10 Clips That Will Make Classic Rallycross Your New Favorite Thing

Didn’t expect to be spending your weekend watching grainy, choppy YouTube videos, did you? These VHS rips of classic rallycross action from Europe is everything we look for in racing: close action, expert commentary, and a healthy dose of complete chaos.

Rallycross and “Hot Rod” race cars have long been how enthusiast drivers and privateers tackle racing where there’s a mix of gravel, dirt, tarmac…and grass. Run in varied conditions in all sorts of places—you’ll see races held in quarries and on “proper” circuits alike. Even Ford made a promotional film extolling the virtues of taking a car across some yumps—this is classic rallycross at its finest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HOFyu29v5Y

Armed with faster, more advanced machines, Rallycross in the ’80s at Brands Hatch is exactly where you want to watch the fastest on-and-off-road machines battle. Four-wheel-drive? Insane horsepower? Of course! Off-road Porsche 911s and Murray Walker thrown in for good measure. The first clip even features a live driver’s interview held during the race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPcLSHfosmo

It’s the Porsche 911 versus the Audi Quattro…only on a rallycross course. The fastest cars have upwards of 600 horsepower, too—the coupés from Stuttgart even wear fiberglass slantnose conversions!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZVgnCevtpI

Sometimes, “Hot Rods” and rallycross machines would race together on a varied course—don’t watch these contests if you get excited easily. It’s door-to-door racing at its finest!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E59j1lXRz-Q

Ford heavily promoted motorsport (and still does), but in the UK, it paid special attention to Escort and Capri owners looking for something to do on the weekend. Rallycross starts at about 4 minutes, 40 seconds…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KunqQpElWAU

The year? 1977. The formula? “Super Rods”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxD_RYlBEpw

This event from 1982, held at Boyd’s Quarry, features a number of different classes and a treacherous-looking course that looks like it was lifted straight from an Xbox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwFBAipDri8

Want to know what it’s like from behind the wheel? Here’s period footage from Finland showing just that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ9mOd_KlAw

Banger racing…tasteful? Not really. Exciting? Just wait until you see the finish.
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