Olympus Rally
Encyclopedia
The Olympus Rally is an event in the motorsport of rallying
. While it has usually been run as a national rally, in 1986-1988, it was a round in the FIA
World Rally Championship
, the most recent time a WRC rally has been run in the United States.
for WRC status in 1985, from 1986-1988, the Olympus was a round of the World Rally Championship. From 1985-1987, the rally was sponsored by Toyota.
The 1985 Olympus “World Championship Prototype” event was won by Hannu Mikkola
and Arne Hertz
in a Group B
Audi Quattro
S1.
Markku Alen
emerged on top of the results as the 1986 Olympus first gained full World Championship status, taking a Lancia Delta S4 and co-driver Ilkka Kivimäki to victory.
In 1987, the Olympus was attended by a number of top international teams, including Nissan, Toyota, and Suzuki. Juha Kankkunen
won overall, as his and other Lancia Delta HF 4WD’s dominated the podium.
Massimo “Miki” Biasion
won the fourth and final Olympus World Championship Rally in 1988 – his fourth of the season for Lancia, on his way to being the first Italian FIA World Rally Champion.
and was part of the SCCA Pro Rally Championship
. It continued to be part of that championship through 1975. In 1976, it became part of the NARA (North American Rally Association) championship (which later changed its name to NARRA (North American Rally Racing Association)). It was part of that championship through 1979. In 1980, it switched back to the SCCA ProRally Championship and remained in that championship through 1987.
While the name was used for a regional rally supporting the 2001 Wild West SCCA Pro Rally, the Olympus Rally was not held from 1989 through 2005.
The Olympus Rally returned as national rally in 2006 and was part of the United States Rally Championship. In 2007, it switched to the Rally America
National Championship and has been part of that championship ever since.
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
. While it has usually been run as a national rally, in 1986-1988, it was a round in the FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
, the most recent time a WRC rally has been run in the United States.
World Rally Championship
After being observed by the FIAFédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
for WRC status in 1985, from 1986-1988, the Olympus was a round of the World Rally Championship. From 1985-1987, the rally was sponsored by Toyota.
The 1985 Olympus “World Championship Prototype” event was won by Hannu Mikkola
Hannu Mikkola
Hannu Olavi Mikkola is a retired world champion rally driver. He was a seven time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times.- Career :...
and Arne Hertz
Arne Hertz
Arne Hertz was a Swedish co-driver in motor rallying.His name first became prominent when co-driving for Stig Blomqvist , with whom he first won the RAC Rally, in 1971. With Blomqvist, in the same year, he also won the Hankiralli, the Swedish Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally...
in a Group B
Group B
Group B was a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rallying regulated by the FIA. The Group B regulations fostered some of the quickest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were...
Audi Quattro
Audi Quattro
The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, now part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March.The word quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four"...
S1.
Markku Alen
Markku Alén
Markku Allan Alén is a Finnish former rally and race car driver. He drove for Fiat, Lancia, Subaru and Toyota in the World Rally Championship, and held the record for most stage wins in the series until 2011...
emerged on top of the results as the 1986 Olympus first gained full World Championship status, taking a Lancia Delta S4 and co-driver Ilkka Kivimäki to victory.
In 1987, the Olympus was attended by a number of top international teams, including Nissan, Toyota, and Suzuki. Juha Kankkunen
Juha Kankkunen
Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series...
won overall, as his and other Lancia Delta HF 4WD’s dominated the podium.
Massimo “Miki” Biasion
Massimo Biasion
Massimo 'Miki' Biasion is an Italian rally driver, two times world rally champion.-Career:Born at Bassano del Grappa, Biasion came to prominence in the early 1980s, winning both the Italian and European Rally Championships in 1983, driving a Lancia 037...
won the fourth and final Olympus World Championship Rally in 1988 – his fourth of the season for Lancia, on his way to being the first Italian FIA World Rally Champion.
Winners
| Year | Driver | Codriver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 |  Hannu MikkolaHannu Mikkola Hannu Olavi Mikkola is a retired world champion rally driver. He was a seven time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times.- Career :... |
 Arne HertzArne Hertz Arne Hertz was a Swedish co-driver in motor rallying.His name first became prominent when co-driving for Stig Blomqvist , with whom he first won the RAC Rally, in 1971. With Blomqvist, in the same year, he also won the Hankiralli, the Swedish Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally... |
Audi Quattro Audi Quattro The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, now part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March.The word quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four"... |
| 1986 | Markku Alén Markku Alén Markku Allan Alén is a Finnish former rally and race car driver. He drove for Fiat, Lancia, Subaru and Toyota in the World Rally Championship, and held the record for most stage wins in the series until 2011... |
Ilkka Kivimäki |
Lancia Delta S4 Lancia Delta S4 The Lancia Delta S4 is a Group B rally car that competed in the World Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986, until Group B cars were banned from competition by the FIA. The car replaced and was an evolution of the Lancia 037 Monte Carlo. The S4 took full advantage of the Group B regulations, and... |
| 1987 | Juha Kankkunen Juha Kankkunen Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series... |
Juha Piironen |
Lancia Delta HF 4WD |
| 1988 |  Miki Biasion |
Tiziano Siviero |
Lancia Delta Integrale |
National Rally
The first Olympus Rally was held in 1973. It was headquartered in Shelton, WAShelton, Washington
Shelton is the county seat, of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington...
and was part of the SCCA Pro Rally Championship
SCCA ProRally
SCCA ProRally was an American rally racing series, run by the Sports Car Club of America from 1973 until 2004. The SCCA discontinued it for 2005, allowing Rally America to replace it, utilizing most of the same venues and existing infrastructure.-Rallies:...
