Rauno Aaltonen - The full interview on life, rallying, racing, and driver training

Overdrive: Cars, Transport and Culture

Finland’s celebrated motor sport driver, Rauno Aaltonen, won many events and along with local Australia hero Bob Holden, in 1966 finished first in our famous touring car race at Bathurst’s Mt Panorama, in a tiny Mini Cooper S.
I recorded a chat with him for the “Overdrive – Cars, Transport and Culture” radio and podcast program – we chatted for over an hour. I have put a serioes of shorter highlights on my website at http://drivenmedia.com.au/wp/rauno-aaltonen-the-full-interview-on-life-rallying-racing-and-driver-training/
The range of subjects include:
• Using Bob Holden’s efforts and soft tyres to win Bathurst in 1966
• Learning a circuit and rally versus race driving
• Early experience in Boats & motorcycles helped touch bumper bars on Conrod straight
• He invented left foot braking – he tells the benefits and changing style on the track
• To win Bathurst Bob Holden was an equal partner - they thought alike
• Facing adversity and driver training – it’s all about the right attitude
• Racing and rallying partnerships – got help from a professor of communications!
• The driving skills he used to deal with young people throwing rocks at the vehicle
• He led briefly near the end but why he didn’t win the London to Sydney Marathon
This is the full interview but selected highlight segments can be found on the web site drivenmedia.com.au.
Rauno is now 83 years old, still has an international racing licence and remains thoughtful and crystal clear about the right approach to racing and to life.