MSA Winter 13

winter 2013

Wa rallles We he y GB takes t ar what it o co-ordbe event See p inator ag e 41

The

magazine for British motor sport

top rally stages

Virtual racing

best of british Experts pick the country’s

Armchair Enthusiasts Gamers lead the way in

finest and fastest roads

grassroots surge

interview

MALCOLM WILSON M-Sport’s Managing Director on the business of rallying

The essential guide for club competitors

Let’s try... cross country rtv trials Where to find the best in seats and harnesses How to protect your hearing when competing

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this issue

Contents 05 Forum

36

This issue’s postbag

on the

cover

06 Action replay

Wales Rally GB: Rally of Legends WINTER 2013

WALES RALLY We hear takes to bewhat it event co-ordinat or SEE PAGE 45

THE

MAGAZINE FOR

BRITISH MOTOR

All the latest motor sports news

SPORT

VIRTUAL RACING

TOP RALLY STAGES

BRITAIN’S BEST country’s Experts pick the

09 Briefing

ARMCHAIR USIASTS ENTH way in Gamers lead the

grassroots surge

roads finest and fastest

INTERVIEW

MALCOLM WILSON

ging Director M-Sport’s Mana British rallying on the future of

COMPETITORS GUIDE FOR CLUB THE ESSENTIAL AND TRY RTV TRIALS OFF ROAD AND HARNESSES LET’S ING THE BEST IN SEATS G WHEN COMPET WHERE TO FIND T YOUR HEARIN HOW TO PROTEC

17 Opinion

Alan Gow on the importance of Club Development

19 Talking heads

Should Wales Rally GB be a round of the British Rally Championship?

20 Volunteer’s view

We hear from a cadet marshal For the past two years the sport hasn’t been delivering what it should Malcolm Wilson interviewed, p30

22 Best of British

Homegrown rallying luminaries on their favourite UK stages

30 Cover story

44 Strength and conditioning

22

Training the correct muscles can improve a driver’s responsiveness

47 Buyer’s guide

The best in seats and harnesses

Chris Harris talks to Malcolm Wilson about Group B, BRC, WRC and 30 years in the business

51 Let’s try...

36 Virtual racing

How best to protect your ears

Robert Ladbrook discovers gaming is becoming part of the sport

41 Role play

What does it take to be Wales Rally GB event coordinator?

30

Cross Country RTV Trials

55 Techno file

59 National Court 66 Simon says

Simon Arron on the rich heritage behind Wales Rally GB

contributors

New products on the market, p48

Chris Harris /DRIVE journalist Chris Harris meets British rally legend Malcolm Wilson at his Cumbrian base to talk about reinvigorating the sport

Drew Gibson Motor sport photographer Drew Gibson has shot this issue’s cover story, catching up with Malcolm Wilson at Rallye de France

Robert Ladbrook Motorsport News journalist Robert Ladbrook takes us into the world of virtual racing where a new generation is leading the way

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org

3

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editor’s letter

Should a day of marshalling be a requirement for a comp Licence?

If the sound of Sebastien Ogier’s 300bhp VW Polo R

Editors

Gemma Briggs, Andrew Cattanach The official magazine of the Motor Sports Association (MSA)

Published on behalf of MSA by:

your thoughts!

We want to know your opinion on which motor sport issues MSA magazine should cover.

Email us at msa@ thinkpublishing. co.uk

Gemma Briggs, Editor

Think, The Pall Mall Deposit 124-128 Barlby Road London W10 6BL Tel: 020 8962 3020 www.thinkpublishing.co.uk

Steven Tee/LAT Photographic

YES! Richard Pugh, via email

Competition winners

AUTUMN 2013

WRC is still ringing in your ears after November’s electrifying Wales Rally GB, then we know you are going to enjoy settling down to savour this issue of MSA Magazine. We wanted to keep your rally fever on the limit for a little while longer, so Autosport’s David Evans has spoken to some of the best Brits in the business to find out about their favourite rally stages.

