Hiya there,

I am a student at Swansea Institute and I am working on some work that requires finding out about and considering different issues with the Wales Rally GB.

Please feel free to vent in any way on this thread as I wish to have as many points of view as possible.

None of your views will be directly quoted or put down in writing. I just want to know how you feel... anything is useful.

Cheers,
Hywel.

i have an issue with Wales Rally GB.

Why o why does it have to be on the 1-3rd of Dec this year.

I have a **** load of uni coursework to be handed in on the 5th of Dec and it looks like I wont be able follow the whole rally this year.

i have an issue with Wales Rally GB.

Why o why does it have to be on the 1-3rd of Dec this year.

I have a **** load of uni coursework to be handed in on the 5th of Dec and it looks like I wont be able follow the whole rally this year.

Ice, snow, rain, hail, mud..... need I continue????:lol1:

Lots of problems, but most are inflicted by the FIA on all rallies nowadays (not being able to move between stages etc, 100 m back from the track at a safe spot etc etc..).

My main gripe with Rally GB though is the lack of flexibility on where you can stand. Admittedly it has improved slightly over the last few years (was it 2003 when your ticket dictated which car park you went in for which stage, and where you stood?), but even now, there might be only one or two designated viewing areas on a stage (Trawscoed last year I seem to remember you could stand at one hairpin and that was it - fine if you like hairpins). Different people like different types of corners or areas of stage. I for one can think of nothing worse than being herded into the manufactured pen at Walters Arena.

Basically, you should be allowed to move along the stage to an area of your preference. A lot of marshalls seem to appreciate this, as long as you are being sensible about it.

The other thing is that it is still very expensive, although I suspect that might be a gripe at the Forrestry commision...

Very glad it's back in December though - might be just like a proper RAC!

Just my 2-penneth

the ticket price, at £90 it has to be one of the most expensive.
needs to be cut by half to draw the crowds which used to follow the rac
more people now are going to rallys over seas because as a complete package it works out cheaper.

Yeah, the ticket prices are expensive, but look at the price of a ticket for the GP.... £90 for 1 day and only really 2 hours of "action" instead of 4 days in the woods enjoying the action and atmosphere Rally GB beings!!

I've gotta be honest, it's easy for me to reach all of the stages, with really no more than an hour to get to a stage from the house so I'd be daft not to go... but I would prefer it to run more stages in the dark, and get rid of the bloody speccy pens... We all know motorsport is dangerous, and lets be honest, it's probably the reason a lot of us go. You cant beat being stood in a forest in the middle of nowhere in total silence awaiting the first of a group of the worlds best drivers to come thundering through the trees only feet away from you (not in the sheep pens of course...) I've brought some competitor stage maps from last year recently, and even though I intend to buy the rally pass as ususal, I'll be steering clear of the normal cark parks and trecking my way into stages!! The car parking facilities are dire... the only real gripe I've got with the event. Limited car parks on stages, some being blocked by cars ariving late for a stage causing massive disruption to all speccys getting off stage at the end of a run and trying to get to the next stage of the day!!

Finally, the police.... I know they've got a job to do, but the pound signs must be roling in over the event. The amount of mobile speed cameras out over the 4 days is overkill... just an extra money making facility for the local force. If perhaps the organisers thought more about the speccys as far as car parks and stage times ( once again run some in the dark) us mortal spectators wouldnt need to rush to and from stages in order to get the best money out of our tickets!

I suppose there are lots of things we'd all like to change about WRGB, but there's not a lot any of us can do, without not attending in droves. Is it the lack of british drivers at the top level that's causing the fans to not bother, or is it the cost? 50/50 I suppose, and you can guarentee that if a certain Mr McRae will still be in a Citroen come December, the ticket sales will go through the roof!!:thumb:

There.... moan over!!! (I cant wait for December!)

