Alastair Vines' Mini - CRX89B Austin Mini Cooper S 1964 on the 2012 Rallye Monte Carlo Historique.
Alastair Vines and Peter Moss with the help of their service team of Nigel Chetwynd and Simon Wheatcroft tackle the 2012 Rallye Monte Carlo Historique. They are competing as part of a five car team of British Minis - Equipe Mini. They have sponsorship from Mini Spares Ltd (www.minispares.com), and the support of Roelands Race and Rally (Mini Prep) (roelandsracerally.com), Auto-BMC (www.auto-bmc.com) in France, and Southam Mini and Metro Centre, Warwickshire. (+44 1926 815681).
Part 8 brings closure to this epic Monte, where the weather played such a vital part in the spectacle. This clip follows the weary crews, who have already been on the road for eight hours or so from Valence to Monte Carlo, as they are despatched to complete the five to six hour round trip of the Mountain Circuit in the hinterland of Monaco in the Maritime Alps of the South of France. The Col de Turini, Col de la Porte, Col St Roch, Col de l'Orme, Col de l'Able, Col de Braus - names to set the blood tingling in anticipation for any rally crew.
On this clip there is some great in car video of the CRX89B team skating their way up and down the cols, engaging in dog fights around hair pin bends with other competitors as they struggle to get by on narrow roads. Ultimately the rally ends, rather unsatisfactorily, after ZR 14 Col de Braus. The road from the Cold l'Orme through to the Braus was covered in un-ploughed heavy snow, with loose cattle wandering about, and extremely rough going. Several competitors became stuck, and with cars running at 30 second intervals, queues soon built up behind those with problems. Places were won and lost, tempers frayed and in some cases sanity departed. A sorry prosession of some dozen or so rally cars filed out of the stage on our run, hugely late after having met a number of these obstacles. It was a story repeated throughout the rally field. It is reported that Sala in the Porsche threw his rally away here when the chaos threatened to engulf his otherwise unblemished performance, and lose him his chance of a second consecutive win. It is alleged that he made contact with a number of other competitor cars in his attempts to pass them, and was less than apologetic in the post event damage negotiations, resulting in exclusion for his behaviour.
On this clip there is some great in car video of the CRX89B team skating their way up and down the cols, engaging in dog fights around hair pin bends with other competitors as they struggle to get by on narrow roads. Ultimately the rally ends, rather unsatisfactorily, after ZR 14 Col de Braus. The road from the Cold l'Orme through to the Braus was covered in un-ploughed heavy snow, with loose cattle wandering about, and extremely rough going. Several competitors became stuck, and with cars running at 30 second intervals, queues soon built up behind those with problems. Places were won and lost, tempers frayed and in some cases sanity departed. A sorry prosession of some dozen or so rally cars filed out of the stage on our run, hugely late after having met a number of these obstacles. It was a story repeated throughout the rally field. It is reported that Sala in the Porsche threw his rally away here when the chaos threatened to engulf his otherwise unblemished performance, and lose him his chance of a second consecutive win. It is alleged that he made contact with a number of other competitor cars in his attempts to pass them, and was less than apologetic in the post event damage negotiations, resulting in exclusion for his behaviour.
The Event, as always, was a most fantastic rally, well organised and run efficiently by the original Auto Club de Monaco organisation in the Spirit of the old rallies of the 1960s, and made all the more enjoyable and challenging by the heavy snowfall and the winter wonderland scenery that followed.
I would like to thank my navigator Peter Moss for such a fine effort in organising our team and guiding me around the course to help deliver our class win for cars 1962-65 up to 1300cc, and to become the top finishing Brits in a very creditable 60th position of over 300 entrants.
Thanks also to my service crew Nigel Chetwynd and Simon Wheatcroft for their committment to the event and the efforts that they put in to get our fuel and spares to the right place at the right time in such dreadful weather conditions. Even though they were in a nice comfy 4WD Land Rover Discovery towing a car trailer and often together in convoy with Peter Barker's equally equiped service team, they have stories of survival and self preservation in the blizzard enough to make your hair curl.
Finally thank you to my sponsor Mini Spares led by Justin Jeffries, without whom it would be extremely difficult for us to continue to participate. They have supported us extremely well with our entry, tyre procurement and supplies of spare parts in a timely and efficient manner to help us get ready. A great help, and with great service - thank you.
We shall be back next year.
THE END
Thanks also to my service crew Nigel Chetwynd and Simon Wheatcroft for their committment to the event and the efforts that they put in to get our fuel and spares to the right place at the right time in such dreadful weather conditions. Even though they were in a nice comfy 4WD Land Rover Discovery towing a car trailer and often together in convoy with Peter Barker's equally equiped service team, they have stories of survival and self preservation in the blizzard enough to make your hair curl.
Finally thank you to my sponsor Mini Spares led by Justin Jeffries, without whom it would be extremely difficult for us to continue to participate. They have supported us extremely well with our entry, tyre procurement and supplies of spare parts in a timely and efficient manner to help us get ready. A great help, and with great service - thank you.
We shall be back next year.
THE END
