2012 World Rally Championship calendar - going endurance?

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Originally Posted by MJW

Yes, but you cant use them, the mountain bikers have taken over. Please note this is not an anti Yorkshire thing, I love Yorkshire. i just say its time to take Rally GB all around England, Scotland and Wales.

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Dalby Forest is the only forest on the North York Moors with purpose-built mountain bike trails, the other forests like Langdale and Cropton are still popular with mountain bikers though.

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Originally Posted by AndyRAC

I don't disagree, but aren't the Forestry Commission in Yorkshire a bit touchy - and have limited the amount of Rallying available for use? Only the Trackrod & R.A.C have use of Dalby & Langdale??

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The Forestery Commision are becoming increasingley restrictive on the amount of stages used. And the Gale Rigg stage had to be shortend because part of the Newtondale Forest drive that is used for the road section approach for the stage has almost completely collapsed, meaning no access to the part of the stage at the bottom of the hill, the start now having to be at Raindale Head now.

Inspired by the post below I did some digging in my old magazines to see how the routes were 20 years ago.

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Originally Posted by Hartusvuori

Jyväskylän MM-ralli palaa juurilleen | Keski-Suomi | yle.fi

Rally Finland 2012 will most likely be driven only around Jyväskylä area like it have used to do in so many years. This year's experiment with stages further south is said to be succesful economically (which I fail to believe) but there have been critical feedback from spectators and thus return to old form is considered.

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Originally Posted by AndyRAC

So they're going to listen to spectators? They certainly didn't do that over here when RallyGB abandoned Kielder & Yorkshire...
I actually thought this years 1,000 Lakes route was good, and a change from usual...

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Originally Posted by MJW

Flip side of that is that 1000 Lakes goes back to a smaller area. Would people be happy if Rally GB goes back to a close geographical area again? I know that this years event doesn't satisfy spectators who want an all UK event, but from what i hear certain manufacturer teams don't like venturing so far from Cardiff bay, with its hotels and restaurants.

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Originally Posted by AndyRAC

I can see both points for Finland/ 1,000 Lakes - however, as it's nearly always been run out of Jyvaskala, going back to tradition is understandable. RallyGB is of course different. Most of it's history it 'roamed' until the last 10 years (when coincidentally, it's popularity has waned).
Maybe said Manufacturer teams can go and do Rallycross or something less taxing......Or when the sport is getting huge media interest they can start calling the shots!!

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RAC route 1991

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...oute1991-1.jpg

Leg 1, 550 km. 9 SS, 50 km
Leg 2, 650 km. 12 SS (SS 10-21), 199 km
Leg 3, 825 km. 12 SS (SS 22-33), 244 km
Leg 4, 322 km. 4 SS (SS 34-37), 74 km

Total 2347 km
Total SS 567 km


NORF route 1991

Leg 1, 2 and 3: http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...route11991.jpg

Leg 4 and 5: http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...route21991.jpg

Leg 6: http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...route31991.jpg

Leg 1 (Thursday), 203 km. 7 SS, 62 km. Start 18:01, Finish 23.40
Leg 2, Jyväskylä-Pieksämäki (Friday), 297 km. 7 SS (SS 8-14), 89 km. Start 9:30, Finish 16:20
Leg 3, Pieksämäki-Jyväskylä (Friday), 134 km. 5 SS (SS 15-19), 35 km. Start 17.20, Finish 21:00
Leg 4, Jyuväskylä-Tampere (Saturday), 371 km. 8 SS (SS 20-27), 150 km. Start 6:30, Finish 14:40
Leg 5 Tampere-Jyväskylä (Saturday, 256 km. 7 SS (SS 28-34), 95 km. Start 15:50, Finish 22:40
Leg 6, (Sunday), 399 km. 8 SS (SS 35-42), 98 km. Start 7:40, Finish 16:10

Total 1660 km
Total SS 529 km

Then a couple of examples from the 1960s.

NORF (Jyväskylän suurajot) 1966:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...NORF1966_1.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...NORF1966_2.jpg


Acropolis:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i.../Acropolis.jpg

Very interesting, thanks!!!

Thanks OldF - Leg 1 of the 91 RAC is one of the things I miss most, the Sunday stately home and safari park spectator stages. Trentham Gardens and Alton Towers were great.

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Originally Posted by Mintexmemory

Thanks OldF - Leg 1 of the 91 RAC is one of the things I miss most, the Sunday stately home and safari park spectator stages. Trentham Gardens and Alton Towers were great.

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I actually think they need to seriously think about bringing some of them back - think of the crowd numbers. It's more likely to attract 'Joe Public'/general motorsport fans than a cold, damp forest....

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Originally Posted by AndyRAC

I actually think they need to seriously think about bringing some of them back - think of the crowd numbers. It's more likely to attract 'Joe Public'/general motorsport fans than a cold, damp forest....

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And they used to televise it live, remember the Sutton Park crowds - Huge!!! (50,000 iirc)

Was the Alton Towers stage there before the theme park?

It is incredible to think that we should look back on those 'Mickey Mouse' stages so fondly, given that they used to be derided, but it's true — they were excellent. Very amusing on occasion, too — remember the troubles of Pond in '80 and '84, and Bell and Alen in '87?

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Originally Posted by Mintexmemory

And they used to televise it live, remember the Sutton Park crowds - Huge!!! (50,000 iirc)

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In fact, I don't believe Sutton Park was ever televised live. If my memory serves me correctly, the BBC did not broadcast a Sunday stage live until 1985 at Wollaton Park; in successive years thereafter, they then did so at Cirencester, Weston Park (with the infamously deep ford), Rudding Park and Chatsworth before the live and nightly coverage took a break in 1990. My memory fails me for subsequent RACs, except for Clumber in '93 and '94, the ridiculous Donington rallysprint stage in '95 and Chatsworth in '96 with the tree stump claiming Evans and Head.