Well the tickets are priced over the top . Until the Rally moved into Wales
and only Wales it was priced very low , but that was in the days when you could do 2,3 or 4 stages a day .
On the point of the price against tickets for the G.P. the £90 is for three days and 6 races not just the one .
One thing I have noticed ,and this may upset some ,is the lack of marshals along the stages , they just appear to conrigate in certain parts of the stages.
Lets face it the pens are only for those who are new to the sport,
those in the know will find their own veiwing spots .The pens were a panic measure a few years ago.
On another point why if you buy a Rally pass do you have to pay extra for the superspecial .
Also why not reverse the stages they seem to use the same stages inthe same direction year after year , why ?


Rant over

Chris Vince aka Skyblueracer

Well the tickets are priced over the top . Until the Rally moved into Wales
and only Wales it was priced very low , but that was in the days when you could do 2,3 or 4 stages a day .
On the point of the price against tickets for the G.P. the £90 is for three days and 6 races not just the one .
One thing I have noticed ,and this may upset some ,is the lack of marshals along the stages , they just appear to conrigate in certain parts of the stages.
Lets face it the pens are only for those who are new to the sport,
those in the know will find their own veiwing spots .The pens were a panic measure a few years ago.
On another point why if you buy a Rally pass do you have to pay extra for the superspecial .
Also why not reverse the stages they seem to use the same stages inthe same direction year after year , why ?


Rant over

Chris Vince aka Skyblueracer

£90 for F1 may be for 3 days, but how long do you actually see the cars for? Can you get as close as you can on the rally??? Can you get to meet the drivers??? Can you wander around the pits in F1 like you do in the WRC... :wonder:

Yup the lack of marshalls is a worry, and there seems to be a large contingent of marshalls that only wear the tabbard once a year, and are only out to watch the rally for free... I dont want to upset anyone, but it does seem year on year, we get more of these types of marshalls that either dont have a clue what they are meant to be doing, or think that because they are wearing a tabbard it's there god given right to order people about. No one is there to get stages cancelled, get ourselves killed, or hinder the running of the event and the majority of speccys have paid good money to watch these cars without being 'bullied' by marshalls who are only there for a jolly... and before anyone shouts, YES I am a marshall, but not for GB. Never have and never will, I prefer to be out watching the event for the four days without the additional pressure of making sure everything goes to plan

You didnt have to pay extra until this yar for the superspecial, but it's more of a family evening out now rather than something for enthusiasts. The Cardiff Bay stage was much better in my opinion.

The majority of the stages this year have been reversed. I know trawscoed and brechfa have been reversed, and they are running a simmilar stage to the Red Dragon rally (port talbot) instead of the usual Margam Park stage, because of what happened last year.

Phew, glad that's off my chest.... not having a go Chris, but i do think that F1 is a total rip off compared with WRGB...

Cheers.

Jon.

I cant believe you have to pay to watch... in Cyprus this year, all the satges i went on, i didnt have to pay... was also the same in Corsica 2 years ago!

Mikey

I've given up going as it's got far too expensive and restrictive :mad:

Other European rounds of the WRC are nowhere near as expensive or restrictive, so why here? Is it just the nanny state culture? :rolleyes:

I would prefer to watch a clubmans rally rather than a media circus.

[/rant over]

Basically for me, the tickets are too expensive compared to other rounds and there is too many restrictions on where you can go - ie you only end up seeing each car once in a day now.

I know its the FIA and TV that have made it the "Rally of Wales" now but it was so good in the days of Kielder, Sutton Park, Dalby etc etc

I dont want to upset anyone, but it does seem year on year, we get more of these types of marshalls that either dont have a clue what they are meant to be doing, or think that because they are wearing a tabbard it's there god given right to order people about.

I would have thought that since there was a crackdown, things have got better. There's still a surprising number of children around in tabards though.


No one is there to get stages cancelled, get ourselves killed, or hinder the running of the event and the majority of speccys have paid good money to watch these cars without being 'bullied' by marshalls who are only there for a jolly... and before anyone shouts, YES I am a marshall, but not for GB.

