling problems. The car however excelled in downforce and braking. Didier Auriol won the French Championship in 1986 and notes that the ‘car was nice to drive with its wonderful noise from the engine’. After Group B was banned, many were sold to private owners by Austin Rover.

Other cars of interest
The Porsche 959, a four wheel drive, 200mph supercar that won the Paris-Dakar rally in 1986 may have been a force in the world rally championship if the manufacturer had been interested in entering the car in Group B competition. Porsche however was more interested in dominating Group C prototype sportscar racing, with the 956 and 962 models. Porsche 911s were entered in Group B but never a force as the company had other priorities.

Four hundred road going versions of the Renault 5 turbo were built to qualify for group 4 in 1980, with the car in the hands of Jean Ragnotti winning the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally. The car was left behind once group B took effect however was better at tarmac events, winning the Tour De Corse in 1985.

Walter Röhrl in an Opel Ascona won the 1982 championship. In 1983, the car was outclassed however Ari Vatanen won the Safari Rally. The Manta 400 was introduced towards the end of 1983 and Jimmy McRae took third at the RAC.

Björn Waldegård won the Safari Rally in 1986 with a Toyota Celica Turbo. The car was outclassed in Europe but came into its own in endurance events, where traction wasn’t such a big issue because of the length of the stages. Power, ease of maintenance and strength were crucial for endurance events.

End of an era
The Group B period was so exciting for the spectators that people would often line the roads to see the cars and try to touch them as they flew by. The lack of crowd control not only meant the cancellation of numerous stages but also resulted in an inevitable tragedy in the 1986 Rally of Portugal when Ford driver Joaquim Santos ploughed into spectators, killing three and injuring thirty. Top teams immediately withdrew from the event and leading drivers signed a petition demanding better crowd control at future events. Henri Toivonen was also killed later in the season when his Lancia Delta
S4 left the road at Corsica and was engulfed in a fireball. The FIA banned Group B at the end of the 1986 season to be replaced by Group A, which were essentially for modified production cars with a 300bhp power limit and much higher production requirements.

The popularity of the Group B category was due to the power, speed, outrageous looks and noise of the cars. Drivers faced with the task of taming 500 horsepower with no driver aids or electronic gear changing provided great value for spectators, and because the cars were so appealing to the fans it resulted in the collapse of the championship, through lack of crowd control and spectator discipline.

Group B was an amazing period in World Rally Championship history and will never be forgotten by rallying enthusiasts.

Leave your thoughts in the comments- can it be as great as Targa Tassie?

Personally, I think it is a wonderful opportunity for Victoria and the high country region, to bring sporting tourism in for something other than snow skiing and fishing (both of which, admittedly, are great, but don’t sustain the communities through the lean months).

I want to see some tie-in with the local gourmet food and wine producers, with static displays of Lamborghinis sure to appeal to the Masterchef set. Also, there needs to be lots of promotion in Mansfield itself, as the old Buller Sprint had the town thronging when the prologue was run through the town’s streets. When that was removed, the Sprint was then confined to the hill itself, in turn confining spectators to only a couple of spectating zones and no way to move off the hill until the road re-opened.

The roads themselves appear well picked. All the tarmac guys rate Buller itself as one of the best stages in Australian rallying, and to expand on that with runs through Whitfield, Tolmie and Jamieson provide a great mix of quick and curly curves.

This event being on the mainland is a bit double-edged when compared to its illustrious forebear. On one hand, the access to the region is far better than in Tassie, but many would argue that the wilderness and seperation of the Apple Isle is what is at the core of its appeal in the first place. Budget wise, though, Targa High Country makes more sense to more people. It remains to be seen if it can be profitable…fingers crossed.

Examining the quilt, you see that some tangents are formed by stitches going against the grain. They lead to an eccentric section a little off from centre- smaller than the big players’ zone but no less finely detailed. It is here that you will find patches dedicated to what the mainstream call ‘quirky’ cars. Chevrolet Corvairs share space with Alfa 75s (I should know where to find that as I just bought one…), Tatras and Australia’s favourite, the Leyland P76.

