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Kankkunen and Grist – official 2018 Wales Rally GB ‘Rally Legends’

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Kankkunen and Grist – official 2018 Wales Rally GB ‘Rally Legends’

Juha Kankkunen and Nicky Grist will be honoured as the official ‘Rally Legends’ of this autumn’s Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (4-7 October) – on the 25th anniversary of them winning one of the toughest and most challenging Rally GBs in the famous event’s long-running history.

The 1993 Rally GB is remembered for the snowy and icy conditions that made just finishing, let alone winning, an incredible achievement.

Held late in November, that year’s gruelling event was based in Birmingham with overnight stops in Lancaster and Gateshead. As tradition then dictated, the action kicked off on Sunday with a succession of spectator stages set at race circuits and stately homes throughout central England with the route then venturing out into Wales, the Lake District, the Scottish Borders and Yorkshire Moors before the battle-weary survivors returned to Birmingham late on Wednesday afternoon.

While there was nothing abnormal about a nationwide route, which included 35 stages totalling 340 miles, the extreme wintry weather encountered ensured the 1993 RAC Rally would go down in the history books as one of the most daunting and demanding ever.

At the end of a very long event, Kankkunen/Grist won in their Toyota Castrol Team Celica Turbo 4WD ST185 – Nicky’s favourite rally car – finishing 1min 44sec ahead of Kenneth Eriksson/Staffan Parmander in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1, with Malcolm Wilson/Bryan Thomas third in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth.

“They were the toughest conditions I have ever driven on in the UK,” recalled Juha, who had won the RAC Rally twice previously in 1987 and 1991. “Driving on frozen ice roads without the spikes we used in winter rallies like Sweden made it very, very difficult. But we had a great event.”

“It was absolutely treacherous,” confirms Nicky. “There was a reasonable amount of grip on the snow but, without studded tyres, those icy, frozen forest tracks were as hazardous as they come. Juha, though, was such a laid back character, brimming with natural talent – he took everything in his stride and, aside from getting away with one slight indiscretion in Yorkshire, it was plain sailing.”

Juha was all the more relaxed as he had arrived in the UK having already safely secured his then record fourth World Championship crown. Nicky, though, had missed out on the title having only joined up with the Finn mid-way through the season after regular co-driver Juha Piironen had suffered a brain haemorrhage on the eve of the Argentina Rally.

“The championship was already won but Juha really wanted to give me a first win on home soil – ‘Boyo, we will win this for you’ he promised before the start,” explained Nicky, who won again four years later, this time alongside Colin McRae in a Subaru Impreza. “To win at home is always very special but it was all the sweeter in 1993 as it was my first and the conditions had been just so treacherous throughout.”

Now, 25 years on, the memories are all rushing back and the dynamic duo are thrilled that they will be sharing their amazing recollections with rally fans here in Britain.

“It will be a pleasure for me to come back to Wales again with Nicky; I’m looking forward to four days of fun and catching up with old friends,” said Juha, who’s now approaching his 60th birthday.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back into the Toyota with Juha and whizzing around the street stage in Llandudno,” added Nicky. “In fact, the more I think about it, the more I’m excited about the whole event.”

Juha and Nicky will be reunited in the cockpit of a Toyota Celica GT-Four – their 1993 Rally of Portugal winning car, which Nicky owns – to lead a special Sunday morning parade of historic rally cars through the closed roads of Llandudno. The parade will be the perfect curtain-raiser to the rally’s street stage finale which, for the first time in the UK, will witness the spectacle of World Championship motor sport on closed public roads.

Between the two of them Juha and Nicky won no fewer than 44 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship – but few were more challenging and deserved than their hard-earned success on the 1993 Network Q RAC Rally.

While admission to the momentous new Great Orme Llandudno finale is totally free for all-comers, spectators can secure a grandstand view of the action for just £20 adult (£10 child) or, for great food and the best possible views, book a strictly limited Rally Xtra pass for just £125 adult (£90 child).

Tickets for the other 21 speed tests are now on sale with significant savings for those buying in advance. Adult admission starts at just £15 for the Thursday evening opener at Tir Prince Raceway with the premium four-day event pass remaining at £99 for the ninth successive year. Accompanied children aged 15 and under are admitted free to general admission areas.

Full information can be found on the official www.walesrallygb.com website and via the event’s social media channels.

JUHA KANKKUNEN Born: Laukaa, Finland in 1959 Lives: Monaco and Laukaa Career highlights: Four World Championship titles in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1993 1985-1999: 23 WRC wins, four with Nicky Grist 1987: RAC Rally GB winner with Lancia 1993: Network Q Rally GB winner with Toyota and Nicky Grist

NICKY GRIST Born: Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent in 1961 Lives: Abergavenny, Monmouthshire Career highlights (co-driver): 1993: Part-season with FIA World Champion Juha Kankkunen 1993-2002: 21 WRC wins with Juha Kankkunen and Colin McRae 1993: Network Q Rally GB winner with Juha Kankkunen 1997: Network Q Rally GB winner with Colin McRae