The 2014 WRC Thread

[Trophybloo]

Big spread in the London Evening Standard, but the people invited to demonstrate were not 'names' and it was only to give journos not normally in the motoring press a look at the human interest stories. Nothing they reported would make the average londoner get enthused.
Meanwhile it looks like London missed a trick (I said it all along during the Olympic Park construction) in not having a GP circuit round the perimeter of the QE2 Park

[Alex Langheck]

To be fair, at least they're trying. I saw an article about Swann, with a separate small 5/7 line paragraph about him competing in Wales Rally GB, the UK round of the WRC. The problem is the event has slipped from the mainstream so much. Also, it doesn't visit any of the main cities, and isn't the final BIG Motorsport event of the year. The Olympic park would be perfect for a Rallyfest type event a week before the event.
Also, the event will eventually have to move out of Wales, it can't stay there forever; the organisers have to find commercial backers so it can move around the UK: Scotland & Kielder hasn't had any WRC since 1995/6, Yorkshire since 1993 - ridiculous.

[Allyc85]

Google earth maps for Rally GB.

http://planetemarcus.com/saison-wrc/wrc-rallye-gra...

[RyanTank]

Full Rally GB entry list here - WRC Category - http://www.walesrallygb.com/documents/2014_WRGB_Li...

72 entries so far. (not sure if entries have closed for this yet?)


Tanak has a seat in a WRC Fiesta. should be good to watch.

Matt Wilson somehow got a seat in a Fiesta RRC car (thanks Dad?) despite not running any competition this season, shame as many of the youngsters/frontrunners in the British championships could easily have benefited from a guest drive.

Richard Tuthill is out in the 911 GT3, be interested to see how high they can jack it up to cope with the forestry ruts.


WRGB Nationals List - http://www.walesrallygb.com/documents/2014_WRGB_Na...

Plenty of MK2 Escorts in the nationals, along with Steve Perez in the (still being) rebuilt Stratos, hope he finishes it in time!
Jimmy McRae in the Firenza.
Jochen Walther is back in his Tank Volvo 940
Top Gear Magazine are there in their home Built i20 rally car (with new 154bhp 1.6 engine from a Veloster replacing the asthmatic 1.2 it originally had)
and at the end of the field the Wolf Land Rovers of the Armed Forces boys. They are worth hanging around for as they get properly abused by the guys!

[Trophybloo]

3 weeks to go! Cracking WRC2 field, so much to see. All bunkhouses booked, all viewpoints selected. Now to get some of the Monte prints sorted for signing and the camera gear checked. Please Rally gods, Ogier and JML dead level going into the last round, please.

[Allyc85]

Its looking great. Plenty of brits in the main field, with two 6R4s and the Stratos in the national! Can't wait for it now!

[Pwig]

So 160 entries so far if you count both fields. Bloody hell!

[Alex Langheck]

You can have no complaints about that. First full entry for 10-15 years....Finally listening to their customers? However, there is still a long way to go before the event is in rude health.

[RyanTank]

I notice no word on how sold out stages are yet either, mainly because the price is still rediculous to get to a stage and people are not paying it!

WRC Spain news - Neuville went fastest in shakedown.



Gravel stages are on the first day this year instead of the final day as in 2013. Wonder if we'll see any sort of tactics with this set up?
I expect a winge from Ogier that running first over the gravel will cost him for the change to tarmac.

Short vid of shakedown - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNodFmd9E6w&fea...



WRC News - VW keep the same driver line up for the 2015 season.

Edited by RyanTank on Thursday 23 October 14:51

[covmutley]

Im heading up to Sweet lamb on the Friday. I have been to special stages before at Cardiff/Celtic manor, but first time on the proper stage for the GB.

The ticket info on rally gb website says that day tickets are limited availability. How likely is it that they will be sold out, and how early should I aim to get there? Hour or 2 before?

Im probably heading to the rally complex car park. Cheers.

[Pwig]

I'm taking a camper van I am just deciding whether to move to a difference stage during the day or just stay at the same and walk around a bit.

I'm thinking the latter.

[RyanTank]

covmutley said:

Im heading up to Sweet lamb on the Friday. I have been to special stages before at Cardiff/Celtic manor, but first time on the proper stage for the GB.

The ticket info on rally gb website says that day tickets are limited availability. How likely is it that they will be sold out, and how early should I aim to get there? Hour or 2 before?

Im probably heading to the rally complex car park. Cheers.

Sweet Lamb is one of the more popular stages and the car park there will fill up quick. Car park G is the one you need if you are going to want to be in the sweet lamb bowl. That opens at 8pm Thursday night. other car parks open at 00:01 Friday morning.
First car is due off the start at 09:24.
Ideally you want to be arriving by say 05:00 and off to get a decent viewing point by 07:00-07:30.

If using any of the other car parks for the stage, one advises it will take you an hour to get out of the car park if your parked right at the back!

Using car park E & F gives you access to viewing areas on the Maesnant stage too, but all will involve a long walk. If parked in the Sweet Lamb bowl you'r not going to easily get to a different stage.

[covmutley]

5am?!

[Alex Langheck]

Pwig said:

I'm taking a camper van I am just deciding whether to move to a difference stage during the day or just stay at the same and walk around a bit.

I'm thinking the latter.

I'd stay put, far less hassle trying to follow the event around. In any case, you have the Nationals in between the two WRC runs.

[Pwig]

covmutley said:

5am?!

We arrived at 5.30 last year to the stages and had a good 40 minute brisk walk to get to the start of the stage!

[Pwig]

And just before we got back to our car on our way out some foreign chap said 'excuse me is it much further ' Poor chap

[Allyc85]

Ogier leads at the end of day 1... it isn't even bloomin 4pm yet! Loads of time for more stages, and once the ars are back at service the mechanics have all the hard work to change the cars to tarmac spec. WRC is far too soft these days!

[Alex Langheck]

Allyc85 said:

Ogier leads at the end of day 1... it isn't even bloomin 4pm yet! Loads of time for more stages, and once the cars are back at service the mechanics have all the hard work to change the cars to tarmac spec. WRC is far too soft these days!

Don't start me; and there is a huge 2hour gap in the middle of the day; for regroup & service. We should be seeing another set of stages. Too many events are all the same. Make it tougher for them. Rallying is meant to be an Endurance Motorsport; do any events have 500km of special stages? I doubt it.

As for Rallye Catalunya, it seems as if dust and visibility has caused problems; and Ogier running first in the road has benefitted. Meeke held an early lead before getting 2 punctures, and having to retire.

[Allyc85]

Terrible day for the brits really, just an experience building exercise from now on. Elfyn must hate Spain after whats happened the last couple years!

This could have been so much worse!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YE7Id5dZ58

[GravelBen]

Mixed bag for Paddon too - he was always planning to push for some good stage times and rewarded with a stage win and 4th fastest on 3 other stages, but also lost about 5 minutes after running wide and puncturing two tyres.