30 years ago… The only South American victory in the WRC

Who is he ?
Destiny is facetious. Jorge Recalde was born in the town of Clavero Mine on August 9, 1951, in the province of Cordoba, which is none other than the starting city of one of the historic special stages of the rally from Argentina. After participating in the Argentine Touring Championships, he turned to rallies in the early 1980s, and had an attachment to French racing cars: Renault 18 at the 1983 Argentina Rally (3rd), Citroën Visa 1000 Tracks at the 1985 San Marino rally, among others.

But it is an Italian who will detect the pilot's potential: Cesare Fiorio, the head of the Lancia Competition department, enlisted his services for the 1986 Argentina rally. His goal: to support Miki Biasion and Markku Alén, the regular drivers on the Lancia Delta S4s of the famous Group B.

Jorge Recalde. Lancia Delta S4. Rally Argentina 1986. pic.twitter.com/I2xGxNtGh8

— RallyArgentino Retro (@rallyargfotos) March 9, 2017

At the foot of the podium in 1986, he finished 2nd the following year, enough to promote him as an official driver for the entire 1988 season.

The 1988 Argentina Rally
81 crews compete on a 583 km route, spread over 29 special stages. The favorites are clearly in the Martini Racing structure with Miki Biasion, Franz Wittmann and the star of the public, Jorge Recalde. Group B having been banned for two years, it is on a Delta Integrale Group A that victory will be decided.

The Biasion-Recalde duo leaves the rest of the participants until the third stage, where Jorge Recalde breaks a suspension by hitting a stone. Result : 1'10'' lost, plus the two minute penalty to repair the damage.

But this rally is not kind to the Deltas. In the final special, a fuse burns in the injection system of Miki Biaision's car ! Seven minutes to replace the part is too much, especially since it starts again on three cylinders. Jorge Recalde takes the lead again at the last minute and wins the race. In his summary, CARhebdo indicates that the Argentinian fills the Cordoba stadium (70 seats) for his triumphant return!

Jorge Recalde remains 30 years later the only representative from the South American continent to have won a victory in the World Rally Championship. He died while exercising his passion in 2001 during the Villa Dolores rally. Getting out of his Ford Escort Cosworth RS to push it to the side of the road, he suffered a ruptured aneurysm. He was only 49 years old.

Bonus info
Motorsport is anchored in Argentine society. Every year, Argentina celebrates the rally with its event WRC but also in an original way: the Argentine Senate and Chamber of Deputies promulgated Law 26.030 in May 2005, making May 4 the national day of Rally Argentina and Mina Clavero the national rally capital.