Any WRC fans around here?

[Tony Beretta]

Hi all!
I was just wondering if there are any rally fans in the forum. I will be soon receiving my new cali, and I am planning my new adventures. One of them is attending to one of the two nordic rallys on the calendar. Either Finland in the summer or Sweden in the snowy winter.
My first thoughts are driving my cali to a nice spot before the road is closed and wild camp there.
Any of you have done this? Maybe some of our nordic members have any experience in that? Any tips would be welcome.

 

[BerndRos]

Yes, I follow all forms of motorsport.

Last I went to WRC Germany and this year WRC Portugal, both in the Cali. As you will be aware you need to plan carefully in respect of the scope of stages you can take in due to location, traffic, human density.

Never been to the Nordic ones.

 

[sidepod]

Distant memories of standing in a freezing Grizedale, marshalling on the RAC waiting for Hannu Mikolas Quattro.

Bring back Group 4 Escorts.

 

[Tony Beretta]

Happy to see these quick responses!
You are right BerndRos, you have to plan things carefully or you might spend the whole day running from one place to another and actually not seeing one pass by.
I have attended many of the Spanish national championship and three years ago I went to the Rally of Alsace to see the last rally of Sebastian Loeb as an official rally pilot. It was quite special since the rally passed by Loeb's village. Bad luck that he crashed.

 

[Loz]

Drove all over the place in the 80s following the old WRC loved the old Group B cars.
We used to sponsor a Group N Subaru and used to sponsor a welsh rally, have been driven round the stages in the Subaru, MAD!

 

[Tony Beretta]

Drive all over the place in the 80s following the old WRC loved the old Group B cars.
We used to sponsor a Group N Subaru and used to sponsor a welsh rally, have been driven round the stages in the Subaru, MAD!

Nice! Never seen one of those group B in live action but must be insane

 

[Loz]

Nice! Never seen one of those group B in live action but must be insane

Me and a mate used to Hire an Astra GTE and just caned it for 3 days and aimed to watch every other stage by leapfrogging the cars, driving along dark roads at 3am when suddenly a group B Quattro Sport would just blast past you like you were standing still. (still make the hairs stand up now just thinking about it!)

Have you watched the documentary "Rallying's craziest years?" http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01fcncc

 

[BerndRos]

Happy to see these quick responses!
You are right BerndRos, you have to plan things carefully or you might spend the whole day running from one place to another and actually not seeing one pass by.
I have attended many of the Spanish national championship and three years ago I went to the Rally of Alsace to see the last rally of Sebastian Loeb as an official rally pilot. It was quite special since the rally passed by Loeb's village. Bad luck that he crashed.

WRC Germany was easy and I was able to see 3 separate stages a day, some both runs through, so actually 4/5 stages a day. WRC Portugal a different story, as was only practical to see 1 stage a day, both runs through.

 

[larrylamb]

Nice! Never seen one of those group B in live action but must be insane

Watched Group B RAC rally at Trentham Gardens in the 80's. Loved the Metro 6R4 and Ford RS200.

 

[sidepod]

Group B cars were better watched when they retired into rallycross.

More memories of watching them at Croft.
Hard to accept what you're seeing standing level with the start line. Faster than F1 to 100mph.
Short wheelbase Quattro/RS200/Lancia Delta S4 three abreast into turn 1.

 

[larrylamb]

Rallycross on ITV sport, Sat afternoons. Those were the days. After Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks of course.

 

[sidepod]

Rallycross on ITV sport, Sat afternoons. Those were the days. After Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks of course.

Brilliant. Minis and 911's around Lydon Hill.

 

[Tony Beretta]

Yes Loz, those Quattro were amazing, even scary.
Havent seen the video. I take note.
Thanks

 

[Tony Beretta]

WRC Germany was easy and I was able to see 3 separate stages a day, some both runs through, so actually 4/5 stages a day. WRC Portugal a different story, as was only practical to see 1 stage a day, both runs through.

Bernd, I just checked for Germany 2017 and great news!! It will take place in Trier, 50 kms away from where I live. Quite sure I'll go.

 

[BerndRos]

Bernd, I just checked for Germany 2017 and great news!! It will take place in Trier, 50 kms away from where I live. Quite sure I'll go.

It has been based around Trier for many years. There is a permanent campsite that joins where they have the service park, although while the Rally was on I slept in the Cali out on the stages ready for an early start each morning.

 

[B J G]

Nostalgia here.

I remember watching the TR's, Healeys and Vauxhall VX4/90's, one of which broke it's rear axle and the Team were busy taking the axle off their support estate car to fix it. That was in the early 60's during the night in the Bin Forest in Aberdeenshire. How those low bodied cars ever got round still remains a mystery. There was the odd car planted in the trees for a day or so before recovery. No multi million budgets then.

RAC rally took in all of the UK not just a few quick sprints as now. Don't recall any pre Rally sorties either.

 

[Tony Beretta]

It has been based around Trier for many years. There is a permanent campsite that joins where they have the service park, although while the Rally was on I slept in the Cali out on the stages ready for an early start each morning.

Great to know. I live in a bubble here in Luxembourg...
Yes, that is what came to my at first. Sleeping in the cali in strategic spots.

 

[briwy]

It's just wussy nowadays compared with the old days. RAC Rally started Thursday, finished Sunday, couple of nights sleep only. Went all round the UK not just a bit of Wales.
Used to have a press pass and a mate in Ferodo Comps Dept who had all the OS map references for the stages. Got to know Wales, N Yorks, Keilder etc really well.
Some of the antics were a bit iffy though. Mikkola took a rear wheel off a Quatro in Knowsley Safari Park one year and I well remember them undertaking down the hard shoulder of the M62 to get back to service in Harrogate. We were doing about 85ish in the outside lane and he came past us like **** of a shovel.
It was brilliant when you got nutters entering things like Rollers, Lotus Sevens and Panthers.