[disco stu]

Today sees the start of "Rally Ireland" the first ever Irish round of the WRC.

This is a huuuuge deal here...we are very much a rallying nation.

If anyone is interested, this is the penultimate round of the 2007 WRC. The title race is currently neck-and-neck between the WRC Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon - Marcus Gronholm of Finland and Sebastien Loeb of France (different teams though....Ford and Citroen).

I'd be very interested to know if the event gets much (or any) coverage in the media in the States.

Just to give you an idea of the scale of the WRC in this part of the world, the single-largest attended sporting event IN EUROPE is the Rally of Great Britain.

At the back end of November every year, some 500,000 fans turn out in the rain, wind and snow to watch their heroes flying down isolated tracks in the middle of inaccesible forests!

One of the great things about rallying is that you can get really close to the cars while they're competing at "full chat".

Another thing about rallying is that - and this is something that it would loosely have in common with NASCAR...well, certainly in days gone by anyway - you can actually go out and buy the very cars that you see being manhandled through the stages by the protagonists!

I was very surprised, but hugely gratified, recently to hear the commentary team pay tribute to the recently deceased former WRC World Champion Colin McRae during live coverage of a NASCAR race.

Colin McRae MBE 1968 - 2007

If anyone is interested in knowing more about Rally Ireland you can do so here Rally Ireland // Home Page (actually, the pic you see when you open that page clearly shows how close spectators can get to the action...well, on the straights at least!!!). Click on the "WRC" logo to find out more about the championship itself.

[Racer Duck]

sad to say, ds, rally coverage in the states is almost non existent. except for brief coverage of Robby Gordon in the Dakar Rally, it never makes the average sports pages. though there are small pockets of enthusiasts here and there, but for SCCA events there would be no competition of that sort (and SCCA is not enamored with advertising their events.)

the recent introduction of the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution have brought a bit of news related to the sport of rally to the general public. and the longstanding popularity of two computer games, Gran Turismo and Colin McRae Rally, bring hope the younger crowd will raise the interest level in the states.

[PettyBlue]

Originally Posted by disco stu

One of the great things about rallying is that you can get really close to the cars while they're competing at "full chat".

We all have our sports and not to be a smart ass but I would like to ask as you seem to be a very nice person.Why do people line up and stand so close to rally racing unprotected?All I see here in the states are people being run over and killed or hurt bad.Yet they keep lining up for it.Why?

[DOF_power]

>



^ Well in rally has improved remarcably.
But still .
In the days of the Group B (83 to 86) it was pure madness.


Here are safety measures and tips

Spectating Tips For Rally Ireland


Rallying is thrilling, fast and exciting and there is no greater thrill than when you see a WRC car flat out on a stage. With their rigid safety cages, harnesses, numerous safety features and the professionalism of their drivers, rallying is well in control.

For the spectator though, there are some considerations to be borne in mind when going out to watch a rally.

Viewing tips for spectators:
- Plan your journey
- Choose the Special Stage and the location on the stage that you wish to see prior to travelling to the event
- Special Stages will close to the public three hours before the first car is due - so allow plenty of time to get to where you want to be. The committed spectators will be at their vantage points by this time
- Officials will patrol the stages from the previous evening to prevent parking in prohibited areas and please be careful not to park cars or camper vans on the stages
- Limited parking will be allowed on some of the roads adjacent to many of the stages and will be patrolled by An Garda Síochaná and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. If your vehicle, either a car or camper van, causes an obstruction or blocks a right of way it will be towed, you will receive a fixed fine and will have to pay a storage and towing fee
- In many cases you may have to walk up to 3km to reach a viewing point so allow time for this
- There will be some parking on roads leading onto the stages where you may be blocked in and you need to consider this before you select your viewing point. But if that stage is repeated you will have the possibility to see the action twice
- We advise that you bring a torch/flashlight with you and be careful when crossing fields and accessing viewing points
- There are defined areas for spectators at the viewing points on the stages and spectators must stay within the defined areas
- The spectators that arrive earliest will get the best vantage points
- Forbidden ground areas will be defined by rope and signs and spectators will not be allowed in forbidden ground areas
- Some additional areas will be identified as 'Private Property' and spectators are asked to respect these areas
- Spectators will not be allowed to walk on the stages after the passage of the first Safety Cars

The FIA Safety Officer will inspect the stage from a helicopter and if he is not happy with the location of spectators he may recommend that the stage not run. If this happens, the Organisers will not attempt to run the stage. Please help us make sure this does not happen.

