Friday 21st November 2014

Rally GB: Time For Tea?

A pleasing round-up of Rally GB highlights - see if you can spot the subtle tyre sponsor's message

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You'll often hear that rallying isn't as good as it used to be. Yet, despite not leaving Wales these days, Rally GB remains one of the UK's biggest spectator events, drawing tens of thousands of fans to make the long pilgrimage to the forests. Where, in traditional fashion, they got rained on, watched fireworks explode and had occasional facefuls of wet gravel flung at them by the world's finest rally drivers.

But if you didn't make the trip this year, you may well have missed the action. The long-running conspiracy by every major TV broadcaster to ignore the WRC makes it all too easy to not even notice that the event has even happened these days.

Anyway, if you can't wait for a highlights package on the big TV you can watch this (very) edited selection on a small screen. It's definitely not a definitive report, and if you're not a fan of slow-motion intercuts then it's probably best not to watch (as there are about 120 of them.) But, at risk of damning it with faint praise, we reckon it's probably worth three and a half minutes of your time. There may, just possibly, be a subtle sponsorship message buried in there too but we couldn't quite tell...

See here.

[tim milne]

Looks like it was a Good Year for rallying.

[MC Bodge]

The ITV4 coverage was a bit sparse (2 cameras?). Not as well-funded as the days when William Woollard and Tony Mason covered the RAC Rally for Top Gear.

[civicduty]

Looks like they crossed a few Bridge(stones)!!

[Alex Langheck]

A full entry list, and full car parks, just what the organisers were wanting. Add in some great driving and two Brits to cheer on, I'm not sure what more anybody could want.

Well, except for some proper mainstream coverage; its still sorely lacking - and on many car/ motorsport forums, there is still a relative lack of interest. Even in here, a F1/ BTCC round gets more comments.

[Oddball RS]

Has there been a Rally?

[proper]

Yeah! You missed it? They did the whole Continental!

[Raize]

Listen to the cars go barum barum!

[MC Bodge]

The modern WRC cars look to be very quick on TV coverage of loose surfaces.

Traction and grip look to be much greater than they used to be. Is this correct?

[Zad]

For those coping with withdrawal symptoms from real rallying, with a proper theme tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8FylD6BZrM

[anonymous-user]

Alex Langheck said:

A full entry list, and full car parks, just what the organisers were wanting. Add in some great driving and two Brits to cheer on, I'm not sure what more anybody could want.

Well, except for some proper mainstream coverage; its still sorely lacking - and on many car/ motorsport forums, there is still a relative lack of interest. Even in here, a F1/ BTCC round gets more comments.

You mention the lack of interest however I have never been to a WRC event where it is quiet and the car parks are full.

It isn't in the media's eye but it is hugely popular.

[Dollyman1850]

Zad said:

For those coping with withdrawal symptoms from real rallying, with a proper theme tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8FylD6BZrM

Brings back long happy memories of a young McCrae in Grizzly grizedale in a legacy…Certainly left a legacy…..Still not quite as good as Pondy et al back in 86 Lightwater special stages though
N.

Edited by Dollyman1850 on Saturday 22 November 11:17

[notax]

Zad said:

For those coping with withdrawal symptoms from real rallying, with a proper theme tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8FylD6BZrM

Thanks for posting, I was there watching in 1993. Great to see Colin in the clip too - I especially like it when he says of the new Impreza that as it is a bit smaller than the Legacy he may not knock the corners off it so much

[wolfie28]

Great to hear that this was a hugely popular event. Growing up as a kid in the 80's and watching Rally GB with the group A cars really are happy memories.

Wish WRC today would have a huge investment, better media coverage and more teams/manufacturers to bring it back to the fore-front of Motorsport. Everything Motorsport today seems to be F1, F1 and more F1, which personally I cannot stand.

[MC Bodge]

wolfie28 said:

Great to hear that this was a hugely popular event. Growing up as a kid in the 80's and watching Rally GB with the group A cars really are happy memories.

Wish WRC today would have a huge investment, better media coverage and more teams/manufacturers to bring it back to the fore-front of Motorsport. Everything Motorsport today seems to be F1, F1 and more F1, which personally I cannot stand.

The format of F1 racing is better for armchair racers/tacticians to watch.

I much prefer rallying, and F1 qualifying.

[Gary C]

Alex Langheck said:

A full entry list, and full car parks, just what the organisers were wanting. Add in some great driving and two Brits to cheer on, I'm not sure what more anybody could want..

Group B cars, that's what !

Totally spoilt by watching them thunder through kielder and Penmachno in the 80's, today's cars while faster, look so tame.

[windy1]

For anyone who's missing "the good old days" I'd suggest to get yourself into Kielder forest next weekend for the Roger Albert Clark rally where you will see the mighty Stratos and loads of BD powered MK2 Escorts on full song.

[havoc]

notax said:

Zad said:

For those coping with withdrawal symptoms from real rallying, with a proper theme tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8FylD6BZrM

Thanks for posting, I was there watching in 1993. Great to see Colin in the clip too - I especially like it when he says of the new Impreza that as it is a bit smaller than the Legacy he may not knock the corners off it so much

I was going to say something about rally cars looking better in the past...then I saw the Subaru and the Escort! :getmycoat:

[Steve-B]

Very few Pirelli ladies in attendance despite numerous large bumps and breasts of hill shots all over - shame that..

[Alex Langheck]

windy1 said:

For anyone who's missing "the good old days" I'd suggest to get yourself into Kielder forest next weekend for the Roger Albert Clark rally where you will see the mighty Stratos and loads of BD powered MK2 Escorts on full song.

And dont forget the Escort slayer - the Fiat 131 Abarth. A great event, highly recommended; if you love the smell of Castrol R, then make the journey.

[Alex Langheck]

wolfie28 said:

Great to hear that this was a hugely popular event. Growing up as a kid in the 80's and watching Rally GB with the group A cars really are happy memories.

Wish WRC today would have a huge investment, better media coverage and more teams/manufacturers to bring it back to the fore-front of Motorsport. Everything Motorsport today seems to be F1, F1 and more F1, which personally I cannot stand.

There has been a discussion on the RadioLeMans facebook page about this point; the editor of DSC ( Graham Goodwin - who sometimes posts on here) slammed the ignoring of another British FiA World Champion by the general media which has hit a nerve. And it hasn't happened by accident; the non F1 series were hampered by the previous FiA regime; probably under some persuasion from BCE.
Everyone seems to be ex-F1 driver, rather than WEC/ WRC/ DTM driver. I almost expected Tom Kristensen's retirement to be reported as 'ex F1Test driver retires from Le Mans'.