anyone who thought they were getting a real rally, well organised, this year, read the following - and try to remember that this wasn't the halycon days of motorsport - we're talking FOUR YEARS ago here..............

http://www.msport-uk.com/features/20000903networkq_1999.php

Couldn't agree more....

Feel all nostalgic now, had a really good 4 days but you're right its not the same as it used to be.

Sitting here with a pile of recent programmes from F1 etc -amazing how things move on in such a short space of time. What p****s me off is that I wasn't a huge WRC fan then...and took it all for granted:)

....ah, Roger A Clark and Tony Mason through Longleate stage, Tony Pond in his red, white and blue TR7-V8....... football in the park, small boys for goalposts etc etc:D

i'd agree, the magic is missing these days, maybe it has something to do with the number of spectators, now, i remember getting into silverstone, must have been 95 time for a couple of quid, nice relaxed, and it stayed that way, the spectator stages obviously helped, but now with the volume of spectators, and changes that have to be made to accomodate these, its lost some magic, the welsh forests were always busy, but these days they are heaving, and its more of a crowded bun fight, than anything, not helped by the fact all stages are in an enclosed area, and with double running, the amount of stages with which to spread the spectators has decreased dramatically

what a great article. I was there in sweet lamb that year and it was the most incredible atmosphere i have ever felt anywhere in the world at a motorsport event. Walters arena was built to try and emulate sweet lamb, it doesnt come remotely close.

Just a quik point - the WDA are meerly the sponsors of the event. They have no involvment in organisation of the event - ie rally route, prices etc.

I should know - I've worked for them.

Bring back the good old days though - Sweet Lamb was an experience you had to be there to appreciate!

The blame lies at the door of the MSA.

I blame the FIA!
They have allowed the technical regulations to spiral out of control so now the cars are so expensive to make and run that the teams cant afford to contest rallies that run to the old format! Its the tail wagging the dog - where the tail is the teams, and the dog is the Championship!

How things have changed in a short space of time, I was at Sweet Lamb that year and it was great, as the article says it was like a carnival, was at Walters Arena this year and it just was not the same. You cannot manufacture situations like that, it really left you buzzing when you went home, this year I felt a little let down, wish things would go back to the way they were and bring the buzz back to the rally GB. Although saying all that I am still glad I went this year

Motorsport as a whole has changed in recent years but surely, as far as rallying is concerned, the blame lies at the door of both the FIA and the manufacturers.

It wasn't that long ago that pace notes were introduced to the, Lombard RAC Rally. I for one looked forward to doing the recce, because for a clubman it was a great build up to the rally. Sadly, even though they had more time to do it than the rest of us, the "professionals" didn't like it. Nowadays, the recce is condensed as is the rally itself. Heaven forbid they may have to use a new stage and not have pre-used notes for it!

With regards to spectators and traffic. Yes, the traffic was difficult in some places, but many spectators were more than pleased to pull over on the road sections to allow competitors through the jams - it was a way that they could "contribute" to the rally. This year, I saw LESS spectators than ever before (despite what the official figures may say), so there must be something missing.

I'm getting all nostalgic now...............

I too was in Sweet Lamb bowl in '99. Awesome atmosphere. Nothing this year even came close (except the car park chaos ;))

Deano

Was in Sweet Lamb bowl in 99, special. Fookin loud.

If it's not broke........

FIA says.......

...."more airtime, more adverts, more £££, MORE, MORE!!!"...

Wankers

I too was at Sweet Lamb that year as many have said one of the best rallying atmospheres I have experienced.

took us about 2 hours to get get out of the car park, but that did not not matter as the day was so memorable.

I still enjoy rally GB, but it's certainly not memorable......

Places like Walters Arena designed to emulate Sweet Lamb are a joke, the atmosphere is flat.

1999 Happy days....

From a competitor's view, the atmosphere in Sweet Lamb, Grizedale, Hamsterley, Dalby and spectator stages such as Sutton Park, Trentham Gardens etc, over the years have far surpassed anything we have seen in Rally GB recently......

If we accept that in the short-term we may not be able to change the regulations, can anyone see a way of at least bringing back some sort of atmosphere to the rally? Most other WRC events still have it.

Well that article really sums it up - and yes, only 4 years ago.

I've said pretty much what i though of this and last years' rally in a couple of other threads, so I won't duplicate myself here, other than to say that I reckon a bunch of mates and I have made our last effort to watch/support rally gb, unless it reverts to its previous incarnation.

Shame. Great shame.

Impster.

The current format doesn't allow for much adventure; "oh, ye, saw them this morning.They'll have their lunch and be back through, later". The old days......you knew you were witnessing part of a journey and so it was to be savoured - or am I talking cr*p as always:o. Magic usually can't be manufactured or created to a large degree- it finds it's own level despite what else goes on. Mansell at Silverstone in 92 was partly down to the press and media working together, and a big crowd - as used to be the case with Rally GB......it used to be a PRIVELIDGE to watch world class motorsport...oh, so maybe that magic does have to have a helping hand to ignite it tho?...or is it simply that by being spoon fed in the usual way to the "me/now/sue if it goes wrong" generation has taken away the raw excitement-"Oh, there'll be another inferior/safe/engineered experience coming along next year sir - and if it doesn't suit, we'll give you something even more bland and palletable":rolleyes::D

Wizzer - fantastic! Someone on here who remembers Hamsterly! My local forest. It hadnt been used sinbe the RAC (I think!) of 1996, but a local single venue event ran there a couple of months ago! It was brilliant!
(Soryy to spoil the thread, but hardly anyone remembers Hamsterley!)

Flat-in-5th - good to see someone else appreciates proper forests. Hamsterley had mud, hills, dips, crests and a bloody great hole going into the watersplash where we knocked our fog lights off in 84 or 85! Fabulous....... we can only dream now my friend....

Mind you, the revival rally in November next year is due to do Stang so maybe it would go to Hamsterley too. I know it's not quite the same but.....

http://www.siteset.co.uk/endurance/extra11.html