The spectator areas on Rally Ireland have been provided for your safety and convenience because of the generosity and goodwill of the farmers and landowners along the rally route. Please respect their property and protect their farming businesses, by following these few rules and encouraging others to do so as well:

- Take home litter or place it in the bins provided
- Use the gates and styles provided, do not climb the fences or tramp through hedges
- Keep away from farm buildings and farm animals
- Stay in the designated spectator areas; using the access points provided and not moving from field to field
- Clean your footwear when moving between spectator areas and before returning home
- Some animal diseases can affect humans. Practise good personal hygiene-wash your hands before eating, drinking and smoking
- When parking close to houses remember these are people's homes and treat them and their property with the respect they deserve.

With your help we hope that we can once again show that the knowledgeable and responsible rally fans respect the property and privacy of those who live and work in the countryside. If we do this they will be happy to have us back again in future years.

There are many hundreds of officials and marshals working on Rally Ireland to ensure that everyone has the chance to enjoy the World Rally Championship's first ever visit to these shores. Please co-operate with them and let's all ensure that Rally Ireland is a great event for everyone!

Rally Ireland

[PettyBlue]

All well and good,DOF.Thank you for the tips but they do not answer my question.If no other in this world loves me,I do.I would not and will not trust my only life that I know of to any driver other than myself.These people/drivers lose control,hurt or kill.All the,Oh I am so sorry,will not bring a person back.Kind of why I stopped riding street bikes in the states.

[wingkey1]

Originally Posted by PettyBlue

We all have our sports and not to be a smart ass but I would like to ask as you seem to be a very nice person.Why do people line up and stand so close to rally racing unprotected?All I see here in the states are people being run over and killed or hurt bad.Yet they keep lining up for it.Why?

Obviously we need to send over a boatload of lawyers to get the 'ol liability and personal responsibility thing going over there. Once the event organizers, participants, sponsers, deal out some mega $$ associated with their "Liability" which grows exponentially as the lawyers argue against any level of personal responsibility on the part of the individual, the viewing areas will be something like 100 yards from the race surface.

After a time, the only ones that will be able to afford the "close up" seats will be the lawyers which is OK because that helps keep down the overall population of same within the geography by running down the weak and feeble ones. Circle of Life.

Anyone got a boat to contribute to the effort?

[disco stu]

Originally Posted by PettyBlue

We all have our sports and not to be a smart ass but I would like to ask as you seem to be a very nice person.Why do people line up and stand so close to rally racing unprotected?All I see here in the states are people being run over and killed or hurt bad.Yet they keep lining up for it.Why?

That’s a fair question PB.

I don’t think I’m the man to give you the definitive answer to it, but here are some of my thoughts, experiences and opinions which, I hope, might be of interest to you.



Firstly, I must say that I’m not a “rallying megafan” by any means.

I do keep an eye on the championship, but it’s many moons since I last attended an event in person (I’m far too old and fond of my comforts these days to be tramping through undergrowth, sleeping in cars and suffering the vagaries of the Irish weather in Winter-time!).

All motorsports are, as we know, inherently dangerous (…to some extent). And I think it would be fair to say that rallying is right up there with the most dangerous of them.

And this would, indeed, be almost entirely due to the close proximity of spectator and high speed rally car!

Rally special stages are run on closed public roads and can typically be 10, 15, 20 or even more miles long. So, unlike a racing circuit, it is pretty much impossible for the event organisers to effectively marshal and control access to the entire course.

So, therefore, a great onus – when it comes to safety – is placed on the spectators themselves.

My experience has been that the vast majority of genuine rally fans are highly responsible when it comes to spectating, and always make the greatest effort to occupy vantage points which are appropriate places on the stage in terms of both safety and potential distraction for competitors.

But, as is the case with all sports, you will often see a small minority who behave foolishly or selfishly (or both).

