Francisco Carrion
Last Friday, May 2, the Rallyestone de Bilbao rally started with international category FIVA-FEVA, and we were lucky enough to attend the first flag of this IX edition of 2014. Organized by the Real Peña Motorista Vizcaya (RPMV) This event continues the tradition of the Firestone Rally that began in 1967.
In this last edition the list of registered -officially- closed in the round number of 50 participants. Most belonged to RPMV itself, the second club with the highest number of members being the French Ecurie Pays Basque.
Seeing the quality, variety and quantity of the closed park gathered in the Bilbao sandbank, several conclusions could be reached: That this is one of the main events on the calendar and that it seems that the waters are returning to their course after the drop in participation of previous years; probably, in future editions it will become to the spectacular enrollment numbers of years ago.
1- Audi Quattro are common in this type of test
2- The Alfa-Romeo Giulietta are not so much
Good machinery
In this IX edition, the Rallyestone traveled a total of 869,204 kilometers along the northern roads, through 28 regulated sections divided into three stages between Friday May 2 and Sunday May 4.
Among the participating vehicles, apart from the traditional Porsche 911, Renault 8, Audi Quattro, Ford Escort or Fiat 131 Abarth with different levels of preparation, some rare vehicles could be seen in this type of competition.
The French participation stood out in this sense with some unique pieces: A beautiful Citroën Visa Chrono, an ancient -for what is styled- and precious Alfa-Romeo Giulietta or a Citroën GS whose preparation seemed made for gravel rallies.
Among the Spanish participants there were also rare vehicles in regularity rallies, such as a 130 Skoda 1983 LR with Bilbao registration or a 99 Saab 1973EMS.
1- Seat 124 Zanini replica
2- A Lancia Fulvia faces the exit
ADJACENT CONCENTRATIONS
As it cannot be less, there were several Seat present in the list of entries. Remarkable for their preparations and "old-fashioned" decorations were an 850 Sport Coupé or a 124 whose exterior decoration was practically identical to that of the official 1430-1800 with which Antonio Zanini won the 1976 Firestone Rally.
At the other extreme, an Audi 200 "Quattro" from the 80s attracted attention with almost no preparation and showing off its huge 4-door body, as well as some BMW 325 or Audi 100 Coupé whose preparations were limited to modern rims. low-profile quite unsightly, and we don't know if it's really effective.
Those who went to the exit in the Ría de Bilbao were also able to enjoy a concentration of classics that was held a few meters away and in which the massive presence of the Opel Manta club stood out, a model from which an impressive squad could be seen in its various versions.
The podium at this year's Rallyestone They have been covered, in this order, by Txema Forondas and Pilar Rodas with BMW E30 325 IX, Felix Colina and Pablo Albo with Ford Escort MKII and Iker Reketa and Coldo Cepeda with Volkswagen Golf GTI. To see the complete classification list with its corresponding times, we leave you this link.
