Why don't southerners like rally driving?

[indiatango]

So I got some great advice on hear last Summer about rallying and with Covid rules relaxing I was finally able to do my BARs and some initial tuition at silverstone a few weeks back (most fun I've ever had, despite being pretty mediochre).

Only problem now is that I've had to move to chichester for work and I can't find a whiff of any kind of rallying down here!

Do southerners just not like rallying? Would I be better of picking a different discipline? If anyone is around this area and has found a means of driving quickly along dirt roads (preferably legally) it would certainly be interesting to hear from you!

[PurpleTurtle]

I’m in Reading and love rallying.

The simple answer is not enough space. Everything in the UK is London-centric, so available forests for rallying in the South just don’t exist.

[indiatango]

Yeah I guess that makes sense. It's a real shame though - I'd thought there would at least be road rallies or maybe autocross about.

That said there's lots of beautiful woods around the south downs. I'm sure no one would object to having a rally stage in the middle of it... lol

[Truckosaurus]

There was the Tempest Rally on Army land around the Hants/Surrey borders until recently, but insurance costs killed it off.

Maybe it is just because there's more circuits in the south and eastern parts so that's the favoured branch of the sport.

[chrisr29]

I’m Chichester area and have a customer with a couple of rally cars. A mk1 Cortina that I built and a mk2 Escort he bought as a built car. The Cortina has only been to Wales and up north but he did do an auto solo locally. In the Escort. Think it was arranged by Bognor motor club.

To be fair though, Welsh rallying country isn’t that far from here and starts just over the border. Cheers.

[Trev450]

Back in the day Salisbury Plain used to be used. Not sure if it still is.

[ARHarh]

I am sure the Farnborough and district motor club do rally's or at least they used to https://fdmc.org.uk/ not too far from Chichester.

[andy97]

Depends on what you mean by “South” I suppose.

A quick look at https://www.itsmymotorsport.co.uk/by-month.htm shows the following events in “southerly (ish)” areas:

Brands Hatch circuit rally - Kent
Flying Fortress - Kettering
Snetterton stages - Norfolk
South Downs - Goodwood
Bovingdon stages and Challenger stages - Dorset
3 Shires - Gloucestershire
Wydean - Gloucestershire
Get it sideways - Gloucestershire
Abingdon rally festival (?) - Oxfordshire.

There may be more, but that just a quick look.

Edited by andy97 on Monday 21st June 11:57

[indiatango]

ARHarh said:

I am sure the Farnborough and district motor club do rally's or at least they used to https://fdmc.org.uk/ not too far from Chichester.

They look great, somehow hadn't come across that one before but they seem to have quite a lot on. All I need now is to rip the interior out of my car and put the engine back in!

[indiatango]

andy97 said:

Depends on what you mean by “South” I suppose.

A quick look at https://www.itsmymotorsport.co.uk/by-month.htm shows the following events in “southerly (ish)” areas:

Edited by andy97 on Monday 21st June 11:57

Thanks for that. Haha yea I'm right down on the coast near portsmouth so I guess I have a distorted view of what counts as the 'south' of England!

[andy97]

indiatango said:

andy97 said:

Depends on what you mean by “South” I suppose.

A quick look at https://www.itsmymotorsport.co.uk/by-month.htm shows the following events in “southerly (ish)” areas:

Edited by andy97 on Monday 21st June 11:57

Thanks for that. Haha yea I'm right down on the coast near portsmouth so I guess I have a distorted view of what counts as the 'south' of England!

I am fortunate to live very near Donington Park so have several circuit near by but i still expect to travel several hours each way to some events at places like Brands Hatch, Anglesey, Snetterton, 3-Sisters near Wigan etc. It’s just the way it is in our sport.

[thepawbroon]

andy97 said:

Depends on what you mean by “South” I suppose.

A quick look at https://www.itsmymotorsport.co.uk/by-month.htm shows the following events in “southerly (ish)” areas:

Brands Hatch circuit rally - Kent
Flying Fortress - Kettering
Snetterton stages - Norfolk
South Downs - Goodwood
Bovingdon stages and Challenger stages - Dorset
3 Shires - Gloucestershire
Wydean - Gloucestershire
Get it sideways - Gloucestershire
Abingdon rally festival (?) - Oxfordshire.

There may be more, but that just a quick look.

