Rally Sweden 2015

[BIRDIEMANGO]

BACK IN KARLSTAD,THE MAIN SERVICE AREA......AT SOME POINT THERE WAS APPARENTLY CELEBRATION OF 'PER EKLUNDS' TITANIC BATTLE BACK IN 1976 ON THE SWEDISH RALLY,BETWEEN HIM AND STIG IN THE GREEN WORKS V4'S......

SOME 40 YEARS AGO.....


SADLY THIS WOULD BE THE ONLY REFERENCE TO ANYTHING REGARDING THE 'HISTORIC' SECTION OF THE RALLY,DUE TO THE CANCELLATION OF THE HISTORIC CARS RUNNING...


INDEED,WE HAD MUCH DISCUSSION AS THE CONDITION OF THE STAGES......AND WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS THOUGHT FEASIBLE,THAT THE HISTORIC CARS COULD HAVE RUN?

THE ORGANISERS HAD,HAD TO MAKE A TOUGH DESCISION......?

IF THE WHOLE RALLY WAS CANCELLED,THEY STOOD TO LOSE OVER 1 MILLION POUNDS......IF THE PUBLIC ROADS(AS THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE IN THE FOREST) WERE DESTROYED BY TOO MANY CARS RUNNING THROUGH? THE COST OF REPAIR WOULD BE CONSUMATE....?

THIS IS WHY WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE,THE HISTORICS DIDN'T RUN........AND SOME RUNS OF EXISTING STAGES,WERE ONLY ALLOWED THE ONCE THROUGH.....


IN HINDSIGHT,MAYBE A LITTLE MORE TRUST IN THE LOCAL WEATHER REPORTS?.....COULD HAVE SEEN A MORE 'FINANCIALLY' SUCCESSFULL EVENT,FOR ALL INVOLVED?

IF I HAD BEEN ONE OF THE HISTORIC CREWS(OF WHICH ONE WAS SUPPOSEDLY BRINGING A DATSUN 240Z FROM THE UK),IT WAS VERY LATE IN THE DAY,TO CALL IT ALL OFF.......REGARDLESS OF THE COUNTLESS MAN HOURS SPENT BY ALL CREW PREPARING THE CARS,WEEKS AND MONTHS BEFOREHAND...


BUT,WE WERE MAKING THE MOST,OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTROUS TRIP?........LITERALLY UNDECIDED WHAT TO DO,JUST HOURS BEFORE WE WERE DUE TO LEAVE FOR SWEDEN....!


FORTUNAETLY,THE WEATHER CAME GOOD.....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

SO,AS WE TENTAVILEY HEADED OFF TOWARDS 'VARGASEN'......IN A NORTH EASTERLY DIRECTION,JUST ON AN HOURS DRIVE...?

TIME TO STOP AT THE LOCAL Q8 GARAGE,AT 'SUNNE' BUY A BAG OF WOOD,AND A TOBOGGAN TO TIE THE WOOD ONTO.....

WE ENCOUNTERED A HUGE TRAFFIC JAM AS WE APPROACHED THE TURN OFF,INTO THE FOREST FOR 'COLINS CREST'......

STUCK THERE FOR AT LEAST 40 MINS ,WE DECIDED THE HEAD ANOTHER 6KM FURTHER ON,TO THE NEXT STAGE ENTRANCE,AS THE AMOUNT OF CARS,COACHES AND PEOPLE WAS JUST OVERWHELMING.......

CAR PARKED UP,WE GOT SUITABLY ATTIRED.......

THE WALK UP TO THE FOREST,WAS ON ACCESS ROADS....STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL,IT THE EARLY MORN SUSNSHINE....

AT THE STAGE ENTRANCE,THE TERRAIN WAS HILLY,STREWN WITH ROCKS,UNDER THE FRESH SNOW....SO WE HAD TO CARRY THE TOBOGGAN ACROSS COUNTRY!

THE STAGE HAD JUST STARTED.....

[Geoff]

OUTSIDE THE TEMPERATURE WAS -8 DEG C,IN FACT THE TEMP HAD BEEN HOVERING AROUND -4 DEG C TO -6 DEG C ALL DAY.........