Please don’t be fooled by the mentality of the pack. These quirky cars create cult followings because of their differences, and because of the opinionated, impassioned discussions they create.

Cars like the Subaru SVX.

Conceived just as Subaru really blossomed into the mainstream market with their Legacy/Liberty series, the SVX (or Alcyone in the Japanese domestic market) was designed and styled, by Giorgetto Giugiaro no less, to be the premier showcase for Subaru’s now-famous Subaru All-Wheel Drive technology.

Giugiaro’s design took inspiration from a fighter jet, the broad, angular glasswork and dark toned roof combining to create the impression that the top-half of the car is a canopy made purely of glass. Inside this runway sense is further heightened- the still substantial glassware allowing the cabin to fill with light, the wonderfully cosseting seats slightly angling the occupants’ vision toward the centre of the road ahead, as if sizing up the tarmac for takeoff.

This image- individual, plush, luxurious, laden with technology- hinted at the SVX’s key target market, the United States, where over half of the near 25,000 production run were sold over six years and included a little known ‘cut-price’ front wheel drive version that was exclusive to this market.

Compare this to the local Australian market, where only 280 were sold from 1992-1997 and you begin to understand why they are such a rare sight on our roads today.

Though they were developing some seriously capable turbo technology, Subaru eventually decided that the SVX powerplant should be less highly strung (more American influence?) and decided on a large capacity, naturally aspirated ‘boxer’ six. This was mated to a four-speed automatic transmission with an early version of the adaptive shift technology that we take for granted today. This altered the changeup point dependant on throttle position and ranged from ‘economy’ to ‘power’ modes. Why no manual? The simple explanation is that Subaru at the time did not have anything that would stand up to the pressures that the big six and all-wheel drive system exerted on the drivetrain.

Displacing 3.3 litres and blessed with DOHC, 4 valve heads, the all-aluminium ‘EG33’ produced 169kw @ 5400rpm at a time when locals were excited by the return of the V8 Falcon, with its 165kw output from a full 5 litres. Torque wise, the SVX churned 309nm @ 4,400rpm through its intelligent all-wheel drive system, which defaulted to a front/rear torque split of 35/65. If it sensed a split in traction, drive could be redistributed towards 50/50 to restore grip levels.

As befitted large Japanese coupes of the time (consider here the Toyota Supra and Mitsubishi 3000GT) the kerb weight of the SVX came in at a portly 1615kg, which gave its impressive engine quite a workout as it lugged the coupe to 100km/h in around 8.5 seconds. Contemporary road testers complimented the smoothness and flexibility of the engine, but it lagged behind its peers in accelerative terms; in fact one gets the impression that the SVX fell short of the performance expectations Subaru had set. This, combined with a new price north of $70,000 could explain why so few found homes in Australia.

The dynamic story was different when it came to ride and handling, the weight assisting in keeping the car planted when pressing on, the slightly rear-biased drive helping to quell its natural tendency to understeer as the supple suspension tune dialled out the worst of the bumps.

Perhaps it was this smooth yet responsive composure that fed Tony Parle’s obsession with all things SVX. After greeting Tony and his wild, modified SVX desert crusher, I am convinced this is the case. “It’s funny that you suggested we meet in a McDonald’s car park, this SVX is called ‘Pickle Power’ because my business is involved in distributing all the pickles to McDonald’s restaurants!”, he laughs as my boggled eyes try to reset in their sockets.

