Rally venues and newbie questions

[Liam22]

I'm in my second year of saloon car racing and am considering trying my hand at rallying.

But it's only going to be practical for me if there are rally venues within a couple of hours of where I live - Letchworth, North Herts. I'm not too fussed about whether it's loose or tarmac stuff but both would be nice.

I don't really fancy running a FWD hatch but I suspect my budget won't stretch to 4WD. Are there any low-cost RWD series?

[Ian Sowman]

I suspect the BMW RWD Challenge might suit you Liam, but I can't find a good link for it at the moment...

[Ian Sowman]

http://www.205challenge.com/BMW/index.htm

That is about the best I can find... Not a lot of venues in your area, but the class may suit you.

[BertMk2]

There is a rally held on the airfield at Oakington - that's in your neck of the woods, also I'd guess that Longmoor, Longcross and Abingdon are fairly close to you (they're about the nearest for us in Kent - apart from the Rally of Kent!!).

At the moment we're just picking and choosing events rather than running in a championship, we don't exactly have a huge budget so we compete as and when we can. The BMW series may suit you if the travelling isn't a problem, I guess the Bimmer may appeal as you race one? (I seem to remember you being one of the SELOC loonies?).

[Liam22]

Yes, the BMW/RWD Challenge is appealing. Thanks for the link - I have found their discussion forum now!

And yes, you've sussed me - I'm a SELOC racer (loony!)

Oakington happens to be 2 miles from where I work but it won't be long before it's a housing estate. The other venues are close enough too! But how do conduct a rally on an airfield? Is it just like a sprint? (forgive my ignorance)

[BertMk2]

We took part in the rally on Abingdon airfield - it was fantastic fun, there were sections on the runways (with chicanes and bus tops thrown in) as well as more twisty bits through the blast shelters and barracks. I think it was a lot more savage than your average sprint would be - there was a sprint held the previous day at the same venue but the rally stages used less runway and more of the tight stuff.

(I think I've still got the stage maps somewhere - if you want a copy PM me your email address and I'll see if I can find them)

[Anuauto]

To a large degree, Stage rallies on airfields are now (as someone recently put it) "sprints with company". Thats one of the reasons for the explosion of interest in the new Enduro category by more traditional rally crews. As Bert Mk2 has explained, a stage rally can use a far more interesting route on an airfield than a sprint can. Most sprints (and hill climbs) have to cater for racing cars that can't cope with much beyond a billiard table surface (and demand additional safety measures that put costs up for all, including saloons that dont need them). Having said that, too many speed event organisers shy away from twistier track layouts and attempt to create race circuits out of available airfield layouts.
The way ahead may well be a type of event that combines "single venue" (officially "multi-use" stage rallies) with the sprint format. We already have the term Rally Sprint for a few loose events. Some sprints now struggle for entries as venue costs increase and value for money falls. Vehicle eligibility regs for speed events in the mod prod category are not so far away from club rally regs with original block the main difference but poorly enforced. Events that could draw entries from both disciplines might save some venues but the downside would be making some even more oversubscribed. At the end of the day, the real problem in making that one last step is the over-influence of the single-seater brigade in the speed event world (look at the make up of the unelected MSC committees for starters). We all know of potential speed venues that would never get a track licence for single seaters but are too short for a stage rally. There has to be a middle course if we are to make the best use of the limited venues available.