While surfing the Net I came across an extraordinary site focused on Canada's historic Shell 4000 Rally which, in its time (early 60's) was the world's longest rally and attracted major auto manufacturers and international racing stars. Five-times LeMans winner and F1 driver Olivier Gendebien competed, as did Sir Stirling Moss' rally-star sister Pat Moss. Sports car and grand prix hero Pedro Rodriguez drove a factory team car. So did NASCAR's David Pearson with the infamous quote "I'm not gonna bust mah keaster on this thing no more." His car, a hemi-head Dodge, wasn't suited to the rough stuff. Wait a minute! Pedro Rodriguez and David Pearson in the same event? An odd couple for sure, but the Shell 4000 was a great equaliser. The route ran from Montreal to Vancouver one year, the west coast city to La Belle Province the next. Unlike modern rallies there was only one timed stage, that occuring in Saskatchewan's rugged Badlands (a shock to us Torontonians who thought all of the prairie was flat as an ironing board). May's weather assured that back roads would often be muddy quagmires but a more costly obstacle was Canada's RCMP, which set up hidden radar traps whenever the rally switched to the paved Trans Canada Highway. This linked article was written by Canada Track & Traffic magazine editor Phil Murray. That's me, using a pseudonym (Murray's my middle name). Photo from CT&T shows 1965 second-placer Briton Henry Taylor, in a Ford Cortina. His quote as he left Team Volvo behind: "Sighted Volvo, sank same."