In 1974, the Lombard RAC Rally came through my local town of Cirencester. The drivers included Roger Clark and Stig Blomqvist. Everyone flocked to the route to watch. Fast forward 30 years to when my three sons were growing up and, rather than standing beside a road to marvel at the likes of Colin McRae and Richard Burns, they fired up their PS2s and got behind the wheel themselves. There are many reasons why UK rallying no longer draws big audiences, including the loss of Wales Rally GB in 2019, but could rally games be one of them?
Fortunately, the sport is fighting back. In November last year, crowds descended on the Roger Albert Clark Rally to watch drivers tackling some of the UK's best-loved stages. This August, international rallying returns in the form of the European Rally Championship, at Rali Ceredigion. In recent years, UK fans have been transfixed by Welsh driver Elfyn Evans as he continues his ascent of the WRC rankings.
Meanwhile, this year the refreshed Probite British Rally Championship has an all-new calendar of six rounds, broadcast on ITV4 and ITVX. Drivers include Chris Ingram, winner of the 2019 European Rally Championship, and, fresh from his first Junior European Rally Championship win, Max McRae, 19-year-old nephew of Colin. The first three rounds have taken place, leaving three more starting in August.
Wind back a few months and my eldest son, now 32, reckoned that he and his brothers ought to watch a rally for real. I thought the third round of the BRC the Beatson's Jim Clark Rally, in Duns - looked just the job: a great heritage and location and we had heard that, after a 10-year absence, the popular Langton water splash was back. It happened over two days in May but we could only make the second, a Saturday. Still, 140 cars and multiple stages on closed public roads meant there was be much to see. Here are our snapshots from the day...
10AM
LANGTON WATER SPLASH
Denne historien er fra June 19, 2024-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 19, 2024-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon
LEXUSLBX
Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading
Once more, with feeling
AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days
ALPINE A290
The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models
