Does anybody have any information on spectating at the WRC?

Hi,

I have never been to watch a rally. All motorsport I have been to see in the past is circuit based. I wanted to go and see the WRC in wales this year and I was just wondering what it was like? If anybody has been in the past maybe you could answer some questions?

1.What do you need to buy a ticket for? Do the marshals control the side of the road the entire length of the rally and check that people have paid to stand there?
2.Are there predefined spectator areas? So this means they fence off the entire length of the route?
3.As each car will only pass you once, do you have to keep moving down the route? If so how many times a day do you move? Are there 4 stages a day? If you do have to move then do you walk from stage to stage or do you have to drive (surely there isn’t adequate roads and parking to handle all this traffic?)
4.What happens while the WRC is not going on? I was thinking about getting a 3 day pass and camping. I have done this at circuits where there is always something going on. Is there a central base where everybody goes? Or do people just do their own thing somewhere nearby?
5.As everybody will be stood in random locations along the stage how would you know when it was time to move to the next stage? Do they send a marshal car after the last racer to let people know it was over?
6.What other class of car competes alongside the WRC? I understand they have the S2000 class now? Are there many other class of car there?


I have looked on the WRC website and the Rally GB website, but I can’t really find any of this information. I’m really looking for some kind of guide to watching a rally.

Anybody been there before, any suggestions on type of ticket to go for?

Hi, I hope to help you with some answers, if you have any more questions, just ask. :)

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Originally Posted by colinrc

1.What do you need to buy a ticket for? Do the marshals control the side of the road the entire length of the rally and check that people have paid to stand there

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You need to buy a ticket to go and see the stages. Tickets are usually checked before you get to the stage. There may be some ways to get to see the stage without paying a ticket, but it's a matter of respect in a way too. If you want the rally to keep being organised, you buy a ticket. Organizers have huge expenses, especially in WRC. Some events are backed more than others, some are even free to spectate (Spain, Sardinia, France, Portugal, ...), some have (sometimes more or less expensive) tickets (Wales, Germany, Finland, Sweden, ...).

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2.Are there predefined spectator areas? So this means they fence off the entire length of the route?

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There are predefined spectator areas along the stages, you can find these in the spectator guide you can buy with your ticket. Those places are usually easily accessible and nice to see. You can also have a look on the map and try to find your own spot along the stage, but finding a good place requires some knowledge/experience I think.

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3.As each car will only pass you once, do you have to keep moving down the route? If so how many times a day do you move? Are there 4 stages a day? If you do have to move then do you walk from stage to stage or do you have to drive (surely there isn’t adequate roads and parking to handle all this traffic?)

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The best option is to move several times a day. All info about which stage is run when is in the program book. I haven't had a look on the exact itinerary of Wales yet, but it's likely you can see something like 2 to 4 stages a day. To move from stage to stage you will have to use your car in 99,99% of the cases. And yes there can be traffic jams. Also avoiding jams and finding the best route requires some skills and/or experience.

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4.What happens while the WRC is not going on? I was thinking about getting a 3 day pass and camping. I have done this at circuits where there is always something going on. Is there a central base where everybody goes? Or do people just do their own thing somewhere nearby?

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After the stages all cars are going to the service park at night before going to the parc fermé. On the service park there is often quite a lot to do, depends from event to event. But don't expect any side animation as you can find on circuit racing. Rally is about rally, not about show :) . About camping... If you plan to camp in Wales in november, I suggest you should prepare for hell :D .

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5.As everybody will be stood in random locations along the stage how would you know when it was time to move to the next stage? Do they send a marshal car after the last racer to let people know it was over?

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It's up to the spectators to decide what they do, how long they stage (some watch all cars, some watch only the top drivers to see more stages). As a spectator you must know how long the drive will take to the next stage etc. Some 5-10 minutes after the very last car, a car with a checkered flag on it is going through the stage.

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6.What other class of car competes alongside the WRC? I understand they have the S2000 class now? Are there many other class of car there?

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Next to WRC there is WRC2 and WRC3 in Wales. The entry list depends from event to event, the list is usually published some 3-4 weeks before the event. But as Wales is the last event of the season, I'm afraid the WRC2 and WRC3 championships are already going to be decided and the entry list could be quite poor...

As you see rallying is a much more complex sport, especially for the spectators. Preparing an event takes some time. But isn't that part of what makes our sport so beautiful? :) I know several people who were following circuit-racing closely until they discovered the beauty of rallying, since then you can't find them along the side of a racetrack anymore.

Thanks for your response, its really helpful. It sounds like there is a bit of thinking to do as a spectator in order to get the most out of the rally.

It sounds like it will become a lot clearer where I should be and when once I have purchased a ticket and received the program.

Yea I’m having second thoughts about camping not I might just go for a day ticket. Probably the Sunday as hopefully I will get to see someone win the Championship.

Thanks for your advice.