. It continued to be part of that championship through 1975. In 1976, it became part of the NARA (North American Rally Association) championship (which later changed its name to NARRA (North American Rally Racing Association)). It was part of that championship through 1979. In 1980, it switched back to the SCCA ProRally Championship and remained in that championship through 1987.
While the name was used for a regional rally supporting the 2001 Wild West SCCA Pro Rally, the Olympus Rally was not held from 1989 through 2005.
The Olympus Rally returned as national rally in 2006 and was part of the United States Rally Championship. In 2007, it switched to the Rally America
Rally America
The Rally America National Championship is the national championship of rallying events in the United States. The inaugural season was in 2005. Rally America was also the name given to the organization that sanctioned the championship, was briefly rebranded to RallyCar in July 2010, then reverted...
National Championship and has been part of that championship ever since.
Winners
| Year | Driver | Codriver | Car | Rally HQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 |  Gene Henderson |
Ken Pogue |
AMC Jeep Jeep Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second... |
Shelton, WA Shelton, Washington Shelton is the county seat, of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington... |
| 1974 | Gene Henderson |
Ken Pogue |
AMC Jeep Jeep Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second... |
Shelton, WA Shelton, Washington Shelton is the county seat, of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington... |
| 1975 | John Buffum John Buffum John Buffum is the most successful U.S. rally driver ever, winning 11 national titles and 117 national championship events.... |
Vicki Dykema |
Ford Escort Ford Escort Ford Escort may refer to:* Ford Escort , a vehicle manufactured by Ford Motor Company's European division from 1968 through 2003* Ford Escort , a compact car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market... |
Tumwater, WA Tumwater, Washington Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It lies near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census... |
| 1976 | John Buffum John Buffum John Buffum is the most successful U.S. rally driver ever, winning 11 national titles and 117 national championship events.... |
Vicki Dykema |
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Olympia, WA Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census... |
| 1977 | Ron Richardson |
Ray Hocker |
Plymouth Arrow | Tacoma, WA Tacoma, Washington Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to... |
| 1978 | John Buffum John Buffum John Buffum is the most successful U.S. rally driver ever, winning 11 national titles and 117 national championship events.... |
Doug Shepherd |
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Olympia, WA Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census... |
| 1979 | Hendrik Blok |
Damon Trimble |
Plymouth Arrow | Olympia, WA Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census... |
| 1980 |  Rod MillenRod Millen Rodney K. "Rod" Millen is a racing competitor, vehicle designer, and business owner. He has competed in numerous genres of motorsports, including rally racing, off-road racing, hillclimbing, drifting, and super touring.-Personal life:... |
Dave Weiman |
Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980... |
Tumwater, WA Tumwater, Washington Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It lies near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census... |
| 1981 | Rod Millen Rod Millen Rodney K. "Rod" Millen is a racing competitor, vehicle designer, and business owner. He has competed in numerous genres of motorsports, including rally racing, off-road racing, hillclimbing, drifting, and super touring.-Personal life:... |
Bob Kraushaar |
Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980... |
Olympia, WA Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census... |
| 1982 | John Buffum John Buffum John Buffum is the most successful U.S. rally driver ever, winning 11 national titles and 117 national championship events.... |
Doug Shepherd |
Audi quattro Audi Quattro The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, now part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March.The word quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four"... |
Tumwater, WA Tumwater, Washington Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It lies near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census... |
| 1983 | Rod Millen Rod Millen Rodney K. "Rod" Millen is a racing competitor, vehicle designer, and business owner. He has competed in numerous genres of motorsports, including rally racing, off-road racing, hillclimbing, drifting, and super touring.-Personal life:... |
R. Dale Kraushaar |
Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980... |
Tumwater, WA Tumwater, Washington Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It lies near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census... |
| 1984 | Rod Millen Rod Millen Rodney K. "Rod" Millen is a racing competitor, vehicle designer, and business owner. He has competed in numerous genres of motorsports, including rally racing, off-road racing, hillclimbing, drifting, and super touring.-Personal life:... |
R. Dale Kraushaar |
Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980... |
Tumwater, WA Tumwater, Washington Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It lies near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census... |
| 2006 | Wyeth Gubelmann |
Cindy Krolikowski |
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Mark Williams |
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| 2009 | Travis Pastrana Travis Pastrana Travis Alan Pastrana is an American motorsports competitor and stunt performer who has won championships and X Games gold medals in several events, including supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, and rally racing. He runs a show called Nitro Circus with some of his friends... |
Christian Edstrom Christian Edstrom Björn Christian Edstrom is a professional co-driver from New York, New York, United States. Most recently, Christian was a Subaru Rally Team USA member, co-driving for Travis Pastrana in car number 199.... |
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