Sure, people don't go with the intention of getting stages stopped, but I was at the double junction at Brechfa the year the second running of the stage was cancelled (I.e the year following Sainz's off that caused all the "sheep pen" stuff). Why was the stage cancelled? Because despite being warned by speccy safety cars, a group of people insisted on not moving. Then as we all sadly trooped back to the car park, it was surprising how many people were stopping to have a go at the marshalls as though it was their fault!

There seem to be a surprsing number of spectators on Rally GB who have no idea at all about how the event runs and it's for their safety's sake (HSE and all that) that marshalling qualifications have had to be tightened up.

I also wonder whether too much of the amber nectar caused the stage to be cancelled and the subsequent reaction by some speccies. In my view alcohol and rally spectating simply don't mix (like drink driving).

Another thing that doesn't help with safety is the fact that in recent years the programme has not contained the diagrams usually in eg national event programmes about where is not safe to stand. It's simply not possible to keep people from wandering up and down stages to find their own place to spectate if they want to, but the problem is that unless they either have experience or the guidance of marshalls or diagrams, it's quite likely that they will (inadvertently) put themselves in a dangerous place. (This is certainly not meant to be an argument for even more restrictive spectator areas: that'd be impossible too.)

Rant over.

I cant believe you have to pay to watch... in Cyprus this year, all the satges i went on, i didnt have to pay... was also the same in Corsica 2 years ago!

The main reason, I believe, is that whereas Cyprus and most other rallies are run on closed public roads, Rally GB uses private ones that are owned and maintained by Forestry Enterprises.

Edited to say sorry for the long post!

I would have thought that since there was a crackdown, things have got better. There's still a surprising number of children around in tabards though.




Sure, people don't go with the intention of getting stages stopped, but I was at the double junction at Brechfa the year the second running of the stage was cancelled (I.e the year following Sainz's off that caused all the "sheep pen" stuff). Why was the stage cancelled? Because despite being warned by speccy safety cars, a group of people insisted on not moving. Then as we all sadly trooped back to the car park, it was surprising how many people were stopping to have a go at the marshalls as though it was their fault!

There seem to be a surprsing number of spectators on Rally GB who have no idea at all about how the event runs and it's for their safety's sake (HSE and all that) that marshalling qualifications have had to be tightened up.

I also wonder whether too much of the amber nectar caused the stage to be cancelled and the subsequent reaction by some speccies. In my view alcohol and rally spectating simply don't mix (like drink driving).

Another thing that doesn't help with safety is the fact that in recent years the programme has not contained the diagrams usually in eg national event programmes about where is not safe to stand. It's simply not possible to keep people from wandering up and down stages to find their own place to spectate if they want to, but the problem is that unless they either have experience or the guidance of marshalls or diagrams, it's quite likely that they will (inadvertently) put themselves in a dangerous place. (This is certainly not meant to be an argument for even more restrictive spectator areas: that'd be impossible too.)

Rant over.



The main reason, I believe, is that whereas Cyprus and most other rallies are run on closed public roads, Rally GB uses private ones that are owned and maintained by Forestry Enterprises.

Edited to say sorry for the long post!
And I thought my posts went on....:lol1:

Nice one abc... I couldn't agree more... I've always thought alcohol on a stage event was a bit dodgy but I doubt there is anything anyone could do to stop it. A bit like the fireworks issues that raise their head just before the rally.. . it adds to the atmosphere, granted, but the fireworks fight at Sweetlamb a few years ago... blooody silly!!:nono:

Ah well, roll on December, counting the days down and only 3 club rallies to attend before then! I can see a divoroce on the horizon!!:eek2::luxhello:

Fireworks and forests hardly go together either do they.

chip

Fireworks and Numpties don't either! Those idiots are responsible for Sweet Lamb being cut IMHO

Why don't they rename it the "Rally of a tiny little part of South Wales?":rolleyes:

Fireworks and Numpties don't either! Those idiots are responsible for Sweet Lamb being cut IMHO

Why don't they rename it the "Rally of a tiny little part of South Wales?":rolleyes:

CW.
Wherever it is held it would be confined to a much much smaller area than it used to be as that is what is required by the FIA.

Chip