The ‘Pickle Power’ sobriquet was picked up when Tony entered the car in the Kidney Kar Charity rally in 2008, an annual long distance event that benefits the Kidney Foundation. The 2008 event covered around 4,000kms in 8 days, from ‘Sydney to Mudgee via Mildura’. Turns out this was just a jaunt in the park for Tony and his vehicle, which is currently showing a whopping 540,000kms: “Driving for me is thinking time. There are no distractions and I find it very relaxing. I often take my wife on trips through the deserts of outback Australia to go camping, and I wanted to do it with something that no-one else thought could stand up to the punishment,” he says. Adding credence to this is the fact that Tony had driven from Griffith in New South Wales to Melbourne that morning, at least a 5 hour trip, and a viable explanation for the variety of squashed insect life in its grille. “Where are you staying?” I ask nonchalantly. “I’m not staying; I’m turning around and going straight back home!” is his response. That is true commitment.

As we walk around the car and Tony explains the modifications, new stories continue to light up his face, tales of others’ disbelief upon seeing his sportscar spearing through the sand. “I just love these cars. Besides this one I have two more at home, a low kilometre ’92 in White and another that has Targa Tasmania history…and I am keen to get it back there. But it’s this one that turns the most heads, especially when I am using it to tow Land Cruisers out of the Kimberley!”

You can see why it draws the crowds. On top of that extrovert SVX styling, this one is lifted 2 inches on a set of rally-spec DMS struts and sits on 70 profile, puncture resistant rubber. It simply oozes presence, with the big light pod bracing the bonnet and the Terratrip adding to its mystery, a mystery that has seen grown men almost come to blows over the possibility that it could arrive at a rest stop in the middle of the Simpson Desert more quickly than their own dedicated off-roaders.

It is when your eyes fall to the centre console that you become completely sold on the fact that this Subie has what it takes to tackle the Oodnadatta track. “That is an STi six speed manual complete with the Driver Controlled Centre Differential (DCCD). The standard auto is fine for the road, though you want to run a transmission cooler. The manual gives me more driving options, and boy do those STi boys build them tough,” he laughs.

Other modifications include sump and transmission guards along with an upgraded, custom built radiator. “Body wise, they are so strong because Subaru built them with thicker than standard steel, hence why they weigh what they do. But it’s great for me- we have hit trees and other objects in the desert, but we kind of just bounce off and keep on going.”

Tony loves the engineering behind the SVX and is well known in the online international community www.subaru-svx.net as someone who is always willing to lend advice. When not driving, he can often be found at the farm tweaking parts destined for installation into ‘Pickle Power’ so they can be tested and deemed reliable enough for use in the race car.

When Colin arrives in his immaculate, 120,000km ’92, Tony is immediately enquiring as to whether he has had the gearbox cooler fitted. “That was the first thing I did, thanks to the forum,” he replies.

Colin’s car hunkers down on a lovely set of gold STi rims, the centre caps of which he had custom made to say ‘SVX’. Again, Colin was after something different to the mainstream. He had been convinced of the legendary Subaru reliability by a Liberty, and he liked the fact that the SVX was a 2+2 arrangement so he could share time in the car with his young children. “They love coming out in it, because it is such a unique looking thing. It’s so comfortable to drive and has power adjustable everything. I enjoy keeping it for nice weekends, drives to Arthur’s Seat and other scenic drives. It’s a great cruiser.”

He purchased the car a couple of years back after researching online to make sure he knew what to look for. “This one had a dented body, but I bought it for a good price and had it repaired,” he says. “Besides the trans cooling, the rear wheel bearings can cause trouble as they need to be fitted a certain way. If they are noisy they can be costly to fix,” adds Tony. Warped brake discs are another item to watch out for.

Sliding into the passenger seat of Colin’s velour trimmed example, I am struck by how open the cockpit feels, and how relatively cramped the rear seats are in something that is so imposing on the outside. As we pull away I note the muted but cultured flat six burble as it emits spent gas from two small, rectangular exhaust pipes. Pick-up is smooth and it is matched by the ride even on these larger, 17 inch rims (standard wheels are 16 inch). It gives the impression of ironing over the bumps and it corners with a poise that belies its weight, even if you can feel it roll onto the outside front tyre in tighter turns.

