No live action is a bit disappointing; stage end reports is a bit early 2000s.
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No live action is a bit disappointing; stage end reports is a bit early 2000s.
Jos Verstappen entered for the Rallynuts stages - didn't expect that! Might be his first gravel rally?
Rhys Yates also a surprise (although not yet paid !).
First UK rally for a Fabia Rally 2 as well I believe..Quote:
Originally Posted by archie106
His buddy Hodenius too, but Verstappen is faster :)
Edwards braced for challenging West Cork Rally starting on Friday and featuring 2 night stages and a mammoth total of 255 stage kilometres.
https://rallyinsight.com/2024/03/14/...st-cork-rally/
Christian Horner and Geri Halliwell to be stood stage side like the Prodrive guys waving down McRae on Rally Catalunya in '95? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by archie106
Could anyone help me with a link for maps for Dyfnant tomorrow please? Going in the public car park but it'd be good to work out what they're using... Help much appreciated, my PMs are open. ;)
The Sportity password is wsscc24 , there's various downloads on there including the road book.Quote:
Originally Posted by the sniper
Tried sending you a PM but they don't seem to be working again.
Impressive SS2 at West Cork by Will Creighton matching Josh Moffett and beating Matt Edwards !
Much appreciated, thanks! I'd tried guessing that... And yes, just noticed the PM aren't working again, so thanks to whoever else attempted to get in contact too. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by satnav
Not halfway yet but Croinin has taken charge of West Cork, also benefiting from a puncture for Devine. Currently a Fiesta 1-2-3 too with Edwards & Creighton... Malcolm will be happy ! ;)
West Cork Rally After SS12/18
1 Cronin 1:24:04.3s
2 Edwards +1:18.8s
3 Creighton +1:50.6
4 Moffett +2:29.7
5 Greer +3:02.5
Two fastest times by Will Creighton on the Ring stage shows the kid definitely has a big future and shows why M-Sport are giving him further backing on this season's ITRC & BRC.
Where did you go in the end? I couldn’t be arsed figuring out the ideal spot so we just went down the hill from the main spectator zone at Dyfnant East. Plenty of people there despite it being wet and bloody cold!Quote:
Originally Posted by the sniper
Couldn't get there early so just watched half the cars from the speccy area first run, to be near the car, didn't bother filming... Having seen the maps (thanks again Satnav!), went to West for the second run, as East was so short there weren't any appealing options and I knew there were in the former. Turned into a nice day out in proper rallying weather!
Tip for future events: Look on the event web site for a copy of the event regulations (often under "Competitors" section). You will usually find the Sportity code in there. EWRC often have a link to the official noticeboard (look for the "Sportity" tab) on events they list, so that can be another source.Quote:
Originally Posted by the sniper
I somehow missed this time that the code was indeed in the Regs, not sure how! Probably Ctrl+f'd 'Spotify' instead... :D Thanks though. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Boyd
West Cork Rally Top 5 and it was a 1-2-3 for the M-Sport Fiesta Rally2 ! :)
1 Cronin 2:11:36.2s
2 Edwards +57.2s
3 Creighton +1:26.4
4 Moffett +2:10.4
5 Greer 2:52.5
Beautiful
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
Wowza ! Fantastic news for the drivers and the BRC ! :cool:
Wow, wasn’t expecting that at all!
Great to have a recognisable, professional looking, big brand sponsored team as the series returns to TV. Hopefully it'll attract other sponsors to the series. The car looks great! Can't wait to see them on the stages.
More on Osian Pryce's BRC return in a Fiesta Rally2:
https://www.rallyinguk.info/post/a-f...y-championship
Keith Cronin is my pick to win the NW Stages. Here's his take on the BRC and preview of the event:
Fresh from their victory on the West Cork Rally last weekend, Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin commence their 2024 British Championship campaign on Saturday with the North West Stages Rally, which will be based in the Lancashire town of Garstang. Having also won the Galway International Rally last month, the Killarney and District Motor Club crew are in a strong position at the top of the Irish Tarmac Championship points table, and will be hoping for an equally positive start in the British series.
