RAC Rally 2nd-5th Dec
Discussion
Well it's just 3 weeks away,
http://www.rogeralbertclarkrally.org/
Who else is making a weekend of it?
http://www.rogeralbertclarkrally.org/
Who else is making a weekend of it?
might be servicing on one of the sub rallies if the car is ready, otherwise plan to take in a few stages and certainally croft as its 5mins from my house! just hope the weather isn't quite as extreme as last year
took those in the woodyard about 11.00pm on the first night last year, a trip that should have taken about an hour to get home took 4 with the subaru visiting a snow bank enroute!
took those in the woodyard about 11.00pm on the first night last year, a trip that should have taken about an hour to get home took 4 with the subaru visiting a snow bank enroute!
TXWRX said:
just hope the weather isn't quite as extreme as last year
I ended up in a pub near Kielder Sun night, close to Mondays stages only for them to be cancelled, had a good night in the pub though. Darlonick said:
I might try and make the Croft stages!
Has anyone been to the Croft stages before? Is it a good place to catch some of the action?!
Cheers,
Nick
There's a service area before the cars enter the stage and the stages are usually two laps of the circuit, so you end up with a few cars on stage at once, plenty of viewing areas and easy parking.Has anyone been to the Croft stages before? Is it a good place to catch some of the action?!
Cheers,
Nick
Its brilliant Danny.
I missed the RAC last year - we were heading up towards pickering when we got turned around by the police. Bear in mind I was in an MX5. We got very, very stuck at some points, andcoming down some of the hills on the A64 was very sketchy!
Anyway - I have looked at the timetable as yet, but I'd suggest that if you can get up to the Pickering service park on Friday evening (?) then its hte most spectator friendly - you can wander round the cars being and trucks, watch the mechanics at work, get some good photos. See the cars pass through the first time control, then there's a short stage round the edge of the grounds, so you get lots of action, noise, up nice and close, in the dark. Flames, screaming engines, flying mud, brilliant. If its snowing it would be particularly wonderful - if you can get there!
Otherwise you can also try get onto some of the forest stages, (again, not checked yet) but I imagine Dalby, Langdale, and then later Keilder will all feature.
This basically involves parking up on a fire road, walking for miles following other enthusiasts wearing bobble hats, and then perching in the bracken somewhere. But the sound of the BDA's coming from the distance, the squealing brakes, the smell, its absolutely ace. You can get nice and close, get a good view, and some stages have well designed sections (like Dalby woodyard) where you can watch the cars appear, negotiate some hairpins, and then dissapear.
Take Good walking boots, lots of good clothing, hats, gloves etc. If its late take a torch. You'll find many people take stoves, fold up chairs, flasks etc.
Watching rallies is brilliant, Its been too long since I've done it, so I've firmly written this in my diary.
Looking at the spectator info - their using duncombe not pickering as the base. A good plan for you (as you live near me I recall?) might be Duncombe Friday night, then Langdale 1 on Saturday morning, then up to Croft at lunchtime.
I missed the RAC last year - we were heading up towards pickering when we got turned around by the police. Bear in mind I was in an MX5. We got very, very stuck at some points, andcoming down some of the hills on the A64 was very sketchy!
Anyway - I have looked at the timetable as yet, but I'd suggest that if you can get up to the Pickering service park on Friday evening (?) then its hte most spectator friendly - you can wander round the cars being and trucks, watch the mechanics at work, get some good photos. See the cars pass through the first time control, then there's a short stage round the edge of the grounds, so you get lots of action, noise, up nice and close, in the dark. Flames, screaming engines, flying mud, brilliant. If its snowing it would be particularly wonderful - if you can get there!
Otherwise you can also try get onto some of the forest stages, (again, not checked yet) but I imagine Dalby, Langdale, and then later Keilder will all feature.
This basically involves parking up on a fire road, walking for miles following other enthusiasts wearing bobble hats, and then perching in the bracken somewhere. But the sound of the BDA's coming from the distance, the squealing brakes, the smell, its absolutely ace. You can get nice and close, get a good view, and some stages have well designed sections (like Dalby woodyard) where you can watch the cars appear, negotiate some hairpins, and then dissapear.
Take Good walking boots, lots of good clothing, hats, gloves etc. If its late take a torch. You'll find many people take stoves, fold up chairs, flasks etc.
Watching rallies is brilliant, Its been too long since I've done it, so I've firmly written this in my diary.
Looking at the spectator info - their using duncombe not pickering as the base. A good plan for you (as you live near me I recall?) might be Duncombe Friday night, then Langdale 1 on Saturday morning, then up to Croft at lunchtime.
Edited by snotrag on Tuesday 15th November 18:25
Hope I can make it this year, I've managed to catch at least one stage every year - including nearly getting squished by a crashing Escort at Olivers Mount a few years ago.
Snotrag - you need winter tyres mate, my RX8 made it where Imprezas feared to tread last year
IMG_3049_ by giveitfish, on Flickr
Snotrag - you need winter tyres mate, my RX8 made it where Imprezas feared to tread last year
IMG_3049_ by giveitfish, on Flickr
moribund said:
Snotrag - you need winter tyres mate, my RX8 made it where Imprezas feared to tread last year
ISTR that at the time, I'd actually got some tyres on backorder, but they'd not been fitted yet. With them, I'm sure I would have made it.This year, due to job situation (recent redundancy, lack of funds, not needing to drive my cardaily) I've not been able to bother with winters - pity, cos an MX5 with std height suspension, LSD, and winters makes a wonderful rally car!
Anyone have any maps of the Dalby stage? could you PM me pretty please as I don't usually venture that far south for rallying.
How are the marshals on the RAC? I stopped going to rallies a few years back when they introduced (or rather, started enforcing) 'spectator areas'
Is there any freedom here or are we all penned in with safety tape?
How are the marshals on the RAC? I stopped going to rallies a few years back when they introduced (or rather, started enforcing) 'spectator areas'
Is there any freedom here or are we all penned in with safety tape?Me too. I'm not quite sure what to expect at this Duncombe park, as I've never been.
I'd hope thered be good access to the cars and viewing as their was at Pickering.
Dalby Woodyard is good to spectate, as you get to see the cars for longer than if they were just passing you by as normally happens.
However - for photos - not so good. You will be stood on banking, higher up than the cars, probably with people, bales, and tapee between you.
Woodyard is here - you can see the forest roads all join up giving the opportunity for a few hairpins/chicanes.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=485898&y=...
However, if the stage runs along where it has done in the past, you can also spectate from around this area - http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=487370&y=...
accessed from the forst road running up house dale. This is more of classic - 'stick your camera right out in front of the cars' and 'peg it along the road between the whistles' type viewing.
I'd hope thered be good access to the cars and viewing as their was at Pickering.
Dalby Woodyard is good to spectate, as you get to see the cars for longer than if they were just passing you by as normally happens.
However - for photos - not so good. You will be stood on banking, higher up than the cars, probably with people, bales, and tapee between you.
Woodyard is here - you can see the forest roads all join up giving the opportunity for a few hairpins/chicanes.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=485898&y=...
However, if the stage runs along where it has done in the past, you can also spectate from around this area - http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=487370&y=...
accessed from the forst road running up house dale. This is more of classic - 'stick your camera right out in front of the cars' and 'peg it along the road between the whistles' type viewing.
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