After a stop for photos, my return run is as passenger in Tony’s machine. The contrasting car stories are quickly apparent; Tony’s leather seats well crumpled, the floors caked in desert dust, the Terratrip reminding you of this vehicle’ purpose. You of course sit higher, but the ride is so well controlled by the suspension upgrades that you feel a similar sense of bumps being ironed out. The six-speed conversion reveals a keenness to rev that is masked by the auto, as Tony’s car leaps forward more vigorously and is accompanied by a more urgent bark from the exhaust.

Of course, during our travels we are greeted with finger points and questioning looks- people are genuinely interested by these unidentified driving objects. Both owners take it in their stride as you would expect, but does the attention get wearing? “It certainly makes for a good conversation starter. In the outback I tune in the CB radio and the truck drivers are bewildered when they see it closing in. They all say the same thing: ‘That will never make it to the other side!’ but there I am waiting for them to catch up, hours later!” exclaims Tony with pride. Colin, too, has had approaches from people wanting to know what it is: “They don’t believe it’s a Subaru but are usually complimentary,” he says.

As Colin and Tony say their goodbyes and take off into the early afternoon sunshine, I cannot help but be impressed with this glimpse into SVX world. The attractiveness of the styling patch may be subjective, but the passion that goes into making up the stitches is inspirational.

With these words said via car to pit radio during the weekend of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, it was clear the feud was over. The long, bitter quarrel that had raged over many years against the backdrop of the most competitive motorsport arena had finally come to resolution.

The two great rivals Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost had spoken. Following Alain Prost’s retirement as the 1993 champion, Senna’s attitude towards Prost changed remarkably. Ayrton treated Alain differently, as a colleague rather than a competitor. Sadly later that weekend in San Marino while negotiating Tamburello early in the race, Senna’s Williams Renault bottomed out over the same bump as previous laps- but this time Senna didn’t, couldn’t hold it. There was a fault in the steering column that rendered his steering numb and useless. Senna was a passenger as his Williams slammed straight into the concrete wall at around 150mph. It was a horrendous crash, though it is believed that Senna would have survived except for the unfortunate, cruel blow to the head from a suspension part that pierced his helmet. Tragically Ayrton Senna da Silva succumbed to his great wounds later that day. It was part of a black weekend where fellow driver Roland Ratzenberger lost his life and close friend Rubens Barrichello ended up in hospital after shocking accidents. Brazil declared three days of mourning and people openly wept in the streets. Alain Prost was quoted as saying “I have lost my greatest rival. The only driver that I ever respected…”

Formula 1 and motorsport in general had lost one of its heroes. The charismatic Brazilian, the terror in the yellow helmet. His memory lives on with those who were fortunate enough to see this fierce competitor behind the wheel. Alain Prost felt as though part of him died that day too, so tightly these two competitors, now friends were connected.

Ayrton Senna was one of the most gifted drivers of the modern era. As far as raw talent, his abilities in the car were astounding. Throughout his illustrious career he earned a reputation for rising to a higher level in qualifying – at the time of his death holding the record for the most pole positions with 65. In the race sometimes it was no different; he had the capability to do a fantastic first lap and simply disappear from the field. Though often rash and prone to the occasional silly mistakes that cost him good finishes, Senna scored 41 Grand Prix victories. A key attribute was his aggression, allowing him to slice through the lapped cars with ease. In wet conditions he was even more superior, leaving everyone else in his wake. He became World Champion three times- in 1988, 1990 and 1991.

While Senna relied on a ruthless driving nature that endeared him to his millions of fans, Prost was more mature and drove more tactical races. He preferred to focus on race setup and driving the race to his preconceived plan rather than the fastest qualifying lap. Prost was not usually as quick as Senna in qualifying; such was Senna’s blistering pace and ability to focus so intently on a single lap. But don’t be mistaken for thinking that because of this Prost was not quick – he was, blindingly so. You could see this over the course of a race distance. He never appeared ragged or under pressure but his lap times were deceptively rapid. He was much more a complete driver than Senna – perhaps the most complete race driver of all time.

