What happened to rally?
Discussion
chunder27 said:
but Toyota? No link at all I can see.
I'd say Toyota have more of a link than Ford and Citroen do. At least you can buy a Yaris linked to the rally programme, there's no equivalent Fiesta or C3. I see these posts have been consigned to the rallying thread now so nobody will see them other than the 5 or 6 folk on here that still know rallying exists.
Rallying is a shadow of what it once was. I gave up watching when 'Rally GB' stopped being a 4 (5?) day long test of endurance, with mega early starts, long stages, late nights etc. - and aren't the rules really tight now over service stops? - you no longer get the likes of Jimmy McRae bashing his car straight with a hammer to make it to the next stage.
I suspect going back to longer events might work in this age of social media and streaming video. Have a few days to build up a story and then get people to tune in for the last couple of days over a weekend to see the conclusion.
Rallying (like American football) is a sport that works better in highlight form than watching live.
Rallying (like American football) is a sport that works better in highlight form than watching live.
One thing that constantly puzzles me about Pistonheads is that when Rallying is mentioned it automatically ends up with a series of people moaning about WRC and how it’s not as good as it was.
That may well be true and the arguments keep being churned over time and time again, but what seems to be totally missed by 95% of posters is that WRC is only one aspect of Rallying and in the UK it is just 1 event.
There are still hundreds of Rally events in the UK, and in some areas like Targa Rallying for instance it’s thriving. It’s also probably the easiest and cheapest form of motorsport there is for a beginner on a low budget to get into.
If you talk about circuit racing, do you only think of the F1 world championship?
I’ve also never quite understood why Rallying doesn’t have its own forum section too, if they can find space in the titles for an obscure single marque circuit racing series, you would think a whole sub branch of British motorsport ought to merit its own slot somewhere on here.
That may well be true and the arguments keep being churned over time and time again, but what seems to be totally missed by 95% of posters is that WRC is only one aspect of Rallying and in the UK it is just 1 event.
There are still hundreds of Rally events in the UK, and in some areas like Targa Rallying for instance it’s thriving. It’s also probably the easiest and cheapest form of motorsport there is for a beginner on a low budget to get into.
If you talk about circuit racing, do you only think of the F1 world championship?
I’ve also never quite understood why Rallying doesn’t have its own forum section too, if they can find space in the titles for an obscure single marque circuit racing series, you would think a whole sub branch of British motorsport ought to merit its own slot somewhere on here.
Love it when rallying comes up on this forum!
Rallying is still going strong and is evolving slowly. You can still watch wrc on Channel 5, bt sports and wrc live. Special stage has a YouTube channel, erc on eurosport and probably more!
There is more to rallying than the wrc, every weekend there are road rallys, taga rallys and stage rallys going on.
Hyundai seams to be the only one linking there road cars to there rally cars unfortunately, Ford don't as m-sport are a private team really.
I love rallying and started doing 12 cars and road rallys as a teenager and have moved up to doing stage rallys (but taken a few years off recently to build a new car). We as a sport need new blood at grass routes but I think that's the case in a lot of sports.
There is nothing like the rush of driving at speed down closed roads on a night (especially on Mull)
Rallying is still going strong and is evolving slowly. You can still watch wrc on Channel 5, bt sports and wrc live. Special stage has a YouTube channel, erc on eurosport and probably more!
There is more to rallying than the wrc, every weekend there are road rallys, taga rallys and stage rallys going on.
Hyundai seams to be the only one linking there road cars to there rally cars unfortunately, Ford don't as m-sport are a private team really.
I love rallying and started doing 12 cars and road rallys as a teenager and have moved up to doing stage rallys (but taken a few years off recently to build a new car). We as a sport need new blood at grass routes but I think that's the case in a lot of sports.
There is nothing like the rush of driving at speed down closed roads on a night (especially on Mull)
Many years ago done some marshalling up our forestry’s in the valleys ,driving to your station in the small hours and donning your glow vest and whistle,remember being on a corner watching Colin setting the focus up ,fking great,and the exhaust glowing red on Tommy’s evo ,if you blinked you missed them so quick it’s unreal
There are reasons why rallying is doing well, there are also reasons why for fans it has been utterly ruined in some ways. the same old folk will trot out the same reasons, defend it to the hilt, call me an idiot for saying it, but for spectators the experience has been ruined, and only really in this country. We all know why, not worth repeating, but it has an affect.
