Bernard Jean Darniche[1] (born 28 March 1942 in Cenon, a commune in the Gironde department) is a French former rally driver. He won the European Rally Championship in 1976 and 1977 and the French Rally Championship in 1976 and 1978, each time behind the wheel of a Lancia Stratos HF. He also holds the record for most victories in the Tour de Corse which he won six times (1970, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981), a feat later equalled by Didier Auriol.
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  French |
| Born | 28 March 1942 Cenon |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1973–1987 |
| Co-driver | Alain Mahé |
| Teams | Alpine-Renault, Lancia, Audi |
| Rallies | 38 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 7 |
| Podiums | 11 |
| Stage wins | 115 |
| Total points | 87 |
| First rally | 1973 Monte Carlo Rally |
| First win | 1973 Rally of Morocco |
| Last win | 1981 Tour de Corse |
| Last rally | 1987 Tour de Corse |
He competed in the first World Rally Championships in 1973, winning the 16th Moroccan Rally and placing second in the 44th Alpine Rally, and was one of the top competitors for the remainder of the decade. He finished third in the inaugural FIA Cup for Rally Drivers in 1977, the first of three successive top ten finishes in the drivers' championship.
He also won the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo in 1979, the event where he holds the record for most wins on the infamous Col de Turini stage, a 1,600 m Alpine mountain pass normally driven in darkness. The so-called "Night of the Long Knives" has seen Darniche victorious on ten occasions.
WRC victories edit
Complete IMC results edit
| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Alpine Renault | Alpine-Renault A110 1600 | MON | SWE | ITA | KEN | AUT 5 |
GRE | GBR | ||
| 1971 | Alpine Renault | Alpine-Renault A110 1600 | MON 8 |
SWE | ITA 4 |
KEN | MAR | AUT | GRE | GBR | |
| 1972 | Alpine Renault | Alpine-Renault A110 1800 | MON 25 |
SWE | KEN | MAR | GRE | AUT | ITA | USA | GBR |
24 Hours of Le Mans results edit
| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 |  John Greenwood Racing
|
Alain Cudini John Greenwood
|
Chevrolet Corvette C3 | GTS +5.0 | 82 | DNF | DNF |
| 1976 | IMSA Greenwood Corvettes
|
John Greenwood
|
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray | IMSA GT |
29 | DNF | DNF |
| 1978 | Jean Rondeau
|
Jacky Haran Jean Rondeau
|
Rondeau M378-Cosworth | GTP | 294 | 9th | 1st |
| 1979 | Jean Rondeau
|
Jean Ragnotti
|
Rondeau M379-Cosworth | Gr. 6 S 3.0 |
292 | 5th | 1st |
| 1980 |  Scuderia Lancia Corsa
|
Teo Fabi Hans Heyer
|
Lancia Montecarlo Turbo | Gr. 5 SP 2.0 |
6 | DNF | DNF |
| 1981 | BMW Italie-France
|
Philippe Alliot Johnny Cecotto
|
BMW M1 Gr. 5 | Gr. 5 SP +2.0 |
278 | 16th | 3rd |
References edit
- ^ "Décret du 13 juillet 1994 portant promotion et nomination" (in French). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
External links edit
- Profile of Darniche and list of results, Rallybase.nl