End of season rallies

As per previous post in September about closed road rallies, Mull Rally last month was completed with few problems, many mechanical casualties, but no major crew issues.

Jim Clark Rally last weekend was compromised by the weather, only 1 of the 3 planned stages ran on Friday afternoon, the Safety Delegate decided that too much water running over stages 2 & 3 at Langton presented an unacceptable risk & the stage was cancelled.

A hard overnight frost made the Saturday morning stages very challenging, but as no further rain fell, the Langton stage ran successfully. The longest stage of the day at Abbey St Bathans ran well, very slippery in low lying areas, but as the morning progressed, the cars cleared lots of the standing water, but a few were caught out on blind bends & brows.

This coming week features the Roger Albert Clark Rally, starting from Leominster on Thursday, various stages in Wales on Thursday & Friday, then an overnight trek to Carlisle base. Saturday has some fantastic stages, I'll be on Harwood near Rothbury in north Northumberland, a real cracker at 12 miles in length, spectator areas & parking available from the website.

Sunday, crews head further west for some of the best stages in Dumfries & Galloway, the real classics.

Monday morning & they're back east in the Kielder complex, a couple of crackers to round off the event. Bewshaugh at 18 miles is a real sting in the tail, stage run as SS30 & SS32, 3rd last & final stage respectively. 

By then, the original entry of 145 will have been whittled down, that's for sure.

How many make it that far remains to be seen, but the crews will have had an epic journey.

One of the most enjoyable sights of this rally is to see a re-run of the 70s & 80s. A Transit parked in a farm gate, trolley jack, a pile of tyres, couple of jerry cans of fuel ready for the off. A couple of blokes in woolly hats (jaggy bunnets up here) & overalls sipping coffee & chewing on a cold bacon roll, waiting to render assistance. Those were the days & will be again pretty soon.

Anyone fancying a bit of nostalgia, check the website for details of spectator areas, you won't regret it, I guarantee.

Here's a genuine 70s, one of mine.  Can anyone guess who it is & where I took it? No prize other than a pat on the back.