European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 14, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday january 14, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 25 racing Roundup Monte Carlo rally to open 1987 series the Start of the Monte Carlo oily on sat urday from five european cities Mark he beginning of he 1987 world rally championship Ana a newer of rally can. The Monte Carlo round will be followed by 12 More events spanning five Conti nent. So ceded in tradition the Mante Carlo is the oldest of them All and the equivalent of the Indianapolis 500 and. The 24 hours of be mans in circuit racing. This year s Monte is the 55th, but the rally has never been run on a year after yer basis because of wan fuel shortages and other problems. The first Monte Carlo rally was staged in 1911 76 Long years ago an Era when the car was begin Ning to assert its final authority Over the horse. Car ownership however was still limited to the wealthy class and the first Monte Carlo rally was staged Tor thai class strictly a Winter diversion for the very Rich. The 1911 starting Points involved six european capitals and the Driver who arrived in Monte Carlo first was declared the Winner. And in those Days that was an accomplishment. A Frenchman named Henri Rougier who drove an open Turcato Mery car fro Mihe Paris starting Point was the Winner of that first Monte Carlo run. The rally went from there surviving wars and gaining Fame and popularity Over the years. A Victory in the Monte Carlo rally brings enormous pres Tige to both car and Driver and a lot of Money in car sales As Well. Germany s rally Ace Walter Rohri emphasizes that a Victory in the Monte Carlo Ralty is in the Sam category As winning the Tennis finals at  the most successful Drivers in the Long history of the Monte Carlo rally arc Italy s Sandra Munari who won it four times during the 1970s, All for Lan Cia and Germany s Rohrl also with four victories but in different makes a Fiat Barth in 1980, an opel Ascona 400 in 1982, a Lancia in 1983 and an Audi Quattro in 1984. Rohrl driving for Audi again this season will be seeking an unprecedented fifth Victory in this year s Monte. The Best american Effort was recorded in 1969  Young army lieutenant John Bultum who drove Hii privately entered porsche to 12lh  leaving the army Bultum became a profession Al rally Driver and he Lias won he american championship 10 times. Winner of last year s Monte Carlo rally the both time we had the pleasure of covering the event for the stars and Stripe was Lite team of finnish Ace Henri Toivonen and his italian Ameri can co Driver Sergio Cresto. They drove a 500 horsepower Lancia Delta s4, and their deaths four months later in the corsican rally sparked the ban Ning of these sup powerful Ultra fast group Brally machines. Spectator deaths in the portuguese rally also helped prompt the Banning action. The much slower series production group a cars with engine output limited to 300 horsepower have taken Over in International rallying now and while these can will not prove As spectacular As the group b machines by any Means they should be safer and easier to drive. Their Sharp drop in production costs will bring More manufacturers into rallying. Among firms competing this year will be Audi. Ford Lancia opel Renault Subaru Toyota and Volkswagen and More to come As the season Prog resses. So 1987 should prove to be an interesting season. The five starting Points for this year s rally Are bad Homburg Germany Barcelona Spain Lausanne Switz Crand so Sirirere Hay and Monte Carlo itself with a total entry of Iso team expected to depart from these cities. The Audi Volkswagen and Subaru teams Are among the 25 starters from the resort City of bad Homburg North of Frankfurt with the four time Monte Winner Rohrl aboard a single entry Audi Quattro Coupe Kenneth Eriksson of Sweden and Erwin Weber of Germany in Volkswagen Golf git cars and Sweden s per Eklund and Germany s Harald Demuth in Subaru Sedan re Turbo cars. The rally teams will leave saturday from the Kuxhaus by the Casino follow signs to the Spiel Han starting at 9 ., with Rohrl the first Driver away. The restart program begins at 7 30  with music and interviews with Drivers. Spectators also May see the cars and visit with the Drivers during the technical inspections on Friday afternoon be ginning about 2 . Behind the Kuxhaus and the Maritim hotel. After leaving bad Hornburg the teams will Stop i time controls in diez Lahn 9 30 to 11 15  front of the Lahn Zeitung building on Rosen Strasse and at Trier 1 30 to 2 . At the  on sire Anstress. Afterwards the will head for France where the rally continues in the Snow filed French Alps and maritime Alps through Jan. 23. Following the Monte Carlo round will be the rally of Sweden on feb. 13-15. Still on the rally subject the 7,600 Milc Paris Algiers Dakar Marathon rally which started Jan. I from Paris continues in the North african desert with a week logo. Sex world Champion an Vatanen of Finland driving a Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 modified for the desert event leads big. In fact he has a More than a two hour Lead on Patrick Zaniroli of France who i driving a Range Rover. Finland s Vatanen is Mak ing his first competitive drive since suffering near fatal injuries in the rally of Argentina during the summer of 1985. If he has no mechanical prob lems hell obviously win the ninth running of the Marathon and enjoy a Brilliant comeback. Leading in the motorcycle division meanwhile is last year s Paris Dakar Winner Cyril Neveu of France on a Honda. The rally ends Jan. 22 when the surviving teams make their final runs into Dakar capital of