The UK is considered by some people as the home of rallying, and Wales has one of the toughest and challenging courses on the World Rally Championship (WRC) schedule. The 2019 Wales rally GB featured 22 stages that covered 312.75 km and it is relentless, with trees on either side, gravel, rain, and mud pushing the drivers to their very limit.
Through the ladder of motorsport, British rallying is full of competitive racing from a professional level all the way down to amateurs enjoying their passions, these include the British Rally Championship, Cambrian Rally, Lombard Rally Bath, and many other exciting, competitive rally events up and down the country.
Wales and Scotland provide the perfect backdrop for amateur, semi-professional and professional rally drivers to hone their skills and enjoy the challenges that the UK has to offer.
Events, Events, Events
As mentioned there are numerous rallies under and down the country, the British Rally Championship is arguably the most challenging of the UK-based rallies. It includes seven rounds, starting in Belfast and finishing in Llandudno on the 30th of October.
Other notable rally events that fans should definitely try and see are The Plains Rally, BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, the ANWCC Championship, and the Rally Yorkshire.
If you’re a semi-professional rally driver these events are the perfect opportunity for you to slap on a set of Accelera RA 162 and get muddy.
Fans - The Heart and Soul of British Rallying
After attending the Wales stage of the WRC, you can really the passion and dedication that British rally fans have for the sport. You wait and wait in the rain, wind, and mud to get a glimpse of a WRC car on the limit. To see the bravery of rally drivers being able to keep their foot hard on the throttle while on either side there are huge drops really puts into perspective the real challenges they put themselves through.
Fans travel far and wide to see their heroes, it takes true dedication to be able to endure the elements to see what some call the best drivers in the world.
Many fans going from watching to racing, rallying can provide relatively cheap motorsport to take part in. To get involved in Stage Rallying, you’ll need a full DVLA driving license. Then you need to buy a Go Rallying starter pack, pass a BARS test and then apply for an RS Inter-Club – Stage Rally Competition Licence.
For Stage Rallies, you will need a car that complies with the regulations. This will generally entail modifying the car with safety components such as a roll cage, special seats and harnesses, fire extinguishers, and suchlike. You can either buy such a car second-hand and prepare it yourself, or you can get a preparation company to modify a standard road car for you.