Rally Wales sees no issue, one off event, and on forest events I think you can still have some freedom, but for a lot of lower level rallying the over reaction to events has meant lots of people either don't go or don't go as much.
We still enjoy it, but the enjoyment has been tainted.
Plusses, are it is still popular, Palmer is putting on events that are popular, closed roads seem to be really making a comeback. And the forests are not out of bounds juts yet, in the popular areas, only in some.
Rally Wales sees no issue, one off event, and on forest events I think you can still have some freedom, but for a lot of lower level rallying the over reaction to events has meant lots of people either don't go or don't go as much.
We still enjoy it, but the enjoyment has been tainted.
Plusses, are it is still popular, Palmer is putting on events that are popular, closed roads seem to be really making a comeback. And the forests are not out of bounds juts yet, in the popular areas, only in some.
What happened to rally? It became the fastest and possibly the most competitive it has ever been!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP9QpcqzSns
Who cares if the cars are effectively prototypes, when they can do this!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP9QpcqzSns
Who cares if the cars are effectively prototypes, when they can do this!!
chunder27 said:
There are reasons why rallying is doing well, there are also reasons why for fans it has been utterly ruined in some ways. the same old folk will trot out the same reasons, defend it to the hilt, call me an idiot for saying it, but for spectators the experience has been ruined, and only really in this country. We all know why, not worth repeating, but it has an affect.
Rally Wales sees no issue, one off event, and on forest events I think you can still have some freedom, but for a lot of lower level rallying the over reaction to events has meant lots of people either don't go or don't go as much.
We still enjoy it, but the enjoyment has been tainted.
Plusses, are it is still popular, Palmer is putting on events that are popular, closed roads seem to be really making a comeback. And the forests are not out of bounds juts yet, in the popular areas, only in some.
Can you never stop your pathetic dribble.Rally Wales sees no issue, one off event, and on forest events I think you can still have some freedom, but for a lot of lower level rallying the over reaction to events has meant lots of people either don't go or don't go as much.
We still enjoy it, but the enjoyment has been tainted.
Plusses, are it is still popular, Palmer is putting on events that are popular, closed roads seem to be really making a comeback. And the forests are not out of bounds juts yet, in the popular areas, only in some.
When this has been discussed before you struggle to come up with specifics, you just trot out the same old cr@p.
You can't accept the simple fact that rallying in this country had to change or it wouldn't have continued.
Just maybe your attitude would change if you had been through what I (and lots of others) went through at, and following the Jim Clark rally in 2014.
And the same old person feels the need to convince me I am wrong or have a bad opinion.
Sorry chap I will always disagree with you, I think when you read the actually court report a lot of what is in there attaches the blame very squarely at those who passed away. That is how I read it.
the fatality at the other event was very different.
And please remember these were accidents, they were avoidable yes, but so are thousands of accidents every day on roads, yet for these two the sport was changed beyond recognition for spectators, and only here, nowhere else in the world where similar accidents have occurred.
You might find that necessary and fine, I find it over reactionary and really rather sad. It is that simple and it will always be my reaction to a general discussion about rallying as this is.
There is still great stuff going on, but club rallying is let's be honest now a total competitor sport, if you do want to watch, you either break rules and risk events being stopped or attend utterly neutered down circuit events that are pretty much time trials where cars rarely even get into top gear. Or in my case travel hundreds of miles, something I am not prepared to do all year round.
There is good rallying around in parts of the country still, and the return of closed roads is a massive boost, especially in England. But for local events, if you live far away from the easier travel centres of this sport, rallying for spectator has been forever ruined. That is a fact.
Sorry chap I will always disagree with you, I think when you read the actually court report a lot of what is in there attaches the blame very squarely at those who passed away. That is how I read it.
the fatality at the other event was very different.
And please remember these were accidents, they were avoidable yes, but so are thousands of accidents every day on roads, yet for these two the sport was changed beyond recognition for spectators, and only here, nowhere else in the world where similar accidents have occurred.
You might find that necessary and fine, I find it over reactionary and really rather sad. It is that simple and it will always be my reaction to a general discussion about rallying as this is.
There is still great stuff going on, but club rallying is let's be honest now a total competitor sport, if you do want to watch, you either break rules and risk events being stopped or attend utterly neutered down circuit events that are pretty much time trials where cars rarely even get into top gear. Or in my case travel hundreds of miles, something I am not prepared to do all year round.
