Group B Rally documentary

[Lazy B'stard]

I watched it but wasn't that impressed to be honest. A little sensationalist for starters, but mainly it failed to get under the skin of group B. There were too many factual errors in there too and some of the editing was poor. The commentary was bland and lacking in passion too.
The only thing that raised an eyebrow was Roland Gumpert having started dressing like Noel Fielding at some point in the last two decades.

I'm not sure where the 'Henri had Flu' story came from either. I have read on several occasions that Henri had had a huge argument with Cesere Fiorio the night before Corsica. Henri had spent the week prior to Corsica testing a Lancia Group C car and had set some very competetive times. His desire was to drive at Le Mans that year but Fiorio had spoken to the Lancia board to block his wishes.
 Henri and Fiorio were not talking to each other during the event and any attempt at slowing Henri, who had a comfortable lead after the first day, was met with defiance. He had a point to prove and despite several key team members trying to calm him down, he just pushed and pushed. The end was as sad as it was inevitable.

I still remember that day as though it was yesterday. It was a really hot day and I got home from school to find our house keeper just leaving. She got halfway down the path and turned around and said, ' oh, your father called earlier, said something about news on the radio, some racing driver has been killed, Henri something or other who races a Lancia'. I was devastated. Only six months before I had chatted to Henri at a service area in Buxton on the RAC. He'd hit a gate post earlier in the day and taken off half of the nose on the new S4 Delta. To conclude our all too brief chat he pulled off the lower splitter from the now discarded front end and signed it for me. He was my new hero and we cheered him on all week to a debut victory back in Nottingham four days later. Such a friendly guy, an amazing driver, and then just like that...taken from us in the cruelest way. Seems so long ago now. Bad times for sure, but many happy memories too.

RIP Henri. And thanks for the splitter. I still cherish it.

[gt6]

Watched the programme last night and laike the other two programmes it had some faults but overall it was the best thing that has been on the telly for ages, and i advise everyone to try and watch it, When I was younger Le mans was once a year but these rally cars seemed to be on the saturday sports shows almost every week and although i did not see them in action at the time i did get to see a few in rallycross and they were amazing.

[landman]

I too watched it last night.

Some fabulous stuff, brings back memories! 

As to the crowds, well what can you say except for OMG!

[Rhino]

Good program. Those car's were monsters. The crowds's were mad though. I remember a story of someone finding part of a finger in the bumper of the car after one of the Portugal rounds .
Anyone remember Citroen's Gp B effort, the  Citroën BX 4TC!

[Boorish Grobian]

Hi Lazy B, actually now that I think of it, I do remember either Autosport, or GPI reporting that Henri did have some sort of bug, and was under the weather that weekend.  Have to go dig them out, still hae them in boxes somewhere.  Doubt that it had any influence on what happened to he and Sergio, as you mentioned he was having problems with Fiorio and that probably had more to do with Henri pushing as hard as he was, even though he was leading by a street.  Did you read the MotorSport article several month's ago where they went back to Corsica, to the corner where they went off, to re-visit the day.  Interesting reading, the corner has been re-profiled, and the scorched treees have grown back, but you can see the remnants of the orginal corner.
Fax

[Lazy B'stard]

Good program. Those car's were monsters. The crowds's were mad though. I remember a story of someone finding part of a finger in the bumper of the car after one of the Portugal rounds .
Anyone remember Citroen's Gp B effort, the  Citroën BX 4TC!

I heard that story first hand (no pun intended). It happened in around 92-93 in Portugal and it was a Ford mechanic that found the finger. He was refuelling Delecor's Escort Cosworth and as he opened the tailgate something landed on his foot, he looked down and saw something shiny. Instinctively he reached down and picked it up only to realise it was a wedding ring attached to a finger with all the tendons still attached. They managed to get the ring back to its owner but the finger was scrap. The guy involved still works at M Sport.

I remember the Shitroen BX. A real lemon. Only did Monte and Sweden as far as I remember before being canned. JC Andruet drove it I think??