Tips on spectating Rally GB
Discussion
If it's very late in the year like the previous two times I've been, I'd say to bring a hat, gloves, hand warmers, waterproofs. Gets cold and wild in them parts.
Getting to the stages/ viewing areas late could find yourself having a hard time parking, more so if in not in a 4 wheel drive.
We would also drop out of a stage to attend the show on at the millennium stadium. You could also visit the pits.
Good fun though. Bacon and egg sarny and a few mess tins.
Getting to the stages/ viewing areas late could find yourself having a hard time parking, more so if in not in a 4 wheel drive.
We would also drop out of a stage to attend the show on at the millennium stadium. You could also visit the pits.
Good fun though. Bacon and egg sarny and a few mess tins.
Blimey, you're keen.
If as expected, they run a similar route then its mainly North Wales; get there as early as possible; most car parks open the night before. You'll normally get 2 runs of the WRCars, with the nationals in between. No need to go around chasing the event, as was the case when it was the proper RAC.
Take plenty of warm clothes (though there hasn't been a snowy/ icey one since 2008) sleeping in the car, and cooking your own food is all part of the Rally experience.
If as expected, they run a similar route then its mainly North Wales; get there as early as possible; most car parks open the night before. You'll normally get 2 runs of the WRCars, with the nationals in between. No need to go around chasing the event, as was the case when it was the proper RAC.
Take plenty of warm clothes (though there hasn't been a snowy/ icey one since 2008) sleeping in the car, and cooking your own food is all part of the Rally experience.
Edited by Alex Langheck on Monday 19th January 13:17
Gingerbread Man said:
If it's very late in the year like the previous two times I've been, I'd say to bring a hat, gloves, hand warmers, waterproofs. Gets cold and wild in them parts.
Getting to the stages/ viewing areas late could find yourself having a hard time parking, more so if in not in a 4 wheel drive.
We would also drop out of a stage to attend the show on at the millennium stadium. You could also visit the pits.
Good fun though. Bacon and egg sarny and a few mess tins.
No stages at the Millennium stadium for the last 3 years, especially now the event has moved to north Wales Getting to the stages/ viewing areas late could find yourself having a hard time parking, more so if in not in a 4 wheel drive.
We would also drop out of a stage to attend the show on at the millennium stadium. You could also visit the pits.
Good fun though. Bacon and egg sarny and a few mess tins.
Here's what you do- go and see Rally GB by all means but also pencil in one of the National rallies like the Malcolm Wilson which takes place in the Lake District in early March. Why ? Free or small change to park; miles of deserted stage to choose from , very few jobsworths in tabards shepherding you into an enclosure and , best of all , a great cross section of cars from turbo 4wds to screaming Escort Mk2s which are still the second best rally cars ever to watch. The best being Gp B monsters of course.
Better still you spectate on one of the dovetailed West Wales Rally Spares/British Historic Championship rounds . Proper rallying without the BS involved from the jobsworth marshals/RACMSA on their "premier" event, which in fact is a pathetic shadow of its' former self .
Apologies for the cynicism .
Apologies for the cynicism .
They haven't released the stages to be used this year, but its pretty much pick a stage and stick to it. Gone are the days of following the rally stage by stage, unless your prepared to park and walk miles, stay for 1/2hr ish per stage for the top boys to go through then fight the way out of the car park with the rest. couple that with winding b roads full of lost fans and others pushing to get in/out of that stage sees parts of north Wales become a big traffic jam/car park come Rally GB time.
tbh with the inclusion of the nationals its well worth staying, some of the lower boys in the national are epic to watch, simply out for a fun time and a show off.
As for staying that's up to you, but best start booking it now. leaving it until later will see you missing out. Depends how far you want to travel to a stage too. I stayed just outside Aberystwyth this year for £40 for the 3 of us. then it was under an hours drive to Dyfnant stage then for sign on.
Unfortunately as some have mentioned there are 'jobsworth' marshals, and while they are right about a few (I've been unfortunate enough to be put with a team of jobsworths on WRGB at times, but I like to think I'm not one!) more often than not they are just doing as they have been told. I find asking politely to move better than the old "oi! you cant stand there so move" and " because I said you cant" answers.
As a marshal on WRGB for almost a decade now I've dealt with all types of people hurling abuse at me as I wont let them stand in the ditch the cars will be straight lining, and there's a reason why some areas are prohibited!
I'd recommend picking a location close to a spectator area, but move away from the sheep pens and find a spot deeper in stage! hairpins and flat sections are usually over populated, and its always a good indication of a decent section if the media/photogs are camped out there! (but don't upset them, they're worse than the jobsworths!).
The event details should be out around spring time, so when stages are confirmed have a look at the stage maps and work out a rough area of what stage you want to spectate, and where on that stage.
this guy usually maps the whole stage on google maps to help! - http://www.rally-maps.com/Wales-Rally-GB-2014
tbh with the inclusion of the nationals its well worth staying, some of the lower boys in the national are epic to watch, simply out for a fun time and a show off.
As for staying that's up to you, but best start booking it now. leaving it until later will see you missing out. Depends how far you want to travel to a stage too. I stayed just outside Aberystwyth this year for £40 for the 3 of us. then it was under an hours drive to Dyfnant stage then for sign on.
Unfortunately as some have mentioned there are 'jobsworth' marshals, and while they are right about a few (I've been unfortunate enough to be put with a team of jobsworths on WRGB at times, but I like to think I'm not one!) more often than not they are just doing as they have been told. I find asking politely to move better than the old "oi! you cant stand there so move" and " because I said you cant" answers.
As a marshal on WRGB for almost a decade now I've dealt with all types of people hurling abuse at me as I wont let them stand in the ditch the cars will be straight lining, and there's a reason why some areas are prohibited!
I'd recommend picking a location close to a spectator area, but move away from the sheep pens and find a spot deeper in stage! hairpins and flat sections are usually over populated, and its always a good indication of a decent section if the media/photogs are camped out there! (but don't upset them, they're worse than the jobsworths!).
The event details should be out around spring time, so when stages are confirmed have a look at the stage maps and work out a rough area of what stage you want to spectate, and where on that stage.
this guy usually maps the whole stage on google maps to help! - http://www.rally-maps.com/Wales-Rally-GB-2014
Not done this since the lsat Lombard RAC rally and the first 2 Network Q RAC rallies. I suppose it's a lot different now. We ended up sleeping in a Vauxhall Nova overnight in a car park, watching the top ten go through the stage and then chasing the next stage to catch them again, etc.
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