Are you sure you were in New Hampshire? The weather is identical this year - warm and only a dusting of snow!

Looks like a good time though! I'd love to go to WRC Sweden and see the winter party atmosphere. Spectating winter rallies takes some serious enthusiasm and commitment but being there with all the other fans and all the different cars (especially if the historics were running) must make it really worthwhile.

[BIRDIEMANGO]

HELLO GEOFF.......YEP,IT TAKES SOME PLANNING TO SORT OUT THE LOGISTICS,BUT WE ARE GETTING MORE,AND MORE FAMILIAR,WITH TRAVEL IN SWEDEN AND NORWAY.

THE INTERNATIONAL MEET AROUND 'VADSTENA' IN AUGUST 2016,IS WITHIN REACH OF 'STOCKHOLM' IN A COMBINED TRIP.......?

http://intsaab2016.com/program/

I AM HOPING TO TAKE THE 96,BUT AS TIME IS PROGRESSING,AND WITH THE PRESSURES OF LIFE AND WORK,I'M NOT SURE THIS WILL BE POSSIBLE....?

TALKING TO OUR HOST AT THE 'RUM&FRUKOST',TRAVEL BY BUS OR TRAIN ACROSS THE VAST DISTANCES UP TO 'JOKMOKK' OR 'KIRUNA' IS QUITE POSSIBLE,IN THE WINTER....?

AND NOT FORGETTING THE 'ARCTIC RALLY' WHICH WAS A WEEK OR TWO PREVIOUS....

http://www.arcticrally.fi/index.php/frontpage

WE,HAVEN'T VENTURED INTO FINLAND YET.......

[BIRDIEMANGO]

BUT,BACK TO THE 'WRC SWEDEN'......

WE WERE SITUATED A FEW KILOMETRES BEFORE 'COLINS CREST',FOR THE MORNING STAGE....THE SNOW BEING SWEPT INTO THE AIR,AS THE RALLY CARS,TOPPED A BLIND CREST,INTO A VERY FAST DOWNHILL SECTION INTO SOME S-BENDS....

HERE,WE WOULD STAY.....UNTIL LATE MORNING


NOT A LOT AF DRIVER'S WERE 'LIFTING',ON THE APPROACH.....

LEFT FOOT BRAKING ABOUNDS...

[BIRDIEMANGO]

THEN CAME THE BREAK BETWEEN THE STAGE RUNS,WHICH LEFT UP JUST UNDER 2 HOURS TO GET FURTHER DOWN ....FIND A GOOD SPOT FOR SETTING UP ,AND LIGHT THE FIRE....?

THE ATMOSPHERE WAS VERY JOVIAL,PLENTY OF THE LOCALS ENJOYING A BEER OR THREE.....ON THE WALK DOWN THE STAGE.

QUITE A FEW PEOPLE,HAD CROSSED THE VAST FROZEN LAKE ON FOOT,OR QUADBIKE.....WHICH MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE A SHORTCUT?

[BIRDIEMANGO]

WE CAME ACROSS A 270 DEGREE LEFT HANDER,WITH TREE COVER ON THE OUTSIDE,DEEMED SAFE ENOUGH FOR US TO GET THE FIRE GOING.......AND GET SOME DECENT PHOTOGRAPHY..?

IT DIDN'T SEEM THAT COLD IN THE FOREST AT -6 DEG C,BUT WE HAD GONE WITH THE RIGHT KIND OF GEAR,WITH SEVERAL LAYERS UNDER THAT....

EVEN SO,SOME WARM FOOD WOULD GO DOWN WELL....?

THE BAG OF WOOD ON THE TOBOGGAN GAVE US AROUND TWO AND HALF HOURS BURN TIME.....


I HAD DISCOVERED THESE 'LOG CANDLES'(FIRST PHOTO) HERE AT 'CLAS OHLSON' ,THE SWEDISH HARDWARE STORE NOW POPPING UP ALL OVER THE UK......

