Ralley Monte Carlo 2022

[Keith Bennett]

Club member Ivar Aage Moe from Drøbak in Norway, along with navigator Bjarne Koren after meticulously preparing their 1962 Mk2 Countryman is currently positioned a wonderful 81st place out of a field of 215 with just two Regularity Sections to go. The weather in the mountains near Monte Carlo is very snowy and that led one section to be either abandoned or reconfigured (truth to tell, I'm not sure - Ivar has sent me five increasingly excited e-mails as the rally progresses and, of course, he has very little spare time. He's either driving, eating or sleeping!)

Have just found the relevant section in the website:

"The 12th round of the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, La Cime du Mas – Col de Gaudissart, was supposed to be the day’s judge, with the Col de l’écharasson as the highlight. In the end, this special stage saw the passage of only the first 33 competitors, 16 of whom unfortunately had to turn back because of the heavy snowfall at midday.

As a result, a SR cancelled to finish this day of the first part of the common stage! Activation of the Alternative route back to Valence."

I really, really meant to follow our heroes throughout the rally but sadly, with FN 168 coming to the boil, there simply isn't enough hours in the day (or night!) to do them justice. Ivar has said he'll compile notes for me, so I just hope they arrive before I have to submit 168 to these new printers. As they're an unknown quantity, and as the March magazine is always the important one which must arrive with the members early in the month (to give them ample opportunity to pay their annual subscription before the days of grace expire), I must submit it a week or so early just in case anything untoward happens. Come back Oxuniprint, all is forgiven!!

Anyhoo, it looks like the flying '62 Mk2 Countryman is thoroughly enjoying herself down in the South of France and certainly flying the flag for our Club.

*******
I am so very pleased to announce that Car 264 crossed the finishing line at the completion of the 17th – and final – regularity stage in 73rd place out of a field of 203 who managed to end the race. First home was a Porche 911 with 1,800 points accrued: Ivar and Bjarne collected 6,800 (with no penalties) whilst the last one to arrive (a Renault 12 ‘Gordini’) had amassed a rather hefty 29,907.

Of the 248 competitors who started, 45 fell by the wayside after suffering from mechanical failures or falling foul of the various rules and conditions.

Ivar wrote (with a degree of dark humour) that the car suffered "a slight scratch".

Seems he and Bjarne ran out of road on one of the hairpins. For the 2023 Rally (oh yes, plans are afoot already!) they are trying to think of ways to increase the torque in order to pull away up the steepest section of each bend. Well, they've got a year to crack the problem!

Ivar has just sent me around 30 professional pictures taken during the rally. I promise to upload them here but just at the moment I'm really under the hammer to get 168 finished and sent to the printers. Bear with me . . .

[Dave the rave]

Excellent. Thank Keith. New printers eh .....

[scotty]

Results I hope.

https://rallyliveresults.com/historique ... o_c_ix-uBs

[Keith Bennett]

Oh wow, just squeezed in ahead of three Porches (I bet their crews were fed up of seeing that little A40's bum in front!!)

Ivar obviously didn't have time to caption the photos he sent me at the beginning, but just named them. Here they are:

Don't know yet where this is...

Just says "Langres"

Just says Bad Homburg

Just says Monte Carlo

It's gonna be tight but I'm hoping Ivar will send me his finished notes in the next day or so. I really need to get 168 to the new printers.
After us being messed about by the BCQ press, and their two FNs arriving so very late, Ed contacted a press down in Wimbledon which John Kilby recommended and set the ball rolling, so I had to follow on. It's been a frantically busy time and I shall be glad to see the back of 168, I really will.

[Dave the rave]

Porches .....they front door jobbies
Re FN 168.....waydago Keith

[Keith Bennett]

Right, better late than never, here are the photos of Ivar and Bjarne's outing down to the sunny sud de France aboard their Mk2 Countryman. So far as can be ascertained the photographer each day was a chap called René, a professional who obviously (by the quality of the shots) knew the best advantage places to take the rallyers' cars as they shot past. Sadly none of his shots were captioned, which grieves the archivist in me - still, enjoy the views!

... and finally, although Gab never went abroad, Bar and I did take our '73 VW bus on quite a number of French holidays but the only very high pass we attempted (a lot more slowly than Ivar and Bjarne!) was the Col de l'Iseran in 1987, the King of the Alps and the holy grail for many motorcycle and bike tourers. It's the highest paved mountain pass in the Alps, at an elevation of 2.764m (9,068ft) above the sea level. The pass is traversed by the D902 road. It's one of the highest roads of Europe, and us two numpties took the VW up it, just 'cos we could. It took a while . . .

[Andy Thompson]

Great photos and very interesting read , thanks for sharing these Keith , keep up the good work and looking forward to next issue , your hard work and information is greatly appreciated, regards as always, Andy

[Keith Bennett]

Thanks Andy. Just realised I missed the shot of the stage abandoned due to snow: here it is . . .

. . . and a general shot by René of a particularly typical area through which the rally passed.

[Dave the rave]

Excellent Keith, thanks.

[Chris Mockridge]

I have never met Ivar but I have communicated with him as he was the reason we built Tina The Farina. We followed his progress through this year's Monte Historique with interest and congratulated him on getting his A40 into the top 100. Its an achievement to finish but to get that high up!!!

Regarding some of the pictures above, Ivar started from bad Homburg. There were 3 starts this year Reims and Milan being the other two. Langres is a town in northern France where the competitors from bad Homburg and Reims combine for the journey south to meet those starting from Milan before the competitive sections start.

There is another Norwegian gentleman with an A40, Monty Karlan, who is hoping to enter his in next years event. Monty did this years event and also finished just behind Ivar in the top 100. Looks like there may be a battle next year, perhaps we had better find a sponsor for Tina and make it a trio of A40's!!