In qualifying his rationale was that one did not always have to start first to win, if the car qualified in the top four then that it was easy enough to be victorious. Prost won 51 Grands Prix, the most in Formula One history until Michael Schumacher came along and rewrote the record books years later. Often during the race Prost would settle for second or third place, rather than risking his car and a good finish to catch the leader. He was also very easy on the car, protecting his machinery from too much wear and tear in case he needed the engine, tyres, etc in good shape later in the race. It was this tactical approach and incredible smoothness in his driving that earned him the nickname ‘The Professor’. He became World Champion four times and finished second or better in eight of his thirteen career seasons, retiring on a high note after becoming World Champion in his final season.

Dream Beginnings and Teamwork

Let us turn the clock back a few years to the close of the 1987 Formula 1 season. Nelson Piquet had won his third Championship from Williams-Honda team mate Nigel Mansell. The new shining star Ayrton Senna was third in the similarly engined Lotus while fourth was Prost in the ageing McLaren-TAG. The following year two significant additions would join Prost at McLaren to form the modern F1 Dream Team. Fans relished the chance of seeing Alain Prost with his new team mate Ayrton Senna battling it out in their newly Honda motivated McLarens…the 1988 season couldn’t come soon enough.

At first the two new team mates discussed the set-up of the cars and shared testing. While completely different people, their talents created a tremendously productive partnership. However Senna was a young star full of potential with sights set on becoming the number one driver in the sport and beating his illustrious team mate, already a twice World Champion by 1988. Soon, Prost noticed Senna was quite introverted and was less friendly with him than his previous team mate Stefan Johansson.

Putting this aside for a moment, history shows the McLaren MP4/4 of 1988 as class of the field; between them the dream team took 15 of a possible 16 wins. The season wasn’t without its share of incidents between the two and psychologically things were simmering behind closed doors towards the end of the season.

These mind games almost boiled over at Round 13, in Portugal. At the start of the race Prost, who had for a change qualified fastest, slipped back to second after being out dragged by Senna on the cleaner side of the grid. Prost made an attempt to protect his position, slightly squeezing Senna towards the grass on the side of the track but Senna held on and led the first lap. This weekend, however, Prost was in no mood to hang about. Full of confidence and looking to gain an edge over Senna he pulled alongside to pass as they came down the front straight to start the second lap. Senna then made a very aggressive chop, swerving straight at Prost. Alain used aggression against aggression, kept his foot down and passed Senna; it was very dangerous and could have resulted in a monumental high-speed crash. Later, after winning the race, Prost was not amused and words were exchanged between the two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zznJjSncGCE

Senna went on to win the 1988 championship taking eight wins to Prost’s seven. The season came to a sporting end with Alain Prost gallant in defeat. “Senna was too good this year,” admitted Prost, already looking forward to next season.

The Sporting Rivalry becomes bitter

Formula 1 fans waited impatiently for the 1989 season to start, eager to witness Prost’s advance on Senna’s title. However unlike the previous year, this season was not to have an amicable outcome. Throughout the year, the battle grew somewhat ugly with the sporting rivalry turning hostile. The McLaren-Honda team was pushed to the limit just in keeping up with its drivers.

Round 2 in San Marino proved the tipping point. The McLaren was again the class of the field, the car’s superiority attributed as much to the designers and engineers as the drivers, who themselves refined the McLaren-Honda combination after exhaustive test sessions. The net result was that both Senna and Prost were lapping 2-3 seconds proud of anyone else.

After over a year of enjoying their superiority on the track, the two drivers had developed a gentlemen’s agreement. Since they were so superior it made no sense to attack each other at the start so whoever led away would be allowed to proceed unchallenged into the first corner. It relied on both the honesty and integrity of each other’s word.

Senna got the drop on Prost at the start and both McLarens were drawing away until Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari hit the wall on the outside of the fast Tamburello curve. Within seconds the whole car was engulfed in flames. Fortunately Gerhard was fine apart from some burns to parts of his body.

