Motorsports: Rally champion Richard Burns dies
28 Nov 05 17:08
Rally driver Richard Burns died last Friday (November 25), aged just 34. The 2001 World Rally Champion had been diagnosed with a brain tumour two years previously.
Burns, born in Reading, Berkshire, decided to become a rally driver at 15 after a session at a Welsh rally driving school. He competed at club level, advancing to the national 205GTI challenge and becoming series winner in 1991. Supported by fellow driver David Williams, he drove a Group N Subaru Legacy to victory in the 1992 Mintex National Championship and was then invited to join the Prodrive Subaru team the following year. He was the youngest ever winner of the British National Championships in 1993.
Burns first raced at international level in 1994 and joined the Mitsubishi works team for the full WRC programme in 1998, driving alongside World Champion Tommi Makinen.
It was back with Subaru, however, where he really made his name, finishing as runner-up in 1999 and 2000 with a number of event wins, before taking the World Championship outright in 2001 - the first English driver to do so.
The following year (2002) was less successful for Burns, now in Peugeot's Sport 206. His first podium finish of the season was in the fourth event, Rally Catalunya, with a second place in Cyprus pushing him up the rankings. He was second in Argentina to teammate Marcus Gronholm, who was then disqualified for a rule infringement, but then had victory revoked again for an underweight flywheel. Despite some good finishes, a series of retirements ruined his season.
Burns's last year in the WRC, 2003, saw podium finishes in Sweden, Turkey, New Zealand and Argentina. A third place in Germany meant he could maintain his lead in the overall drivers' championships, but a broken wheel-bearing in Finland cost him his win in that event.
Reports had been circulating that he was keen to leave the Peugeot team, and these were confirmed by the announcement in August that he was to return to Subaru for 2004.
This was not to be: on the way to Rally GB in Wales, Burns passed out at the wheel of his car and doctors judged him unfit to compete in the event. Shortly afterwards, he was diagnosed a form of brain tumour. He underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, initially responding well to treatment, but it was clear that his driving career was over.
He had further surgery earlier this year and was well enough to attend a reception and parade of his rally cars at Castle Combe in August: however, he fell into a coma last week from which he did not recover.
Burns' family is to hold a private funeral and has asked that instead of flowers, friends and fans make a donation to Cancer Research.
A memorials web page has been set up at
www.richard-burns.co.uk/memorials.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/ne...?news_id=13485
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