We’re also thrilled to feature rally legend Malcolm Wilson on our cover for the first time. As a fellow Cumbrian, it gives me real joy to see the spotlight thrown on one of the many hard-working and hard-achieving giants in our sport.

You can read about top motoring scribe Chris Harris’ encounter with Wilson starting on page 30.

Elsewhere in this issue, we take a look at the impact of the internet on motor sport with an intriguing investigation into virtual racing, and we give a young marshal the chance to tell us what draws teenagers stage-side to give up their time for the sport.

Added to our guide to hearing protection, a look at buying seats and harnesses and a feature on RTV Trials, we think you’ll be kept pretty busy until Spring 2014…

What people are saying about the Autumn issue of MSA Magazine on Twitter

Thank you to everyone who entered last issue’s competition to win tickets to Wales Rally GB. James Lomax from Lancashire was the winner of a pair of World Rally Passes.

@OxfordMotorClub Make sure you read the latest @MSAUK magazine as Oxford Motor Club are mentioned!

Robert Beaden from Cheshire won two Saturday passes.

@Tollrd @JennieLocke impressive! @MSAUK good to recognise

Art Directors

GROUP Account DIRECTOR

News Editor

Publisher

Alistair McGown, Mark Davies Tim Swietochowski Cathi Thacker, Sian Campbell Advertising

Adam Lloyds (adam.lloyds@ thinkpublishing.co.uk)

VO LU

SP

MAGAZINE FOR

VOLUNTEERING

BRITISH MOTOR

EC

NTE

IAL

ERI

ISS

NG

UE

SPORT

SPECIAL

UNSUNG HEROES

“I don’t do it to be worthy; even if I paid I couldn’t get this close to the action”

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR CLUB COMPETITORS

WHY YOU SHOULD HEAD FOR THE HILLS AND TRY CAR TRIALS WHERE TO GO FOR THE LATEST AND BEST IN BRAKE TECHNOLOGY HOW TO GIVE YOUR COMPETITION CAR A MEMORABLE LIVERY

001 cover mocks.indd

1

02/08/2013 11:44

@chrismidracing I thought the [cover] article was brilliant. Marshals really are the unsung heroes of motor sport.

Without them there would be no racing.

Sub-editor

THE

John Innes

Ian McAuliffe Printed by: Wyndeham Press Group Limited, which holds to the ISO14001 environmental management system. MSA magazine is printed on 90gsm UPM Finesse Silk.

our younger officials #thewayforward @carlnorwich: As a marshal myself I must say this quarter’s MSA magazine featuring the work of Volunteers is superb, well done @ MSAUK and thank you @BMMCMidlands: Thank you to @MSAUK for an excellent MSA Magazine focused on volunteering #ThanksMarshal

The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of the MSA. Equally, the inclusion of advertisements in this magazine does not constitute endorsement of the products and services concerned by the MSA.

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org

5

Data burst

WhO Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia WHAT: Wales Rally GB WhEN: 17 November 2013

A Lavadinho

Wales Rally GB was the 13th and final round of the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship, running from 14-17 November.

For the first time, the event was based entirely in North Wales, beginning with a ceremonial start in Conwy and finishing in Llandudno. The 22 stages included classics such as the Great Orme, Gwydyr, Penmachno and Clocaenog.

World champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia led throughout aboard their Volkswagen Polo R WRC, beating their team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila – the 2011 and ’12 winners – by over 20 seconds. It was Ogier’s ninth win of the season.

6 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

action replay

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org

7

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news

in this

issue: Amy Williams MBE Live rally tracking Autosport International

Scotland

Briefing Regulations

Bryant appointed to Scottish development role

Chris Walker – Kartpix.net

British GT4 racer Rory Bryant will help shape motor sport’s future north of the border after being appointed National Development Officer by Scottish Motor Sports, the new strategic body representing the sport’s interests in Scotland.

