The 2017 Rallying thread

[anonymous-user]

Ranger 6 said:

Thanks

Yes, the spectator 'pens' are what rallies are expected to do now. Certainly from experience the Trackrod and Wyedean had designated spectator areas and no information about the rest. As you say, it's the knowledgable ones who know the previous routes and go in where they can.

I went to the Grampian Stages and to be fair it was rubbish.

Being stuck in a pen area might be safe but it ruins the rally experience.

Yes it is obviously a huge concern that spectators have been killed but I have been attending events for 22 years and not even come across a difficult incident.

Unfortunately the actions of a stupid few are killing the sport we love.

I can only see things getting worse in the future if anything else happens.

[anonymous-user]

Allyc85 said:

Ogier and Evans confirmed as the main drivers at M-Sport next season. Great news!

https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/ogier-stays-ev...

Fantastic news.

To be fair I thought he was off to Citroen but clearly he loves working with Malcolm Wilson.

Great result.

Perhaps now he is not heading to Citroen, Loeb might be tempted to do more events.

[lucido grigio]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Perhaps now he is not heading to Citroen, Loeb might be tempted to do more events.

Not sure it's Loeb's choice on how many events he does ,confirmed he's not doing Monte which would be his specialist

event.

[Alex Langheck]

https://www.motorsport-news.co.uk/news/rallying-ne...

Really?? I do despair at some of the thinking in the WRC...

[Jerry Can]

Alex Langheck said:

https://www.motorsport-news.co.uk/news/rallying-ne...

Really?? I do despair at some of the thinking in the WRC...

yep utter bks. I guess the FIA are getting heat from the promotors, who in turn are getting heat from the manufacturers regarding hospitality. The VIP's need to don the rally jackets and welly boots and have a days orienteering in the forests - team building and prawn sandwiches whats not to like?

My ideal ( real world RAC) would be start Thursday pm, 80- 100 miles of stages finishing 2 am.
Friday, start lunch time, 100 miles stages, finish 10 pm
Saturday, spectator stages, start and end at Cholmondeley but tour the midlands like in the 80's, 40 miles of stages 9 am 6 pm
Sunday 4 stages, inc powerstage, maybe 60 miles done by lunchtime. So not quite on message...

[Ranger 6]

Jerry Can said:

....My ideal ( real world RAC) would be start Thursday pm, 80- 100 miles of stages finishing 2 am.
Friday, start lunch time, 100 miles stages, finish 10 pm
Saturday, spectator stages, start and end at Cholmondeley but tour the midlands like in the 80's, 40 miles of stages 9 am 6 pm
Sunday 4 stages, inc powerstage, maybe 60 miles done by lunchtime. So not quite on message...

OK - in principle, I agree with what you're saying, but which stages then?

Try doing Andrew Kellitt's job and put a route together which has 25% of the total as competitive mileage. Then factor in the restrictions of forestry diseases and where to put the service area, team accommodation etc.

My understanding is the route for this year's event would've satisfied that requirement - except the location of the service area added the extra mileage. If the road mileage is the only criticism then I think they did a good job!

[FiF]

Guess the FIA are a candidate for the "Turning good customers into product haters" thread.

[Allyc85]

After a brilliant season they just had to come out with some utter ste like that, unreal!

[Jerry Can]

rumours are circulating that a certain fat belgian is no longer in charge.....

[Skylinecrazy]

Why are people moaning about spectator pens? Just get there early and walk into the stage as per usual... Marshals won't stop You, just make sure you're in place before the spectator safety car comes by.

Never had an issue and had a great day spectating on the Grizedale today.

If It keeps the uneducated and trouble makers in a pen that's fine by me.

[ArnageWRC]

Problem is some events are more strict than others, allowing you to roam or not. You'll only know when you get there - if you've travelled 2-3 hours and find you're in a 'pen/ viewing area' for the day, it doesn't make for a great day's spectating. Which is why I've cut down on my number of events.

[Allyc85]

Volume up to 11 chaps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ofn7JXQbZg

Jerry Can said:

rumours are circulating that a certain fat belgian is no longer in charge.....

I wouldn't be surprised, his man management skills certainly seem "different" to the others! Would love to have been a fly on the wall in the Citroen debrief in Australia, after his public falling out with Kris Meeke!

[chunder27]

There are a lot of events where if you do try get there early to avoid the pens and the safety cars sees you, they will stop the event which might mean a stage cancellation or even an event being delayed to find you and get rid of you. That would be extremely selfish

[Allyc85]

Which events in particular?

[Drumroll]

Chunder27 you still keep talking b)llocks please be specific when you say things like "there are a lot of events" As I have said to you on several occasions on no event I have done this year have spectators been banned,or been forced "into pens" We did have an issue on one stage on the Grizedale stages on Saturday but that was resolved.

The most annoying thing was a spectator being abusive to a marshal and that is not acceptable in any circumstances.

Last time this came up you admitted you where talking about single venue events, but wouldn't be specific when I invited you to name events.

[Skylinecrazy]

ArnageWRC said:

Problem is some events are more strict than others, allowing you to roam or not. You'll only know when you get there - if you've travelled 2-3 hours and find you're in a 'pen/ viewing area' for the day, it doesn't make for a great day's spectating. Which is why I've cut down on my number of events.

Which event have you been forced into a pen? I'm always about an hour or so before the stage starts and have never been forced anywhere...

[Allyc85]

Some pictures from the Wyedean Stages after I finally got around to sorting them out!

Wyedean Stages Rally 2017 by Alastair Cummins, on Flickr

Wyedean Stages Rally 2017 by Alastair Cummins, on Flickr

Wyedean Stages Rally 2017 by Alastair Cummins, on Flickr

Wyedean Stages Rally 2017 by Alastair Cummins, on Flickr

Wyedean Stages Rally 2017 by Alastair Cummins, on Flickr

[epom]

Fab pics, the Mini really looks on it

[GravelBen]

Good stuff

[RyanTank]

some cracking pics there Ally. The mini ones don't help at all towards subsiding the itch to have one.

With regards to Speccy Pens on an event. All the ones I've done this year I've never forced anyone to stay in a pen despite being "Pen only events". But I guess it also comes down to the marshals and organisers around those pens having a bit of common sense too.

Even on single venue events where it was deemed Non Spectator areas, Go Kart Track at Pembrey if anyone knows it, there was realistically nothing the organisers were able to do to actually keep them away except cancel the event. they took the right decision and everyone that did go down behaved exemplary.

I think the problem facing organising teams at the moment is that they are having to cater for the newer, sometimes stupider, spectators and have had to include the experienced and seasoned speccys in with them. Something that is pissing a lot of and rightly so, but it isn't changing anytime soon. This isn't to say that some of the experienced spectators aren't doing their bit to contribute to the issue.
I've heard more "I've been doing this over 40 years/since before you were born, so what the fk do you know" this year than any other, might even have responded on occasion with, " i have the safety manual for this section and it says you shouldn't stand there, but if you want to go ahead and be the reason I tell all these nice spectators on the right side that you alone are the reason they've walked an hour through the forest to not see some cars come by, then go ahead and ask me what the fk I know again while the approaching safety car stops and ask you exactly the same thing". Or my more bluntly " if you want to keep watching for the next 40 years you'll fk off to the other side and not be in the contact zone on the outside of this fast bend".
Its all about diplomacy