Edited by andy97 on Monday 21st June 11:57

Obviously 2020 and 2021 have been abnormal years for rallying, but looking forward you could also add these two closed road rallies:

Corbeau Seats Rally Tendring / Clacton - 23rd & 24th April 2022 - possibly a round of the British Rally Championship
Hertfordshire Stages Rally - 26th June 2022

There's also potentially a Mini-Tempest Stages Rally at Rushmoor Arena (Aldershot) around about Christmas time this year (depending on MOD access). That (and some of the above) are non-spectator, but I'm sure they will welcome marshals - if you've done BARS then you'll be familiar with Motorsport UK - it's easy to register as a marshal.

There are also Targa Rallies - which are similar but slightly lower level of performance, to allow road cars. Two that might come up soon are:

Kent Forestry Targa - September - Weald MC
Rushmoor Targa Rally - November - Farnborough & DMC

In your area, Southsea Motor Club are one of the main organisations - they run a lot of 12 car navigational rallies, and many of their members support and marshal the above events.

I would suggest that you have a think about marshalling, it's normally not too onerous a task and you will get to see how events work - it'll prepare you better for when you do compete.

[ARHarh]

indiatango said:

ARHarh said:

I am sure the Farnborough and district motor club do rally's or at least they used to https://fdmc.org.uk/ not too far from Chichester.

They look great, somehow hadn't come across that one before but they seem to have quite a lot on. All I need now is to rip the interior out of my car and put the engine back in!

When I lived in the area a few friends were members and attended a lot of events. Very friendly and well run events.

[anonymous-user]

Does rally cross count? It was invented at Lydden.

[indiatango]

thepawbroon said:

In your area, Southsea Motor Club are one of the main organisations - they run a lot of 12 car navigational rallies, and many of their members support and marshal the above events.

I would suggest that you have a think about marshalling, it's normally not too onerous a task and you will get to see how events work - it'll prepare you better for when you do compete.

Well is seems there is a little more down here than i thought at least.

Re. marshalling that's pretty much my plan. Hoping to volunteer at a few events and would eventually like to navigate for someone for a while before I get my own car.

[Lily the Pink]

As said, Southsea MC is active in 12-cars, etc - and I think they used to do the Funky Elephant rally (?) Also Blackpalfrey MC over in Kent and Bognor Regis do tours and/or 12-cars. A bit further afield, Devizes and District use Salisbury Plain and surrounding roads. Salisbury and Shaftesbury MC sometimes use Worthy Farm, while The Road Rally Register does the infamous Carpetbagger further west in Dorset, though every year is "the last year they'll do it".

[Quattro Formigine]

indiatango said:

Only problem now is that I've had to move to chichester for work and I can't find a whiff of any kind of rallying down here!
!

Your research was feeble , as has already been posted ,a rally has taken place annually at Goodwood , literally on your

doorstep for quite a few years , Covid excepting .

I have travelled down from not too far away to see it a number of times .

FYI Southerners do like rallying ,we just have to travel a bit to see it .

[chrisr29]

Quattro Formigine said:

indiatango said:

Only problem now is that I've had to move to chichester for work and I can't find a whiff of any kind of rallying down here!
!

Your research was feeble , as has already been posted ,a rally has taken place annually at Goodwood , literally on your

doorstep for quite a few years , Covid excepting .

I have travelled down from not too far away to see it a number of times .

FYI Southerners do like rallying ,we just have to travel a bit to see it .

It’s on the circuit though, not exactly forrest stages.

[indiatango]

chrisr29 said:

It’s on the circuit though, not exactly forrest stages.

Was actually there today! There's a forest stage apart from the main circuit which was the main reason I went. Some really cool cars including varous escorts and a metro 6R4.

Goodwood was actually the only one I'd heard of when I posted. My initial post was a bit vague but I was really thinking of more amatuer stuff (unlikely i'll be rallying at goodwood anytime soon I suspect). Where I used to live there was a cluster of rally schools nearby so plenty of places to get tuition and practise but by the time everything reopened I was down here and had to drive a long way to do my bars.

Going to contact some of the clubs people have listed and see what happens.

P.S I've got a MK3 Golf gti in the garage with an almost-finished-rebuilding engine. I was going to use it as my everyday car (they're actually much nicer cars than a lot of people make out in my opinion, and cheap..) but now debating whether to look at prepping it and using as my first rally car... Would be interested in opinions!

[Lily the Pink]

indiatango said:

Where I used to live there was a cluster of rally schools nearby so plenty of places to get tuition and practise but by the time everything reopened I was down here and had to drive a long way to do my bars.

You need to decide whether you want to do road or stage rallying, moderns or historics. For road you don't need a BARS test; in fact you can do lots of events with just a (free) MSA Clubmans licence.