High above the sea near Porto Vecchio a crowd gathers in the hills of Corsica as clouds close in and rain begins to fall. The unmistakable sound of a highly tuned flat six announces a Porsche 911 tearing through the tarmac before disappearing around the next bend leaving only noise and the smell of fuel behind. This is the Tour de Corse Historique a classic rally that honors the island's history stretching back to the original Tour de Corse first held in 1956 and later part of the World Rally Championship for thirty five years. The Historique version loops the island across five days covering nearly a thousand kilometers with eighteen closed road stages earning its nickname the rally of ten thousand corners. The entry list reads like a spotter's guide with Lancias Escorts Alpines Mitsubishis BMWs Audis Subarus and even a rare Mazda Group B RX7 among the three hundred fifty cars. Alongside WRC stage winners and world champions including a team led by Le Mans winner Romain Dumas there are everyday drivers testing themselves against dangerous stages with the same welcoming camaraderie found throughout the paddock. Once racing began a group of front runners charged hard on every stage while local competitors made up the unsung majority. As the rally pushes west toward Calvi through bigger mountains and longer stages the excitement of the crowd travels with it leaving fans and support trucks lining every road for what promises to be an even wilder finish. |
