Donegal Rally

"My first Donegal had been in 1975, when we drove up with David Richards in his rusty old Mini. He had managed to negotiate a drive for me in Ireland - which put him in the co-driver's seat! I'm not sure he quite knew what he got himself into. He ended up having to explain to local Opel dealer Andy Hegarty that the car he'd lent us had been reshaped by me in a recce incident. David wasn't in the car when that happened; I rolled it while I was reversing!

Photo: Fergus McAnallen www.rallyretro.com

Donegal stone walls were not the same after my visit. I put it down to the fact that the car was a right-hand-drive one…

This second Donegal in 1978 went a lot smoother. I was driving the "Black Beauty" - a well-used tarmac Escort famous for its colour and history."

In"Autosport" Rupert Saunders wrote about the equilibrium between team boss David Sutton and his driver in a service area:

"Vatanen is relaxed, Sutton is tense. He lectures the young Finn, his hands outstretched, palms facing downwards into the ground.

Photo: Fergus McAnallen www.rallyretro.com

'Just keep it steady. Keep the pace down. There's no need to be going this quickly.' And then, when the driver has turned away, David Sutton allows himself a little grin. The car is going well, Vatanen hasn't put a foot wrong and the lead is ever increasing."

Ari: "In 1978 I experienced an unpredecented event in my career, which only proves that the Irish are faithful to their reputation. The start of the second leg was dealyed by one hour because the rally party of the previous evening just kept going on! I do not think that the FIA would accept this Irish tolerance, but luckily nobody ever told them. Rallying is boring nowadays.

Generally, I have some very warm memories about rallying in Ireland, thanks to the Irish people who are warm, hospitable and sincere. The fact that the Finns and the Irish have been oppressed over the centuries by their bigger neighbours, helps us to understand each other."