Fourth Rally Clásico Isla Mallorca

	Swedish Mallorcan Christian Coll brought in Gabriel Valespir, the islands top co-driver and, on his third attempt, won the rally - photos courtesy the organisers

5 – 8 March 2008

Snow-covered oranges

For a season opener, the Mallorca Classic Rally has, as one of its many attributes, the promise of escape from the grey, leaden skies and low temperatures of Northern Europe. The Mediterranean Island’s image in spring is one of clear blue skies and a warm, if not altogether, balmy climate. Competitors pack their shorts along with their overalls to take in some sun during the event’s traditional three-hour lunch halts. However, the Mallorcan residents harbour a less than pleasant secret. Their much publicised spring weather is so capricious and so regularly interrupted by a biting cold wind that they call it by name: ‘The Transmuntana’. The icy blast originates in the Artic, sweeps through Europe, batters France as the Mistral, before smashing into the Balearic Islands. When the wind is forecast, the Mallorcans bring in their boats, close their shutters and hunker down until it blows through. The colourful landscape of the island with its orange plantations and olive groves can be transformed into a white vista of snow and hail. The roads in the mountains, which bear the same name as the wind and provide the location of many of the superb stages for the event, become covered in patches of vicious ice. In 2008 the Transmuntana chose to time its passing in the week of the Mallorcan classic rally.

Regularity winners Rico – Avello/Suarez

Event organiser Tony Dezcallar again struggled for a full entry. With an armada of Porsche RSRs dominating - it seems like all the Mediterranean events are going like this. A decision to invite Group B cars to run at the front of the field as course cars ensured a good spectacle. They were two Lancia 037s driven by Dave Kedward and Mallorcan resident Rob Whitehouse, who invited co-driving legend John Davenport to take the hot seat in the other; an Audi Sport Quattro E2 with Gary Midwinter; and an ex-works Triumph TR7 V8 driven by Steve Rockingham with Yvonne Mehta co-driving. Both Whitehouse and Rockingham had near moments on the opening stages from which reverse gear was enough to extract them.

The Competition section attracted some new faces. Former works Volkswagen driver Callum Guy, driving with the hugely experienced Neil Betteridge came all the way from Edinburgh. He had completely rebuilt his Porsche RS over the winter and was using this event as a springboard for a pan European season. Another freshly rebuilt car from the UK was the Ford Mustang of Jim Whelan and Scott Redding. Leading the previous entrants was last year’s winner, Michael Eschmann in a Porsche RS that he has owned from new. It was his co-driver, Wolfgang Witt’s first time on the island. `Strong opposition came from his countryman, former European rally Champion Michael Stoschek and Dieter Hawrange in their Brose Motorsport Porsche. There were two very strong local Porsches. ‘Tacho’ and Jose Luis Nigorra shared an Uwe Nieuman prepared RS. Swedish Mallorcan Christian Coll brought in Gabriel Valespir, the islands top co-driver, who was more used to modern cars, for his third attempt at winning the event. Another former event winner was John Sheldon from the UK in a Lotus Elan. His partner was Lesley Stevens, who had prepared notes for his previous co-drivers so was very familiar with the stages. Mainland Spain provided the bulk of the rest of the entry with Antonio Sainz and Xavier Cataneo in their Reebok sponsored BMW 2002, and a sole E type Jaguar driven by Pablo Tarrero and Montse Fernandez.

	Above, past winner John Sheldon exercises his familiar Lotus Elan on the circuit

The regularity certainly had more variety even if the number one runner was also a Porsche. At least it was not of the 911 genre. The 2007 winners and ultra successful father and son Kremer team brought their Porsche 914/6. Mike Menden was driving his 356 Speedster, which has to be one of the most perfect examples around. Serial winners, Rico–Avello and Suarez were now in an Escort RS2000. There were two Alpines benefiting from the new Repsol initiative in Classic motorsport. Tour de España promoter, Carlos de Miguel, shared one with his wife and Javier Ortega the other. Both cars looked very smart in their traditional Repsol livery. Luis Izquierdo, editor of Spanish Motor Classic magazine had a new co-driver, Tomeu Castaner, in his regular Lotus Elan, which now sported engine parts developed by marque specialist Ricky Higgs Preparations in Chepstow.

Two Lancia 037s served as course cars. The drivers amused themselves and the crowds - especially on the circuit

The technical inspections, carried out in the Service Area and Parc Fermé, again ideally situated on the Paseo Maritimo on Palma’s seafront were perfunctory in the extreme. Perhaps it was the biting cold wind that limited the scrutineers’ enthusiasm. The event nearly lost one of the Group B cars when John Davenport was taken ill on the night before the start and could not compete. Rob Whitehouse managed to draft in Heinz Sowoda, organiser of the Vienna Trieste rally, to help him with the road book even if he could not call the notes on the stages. There again the Group B boys were only doing a demo!

It is a shame that this rally suffered from the lack of entries, as it uses some of the best tarmac rally roads in Europe.

For a full report see our April issue