Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience's with attending Wales Rally GB ?

I've decided to go down and watch this years, in the past have done Rally Spain, and Rally Finland.

Have the literature come through which shows the car parks and brief picture of the area near by.

Any thing I should look out for with regards stages? parking? General Tips?

I know from watching the highlights of past rallies, I remember Marcus Gronholm in the Pug 307 trying to get back to service with 3 wheels left on the pug. Mr Welsh Policeman stopped him and wouldn't let him go any further, and Marcus saying I can get back don't worry.

Are the welsh police **** hot on traffic rules when the rally is on???

Any help / tips would be most appreciated

Is their many other Skoda owners going down?

Regards to all

WatfordBrian

I remember Marcus Gronholm in the Pug 307 trying to get back to service with 3 wheels left on the pug. Mr Welsh Policeman stopped him and wouldn't let him go any further, and Marcus saying I can get back don't worry.

That was very funny...Gronholm" you don't understand but yes I can drive on it...." :rofl:

Are the welsh police **** hot on traffic rules when the rally is on???

Yep, watch your speed!

I'll probably be going - only missed 1 in the last 15 years or so. Obviously, it's not as good as it used to be, but it's the one chance a year to see the top boys in the UK (okay Wales)

I'm going to be there but doubt I'll see much action from the service park which is where I'll be.

Hopefully i will be going, but my other half and me are expecting our first little one around the end of november, so we will have to see when it pops out

Thursdays (Shakedown) and fridays are best for the action as you get a full field and everyone except the die hards is in work, this year however some of the stages are mid Wales (Sweet Lamb etc) which is one hell of a trek.

Some of the best stages are probably Rheola, Resolven and the Arena as you can walk to them and if you know where to go you can get in without having to pay the awful prices. If you want to park in the public, you will need to get there early, like 4am early to get a good spot and then you just get the general crowds who will just stand in your way despite the fact you have been there all night.

The service area if in the waterfront is good and all you have to do is time it right to get 2 stages and the final service session in to make a really good day.

BTW it is usually quite cold and has a tendency to get dark whilst out so prepare yourself.

Edited 21 October, 200817 yr by Decron

I'm just going to spend one day at my mates flat in the Marina which overlooks the proposed Service Area. Nice and warm haha

South Wales police set up a speed trap at the exit of one of the service areas and booked several of the rally drivers a few years ago.They also have a very high profile during the event on all the stage to stage roads, sweet lamb and other stages mean that mid and north wales are involved and probably every mobile scamera van will be out.

Thanks guy's for the information on stages and bits especially Decron:orb_cool:

George hope everything goes well for you and the other half for the birth:cheers:

I will take it on board, at the moment I think i'm going to be speed restricted from the minute I cross over the A34 Junction on the M4. Got done on a bridge by a friendly scamera van from Wiltshire police between 16/17 westbound, the annoying thing was I saw him and reacted to it and the git got me half way from my manovers. I hold my hands up was over the 70mph limit :orb_angry. 1st time in 11years clean driving.

Thank god for Cruise Control for the duration of my time in Wales, think it'll be the safest option. :woohoo:

Anyone got any idea in driving time/distance for Methyr to the Mid Wales Stages? I guess that I'm going to be leaving at 0'dark hundred hours to get up their at a reasonable time.:confused:

Regards to all

WatfordBrian

Well I think that Sweetlamb opens at 20:00 on Thursday night, Hafren at Midnight - I reckon about 2 hours taking it easy to get to there from Merthyr - could even be less, but watch out for Heddlu/Police!!

As has been said, watch out for the speed cameras, otherwise, get to the stages early otherwise you will walk miles to reach the stage from where you park!!

A great place to view from is the quarry on Halfway, if they are using the stage this year.... you can sit on the quarry side and watch the cars climb up round the base of the quarry below you

George hope everything goes well for you and the other half for the birth:cheers:

Regards to all

WatfordBrian

Cheers buddy. I hope the little one has popped out by then.

I have only missed 5 rally,s in the last 25 years, so hopefully i will be able to make this one:)

Maybe take the little one (start them young)

Hello all.

I'm going with three other mates to Special stage on saturday then the remaining stages on sunday. Does anyone know what goes on in the evenings if you stay there? Also, can you camp anywhere? (not on the road of course), or do you have to find a propper camp site? I've never been before and i can't find any info on wrc website.

