The Big One Is Back

Paul Lawrence looks ahead to the toughest special stage rally in Britain for more than 20 years

- Paul Lawrence

A round 100 crews will compete over four days and over 280 stage miles in the forests of Wales, Northumberland and Scotland before the jubilant, and weary, survivors reach the finish in Kielder forest on Monday afternoon.

After a two-year sabbatical, this epic event is back and it returns in some style. Rally manager Colin Heppenstall did his research and resolved that crews wanted a real challenge that brought back the sense of adventure and endurance of the RAC Rallies of the 1970s. In an era when most forest rallies cover little more than 40 stage miles and are done in half a day, he has put together an event that equates to nearly a full season of forest events, in one intense rallying fix.

This is not just an adventure for the crews. For the fans it is a throwback to another era when it was possible to follow the rally around the country and a legion of hardy spectators will be out over four days, some of them sleeping in cars and vans. The early morning smell of bacon being cooked and the bark of BDG engines in the forests will make for a truly memorable experience.

The competitor response has been overwhelmingly positive and the biggest entry in the event’s 12 editions will line up at the start in the rural Herefordshire town of Leominster. In total, over 140 crews initially lodged deposits but the cost and logistics of such an event has whittled that down to around 95 starters.