14 replies to this topic

[Martyn]

Hi,

I am trying to find a list of competitors and results for the 1977 Mintex and wondered if anyone could help?

Thanks,

Martyn

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Martyn
Hi,

I am trying to find a list of competitors and results for the 1977 Mintex and wondered if anyone could help?

Thanks,

Martyn

I did a search on the this bulletin board...sure you mean 1977?

Year: 1976 Date:
Rally: Mintex Rally

1 Andy Dawson Lancia Stratos

[Martyn]

Hi,

Yes...I did that search too. But the car I am researching has a 1977 Mintex Dales Rally sticker on its bodywork!

Thanks,

Martyn

[RS2000]

What car is it? Interesting if it is still carrying a plate from then.
Full entry lists/results for most rallies are notoriously difficult to locate prior to 1980s. It may need someone who competed. Worth asking on:
http://www.britishra...d8c96de928d0ad9
The only 77 Mintex results I can immediately find are works Escorts (Dawson 5th, Brookes retired and Taylor retired) and works BL cars (Pond TR7 3rd, Culcheth TR7 17th and Ryan Dolomite Sprint 35th).

[Martyn]

Hi,

It's a Vauxhall Magnum 2300. Well, it's a Viva really, but it was badged as a Magnum. It's a genuine rally car with all the period parts.

Martyn

[Darren Galpin]

1977 - Won by Ari Vatanen/David Sutton, Ford Escort RS 1800. No other details though.....

[RS2000]

Presumably if it's still stickered from the 77 Mintex it didn't do any other event afterwards. I've had a look at the 76 RAC list (the previous UK International) and there's only one "Magnum" I can't recall as being Firenza-shape rather than Viva shape. Colour? Any other markings?

[RS2000]

Originally posted by Darren Galpin
1977 - Won by Ari Vatanen/David Sutton, Ford Escort RS 1800. No other details though.....

Well, it was a David Sutton car (MLD999P?) but I don't think he was the co-driver! That would have been Peter Bryant.

[Milan Fistonic]

In the Motoring News preview of the 1977 Mintex Rally they list the top thirty entrants. There are only two Magnums on the list.

18 Jim McRae/David Brown

28 George Hill/ Roger Jones

Nowwhere do they give the total number of starters though they add that 40 crews would be taking part in the Mini-Mintex which joined in at the half-way stop at Scarborough on Saturday morning.

RS2000 - Yes it was Peter Bryant alongside Ari Vatanen and the car was MLD999P LHD and number 3.

[RS2000]

Jim McRae would have been the SMT Gp1 "Firenza shape" Magnum and George Hill would have been the Martin Group car, which by that time was "Firenza shape", I'm sure (although there was an earlier Martin Group "Viva shape" Magnum).

[Mark 13]

Originally posted by Milan Fistonic
In the Motoring News preview of the 1977 Mintex Rally they list the top thirty entrants. There are only two Magnums on the list.

18 Jim McRae/David Brown

28 George Hill/ Roger Jones

Nowwhere do they give the total number of starters though they add that 40 crews would be taking part in the Mini-Mintex which joined in at the half-way stop at Scarborough on Saturday morning.

RS2000 - Yes it was Peter Bryant alongside Ari Vatanen and the car was MLD999P LHD and number 3.

I met George Hill at the GFOS a couple of years ago and he was shocked that anyone remembered him rallying in the 70's as I named a couple of his cars. What was interesting was talking about that great era of british rallying when the better drivers could compete well with the fling Finns on the smaller International events, like the 'Mintex'. The North of England was particularly blessed by talented amateurs, some sadly departed like David 'Piggy' Thompson. Others I remember well were Tony Drummond who later did well in Rallycross, Jack Tordoff (of JCT 600 fame), Chris Slater and Bob Bean.

These events often saw rising Finish stars come accross and I remember Alen and Airrikala winning events in Yorkshire in fairly basic cars like Ascona's. Does anyone else remember this time well?

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Mark 13


I met George Hill at the GFOS a couple of years ago and he was shocked that anyone remembered him rallying in the 70's as I named a couple of his cars. What was interesting was talking about that great era of british rallying when the better drivers could compete well with the fling Finns on the smaller International events, like the 'Mintex'. The North of England was particularly blessed by talented amateurs, some sadly departed like David 'Piggy' Thompson. Others I remember well were Tony Drummond who later did well in Rallycross, Jack Tordoff (of JCT 600 fame), Chris Slater and Bob Bean.

