Monte Carlo Historique 2012
With the dust of last weekend's 80th Monte Carlo Rally, round one of the 2012 WRC still hanging in the mountain air, Saturday sees another full brown assault on the Alps Maritime launched from six cities which helped to forge the reputation of the first Rallies that carried the rally's famous name - Barcelona, Glasgow, Oslo, Reims, Turin and Warsaw.
The 15th Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique will run from Saturday January 28 to Saturday February 4 2012. The different Concentration Legs will meet in Monaco where crews will benefit from a night's rest before the next two legs take them northwest to the region around Valence, before driving back to Monaco for the second part of the Common Leg and the final night of competition.
Again in keeping with tradition, the regularity tests will use special stages that have featured on Monte's of the past. Timing to the nearest second will be ensured using the Tripy GPS system, while timing to the nearest tenth of a second will be clocked by hand. Competitors who enter cars manufactured prior to 1966 or of a cubic capacity of less than 1,300cc will be able to choose the 'low' average speed option.
Cars eligible to contest the rally must be a model that contested the Rallye Monte-Carlo between 1955 and 1980 and consequently manufactured before 1980. The list includes some 100 makes and this years 305 car entry reflects the extremely broad choice of models being used by the truly international field of entries.
Among the 305 cars selected from over 1,000 entries are 15 carrying the union jack proudly with full or part UK crew members and the IRDC is delighted to report that its secretary, Tony Graham will be carrying the familiar IRDC badge as co-driver for brother Steve in car 299, their well-known 1970 Lancia Fulvia 1.3S Coupe. Running under the Ecurie Ecosse team banner, Steve and Tony will be trying to replicate their solid performance on this rally last year and their place on the second step of the podium on the 2011 Tour Britannia.
Another prominent British competitor is ex BMC works co-driver and veteran of many Monte's Willy Cave, co-driving for Peter Barker in his specially constructed 'Mini World' 850 Mini. Other 'A' list celebrities standing out on the entry are Sandro Munari driving his 'signature' Lancia Fulvia 1.6 and Alain Serpaggi in a fire-breathing Renault 5 Alpine, both drivers past legends of this rally.
With the weather forecast predicting a little more snow in the alps this week the IRDC wishes all competitors and teams good luck.
24th January, 2012