Motorsport News reports that Margam park has been dropped from Sunday afternoon due to t.v requirements.They say it is the ten mile stage that was origanally scheduled to be the penultimate stage of the rally.
Then in the next paragraph they say it was cancelled to accomadate the live final stage of the rally in Margam park.
They seem to have got mixed up somewhere as Margam is only down for one run on the sunday,can any one shed any light on this one?

I read that article too. There were supposed to be two Margam stages - check out the document Itinerary Draft 5.8 posted under the Competitors section of this web site. It shows "Margam Forest SS18" and "Margam Park SS19". I think it's cr@p that they've dropped the forest section to give the TV channel time to cover the final stage, which will be in Margam Park.

Still, I've ordered my event pass this week so I'm trying not to let it spoil the excitement!

So what will 2004 be like: No McRae? No Hyundai team? And weather so mild for Rally GB that I won't be able to wear my Subaru ski hat & scarf without roasting!!

Well if you are on an Event pass, then it doesn't affect you that much as you'll be at Rhondda on Sunday! To be honest Margam isn't the greatest, so if you had to drop a stage, I can think of worse.

TV is part of modern sport, if you don't have good coverage, then the sport will die. Yes its a shame, but they are doing it for a reason.

Chris

Agree with your comments about TV coverage Chris, and I definitely support more and better rallying exposure on TV. I just don't understand why they had to cancel the previous stage to achieve this? Surely they have the resources at their disposal?

The MN article also says that by doing this they have dropped below the minimum 400km FIA mileage requirement, although got a waiver to allow it to happen.

I suppose they call it progress?? :-)

Now your asking me to explain how the FIA works! I don't know!
I'm sure there is a grand plan. The idea being that the event is geared around a live television broadcast.

Chris

The viewing from Margam parks spectator pens was rubbish last year. Luckily we arrived really early and decided to walk about 5 miles up the stage (before it was live) and watched from between 2 sets of double hairpins on the side of a mountain. There were TV cameras there, some press and VIPS, and it was where the TV choppers were parked before the stage started. Awesome spot, I'm almost sad that we'll be at Rhonda this year!

Chris - I'm not asking how the FIA works! Does anyone know anyway? :-)

Just pointing out that I feel they have compromised the final day by reducing the number of stages and losing a 17km run through Margam Forest. If the rally is very close on the last day (and let's hope it is) then this would be a real tester.

As you say I'll be at Rhondda for Sunday. Not sure that I've been to this particular car park before, does anyone know what the spectating is like from car park U?

Rob.

Hey, I read it that on the saturday, Margam was two stages, the forest then a regroup then the park. But on the Sunday (If you read the competitors guide) it appears that the forest and park stages are combined (as they always were) to be one long stage. Might be wrong but looking at the milages it does seem that way.

After the poor viewing and forced car parks last year we're gonna avoid this time and hopefully head for Cardiff to meet Burnsy in a side street getting into a ford Ka with zoe again! A ford Ka I tell you!!

chris from kiddy...<<<me home town....hows it doing?.......as for burnsie....did he really get into a FORD KA.....maybe he is getting ready to retire and do the KA series......he,he