Sene Gal. Now lets turn to racing but this one is about racing on the French Aurora Ute. Perhaps the Best move that French Driver Rene Arnoux can make is a permanent move to Ger Many where there arc no Speed limits on the Auto Bahns. Arnoux who drives for the French Ligier team in formula one grand prix racing is in deep Trou ble in France where police clocked him recently at Iso Miles an hour aboard his new Mercedes 560 Sedan. While 150 Tuph is certainly no big Deal in Ger Many it is in France where the autoroute Speed iimitis80mph 130kph. The unfortunate amour who is at Home doing speeds of 200 Mph and More on the world s racetracks was caught by police radar on a four Lane National Highway near Cosne sur Loire in Cen trial France. While the police Are empowered to Levy a Fine of 2,500 francs $400 and suspend Arnoux s License it May go beyond that. Because of what the French term highly excessive Speed Arnoux May have to go before the courts and face stiffer penalties. If he should lose his regular driving License it will not affect his Competition racing License. After All that License represents his Means of earning a living. Auto racing fans in England have a Spe Cial treat this week with the racing car show staged by the British racing and sports car club Buscc. The annual show opens thursday at the new Alexandra Palace Pavilion North of London and in runs through sunday daily hours Are from 10  To 7 30 ., and front 10a.m. To 6 . On sunday. Special features of the show will include displays of current formula one grand pro cars sports cars historic cars engines accessories video shows and Slot car racing. The american skip bar Ber racing school will also have its cars on display. The organizing Buscc says All of the leading companies from the world of motor racing and rallying will be exhibiting their latest products. In the world of motorcycle racing fans should Mark Down the Dales feb. 7 and 8. At that time one of five qualifying rounds in the motorcycle ice Speedway world championship will be held at the Weissport anlage in Frankfurt. Practice will be held on feb. 6 from 2 to 5 ., the first round 20 heats will be staged under the flood lights Starling at 7 30 . On feb. 7, while the second session also 20 heats will follow on feb. 8 with action starting at 2 30 . If you re an ice Speedway fan you won t want to miss these races and if you be never in cycles on Spike hurtling about on an Oval ice track Check these races out. They come highly recommended. Tickets costs from 18 to 40 Marks about $9.60 to 121and maybe reserved in Advance by calling Frankfurt civilian 069-7430274. The world semifinals will be held feb. 14 and j 5 in Madonna i Campiglio Italy and Zinzell Ger Many while the finals Are set for March 14 and sin Berlin. Joiner 39, retiring after 18 years san Diego a san Diego chargers wide receiver Charlie Joiner saying he was getting Loo old for ayoung Man s game announced his retirement monday after 18 nil seasons. Joiner holds the records for career receptions with 750, yardage with 12,146 and number of games played by a wide receiver with 239. Joiner who at 39 is the same age a chargers head coach at Saunders will re main with san Diego As receivers coach. I d thought about retirement for about eight or nine years and i finally did it Joiner said i m 39, and that s too old to be playing football for a wide receiver. I be played 18 years in this league. I be had a great career i think and i m just proud of the fact that i finished no. 1, even though it probably won t last that  Seattle s Steve urgent needs 57 catches and 1,018 Yards to break Joiner s reception and yardage Marks. Anytime you end a career it s a bar decision said Joiner a favorite receiver of quarterback Dan cuts. Fouls called Joiner his Security Blanket a two time All pro Joiner finished with 27 games with 100 or More receiving Yards. He became the nil s All time leading receiver nov. 25, 1984, in Pitts Burgh when he caught his 6soth career pass to go ahead of Charley Taylor. Las oct. 6 in Seattle he surpassed Don May Nard s 11,834 Yards to became the receiving yardage Leader. Joiner said he was excited about the Chance to slay in the game As a coach be cause it gives him another Avenue to reach the super bowl something that eluded him through 11 seasons with san Diego three with Cincinnati and four at Houston. The ultimate goal for All football players is to play in the super bowl Joiner said when you know that you gave it your Best shot and you weren t Able to get there you just have to move an i did t get there As a player. I u try and reach ii As a  Joiner credited his longevity to conditioning and in Good Fortune noting he never had an injury that kept him out of the game for an extended period of Lime sounders appointed Joiner receivers coach As part of a staff shakeup that included the firing of receivers coach ear Del Durden and special teams coach Hank Bauer and the reassignment of Spe Cial teams assistant coach Mil Faklis to a position in the front office. "1 think Charlie will be an outstanding teacher Saunders said. If any of those Guys can emulate him and his work habits it will make our football team that much Betler Joiner out of grumbling was drafted by the Otler in 1969 As a defensive Back before switching to wide receiver. He was traded in 1972 to Cincinnati and came to san Diego in 1976 and immediately made a place for himself in the chargers pass oriented attack directed by Fouts. All i m trying to do out there is look for a port in tie Norm. He s the port Fouts once said of Joiner. Joiner caught 490 of his 7so passes from Fouts and caught a club record 586 passes in his 11 seasons in san Diego