Be it due to over-enthusiasm, recklessness or just plain ignorance there are always the few who will find ridiculously inappropriate vantage points, and – completely oblivious to their stupidity – will place both themselves and the competitors at a much greater risk of catastrophe than should be the case.

I have heard stories of idiots actually disregarding or disobeying the advice and instructions of the marshals!

And, as most marshals are simply volunteers (ie. regular folks like you and I), their powers in terms of dealing with crackpots like these is very limited.

(On mainland Europe – as opposed to Ireland and the UK – the “fans” do seem to be more fanatical in terms of encroaching on stages from what I see, though).

These people, in my opinion, are not genuine rally fans, no matter what they might consider themselves to be!!!


I guess my point here, PB, is that although drivers can, indeed, lose control of their equipment, and even the most sensibly located spectator can get unlucky, more often than not a spectator fatality or injury is the result of poor or inconsiderate behaviour by the spectators themselves.

And this poor behaviour very often places the driver and navigator team in the position of “victim”….injured or not!


I must concede that I have often experienced – along with a sense of pure exhilaration – a slight nervousness as the first few cars go flying past at full tilt….just a few yards away from where I’m stood. It really is one hell of an awe-inspiring experience and a sight to behold.

I would have to say that this is definitely a major component of the live rally experience. The exhilaration, the noise, the smell, the thrill, the perceived danger…even the nervousness.

All part of the attraction.

You won’t get this at any circuit.



As I mentioned at the outset, it’s a long time since I personally attended an event and I’m pretty sure that things will have moved on since “my day”. Standards of marshalling have most probably advanced, numbers of marshals have most probably increased and inappropriate vantage points will probably have been restricted.

Er…I’m guessing…

I’ve attended many National and International standard (2 below and 1 below WRC standard respectively) events, but never an actual WRC rally.

So, my own personal experiences – as well as being somewhat dated – are not based on the pinnacle standards-wise.



Just to add my two-pennyworth to DOF’s point about the Group B cars…

This was indeed, from a safety point-of-view, a dark era in the history of the WRC.

These cars were, in fact, little more than “beefed up” racing cars.

They were ultra-powerful, ultra-fast and ultra-difficult to control….

….even in the hands of the best drivers in the world!

(They were, however, staggeringly impressive – and even beautiful – to anyone even half interested in cars or motorsport).

Group B rally cars


The few short years which saw the Group B cars reign supreme were punctuated by tragedy after tragedy. Many terrible accidents occurred as a direct result of the total unsuitability of these cars to the events and conditions in which they were competing.

The watershed moment came when the then superstar of the WRC, Henri Toivenen and his (American) co-driver Sergio Cresto were killed in an awful accident while competing in the Tour De Corse (Rally of Corsica) in 1986.

Leading both the event and the World Championship at the time, their Lancia Delta S4 left the road, plunged down a ravine and exploded.

Toivenen’s death finally motivated the rallying powers-that-be to have a major rethink about the future of the sport and this resulted in the end of the Group B era with a radical change to the cars and safety measures in the sport.

Poignantly…prophetically…Henri said this about the Group B monsters shortly before his untimely death. “With a modern car like this, in my opinion, a competition like this cannot be driven. It’s too physical and your brains can’t cope with this stuff (the speed)”.



These days it’s pretty rare to hear of a rallying fatality (either competitors or spectators), or even an injury as the result of an accident.

Rallying is, though, a motorsport. And all motorsport is dangerous!



Reading back over all of that, I don’t really know if it answers – or even properly addresses – your question PB.

In my opinion, rallying is a truly great form of motorsport…even despite the dangers.

I do respect your opinion though.

[Nevadastars]

DiscoStu, we used to get the WRC on the old Speedchannel. It was a great station with nothing but racing of all types, until it became Na$car/Reality TV. I loved watching those races, talk about car control! I really miss being able to see them. RIP Colin McRae.

[disco stu]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

...talk about car control! I really miss being able to see them. RIP Colin McRae.

You will not see finer car control in any form of motorsport!

And you certainly won't ever see finer - or more determined - than that of Mr McRae!! Simply the best.