RALLY NEWS SERVICE NOSTALGIA: Lombard RAC Rally 1988

Here’s a scan of a Rally News Service bulletin from the Lombard RAC Rally 1988, based in Harrogate, England and dated Monday, 21 November 1988.

This bulletin was published after SS12, Hafren. I was given the bulletin whilst spectating on SS14, Dovey Main (Dyfi).

It was a morning of drama — Juha Kankkunen driving Toyota Celica GT-4 (ST165), lost the lead of the rally following a puncture in Myherin. Mikael Ericsson in a Lancia Delta Integrale suffered two punctures and went into a ditch in Hafren, dropping him from P2. Sebastian Lindholm also put his Audi Coupé Quattro into a Hafren ditch.

After SS12, the top six places were a near total Finnish lock-out with Alén, Kankkunen, Salonen, Airikkala and Mikkola filling five of the places. Only Waldegård was spoiling the party in second position.

Contesting the event in car number 85 was a 24-year old Tommi Mäkinen, driving a Group N Lancia Delta Integrale. This was Mäkinen’s first non-Nordic event and his first ever entry on Rally GB.

The event was won by Markku Alén and Ilkka Kivimäki in a Lancia Delta Integrale.

For more information on this event — including the Entry List, click this link

Here are the BBC Top Gear Rally Report highlights of the event…

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