Pentti Airikkala RIP

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Sat 24 Oct 2009 12:09
Pentti Airikkala RIP - bazza
Very sad to hear of his demise. A fantastic, spectacular driver, fond memories of watching him on the RAC in the Welsh forests. A legend.
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Sat 24 Oct 2009 12:38
Pentti Airikkala RIP - old crocks
This link has more information including a video of him teaching Tiff Needell to drive a rally car.
www.rallybuzz.com/pentti-airikkala-rip/
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Sat 24 Oct 2009 20:33
Pentti Airikkala RIP - ValleyBoy
Really sad news, a true legend indeed.
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Sat 24 Oct 2009 22:13
Pentti Airikkala RIP - Fullchat
Indeed. From an era when rallying was proper rallying.
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Sat 24 Oct 2009 23:12
Pentti Airikkala RIP - mrnikko
Sad news indeed Pentti always had a good crack with us humble marshals on the RAC on other rallies of that era.
Those of us that also follow hillclimbing and sprinting will also be sad to hear of the great Roy Lanes departure from this mortal coil as well. Roy blasting up Barbon or Harewood was always worth watching.
Two of the greats of motorsport gone
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Sun 25 Oct 2009 01:30
Pentti Airikkala RIP - DP
Very sad news. Thoroughly nice guy with no heirs and graces. Always happy to chat to spectators and marshals.
Almost exactly 20 years since he won the RAC Rally in a Mitsubishi, too.
Two memories of Pentti. One was when interviewed for a TV programme in the early 90's, and he animatedly explained how it didn't matter what situation you got into in a rally car, if you didn't give up working at the wheel, it wouldn't crash! :-)
The second was disproof of the above statement with the most stylish and comprehensive destruction of a rally car I have ever seen on the RAC Rally in 1990, reducing a Sapphire Cosworth to its component parts in a very comprehensive manner. Still one of the most spectacular crashes I have ever seen in rallying.
It's here at around 4:00

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbXN7kxpTY0

RIP.
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