The Rally of Britain

[Steve vRS]

Just heard on the Radio when driving home from Cumbria that it was this weekend.

I didn't even know it was on. I can't decide whether I am sad to have missed it or Meh that I didn't know it was on.

What are your thoughts?

Steve

[MG CHRIS]

It's more the rally of wales than GB and even living in wales it's hardly been mentioned at all only 30 car took part but for once loeb didn't win.

[surveyor]

It's a terrible shame.

I remember as a kid we went to see this most years - not too far to travel ever. Had some great days out.

Now the GB rally never leaves Wales, just sad.

[Steve vRS]

Wow that was a quick shuffle of the thread to Motorsport!

Steve

[s3fella]

Lombard RAC was just an awesome event in the 70s and 80 s, a proper massive motorsport event, up there with the GP and Le Mans in most people's eyes.

I too did not know this was on it caught it whilst channel hopping through s4 C last night and had to watch some of it in flipping welsh.

Why can't the get the Rally back to what it used to be? Or sort another event out at all the country houses and forest stages etc like it used to be.
It's a disgrace why has happened to rallying at world level.

[odyssey2200]

s3fella said:

Lombard RAC was just an awesome event in the 70s and 80 s, a proper massive motorsport event, up there with the GP and Le Mans in most people's eyes.

I too did not know this was on it caught it whilst channel hopping through s4 C last night and had to watch some of it in flipping welsh.

Why can't the get the Rally back to what it used to be? Or sort another event out at all the country houses and forest stages etc like it used to be.
It's a disgrace why has happened to rallying at world level.

I remember as a kid, going to see the start of the Lombard Rally in Bath.

What a fantastic PR job by the organisers this year hs been

[MG CHRIS]

s3fella said:

Lombard RAC was just an awesome event in the 70s and 80 s, a proper massive motorsport event, up there with the GP and Le Mans in most people's eyes.

I too did not know this was on it caught it whilst channel hopping through s4 C last night and had to watch some of it in flipping welsh.

Why can't the get the Rally back to what it used to be? Or sort another event out at all the country houses and forest stages etc like it used to be.
It's a disgrace why has happened to rallying at world level.

It can't go back to what it was the stages need to be in withing a cartain distance of the main service part, stage mileage is more or less tagged at 350 miles and most rallies are only 3 days so the old lombard rac can never come back. Mnafactures are simply not intrested in motorsport and win on sunday sell on monday just doesn't exsit so unless the cars are signficntly cheaper that indpendents can run the wrc will die very soon.

[Killer2005]

surveyor said:

It's a terrible shame.

I remember as a kid we went to see this most years - not too far to travel ever. Had some great days out.

Now the GB rally never leaves Wales, just sad.

I remember it used to be one of the big motorsport events of the year, now there's no mention of it anywhere.

Ideally I'd also like to see it move from Wales as well. There's so many other places it could be

[MG CHRIS]

Killer2005 said:

surveyor said:

It's a terrible shame.

I remember as a kid we went to see this most years - not too far to travel ever. Had some great days out.

Now the GB rally never leaves Wales, just sad.

I remember it used to be one of the big motorsport events of the year, now there's no mention of it anywhere.

Ideally I'd also like to see it move from Wales as well. There's so many other places it could be

It could but hasn't for a reason no other region has qualified to be able to hold a wrc rally from the specificaton set by the fia.

[heightswitch]

Even into the early to mid 90's the Lombard or later sponsors was a cracking event..IE an event that ran in day and night stages, In wales, Lakes and Kielder, alternating stages between forrest and road. I have never bothered with rallying in years..as a sport it is pretty much dead. Now club and historic rallying on the other hand....proper cars, proper stages and something worth watching..

I really miss days plodging around pundershaw, Dalby, Grizedale, Hafren,Cloecenog etc etc.

N.

[windy1]

Not to worry the proper rally is coming up in November.

http://www.rogeralbertclarkrally.org/

Put some winter tyres on your car and you'll be able to follow most of the stages. Last year in Kielder there was a few inches of snow on the Monday which made for an interesting adventure from a spectators perspective.

[hawk 427]

+1

[ArnageWRC]

windy1 said:

Not to worry the proper rally is coming up in November.

http://www.rogeralbertclarkrally.org/

Put some winter tyres on your car and you'll be able to follow most of the stages. Last year in Kielder there was a few inches of snow on the Monday which made for an interesting adventure from a spectators perspective.

Hmm, you can say that again. There were 2 stages on the Sunday night in Newcastleton - and while it was cold, it was clear, so no sign of snow. Drove for about 2 mins to the picnic area ready for the Monday stages in Kershope. Must have been about 5-6 cars there - woke up about 3 o'clock - and couldn't believed what I saw. A white out...... so one stage was cancelled. Was interesting.....

A shame they've cut the Monday running and no stages in Ae Forest....but a fantastic event!!

[davepoth]

odyssey2200 said:

I remember as a kid, going to see the start of the Lombard Rally in Bath.

What a fantastic PR job by the organisers this year hs been

Yup, I was about five when it used to start from Great Pultney Street, but I still remember it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrEKXb8VwvQ

[DanDC5]

odyssey2200 said:

I remember as a kid, going to see the start of the Lombard Rally in Bath.

What a fantastic PR job by the organisers this year hs been

Sign of the times with the WRC...

[john2443]

davepoth said:

Yup, I was about five when it used to start from Great Pultney Street, but I still remember it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrEKXb8VwvQ

Group B .

Amazing that there were only 30 cars in the Wales rally, when I were a lad there were 241! http://www.juwra.com/rac_rally_1973_entries.html. If you went to a stage it took nearly all day for them to come through.

It's a lot of course prep/ marshals for only 30 cars

[john2443]

...and one car was co driven by Jimmy Saville.

Now then, now then, now, then, flat left.

There may have been more than one Jimmy Saville of course

[rallycross]

this was a classic year, - 85 - uk debut of Delta S4 and Metro 6R4.

Stage one, 20,000 specators turned up in the dark and paid £3.50 each to get in.

A far cry from today's rally of wales.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=644mljkBt4A

part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEZv7khq4mM&fea...

look out for Murray walker at his best and the sound of those S4's struggling out of service.

and part 3

check out 2.40 seconds, the rally GB is at its most northern point Cardrona in scotland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xahprrKaZHg&fea...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xahprrKaZHg&fea...

Edited by rallycross on Friday 21st September 19:35

Edited by rallycross on Friday 21st September 19:38

Edited by rallycross on Friday 21st September 19:40

[john2443]

rallycross said:

this was a classic year, - 85 - uk debut of Delta S4 and Metro 6R4.

Stage one, 20,000 specators turned up in the dark and paid £3.50 each to get in.

A far cry from today's rally of wales.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=644mljkBt4A

I was there at Wollaton Park, one car, 205? ripped a wheel off at the first corner - 200m and retired.

Slightly off topic, there are threads where people argue that fwd is better than rwd, maybe, maybe not, but
you will never convince me that there is anything as spectaculare as rwd rallying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfxL6_nh_PI&fea...

[rallycross]

john2443 said:

I was there at Wollaton Park, one car, 205? ripped a wheel off at the first corner - 200m and retired.

Slightly off topic, there are threads where people argue that fwd is better than rwd, maybe, maybe not, but
you will never convince me that there is anything as spectaculare as rwd rallying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfxL6_nh_PI&fea...

take a look at part 3 - 7 minutes in.

The 4wd and 2wd cars are just as sideways as each other.