If you get there the night before, you can sleep in the car. Some people will try and camp, some people use transit vans and sleep in the back of them.

A lot of people drink, have a BBQ and set off fireworks!!

Four lads sleeping in a Fabia VRS doesn't sound fun to me. Will hopefully be able to set up camp near one of the sunday stages then. Do they send you a map with the tickets so show how to get to the stages? As i'm sure satnav will be rubbish at finding anything in Wales. Drink, BBQ, and fireworks all sound good.

This will be my 10th rally gb. My advice is :

There will be police everywhere.

One year they were on every bridge above the m4 from J30 to J49. :thumbdwn:

The Mid Wales stages are about 2 hrs depending on weather and how you choose to drive from Cardiff. The sweet lamb bowl should be really special.

As said by others you need to be there very early.:eek:

AndyRAC Re: 2008 Wales Rally GB

If you get there the night before, you can sleep in the car. Some people will try and camp, some people use transit vans and sleep in the back of them.

A lot of people drink, have a BBQ and set off fireworks!!

.

The man in a van is the best way to do it. You can cook in the back of the van, carry loads of fireworks and loads of space to sleep. But highly recommend put a carpet in the back first.

Other than that go it ruff and sleep in you car, you'll love the experience. and you have less walking to do.

Elvis

Sweet lamb and Hafren !!!

My god the FIA will get a nose bleed going that far north

Just aint the same as good old Kielder or Ae

(no offence to the welsh brothers)

as a Vet of many a freezing night in a Transit Van From 1993 to 1999

Whatch out for the condensation on the inside of the van roof

Make sure you take some decent waterproof footwear. Nothing worse than standing in a stage for hours with wet feet after sinking into a stream/ditch/bog. Yes, I speak from experience, lol.

Make sure you take some decent waterproof footwear. Nothing worse than standing in a stage for hours with wet feet after sinking into a stream/ditch/bog. Yes, I speak from experience, lol.

that sounds so familiar

Wales Rally GB : Organisers of Wales Rally GB have cancelled the event's first stage

Just seen announcement that the first stage is cancelled due to ice. Surely rallying is about driving against the clock over challenging terrain in challenging conditions.

To cancel due to ice seems a bit ridiculous. Can't see rally Monte Carlo being cancelled cause of ice can you!!

Look at the old RAC rally days driving the length and breadth of the country for a week, little sleep, fog, ice, snow and in cars without the electronic gizmos of today.

I could be wrong but due to tyre restrictions they may all have the completely wrong type and it would be dangerous to run.

Wales Rally GB : Organisers of Wales Rally GB have cancelled the event's first stage

Just seen announcement that the first stage is cancelled due to ice. Surely rallying is about driving against the clock over challenging terrain in challenging conditions.

To cancel due to ice seems a bit ridiculous. Can't see rally Monte Carlo being cancelled cause of ice can you!!

Look at the old RAC rally days driving the length and breadth of the country for a week, little sleep, fog, ice, snow and in cars without the electronic gizmos of today.

You need to bear in mind that they only have control tyres and as such you can't add cuts or chose different compunds like the olden days.

Then add to that the fact that people, including Loeb who rolled his evo, went off during the recce (none competetive speeds don't forget).

You're not allowed gravel crews either anymore so don't as much up to the date information on the stages.

Hafren was run as a none competetive stage and was as icy as hell with many cars getting stuck on one of the uphill sections and even the recovery land rovers were struggling to tow them up.

Also remember that it's not just top end WRC cars in the event as their are many clubmen out too.

who are you kidding- "Recce, non competitive speeds"!. I remember Carlos Sainz's wrecked Celica lying in my local pub car park in Castle Douglas after reccying Glentrool perhaps in 1993.

I've just come back from the Galloway hills Rally. -4.5 this morning, we cancelled stage 1(icy ruts) but ran the 8 mile Dalbeattie stage twice as stage 1&2 instead of just once. Ground was frozen solid at least 3 nasty rolls and numerous minor offs.

It does seem pathetic but it's not the drivers or organisers at fault but the championship rules.

Whoever thought it was a good idea to run the same tyre in 35 degree heat on dry gravel on Acropolis as they do on freezing mud in Wales needs their head examining. Same goes for banning of tyre cutting and gravel crews.

Thankfully, days 2 and 3 of the rally were good with an exiting finish. Otherwise the event could have turned into a farce.