While Cronin is in a confident frame of mind heading to the English event, he regards his chances of three wins in a row as perhaps a bridge too far. "It's a busy start to the year for us, that much is certain, and it's gone very well so far", he said. "We had Galway last month, West Cork last weekend, the North West Stages is on Saturday, and we're back for the Circuit of Ireland the following weekend. The North West is a new event for us and there is a very strong line-up there, so we have to be realistic. A podium would be a great result for us, and to get some solid points on the board early on. There's six rounds in the British Championship this year, three on tarmac and three on gravel, and the first one is a closed road tarmac event, so that at least will be a help to us since we've just done three days in West Cork, although the surface over there can be very different to that in Ireland, what works here in terms of suspension set-up may not work in Lancashire, or in Scotland and Wales for the other closed road rounds".
As Cronin alludes to, the BRC has attracted much interest from competitors for 2024, and registrations are significantly up on previous years. This is no doubt fuelled in part by the fact that the championship will be televised on ITV4 and ITVX throughout the season, plus the introduction of a calendar which sees all rounds take place in Great Britain, thus reducing costs for the majority English, Scots and Welsh crews.
"The organisers have done a lot of work to boost the BRC, they have to be given credit where it's due, and the strength of the field for the North West is a reflection of that", noted Cronin. "Osian Pryce beat us to the BRC title in 2022, Meirion Evans came across to Ireland and won some of the Tarmac Championship rounds over the past couple of years, and William Creighton set some fastest times in West Cork at the weekend, he's going very well in the Rally 2 car so early in his career. Chris Ingram has to be the favourite though, he won the North West Stages on the most recent time in ran in 2022, he's a former European champion, he has an amount of rallying done across the continent. He went to a rally in France last year and was only a second or two off Sebastian Loeb, a nine-time World Champion, and that was on long stages, he's definitely the man everyone else will be watching".
The news revealed this week that Ingram will be in a new Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 from round three onwards (he will drive a Volkswagen Polo GTi R5 in the interim) has certainly added an additional dimension to the BRC. He and Meirion Evans will form a two-car Toyota line-up, and Evans will have a Yaris from the outset this weekend, marking the first ever appearance of the model on a UK rally. Its pace relative to the M-Sport built Fiestas of Cronin, Pryce and Creighton will be watched with great interest.
The Legend Fires North West Rally will consist of ten stages in all, a loop of five repeated, with the first getting underway at 9am. "Tyre choice will be absolutely crucial, especially if conditions are in any way mixed, which of course they could well be in March", said Cronin. "We get to pick our tyres in the morning before the start, and there's only one service during the day after that to change them, so it has be right, otherwise you'll just be at sea", added the Cork driver.
Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin are supported by M O’Brien Group of Companies, Lyons Motor Group, Shane Casey Electrical Services, Molson Equipment, Pirelli, EARS Motorsport Ireland, Cronin’s Centra (Ballylickey, Union Hall, Leap, Millstreet and Dundrum), Cronin’s HomeValue Hardware, Westlink Service Station and Daybreak Shop, Cremin Coaches, Keohane Seafoods, M-Sport and Wurth Ireland.
Legend Fires North West Stages Rally 2024
Top Ten Seeds
1: Chris Ingram/Alex Kihurani, Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
2: Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin, Ford Fiesta Rally 2
3: Osian Pryce/Rhodri Evans, Ford Fiesta Rally2
4: Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson, Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
5: William Creighton/Liam Regan, Ford Fiesta Rally 2
6: Mark Kelly/Will Atkins, Skoda Fabia R5
7: James Williams/Ross Whittock, Hyundai i20 Rally2
8: Callum Black/Jack Morton, Ford Fiesta Rally2
9: Paul MacKinnon/Keir Beaton, Hyundai i20 R5
10: Garry Pearson/Daniel Barritt, Ford Fiesta Rally 2
Legend Fires North West Stages Rally 2024
Timetable
Friday 22 March
Scrutiny, Myerscough College, Garstang, 12:00-18:00
Ceremonial Start, High Street, Garstang,18:30 - 21:00
Saturday 23 March (First Car Due)
Stage 1, Beacon Fell 1, 09:00
Stage 2, Long Knots 1, 09:20
Stage 3, Crossgill 1, 10:05
Stage 4, Hawthorthwaite 1, 10:48
Stage 5, Nicky Nook 1, 11:04
Service, Myerscough College, Garstang, 11:29
Regroup, Myerscough College, Garstang, 12:19
Stage 6, Beacon Fell 2, 13:28
Stage 7, Long Knots 2, 13:48
Stage 8, Crossgill 2, 14:33
Stage 9, Hawthorthwaite 2, 15:16
Stage 10, Nicky Nook 2, 15:32
Ceremonial Finish, Cherestanc Square, Garstang, 16.10
Anyone here going on Saturday? I see from the limited spectator spots that they're trying to keep as many people away as possible.
