Rally Sweden 2015

[BIRDIEMANGO]

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE NATIVE 'FLAGS',THERE WAS VERY LITTLE WIND.....

THE TWO LITTLE 'MINIS' KEPT PLODDING ON,ONE PILOTED BY 'RAUNO AALTONEN'

THE RATE OF PROGRESS,DICTATED BY THE SNOW SHOWER,THAT FOLLOWED EACH CAR,AS IT SPED PAST...? THE MK2 ESCORTS WERE FLYING......

YOU CAN SEE THE DEPTH OF THE SNOWBANKS HERE....

A 'BUICK' POWERED TRIUMPH TR7 V8,COULD BE HEARD RATTLING THROUGH THE WOODS,LONG BEFORE IT CAME INTO SIGHT..... AND IT WAS 'STILL' GOING

[BIRDIEMANGO]

SPECTATORS WERE LARGELY 'BEHAVED',AND RATHER SENSIBLE......THE BIGGEST ISSUE HAVING ENOUGH FIREWOOD?

IF YOU ARE GOING TO 'TRAMP' OF INTO THE WOODS WITH AN AXE,TO FIND SOME MORE? IT IS AT YOUR PERIL.......THE SNOW VARIED IN DEPTH,AND YOU JUST DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS UNDERNEATH,AS YOU SINK BELOW YOUR WAISTLINE.....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

THE CONDITIONS FOR SOME OF THE HISTORIC CREWS,PROVED JUST 'TOO' MUCH....

HERE ONE OF THE VOLVO 242,HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD,AND 'RETIRE',WITH BATTLE DAMAGE...AND OTHER ISSUES...

AT CERTAIN POINTS IN THE STAGE,THE ORGANISING 'MOTOR CLUBS' WOULD SPROUT UP, HOT COFFEE DISPENSARY AND A BBQ,LADEN WITH 'KORV' GENTLY SIMMERING AWAY,WITH KETCHUP AND MUSTARD,SHOULD THE 'UNWARY' SPECTATORS,COME ILL EQUIPPED? AND NOT BRING THEIR OWN.....?

AFTER CAREFULLY STUDYING,THE WEATHER FORECAST,FOR THE RALLY......

WE ALWAYS CARRY PROVISION,FOR 'VEHICLE BREAKDOWN' AND ADVERSE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS,SHOULD WE GET STUCK OVERNIGHT....

FOOD,SHELTER AND A MEANS OF MAKING A FIRE,ARE MOST IMPORTANT WHEN VENTURING THIS FAR,INTO THE WILDERNESS....

THOSE SKINNY,STUDDED 'MICHELIN'S' ON THE VOLVO 242, REALLY DO BITE DOWN.......

[BIRDIEMANGO]

JUST BEFORE LUNCHTIME,ALL THE 'HISTORICS' HAD CONE THROUGH,SO WE TREKKED BACK DOWN THE STAGE AT 'TORNTORP',TO MAKE OUR WAY OVER TO 'TORSBY' WHICH WAS THE LAST STAGE,OF THE RALLY,THEN THE 'FINISH',EARLY AFTERNOON....

THE 'ODD' CLASSIC RALLY CAR,HAD VENTURED OUT INTO THE WEEKEND,USED PURELY AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORT.....

I 'LUV' THIS OLD OPEL.....

TRUNDLING BACK OUT THE FOREST,IN THE CITROEN C3,THE 'SKY' WAS FULL OF SNOW.......YET,TO COME....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

'TORSBY' RUNWAY HAD BEEN CLOSED,FOR THE DURATION OF THE 'RALLY' AND USE AS A SERVICE AREA,FOR BOTH THE 'WRC' AND 'HISTORIC' CARS....

THE 'TORSBY' STAGE STARTS FURTHER DOWN IN THE WOODS,THEN WINDS UP, ENTERING A 'QUARRY',WITH 'BIG SCREEN' TV FOOTAGE,BEFORE THE 'FINISH' LINE.....HIGH UP,OVERLOOKING THE SERVICE AREA 'RUNWAY'

IT IS ALL A BIT 'GIMMICKY' AND MADE,SO FAMILIES/FANS CAN GET UP CLOSE,TO THE ACTION.......?

BUT IT ALSO MEANT,WE COULD MEET UP,WITH A FEW OF THE RALLY CREWS' WE HAD BEEN CHASING AROUND 'VARMLAND'.........

WHAT BETTER WAY,TO SPEND A SATURDAY AFTERNOON..?

[sonett]

Rally Sweden WRC winner 2018.

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