There is good rallying around in parts of the country still, and the return of closed roads is a massive boost, especially in England. But for local events, if you live far away from the easier travel centres of this sport, rallying for spectator has been forever ruined. That is a fact.
df76 said:
MC Bodge said:
Same here. It seemed like a big event that covered many areas of the country.
"Rally Report" was presented by the then Top Gear team, with a great theme tune (Duel by Propaganda).
I once went to a very snowy Kielder to watch. Very few cars were left in the event and the ones that were trundled past.
You can watch every WRC stage live on BT Sport now. Channel 5 do a decent highlights show. One stage from every round is free and live on Red Bull TV as well. Highlights of all British, Irish and Belgian rallies on my Freesat tv. You can watch live ERC on the web from every round, plus catch up / highlights on Eurosport."Rally Report" was presented by the then Top Gear team, with a great theme tune (Duel by Propaganda).
I once went to a very snowy Kielder to watch. Very few cars were left in the event and the ones that were trundled past.
It's all there if you want it and much better than before, just won't be on BBC.
DoubleD said:
Daston said:
DoubleD said:
There are plenty of bigger hot hatches sold, so im not so sure about that.
Sorry I mean over an Evo/Subaru and all the other exciting rally stuff of yesteryearvelocemitch said:
One thing that constantly puzzles me about Pistonheads is that when Rallying is mentioned it automatically ends up with a series of people moaning about WRC and how it’s not as good as it was.
That may well be true and the arguments keep being churned over time and time again, but what seems to be totally missed by 95% of posters is that WRC is only one aspect of Rallying and in the UK it is just 1 event.
There are still hundreds of Rally events in the UK, and in some areas like Targa Rallying for instance it’s thriving. It’s also probably the easiest and cheapest form of motorsport there is for a beginner on a low budget to get into.
If you talk about circuit racing, do you only think of the F1 world championship?
I’ve also never quite understood why Rallying doesn’t have its own forum section too, if they can find space in the titles for an obscure single marque circuit racing series, you would think a whole sub branch of British motorsport ought to merit its own slot somewhere on here.
The trouble is. What other rally events are televised? And anything not WRC are just cars modded in peoples garages. That may well be true and the arguments keep being churned over time and time again, but what seems to be totally missed by 95% of posters is that WRC is only one aspect of Rallying and in the UK it is just 1 event.
There are still hundreds of Rally events in the UK, and in some areas like Targa Rallying for instance it’s thriving. It’s also probably the easiest and cheapest form of motorsport there is for a beginner on a low budget to get into.
If you talk about circuit racing, do you only think of the F1 world championship?
I’ve also never quite understood why Rallying doesn’t have its own forum section too, if they can find space in the titles for an obscure single marque circuit racing series, you would think a whole sub branch of British motorsport ought to merit its own slot somewhere on here.
I agree they are cool. I usually attend Rally Day and a few of the tarmac circuit rally series (MSN). But it isn’t quite the same thing and doesn’t spawn road going rally cars from the car makers.
300bhp/ton said:
The trouble is. What other rally events are televised? And anything not WRC are just cars modded in peoples garages.
The ERC, Irish, British and Belgian rallies are all televised in one form or another, and freely available. The standard is significantly higher than your post suggests.df I would agree fully,.
I do not watch much british ralying, mainly coz it is not really that interesting to me sadly.
I watch loads of stuff from Germany, France, Belgium, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Spain, Italy. And Ireland. More variety, great to catch up new talent, and the stages are so much nicer and better than ours.
Probably just a change is good I think
I do not watch much british ralying, mainly coz it is not really that interesting to me sadly.
I watch loads of stuff from Germany, France, Belgium, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Spain, Italy. And Ireland. More variety, great to catch up new talent, and the stages are so much nicer and better than ours.
Probably just a change is good I think
chunder27 said:
df I would agree fully,.
I do not watch much british ralying, mainly coz it is not really that interesting to me sadly.
I watch loads of stuff from Germany, France, Belgium, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Spain, Italy. And Ireland. More variety, great to catch up new talent, and the stages are so much nicer and better than ours.
Probably just a change is good I think
So you freely admit you don't watch much British rallying, but still moan about access. I do not watch much british ralying, mainly coz it is not really that interesting to me sadly.
I watch loads of stuff from Germany, France, Belgium, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Spain, Italy. And Ireland. More variety, great to catch up new talent, and the stages are so much nicer and better than ours.
Probably just a change is good I think
Access that you aren't interested in.
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