As the race was red flagged it necessitated a restart. This time it was Prost who led away from the grid, not defending his line through Tamburello or the first corner Tosa as per the standing gentlemen’s agreement. Imagine his shock then, to see Senna slithering up the inside into the first corner and driving off into the distance. Prost was demoralised; his word had always been his bond and his fears about Senna had been justified. Senna duly won the race with Prost finishing a distant second. Afterwards Prost was asked if he had a problem during the race; his answer was a polite “no comment” as he stormed off to talk to McLaren team manager Ron Dennis in the motor home. Senna’s version of events was that the agreement stood for the race start, but it did not stand for the race restart. With his blatant disregard for their agreement, Senna’s integrity was shot to bits as as far as Prost was concerned: “Senna plays by his own rules and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says about it,” Prost was later quoted as saying.

From that day forward the already strained relations between the two champion drivers quickly deteriorated. In his sixth consecutive year at McLaren, Prost felt as though it was his team, his family. With the arrival of Senna and Honda the previous year it was supposed to add to that family, however soon after the San Marino weekend Prost felt himself becoming distant from Honda and some members of the McLaren team. Prost complained that his car and equipment was not to the standard of Senna’s and Senna spoke out that Prost just could not keep up his pace. Indeed, while Senna was usually quicker in qualifying there was an occasion at the Italian Grand Prix where the gap was over 1.7 seconds! In this instance Prost felt his engine was well down on power. Honda insisted they were exactly the same, but it seemed to Prost a little too coincidental that his car seemed inferior just as he had made an announcement that he was joining Ferrari for the 1990 season.

Prost won the Italian Grand Prix due to a combination of luck and an engine problem for Senna. On the victory rostrum, Prost enjoyed the cheers from the Italian fans and he dropped his winning trophy down to them, a gesture of defiance to McLaren and his perceived unfair treatment. Ron Dennis was not amused and dumped his winning constructor’s trophy at Prost’s feet before storming off. It seemed the perfect marriage between Prost, McLaren and Senna was shattered for good. Although Prost was ahead by 20 points in the championship standings with four races left, the obvious performance deficit to his team mate was worrying him. Despite this, Prost seemed to put it behind him and came out to perform well in the next two races, finishing second and third respectively. With two races remaining he was sixteen points ahead. The championship could be decided at Round 15 in Japan.

In simple terms Prost could win the title if Senna didn’t win the race. During an interview prior to the race Prost stated that many times over the past two seasons he had given in to avoid a crash with his team mate’s aggressive driving, but today it would be different. The door would not be open for Senna simply to walk though and he feared the two might collide on the track at some point if neither driver gave way.

It all boils over

The scene was set then – A race between the two champions for the Formula 1 crown. As the race started Senna had a bad start, allowing Prost to build a comfortable lead of five seconds. Over the next 40 laps the gap between the two drivers was never greater than five seconds, never less than two. The tension around the circuit could have been cut through with a knife. Senna dug deep and in the closing laps he had caught Prost. The crowd was on its feet!

On lap 46 of 53, Senna made a desperate lunge up the inside of Prost into the final chicane. He was a long way back, too far back as many would agree. As he stated before the race, Prost would not give in to an aggressive move and duly closed the door. The two cars collided.

Prost retired instantly, but Senna received a push start and eventually won the race. He was disqualified afterwards for the assisted restart as it was rightly deemed illegal by the stewards, and thus Prost was crowned Champion-elect.

Senna was gutted. McLaren launched an appeal on Senna’s behalf. The two drivers met in the McLaren garage and Prost congratulated Senna on a fine race, but Senna just ignored him. Later when asked about the incident Senna said he never caused the accident in Japan, it was not his “responsibilit”. Even after he was shown the race footage from the overhead helicopter view Senna is reported as saying “The video is wrong!” Incidentally, Senna did not win the last race of the season in Australia and Prost was officially crowned 1989 World Champion. It was not one of his happiest victories, and he left McLaren seeking happier times away from Senna with Ferrari.

