Bernard Darniche

Bernard Darniche
Personal information
Nationality	French
Born	28 March 1942 (age 82); 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

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.

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

#	Event	Season	Co-driver	Car
1	16ème Rallye du Maroc	1973	Alain Mahé	Alpine-Renault A110
2	19ème Tour de Corse	1975	Alain Mahé	Lancia Stratos HF
3	21ème Tour de Corse	1977	Alain Mahé	Fiat 131 Abarth
4	22ème Tour de Corse	1978	Alain Mahé	Fiat 131 Abarth
5	47ème Rallye Monte-Carlo	1979	Alain Mahé	Lancia Stratos HF
6	23ème Tour de Corse	1979	Alain Mahé	Lancia Stratos HF
7	25ème Tour de Corse	1981	Alain Mahé	Lancia Stratos HF

Complete IMC results

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

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