These events often saw rising Finish stars come accross and I remember Alen and Airrikala winning events in Yorkshire in fairly basic cars like Ascona's. Does anyone else remember this time well?

I remember it well, I saw Tony Drummond also, often at Lydden Hill Rally-X series in the Plasmor Bricks RS1800.They really were great days, The Snowman, Mintex, Castrol 77, Wyedean, Jim Clark, all superb events, where as you state, the higher echelon "clubman" could mix it with works teams. I always loved watching Tony Fowkes on Eppynt and on the '75 RAC where he finished 5th O/A (IIRC) in the Cables&Components RS1600, great car preparation and determined driver/navigator pairing (Bryan Harris) that often delivered a top placing. The '75 Welsh was a great event also, saw Roger Albert win in the Cossack car, Per Inge Walfriddson in the Chequered Flag Stratos (with Maidstone&Mid Kent M.C member John Jensen) which came into view in Brechfa (IIRC) tail-end 1st but it eventually burnt out and a very young Ari in an old Ascona, which he flogged into 8/9th O/A. A great few days were spent wandering through the Welsh Forests and on the Ranges, sleeping arrangements c/o a small tent on a Brecon farm

Those old Welsh Internationals were better than the current WRC UK round held in Wales

George Hill used to have the yellow "Martins" Magnum? Or should that be Greenhouse? No, that was Terry Kaby.....

[RS2000]

Originally posted by Mark 13


I met George Hill at the GFOS a couple of years ago and he was shocked that anyone remembered him rallying in the 70's as I named a couple of his cars. What was interesting was talking about that great era of british rallying when the better drivers could compete well with the fling Finns on the smaller International events, like the 'Mintex'. The North of England was particularly blessed by talented amateurs, some sadly departed like David 'Piggy' Thompson. Others I remember well were Tony Drummond who later did well in Rallycross, Jack Tordoff (of JCT 600 fame), Chris Slater and Bob Bean.

These events often saw rising Finish stars come accross and I remember Alen and Airrikala winning events in Yorkshire in fairly basic cars like Ascona's. Does anyone else remember this time well?

Yes, but I don't remember Alen or Airikkala in Asconas in the UK then, only Sutton works-replica Escorts. When Alen did several UK nationals in a Sutton car, as preparation for the RAC in a works Escort in 73, he was looked after by the local motor club on each event. I was later with Dick Rowland of York MC walking down into the basement bar of Rally HQ on the 1000 lakes as Alen, by then a superstar, was coming up. He recognised Dick Rowland - which immediately placed Alen on a higher plateau of personal likeability as far as I was concerned.
Tony Drummond was sometimes cast in the role of hard up Yorkshire folk hero. Quite recently someone who would know told me his results were aided by regularly hanging 10,000 rpm on his BDAs and having more rebuilds done - more revs than the works then used?
Chris Sclater was a native of Sussex surely (his first job being as an electrician at Glynebourne opera house)
and not a member of the "Yorkshire maffia".
Bob Bean is still competing, in the British Historic Championship in a Mk1 Lotus Cortina and still setting staggeringly quick stage times.

Re Sterling 49's question mark, Tony Fowkes was 3rd overall on the 75 RAC (and was in full flight sitting on a stool at the bar of our hotel by the time we finished!). It would have been 4th but Russell Brookes/John Brown allegedly failed to carry out instructions to check wheel nuts in Kielder towards the end of the event...
The Greenhous Vauxhall was the Evans brothers (Derek and Terry?).

[sterling49]

Originally posted by RS2000


(his first job being as an electrician at Glynebourne opera house)

Amazing snippet of information, I did some work there last year, a lovely place

I did Tony a disservice, I knew he finished well, and he was always great on Eppynt

[Milan Fistonic]

Originally posted by Mark 13


These events often saw rising Finish stars come accross and I remember Alen and Airrikala winning events in Yorkshire in fairly basic cars like Ascona's. Does anyone else remember this time well?

Walter Rohrl was a starter in the 1977 Mintex. He was Number 13 in a DOT Opel Kadett GT/E with Mike Broad as co-driver. He finished eighth.