“DEATH WARRANT" Rally Leaders Disqualified

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30965, 22 January 1966, Page 15

“DEATH WARRANT" Rally Leaders Disqualified

C.V.Z. Presi Astociation—Copyright) MONTE CARLO. The Monte Carlo Rally ended in uproar on Thursday night when the organisers disqualified the favourite British Mini-Coopers and Ford Cortinas for incorrect lighting and named the Finn, Pauli Toivonen, in a French Citroen, as the shock winner of this year’s event.

The crews of the British cars, who had been allowed to carry on and compete in Thursday’s final test drive through the mountains, were stunned when the announcement was made, Reuter reported. Experts had assumed that Timo Makinen, Rauno AUtonen, and Paddy Hopkirk, all in Mini-Coopers, would take the first three places. Dipped Wrong Way The Monte Carlo rally had signed its own death warrant, leading British drivers said yesterday after 10 of their cars were disqualified from placings in the gruelling rally, United Press International reported. British cars which were holding the top four places were disqualified because the way their lights dipped did not conform to regulations. Over-all victory was awarded to Patili Toivonen, Finland, in a Citroen DS2I. Toivonen had been expected to finish about fifth. “I cannot understand why our car was passed as fit to compete in the rally at the beginning if there was any question about its lights,” said Paul Easter, of Britain, who had teamed with Finland’s Timo Makinen to apparently win the rally for the second successive year in a B.M.C. Mini-Cooper. Many of the British drivers and officials said they never

would compete in the rally again, and the B.M.C. competitions manager, Stuart Turner, said in a television interview: “It’s the last time I ever bring a team of cars to France.” The British rally veteran, Peter Bolton, said: “This is the shabbiest performance 1 have seen in many years of rallying. There is no excuse for the organisers’ inefficient behaviour.” Before the disqualifications, the B.M.C. Mini-Cooper had taken the top three places and Ford Cortina was fourth An official protest was lodged, but since a legitimate rally rule concerning the cars’ lighting systems had been infringed, officials were not optimistic about reinstatement.