THEY DID PROVE HOWEVER QUITE ELUSIVE TO FIND IN NORWAY,AT THE START OF THE TRIP....CLAS OHLSON OVER THERE,NOT HAVING ANY ....WE ENDED UP IN ANOTHER HARDWARE STORE 'JULA',WHICH HAD THE NECESSARY.... .THEY ARE IDEAL FOR GETTING THE FIRE GOING,SPLIT QUARTERLY AND BONE DRY INSIDE,JUST DROP A FIRELIGHTER DOWN THE CENTRE,AND OFF YOU GO....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

SO FED,AND WARMED A LITTLE.....WITH A FLASK OF BLACK COFFEE?

WE GOT INTO POSITION,READY FOR THE RUN THROUGH OF VARGASEN 2.....

THEN THE SNOW STARTED....AGAIN


LOTS OF SINGING GOING ON AROUND US.......AND LOT'S OF NORWEGIANS

[sonett]

Mikkelsen having a bit of a wobble, I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.

[BIRDIEMANGO]

IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THE 'LINES' TAKEN BY THE VARIOUS DRIVERS......

SOME SERIOUS 'DITCH HOOKING' GOING ON......

[squaab99t]

Birdie, what a wonderful holiday with your son. One that you and he will never forget.

Thanks for the updates and the great images.

[BIRDIEMANGO]

HELLO SQUAB 99T

SOME OF THE BEST IMAGES ON HERE,WERE TAKEN BY '99EMS' OR DAVE,AS HE IS BETTER KNOWN.....I THINK HE IS 'SONETT' ON HERE?

WE HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR OVER 25 YEARS NOW,AND A LOT OF 'SAAB' PARTS AND CARS HAVE MOVED(OR BEEN MOVED ) BETWEEN US OVER THAT TIME.......


I THINK DAVE,WAS MAYBE A LITTLE DISSAPOINTED ON THE RUN-UP TO THE EVENT,WHEN THE HISTORIC RALLY WAS NOT GOING TO RUN........BUT MAYBE I CONVINCED HIM,IT WOULD ALL BE WORTHWHILE....

HE LOOKS HAPPY ENOUGH HERE...


'MIKKELSEN' (PICTURED HERE)WAS CARRYING MUCH MORE SPEED THROUGH ....IN THE VW POLO,BUT TRY AS HE MIGHT......? HIS EFFORTS WERE IN VAIN......... LAST YEAR,HAD ROBBED HIM OF A WIN IN THE CLOSING SECONDS OF THE RALLY....THIS YEAR,WAS NOT BEING KIND,EITHER?

'OGIER',WAS TAKING HUGE RISKS,TO STAY IN THE LEAD.......AND I NEVER THOUGH I WOULD SAY THIS ! BUT HIS DRIVING STYLE WAS FLAMBOYANT,ON THE RAGGED EDGE.......

ONLY IN THE SADLY MISSED 'COLIN MCRAE',HAVE I EVER WITNESSED.....SUCH ABSOLUTE LUNACY......

KIWI,HAYDEN PADDON WAS CHASING 'OGIER' DOWN WITH THE HYUNDAI,CLOSING THE GAP TO JUST UNDER 9 SECONDS....BY MIDDAY.

RUNNING FIRST ON THE ROAD 'OGIER' HAD EFFECTIVLEY BECOME A SNOW PLOUGH......

'MIKKELSEN' LATER ADMITTED HE WAS AGHAST TO SEE SOME OF 'OGIER'S' TYRE TREADMARKS LEFT TRACKSIDE IN THE SNOW......

MALCOLM WILSON'S 'M-SPORT' HAD,A CAVALCADE OF VARIOUS SPEC FIESTA WRC COMPETING ON THE EVENT.......


WELSH DRIVER 'ELFYN EVANS' ANOTHER PRODIGAL SON,FEATURED ABOVE WAS VERY 'TIDY',AND ABSOLUTLEY FLYING........


ANOTHER OF M-SPORTS.......ERIC CAMILLI'S FIESTA SUFFERED QUITE A BIG ROLL......