The feud had reached epic proportions and it continued into the 1990 season. The two champions pushed their teams very hard during the championship but the pair maintained a bitter silence and kept their distance away from the track. Not so on track; the pair were almost inseparable. Once again the championship decider came down to the second last race in Japan though this time the roles were reversed…Senna would win the championship if Prost didn’t finish the race.

As usual Senna qualified first and Prost second in the Ferrari. Race day was going to be one hot ticket. Fears were high of another race incident similar to that of 12 months earlier, though most hoped to see a genuine fight for the title.

To say it was bitterly disappointing for race fans may be a little kind. After being refused his request to move pole position to the clean side of the track, Senna was furious and vowed to give his McLaren full power into the first corner- If anyone decided to turn in first there would be an accident and so be it.

Prost got a better start and was a car length ahead of Senna approaching the first turn. True to his personal vow, Senna rammed straight into the back of the Ferrari, sending them both spinning off the track, instantly out of the race. The body language said it all afterwards. Both drivers got out of their cars and walked in opposite directions. Senna had won his second championship in very controversial circumstances. To many this was Senna’s lowest point, where he showed his true colours. A ruthless racer who would do anything it takes to win. He faced a ban from Formula 1 and almost retired at the end of the season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6qdIRzbukM

The coming of the 1991 season saw an uncompetitive Ferrari for Prost. Senna’s McLaren was simply too superior and the two did not get a chance to fight for the championship that year. That did not stop occasional on-track spats- a near-miss in Germany where Prost was run off the track as he went to pass Senna kept the feud in the press, Prost vowing to ‘push him out’ the next time they met.

Senna ended up with his third championship while Prost publicly criticized his team’s lack of performance and was promptly fired late in the season. The Senna fan camp now felt this was one of Prost’s low points on top of blaming him for the crash in the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix.

In 1992 Prost took a sabbatical year from Formula 1. The psychological toll of the past four seasons was great and time was needed to refresh his hunger for Formula 1 racing. Ayrton Senna did not win the championship in 1992 with his increasingly uncompetitive McLaren coming up against the mighty Nigel Mansell in the Williams-Renault.

The 1993 season dawned with Prost returning to Formula 1 at the wheel of the Williams-Renault. Senna was still racing for McLaren but was using Ford customer engines instead of the factory Honda after the Japanese manufacturer pulled out after 1992. In competitive machinery again, Prost and Senna resumed their on track battles. Senna was valiant in the slightly inferior McLaren but Prost won seven races to Senna’s five on his way to a fourth and last World Driver’s Championship.
After finishing second to Senna at the final race in Australia, Alain Prost officially retired. He spoke to Senna about perhaps shaking hands on the podium in front of the TV cameras and putting on a good show for the fans. Senna didn’t say a word, but invited Prost onto the top step of the podium after the presentations. The two great rivals standing side by side on the top step was a striking sight.

For five years the Prost vs Senna rivalry captivated the majority of F1 fans and community, polarising them into two groups. You were either a Senna fan and Prost was the enemy, or you were a Prost fan and couldn’t stand the sight of Senna leading a race. Their rivalry, their feud…their war was so fierce it shocked some but in essence it was truly wonderful. It pushed the two men far above anyone else, to heights never thought attainable. When Prost finally retired as champion at the end of the 1993 season, the two great rivals finally put aside their quarrels and started patching up their personal relationship together.

It is my belief that there will not be a rivalry as fierce and exciting as Prost vs Senna for a very long time, perhaps never again. Something that special with two enormously talented drivers such as Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost does not come along that often.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKKgrMROP7s

Summary of results
88-93 (excluding 92)
Total races – 80
Total Senna and Prost wins combined – 56
Percentage win rate Prost 23/80 = 29%
Percentage win rate Senna 33/80 = 41%
Percentage Win rate combined – 56/80 = 70%

Total points 88-93 (except 92)
Senna – 90, 60, 78, 96, 73 = 397
Prost – 87, 76, 71, 34, 99 = 367