The 1986 Lombard RAC Rally marked a milestone. This was the last time the awesome Group B machines would see World Rally Championship action in Europe before being banned after a season of tragedy and controversy. The British round would ensure these 'supercars' would go out with a dramatic bang!
The four-day event was shrouded in controversy following Peugeot's disqualification from the previous round, but the politics was put aside as the drivers battled for victory.
Championship rivals Markku Alen in his Lancia Delta S4 and Juha Kankkunen in the Peugeot 205 T16 dominated the opening day, but Alen's young teammate Mikael Ericsson had a point to prove and charged to the front, taking a slender two second lead at the end of day two.
Through the forests the battle raged. With the end in sight, 1985 World Champion Timo Salonen showed his style to take the lead, while Kankkunen fell victim to the treacherous conditions, his dramatic roll captured in spectacular pictures. Behind the leaders there was an intriguing fight between the Metro 6R4s of British heroes Tony Pond, Malcolm Wilson and Jimmy McRae.
Action footage and interviews with the stars bring you the story of the 1986 RAC Rally, and mark the end of the Group B 'supercar' era.
RAC Rally 1986 is part of a collectable set of classic RAC Rally highlights programmes. |