Route announced for Rally GB 2020!

[Franky]

Someone else mapped RAC 1989! https://www.rally-maps.com/RAC-Rally-1989

Only a couple of stages to map

[doubled1978]

Someone else mapped RAC 1989! https://www.rally-maps.com/RAC-Rally-1989

Great, just had a quick look and the Hafren stages are quite interesting. Hafren 1 finished in what is now the car park....it’s quite a good downhill section.
Seems quite strange now for the rally at the end of the day in Wales, to go all the way back to Nottingham overnight in the East Midlands, a few short stages the next morning and then all the way back to Grizedale in the West. That’s a lot of liaison for a few short stages.

[the sniper]

Depends on the local tourism board I guess as ‘Wales’ is currently the sponsor of Rally GB. There’s no reason why Cumbria/Northumberland/Scottish Borders/Dumfries and Galloway wouldn’t want to promote tourism in and around the various beauty spots in that part of the world. Whether the lot of them could pool together to fund a WRC round is another matter...

The problem is, you're trying to appease too many chiefs. Look at some of the compromises that have been made on Wales Rally GB over the years to appease the politicians who pay the bills. At least all the politicians there are supporters of Wales as a whole at the end of the day. If you're splitting it between Cumbria/Northumberland/Scottish Borders/Dumfries and Galloway, maybe Yorkshire too, who pays what and who get's the most out of it? Plus out of those I think only Yorkshire has an organised approach to marketing themselves.

Prior to Convid 19 I thought there were only three alternatives to Wales Rally GB; a Scottish based/local Gov funded event, a Northern Irish based/Gov funded event, a Northern English event or an event like that modelled by Antti or me, but with a large private sponsor, probably from a company headed by a stereotypically proud Brexiteer Englishmen keen to take Rallying back to the Golden Age! Post Convid 19, I think the last option is the only realistic alternative, or only option if Wales pull out! For example, JCB Rally GB does have a certain ring to it...

[AndyRAC]

The organisers of RallyGB have put all their eggs in the Welsh money basket; when that stops (as it surely will sooner or later) then they'll have a real problem. The event has been in Wales since 2000, and also, during that time, the visibility, media coverage of the sport has fallen immensely. One wonders if other regions have shown any real interest during this time; but baulked as the money needed was not good value?

I've always maintained that if the sport and event were healthy, then commercial sponsors would provide the backing, rather than any regions/tourist boards. In an ideal world, there would a rotation between regions/areas, for example, on a 3 year basis - so that large parts of the country get to see the event every so often. It's also a way of freshening up the event; it has to be said, it has become a bit too familiar, with most of the same stages year after year.

There was a time when the unveiling of the old RAC route was something to get excited about; now you more or less know what stages will be used - though sometimes they pull a 'surprise' with a new 'spectator stage' not used since 19xx

[AnttiL]

The event has been in Wales since 2000

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There was a time when the unveiling of the old RAC route was something to get excited about; now you more or less know what stages will be used - though sometimes they pull a 'surprise' with a new 'spectator stage' not used since 19xx

If we look at this closer: all the forest stages have been driven solely in Wales since 1997. The last year with a full day of spectator stages in England was 1999.

In my mind I split Wales to three regions: North, Mid (Myherin, Hafren etc) and South. From 1997 to 2000 it was South and Mid Wales stages, from 2001 to 2007 only South Wales. In 2008 they added again Mid Wales stages until 2012 with 2011 being an oddball year being based in Builth Wells and covering stages all across Wales. Since 2013 it has then been a mix of North and Mid Wales stages.

I'm not completely familiar with the history of RAC rally but I believe Elsi and Gwydir (in its 2019 form) are new stages introduced in the last decade. Brenig has featured in 1992 and 1993 but not sure of the route.

[HKSjbg]

I find myself even now wishing it would at least move back to mid-south Wales i.e. Crychan, Halfway, Epynt, Radnor etc. just for a change. That might have something to do with Radnor being my ‘local’ stage - unless WRGB came to Haye Park or Forest of Dean

In an ideal world I’d like to see it rotate a bit so we see the cars tackling central Scottish stages like Drummond Hill, Craigvinean etc. Yorkshire, the Lakes and Kielder/Scottish Borders.

But to be honest the way things are going I’ll just be glad if it keeps going at all.

[Simmi]

One wonders if other regions have shown any real interest during this time; but baulked as the money needed was not good value?

I heard that Welcome to Yorkshire were looking at rallying (I'm not sure how seriously), I guess around 2010 or so, but opted to put their focus into cycling and bringing the Tour de France over. I don't think there can be any doubt that cycling proved to be the right decision for the region.

Now they've got the opportunity to look at something else, I think unfortunately they aren't currently in a position of strength.

[AndyRAC]

I heard that Welcome to Yorkshire were looking at rallying (I'm not sure how seriously), I guess around 2010 or so, but opted to put their focus into cycling and bringing the Tour de France over. I don't think there can be any doubt that cycling proved to be the right decision for the region.

Now they've got the opportunity to look at something else, I think unfortunately they aren't currently in a position of strength.

I think it was pretty serious if memory serves; however it was an IRC round, which could have been good. But, the chance to host the Grand Depart came up - and its a no brainer really. Massive major sporting event, huge influx of visitors, and international media.... and the legacy of the Tour de Yorkshire which sees massive crowds, even with only a handful of World Tour teams.
Simply put - Rallying couldn't/ can't compete with that.

Also, as result of the backing of the Grand Depart, Welcome to Yorkshire pulled their funding for the Dalby round of the UCI MTB XCO World Cup, and sadly, it has never returned; which is were Nino won his first Elite race.

[mole55]

This entire thread gave me an idea.

An entirely tarmac Wales Rally GB.

I've mostly stuck to stages that are known to work, for example most of the stages on Friday are from Rali Bae Ceredigion, with one stage I straight-up made up, and one long stage on the Epynt ranges, as run on the Tour of Epynt 2011. Saturday is a bit weird, as most of the day's mileage is over the border, taken from the Three Shires, and it runs into the night, with the entire second loop being night stages. However I feel it could work, especially with a national/historic rally doing a single loop between the two loops of the international field, with Eastnor Park feeling a lot like the spectator stages of RACs gone by. In addition, Caerwent would be a unique stage within the WRC, with it normally being used to host single venues.

Finally, Sunday is 3 stages I just made up, looking for suitable roads in South Wales. From looking at Google Earth, they all seem fast, bumpy and narrow, like a typical Irish stage, and like a lot of the Rali Bae Ceredigion stages.

Obviously, an actual organiser could do much better, probably ditching the Three Shires stages, but a tarmac Wales Rally GB is certainly possible, and would be a great way to shake the event up.

[AnttiL]

Your spreadsheet isn't public, but the idea sounds fun