THE CAR WAS HASTILY TRAILERED BACK TO THE UK,BEFORE THE WEEKEND WAS OVER,AS THEY HAD A WEEK TO REBUILD IT,BEFORE IT GET'S SHIPPED BACK OUT FOR 'RALLY MEXICO' 3-6 MARCH.....


ALTHOUGH, I AM NOT IN WHOLEHEARTED AGREEMENT.....THE PATH THAT MODERN DAY RALLYING HAS TAKEN?
IT IS AN ACHIEVEMENT,TO SAY THE LEAST THAT 'MALCOLM WILSONS' FORD BACKED TEAM,PUT'S ON SUCH A PERFORMANCE,FROM HERE IN THE UK 'LAKE DISTRICT',OR CUMBRIA AS IT IS BETTER KNOWN.......

TRYING TO DISLODGE VOLKSWAGEN FROM THE TOP,IS NO EASY FEAT....BUT THEN NEITHER IS STAYING THERE......

[BIRDIEMANGO]

IF YOU REALLY MUST HAVE BANDED STEELIES ON YOUR VOLVO....

DON'T GET THEN SHOD WITH SNOW TYRES,COS YOU'LL GET STUCK.......

OH,HOW WE LAUGHED


DON'T THESE SWEDES, KNOW ANYTHING....ABOUT DRIVING IN THE SNOW?


AND THEY TOWED CARAVANS,OUT THE FOREST TOO.....COULDN'T DECIDE IF THEY WERE 'POLAR'
OR 'KABE'

[BIRDIEMANGO]

MORE NORWEGIAN M-SPORT FIESTA WRC....

UNBEKNOWN TO US AT THE TIME,AMONGST ALL THE NOISY NORWEGIANS......PETTER SOLBERG AND SON,WERE JUST A FEW YARDS DOWN THE TRACK FROM US.....

WE THINK HE HAD COME TO GIVE BROTHER 'HENNING' SOME MORAL SUPPORT....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

AS THE STAGE CLOSED ,LATE AFTERNOON....WE PACKED UP THE GEAR,AND MADE USE OF THE EMPTY TOBOGGAN,STRAPPING SOME OF THE RUCKSACKS ON.....

AS WE CLIMBED BACK UP ONTO THE TRACK,A HUGE SWEDE...CLAD IN 'DAYGLO' OVERALLS WAS GOING ABOUT, COLLECTING HIS LITTLE SWEDISH TRACKSIDE FLAGS.....?

IN ALL HONESTY,HE WAS NOT MAKING A VERY GOOD JOB OF THIS,AS HE WAS ABSOLUTLEY SHIT-FACED DRUNK.....

ONCE THEY HAD DRUNK ALL THE BEER,THE CANS WERE GETTING RE-FILLED WITH VODKA....

ANYHOW,HE MUTTERED ENOUGH IN 'SVENSKA'....THAT HIS SOLE WISH,WAS TO PLACE A LITTLE SVERIGE FLAG ON OUR SLEDGE......


MISSING 'COMPLETELY' HIS INTENTION,THE ONLY SUITABLE OPTION WAS FACE DOWN IN THE SNOW....... AT FIRST WE WERE A LITTLE CONCERNED,AS NO SOUND EMINATED FROM THIS JOYFUL NATIVE....?

THEN HE ROLLED OVER,AND PROCEEDED TO COMMIT TO, A RATHER ELOQUENT IMPRESSION OF A STARFISH......

A FEW OF HIS COMRADES,CAME TO ASSIST HIM....

BUT, HE WASN'T FOR MOVING......

IT WAS AT LEAST A 2KM WALK BACK TO WHERE THE CAR'S WERE PARKED.....


AFTER WHICH,OUR LITTLE 'BMW' SWALLOWED ALL THE WINTER GEAR,AND THE TOBOGGAN......

THE DRIVE BACK TO THE 'RUM&FRUKOST' THIS TIME, A LITTLE LESS DRAMATIC,AS THE SNOW PLOUGHS HAD BEEN OUT ALL DAY,TO CLEAR EVEN THE SMALLEST OF ROADS.....