Stage 1 has no tickets available and officially no 'spectate on the day'. But the stages are so close together if seems daft to not do two per loop. Anyone got any maps per chance?
Still havent decided as the trip from my neck of the woods near York is being made slightly more awkward due to the A59 still being shut at Kex Gill so means a bit of a pain detour. Also got one eye on the weather which might make it a bit iffy. Cracking entry but not over familiar with the area so not sure yet how much access there will be away from the main spectator points.
Knowing just how much work the organisers have put into it, and the extreme hassle and stress they have all gone through, I don’t blame them at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by dodge33cymru
Why any one would want to organise a rally I’ve absolutely no idea.
Ingram testing in the Castrol MEM VW Polo R5. Conditions as they're likely to be on Saturday.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GJRppUpW...pg&name=medium
Yes but je does often a test on french gravel with a Sarrazin Polo Rally2Quote:
Originally Posted by archie106
Verstuurd vanaf mijn 2201123G met Tapatalk
Pretty awful trying to follow the NW Stages live so far.. delay starting, stages blocked, times very slow coming through, only one stage end interview and live pictures breaking up. Very disappointing after all the build up.
edit: removed my angry rant. Still annoyed at the comms, but I get that the actual issues on stages aren't the organiser's fault.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
An update from the North West Stages organisers:
Due to unforseen circumstances and various incidents on the early stages, the morning loop of 5 stages has unfortunately had to be scrubbed. The action will restart in the afternoon after all the cars have been brought back to regroup. We can only apologise for the issues and we will endeavour to keep you informed as the action unfolds this afternoon.
You could always volunteer hundreds of hours of your time to help improve things next year? Team always looking out for new helpers.Quote:
Originally Posted by dodge33cymru
If competitors wouldn’t block so many roads that would majorly help with things.
Closed road rallying seems to work differently on mainland GB as it do to events in Ireland and the IOM etc. Other than areas that are deemed unsafe and marked as such it is pretty much acceptable for spectators to stand in fields, behind dry stone walls and if invited to stand in someone's front garden without paying for the privilige
I didnt make the trip today due to a number of circumstances however there do seem to have been a number of "premium" spectator spots with corresponding charges that sold out quickly and trust their view wasnt of the roofs of cars as they went past as I have read on the event FB page. Think we have to remember that the roads are picked first and foremost for the challenge for the crews and then trying to fit spectators around that with all the hoops that organisers have to jump thru is a major challenge
Interesting that the recent East Ridings stages that I did attend was relatively open with its info and even had a stage near Beverley town centre that attracted a good sized crowd.
If the event is going to be bi-annual then I trust the organisers will learn from today and come back stronger for both the crews and the fans in 2026
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sal yet again
Closed road rallying is a new-ish thing for the mainland, so organisers have to take a more pragmatic view of spectator areas - unlike in other places. However, at BRC level spectators should/need be catered for far better. MSUK should be helping in this way.......
The JCMR has had its issues of course so maybe if farmers/landowners are actively courted and let them know that perhaps they could make a few quid allowing people to watch from their land (safely of course) then maybe things can improve. Fields and land alongside the IOM TT course are often by paid entry and when Le Grand Depart took place in this Shire a few years back there were plenty of enterprising landowners welcoming people onto their land.
Rallying is an exciting sport that attracts people wanting to watch and as with most things in this country we pay for things we used to get for free so lets see how those aspects can be married together
The reason it got changed to running every two years was that it was too much work for the organising team. When Dave Read passed away before the 2022 event, his replacement clocked up over 400 hours from eariy Jan to mid March. That is far more than a full time job.
Spoke to one of the organising team during the past week and they said they simply can’t do it again.
All the moaning people online won’t help their enthusiasm levels at all. They are rally fans just like you or me, and want their event to succeed.
The thing that frustrated me most was the complete lack of any comms about what was happening. I've been on rallies where things have been cancelled and I can make alternative plans - this was just leaving everyone completely in the dark for no need.Quote:
Originally Posted by J4MIE
I get that people have put more time and effort in to organise than I have to spectate and they're more frustrated than me, but on a purely personal level I get very few weekends that aren't parenting time (maybe 3 per year) at the moment and today was a complete write off.
I'm glad the afternoon loop went smoothly and look forward to watching the coverage of it next week; I hope this is some reward for a difficult event for the team.