Four months ago, Andrea Adamo had an idea. That idea has evolved into Mythical Cars Rally. The man with the plan explains the thinking behind an event which is set to capture the hearts of motorsport fans the world over.
Mythical Cars Rally. What is it?
OK, let me take you back to the beginning. We go back to October. A friend of mine was asking me if it could be possible that we run a rally for classics or for historic cars.
Immediately I started to think about what could be done. But did we need another classic rally? Do we need another historic rally?
For me, the perfect idea was a rally for the cars that people still have in their memories from more recently: the Group A cars, the kit cars, the Super 2000s and, obviously, the World Rally Cars. I think this can be the good way to attract the younger people.
Kit cars?
For sure! Don’t you remember the noise the [Peugeot] 306 Maxi made? We need this in our ears again. Those cars were amazing, the sound… you could hear it from the other side of the mountain and we will hear it again like that in May.
Basically, we will have a rally from the Escort Cosworth until the cars from the end of 2021.
And it’s a real rally?
For sure! But it has evolved a little bit. I am working as an advisor. Automobile Club Pavia is organizing, but they ask me a little bit for my thoughts on how to make the perfect rally weekend. I tell them they have to have some things in line.
We need this to be a festival with a lot, a lot, a lot going on in the service park. I was always pushing for this a lot in my time in the World Rally Championship; we must give the people the reason to come visit us and then we must make sure it is easy for them to come.
People now, they have a lot to stay home for with social media and everything – we have to give them something, some feeling, something to make their heart happy that they won’t find staring at their phone.
We have done this with Mythical Cars Rally – the event sits right in the very heart of Varzi.
The next thing is to make sure the stages are close to the service. It’s possible to go visit a stage every time the cars go out. They are really close and so easy to get to – we will make it as easy as possible for people to see the action.
Another point was to condense the rally, so the people who are coming to compete can get home on Sunday. The actual rally competition starts Friday night and finishes Saturday night.
But there’s more to this than the rally?
Like I told you, it’s going to be a festival as well as a rally. We have a party every evening and the service park is full of local people coming to sell their food, their wine and everything.
Let me tell you, I remember the Sanremo Rally from a long time ago. I remember when it was going to so many towns and places and all of these places came out and welcomed the rally – the event took over and brought a fantastic atmosphere.
Everybody was opening their heart for this rally and this is what we want to achieve with Mythical Cars.
How involved were you in the route?
Quite involved. I know these roads from the old Quattro Regioni rally from many years ago. If you permit, I share one memory – it was Quattro Regioni where I first saw a Lancia Rally 037 in colors that were not from the factory, not the Martini colors. I saw for the first time, the 037 in Totip colors. You don’t forget that…
So those stages are used again in Mythical Cars Rally?
Some of them, yes. They were quite destroyed, but now they have been rebuilt and roads are perfect – really nice and smooth. We worked quite a lot on the route to make sure we have the nice flowing roads which are quite fast and really rewarding the driver.
We didn’t want a lot of really technical places with tight corners, making the drivers work too hard. Don’t forget, it can get quite warm here in this time of the year and these cars can be really hard work – this is a rally to enjoy. We don’t want the drivers watching the video 10 times!
What sort of drivers are coming?
We have every kind of driver. We want the real privateer drivers who can enjoy the occasion, but also we want some of the big names.
Don’t get me wrong. This is a proper, proper rally and ACI Pavia is doing a fantastic job with the organization – these people are so professional – but we want people to enjoy; if a car has a problem in one loop, they can miss this loop and re-join for the next one. Of course, this comes with a penalty, but it’s about enjoyment.
Your telephone is full of amazing drivers – have you called any yet?
Once I am finished talking to you, I am going on the telephone to them. We know the people we want. It’s not just the drivers and co-drivers; it’s some of the stars from the teams.
This event is going to be a big festival with everybody coming to enjoy themselves, eat the best food from all of Italy, drink the best wine, enjoy the atmosphere and watch some of the best rally cars we have ever seen from our sport.
The promotion of the local area’s really important, isn’t it?
It’s one of the main reasons we’re doing this. The local communities are completely behind the rally and they are bringing the incredible atmosphere for us. It’s a great opportunity to show what this part of Lombardy has to offer – this is something that makes me happy: using the rally to show the territory.
This is a beautiful part of the world with amazing people and produce. And now it’s going to be the place with a beautiful rally as well.
Mythical Cars Rally runs out of Varzi from May 25-27. Further details can he found here.
