Rally GB aims for fan-friendly route

[Mintexmemory]

I seem to recall the organisers saying something about running a parklands stage, the kind they used to se in the 1980s to let people get close to the cars. They were very popular, even fi the drivers hated them.

However, I think it will be a brand-new stage, rather than an old one revived.

There is a lot of rumour circulating but the most common ones are for 2 stately home / parkland surrounding a national monument - type stages. If the one that I've heard of for the double run on the Sunday comes off it will be mostly tarmac with short 'cut' sections across the pasture. Clearly this will mean the tyre choices will be problem if the proposed schedule of SS / Gwrdyr / Penmachno / SS / Great Orme is followed - 2 gravel, 3 tarmac.

[Kielder]

Powys Castle and Kinmel Hall are expected to be announced as the spectator stages .

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Powys Castle and Kinmel Hall are expected to be announced as the spectator stages .

Not exactly close to the big urban areas of N.England or W.Midlands ...

I was hoping for the stately homes around Cheshire or Oulton Park...

[Brynmor Pierce]

Kinmel hall is 20 minutes from Chester/1hr 20 from Manchester (tops) and 35-40 mins from Oulton Park/Liverpool...all on dual carriageway? Powys castle is around an hour from Birmingham/40 mins from Telford....

[Mintexmemory]

Will everybody just shut up about Powis Castle until it is confirmed. Any NT property needs the approval of the board of Trustees before it can be hired out. These people don't inherently 'get' rallying so it would be prudent to keep a low profile untilthe venue is in the bag or they might just get complaints from NIMBY NT members!

[Kielder]

It was mentioned on Motorsport News & Autosport. I wrote the information here because there are many people on this forum interested in these stages. I'm sorry if I did something wrong. This post and the previous one can be deleted.

[Mintexmemory]

It was mentioned on Motorsport News & Autosport. I wrote the information here because there are many people on this forum interested in these stages. I'm sorry if I did something wrong. This post and the previous one can be deleted.

Not directing any anger at you K - Sorry if it sounded like that. As you say, it is now public domain so I'm not so far self-absorbed to start deleting posts. Fact of the matter is all the leaks in advance of the announcement just shows how uncontrollable the grapevine is!! Once certain people know a piece of interesting info they don't seem to be able to rest until it's gone viral. Coe should've prepared an embago announcement for the motor sport press and that would've stopped rumours appearing in the press and being spread as fact. As far as I know (and have done for six weeks) Powis is only one of a number of National Trust properties under consideration. It took years for the NT to accept summer rock concerts in addition to their traditional classical events, just a few NT board members get lobbied by the locals who won't want the rally invasion and the whole proposal could be vetoed.
It isn't Powis until it appears on the WRGB website! Keep your fingers crossed (even though I won't spectate there myself it will keep a lot of tourists away from the forests . On a bright note Kinmel is nailed on as they need all the revenue they can get!

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Got to admit I've never heard of Powys Castle or Kinmel Hall before ...

In the old days they used the likes of Chatsworth & Sutton Park because I think everyone knew them and where they were.

I'm sure real rally fans will travel but if you want the general public to get interested they have to be closer and well-known.

[Prisoner Monkeys]

Got to admit I've never heard of Powys Castle or Kinmel Hall before ...

I believe the plan is for these spectator stages to be entirely new stages, the idea being that they will be a modern take on an old concept. Or something else that is adver-spin.

[Mintexmemory]

I believe the plan is for these spectator stages to be entirely new stages, the idea being that they will be a modern take on an old concept. Or something else that is adver-spin.

The difficulty faced by the organisers is that the type of Stately Home that used to be an essential part of the GB WRC event is a very rare commodity in mid and north Wales. Kinmel estate is one of the few not in National Trust ownership! All of the stages that used to run in England (Racecourses, Stately Homes, Safari Parks and Theme Park estates) were all in private ownership or (as in the case of Sutton Park) were under control of a local authority that wanted a tourism input. Margam park fits that profile but there just aren't many equivalents elsewhere, Kinmel was in a single family ownership until last year and not open to the public. When they couldn't afford the upkeep it was sold to a company for conversion to a hotel. Clearly this is a revenue stream for them while they are progressing the conversion. It has a number of parkland roads which can be combined with the estate woodland tracks (cover for deer) to produce a decent stage. I f you look at the OS map of Powys Castle there is not sufficient existing road to make a decent stage so some artificial grass tracking will be needed and that could be the sticking point. As Powis (and virtually all similar properties in this part of Wales) is under the National Trust ownership anything that causes damage to the grounds is likely to be opposed by parts of their admin not connected with marketing. It has been said that the NT is run solely as a meeting club for the aging upper middle class in the UK , as I have said before, not the natural friends of rallying when it might interfere with their genteel pursuits