Where Are These Rallycross Drivers Now?

[Robin Plummer]

Where are these great rallycross drivers now?

John Welch, Barry Squibb, Micheal Shield, Steve Palmer, Mark Rennison

Matti Alamaki
Martin Schanche
Ole Arnesson
Terje Schie to name but a few..

[Craner Curves]

Matti Alimaki was racing a massively overpowered Audi 80 Competition in the Belcar series last I heard.

[Peter S]

John Welch is running his son Daniel Welch in Formula Renault at the minute under team Welch. JOhn is the manager. HE has recently considered returning to rallycross as team manager to run a car for his son daniel

Steve Palmer is rallying in the Group N category of the british rally championship with backing from Mitsubishi

Barry Squibb is retired running his hotel buisness (waters edge hotel) in torquay. His son Jamie Squibb does a bit of racing in the stock hatch category.

Rennison is not racing and is just looking after his darlington based company Rennyco. He has been linked with several comebacks and will probably drive a stock hatch car somewhere. He was also rumoured last year as a possible driver for Gollops focus. I think he will be back before long.....watch this space.

I am not to sure about Michael Shield although he will probably be farming somewhere. One of the most overrated drivers in the sport.

Martin Schanche does a bit of commentating in Norway. He commentated on the norwegian round of the ERC as well as the Swedish (or nordic cup if you want to call it that). He also does some car preparation i belive still and was involved with Glen Voie's astra last year.

olle arnesson is retired looking after his buisnesses. He will be quite old now. He made a mini comeback 3-4 years ago in a Audi 80 and managed 2nd in the B final at the swedish ERC round. Never been seen since.

Terje Schie looks after his son Thomas i think who did get into barber dodge racing in the us so some sources tell me.

Bjorn Skogstad now runs a motorsports promotion buisness.

Richard Hutton hasnt been seen since he won the european championship and moved to Belgium

Eivind Opland has also now announced his retirement. He has sold his transporter and his car is for sale.

Tommy Kristofferson is now racing in the swedish touring car championship. He is the audi sweden dealer. we may see him back in rallycross in the not to distant future hopefully.

Thor Holm died a couple of years ago. He was a great character in the sport.

[Barrie]

Olle Arnessen had a near fatal car crash about 10 years ago that was the reason he had to stop racing. I actually stood next to Steve Palmer at Lydden last year, somebody asked him wheather he would return which he said was very likely.

[Snapper Baz]

Peter S, thanks for that run-down. Those were great years for Rallycrossing and I doubt it will ever be matched again.Hopefully the Brands Rallycrossing this year may bring back a lot of the interest in the sport. Autosport didnt help with its next to nothing reports on the European rounds over the last 4 or 5 years. Lets hope for a big improvement this year!

[JAG]

I have to agree that Autosport has virtually abanded rallycross after giving it great coverage in the early 1990s.

[Peter S]

what we desperately need is big coverage of the european championship. It is still as good as in the 80's and early 90's and even more comeptitive. All it needs is someone like gollop to do the full championship and win a round to get the publcicity back. It also needs to have a journalist who is in favour of the euro championship and not one who critiscies it all the time. It is a case of use it or loose it.

The autosport has turned into a formula 1 magazine now. Nothing else seems to get a look in. The european tv deal should be announced soon which will see the championship return to our screens. www.rallyracing.nl will provide full same day information for eeach of the rounds as is covered live on other sites.

The lack of coverage is purely because there is no british drivers in the seriers at present which is perthetic as any decent magazine should cover a championship regardless of weather there is british representation or not. The same can be said of the motoring news as although the british is covered well the european coverage is perthetic as it has a british biased reporter who seems to be blinkered.

[Snapper Baz]

Talking to Ingear Mag Rallycross should make a appearance this year having been left out last year. Although it maybe (if I dont do it)reported by the reporter you "mention!" Autocross may also see the light of day in the magazine at some point. If a decent sponsor with a decent prize package could be found then who knows?

[Elio]

I notice Lee Rennison is an entry on this weekend`s Rallye Sunseeker. Any relation?

[Robin Plummer]

Just bought a watch the 1989 European Rallycross Season Review. What a great time to be racing so lovley "Plastic Fantastics"

Nice to see Audi S1's and a Delta S4!

[Peter S]

The best european season was the 1987 year. Arnesson, Nitymaki, Schanche, Gollop, Alamaki, Nordstrom, Welch.......absolute class.

In 1989 alamaki won all but two rounds, which was a bit zzzzz.

[Snapper Baz]

Standing on the inside at Chessons with those "supercars" just inches away...feeling the heat from the exhaust flames as they past at full chat...ahhh they were the days indeed!

[Peter S]

So who is going to the first round of the british champs at croft?

www.rallyracing.nl have a preview in the news section as well as on the uk rallycross special. each round will have a preview, timetable, entry list, report, results and points.

European championship will have up to the minute information as well when that gets under way. Make www.rallyracing.nl your source for rallycross information

[kevinmccourt]

Mark Rennison has his own commercial security fencing company Rennyco Ltd. He has recently been competing in Pikes Peak for a privateer motor racing team challenging with a very special Ford RS200E (No. 200) to be the fastest overall at Pikes Peak International HillClimb. Mark achieved 6th place overall at Pikes Peak Intl Hillclimb 2013 with a 9:46 run.

[DarrenH]

Originally Posted by Peter S

I am not to sure about Michael Shield although he will probably be farming somewhere. One of the most overrated drivers in the sport.

won 4 out of 7 rounds and the british title in 1989 michael shield, or a different michael shield ?

[chunterer]

Didn't Michael Shield do a season of circuit racing too? Formula Renault or something?