Finnish rallying legends Rauno Aaltonen and Ari Vatanen will join the stars at Reis Race Retro at Stoneleigh Park on February 23–25
Race Retro is gearing up for its 2024, with big names set to top the bill. Rauno Aaltonen, a European Rally Championship winner in 1965 and a Monte Carlo Rally victor in 1967, will be appearing courtesy of BMW/MINI and Mini Spares. He will also bring the Mini Cooper he drove on the 2020 Monte Carlo Historique with co-driver and the car‘s builder, Hans-Åke Soderqvist.
As the last surviving BMC Works driver to win the ‘Monte’, Rauno will share his stories and sign autographs in Hall 3’s ‘Talk Motorsport with Reis’ area each day. But on Saturday and Sunday, he’ll mostly be found behind the wheel on the Reis Live Rally Stage.
Rauno will share the stage – both indoors and outside – with Finnish rally driver and fan favourite Ari Vatanen. British Championship in 1976, Vatanen became a regular competitor in the World Rally Championship from the following year at the wheel of a Ford Escort RS1800. After winning the WRC drivers title in 1981, Vatanen joined Peugeot at the wheel of a 205 T16 and was on course to win the 1985 World Championship until a near-fatal accident in Argentina ended his season and nearly his life.
The Finn recovered to return to the sport winning four Paris-Dakar Rallies in 1987, 1989, ’90 and ’91, as well as smashing the record for the Pikes Peak Hill climb in a 600bhp Peugeot 405 T16 in 1988.
Show Director Lee Masters said: “To have these rally legends join us for the weekend is a fantastic way to mark our 20th show. Aaltonen and Vatanen are larger than life characters who are guaranteed to delight the crowds.”
Ries Race Retro 2024
Race Retro is back, bringing the excitement of retro motorsport to life. Gear up for the upcoming race season, marvel at iconic competition cars like the Ex-Richard Burns 1998 Mitsubishi Lancer and the Ex-James Hunt 1973 March F2, experience thrilling live rally action, explore specialist exhibitors including MAHLE Motorsport, and see motorsport legends like John Watson, Rauno Aaltonen and Ari Vatanen sharing tales from the golden years.
Book now using the code CLASSICNEWS to save £2 on your tickets on the Race Retro website