Bryant, 25, holds a Sport and Recreation Management degree from the University of Edinburgh. His new role will be to identify the issues facing motor sport in Scotland, enabling a strategic plan for its development to be submitted to sportscotland in late 2014.

Paul Carlyle, Scottish Auto Cycle Union chairman, said: “Rory is a first generation motor sport participant and while he has personal experience of karting and racing, he demonstrated a broad understanding of motor sport in general and identified some of the challenges the sport faces. The creation of this position is a significant step forward for motor sport in Scotland and offers a great opportunity for everyone to get involved in shaping a bright future for Scottish motor sport.”

Changes to junior karting age limits have been postponed until 2015

mSC decisions Motor Sports Council confirmed at its September meeting that from 2014 all stage rally car seats will need a current in-date FIA homologation.

There was also confirmation that from January 2015 only tyres from the new Tyre List 6 will be permitted on unsealed surface stage rallies, and that organisers of all rallies must consult Route Liaison Officers (RLOs).

MSC also approved karting regulations governing tyre testing, and confirmed that proposed changes to age limits in junior karting will be postponed until 2015.

Proposals to reintroduce the ‘Battenberg’ flag in circuit racing

were withdrawn following consultation, while regulations were approved regarding running concurrent endurance races of different durations.

Meanwhile regulations for ‘spaceframe’ rallycross vehicles will become mandatory from January 2016.

From January 2014, parents or guardians of drag racers under 18 will need to hold a PG Entrant’s Licence, attend the event and sign on as the Entrant. Also with effect from January 2014, events authorised by the MSA not to use pump fuel must use fuel in compliance with FIA Appendix J Article 252, Article 9.

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org

9

news NEWS IN BRIEF Jones made acting CEO MSA General Secretary Rob Jones has been appointed acting Chief Executive with immediate effect. Former CEO Nick Bunting stepped down by mutual agreement in October after six months at the helm. During his time at the MSA Bunting undertook an internal restructure of the staff and functional departments, implemented a new IT system, reviewed the MSA’s business structures and began the establishment of a more customer-focused culture.

Karting

New kart classes in 2014 The MSA will introduce three new kart classes on 1 January 2014: Formula KGP Junior; IAME X30 Senior and IAME X30 Junior. They will be homologated for the next three years in accordance with newfor-2013 regulations designed to ensure stability in karting. No further new junior or senior non-gearbox kart classes will be introduced until at least 2017, when the next homologation period begins.

MSA Academy

RSF extends MSA support The MSA and the Racing Steps Foundation (RSF) have extended their partnership for a further three years to develop young British motor sport talent. Since 2009 the RSF has played a significant role in the growth of the MSA Academy, which now comprises more than 60 young drivers and delivers training to championships throughout the year.

JAKOB EBERY/Nick Duncan

MSA

MSA Academy

BTCC champ Jordan praises talent development When Andrew Jordan was crowned Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Champion at Brands Hatch in October, he became the first graduate of the MSA’s talent development programmes to achieve title success at the UK’s top level.

Jordan, 24, won eight races en route to the 2013 BTCC title. Back in 2007, as a Renault Clio Cup racer, he was selected for MSA British Race Elite, a precursor to today’s MSA Academy.

“It was the first ever year of the programme and I remember it well,” said Jordan. “It was led by [former F1 driver and Le Mans winner] David Brabham, who’s obviously very experienced, so being able to draw on his knowledge and experience was incredibly helpful. It really opened my eyes to aspects of racing beyond the driving itself. You need to understand the importance of engineering,

fitness, psychology, sponsorship and communications. It’s about being a complete package.”

Brabham remains a performance consultant to the MSA Academy, which is overseen by MSA Performance Director Robert Reid and backed by the Racing Steps Foundation. The talent development pathway peaks with Team UK – today’s equivalent of British Race Elite – which provides bespoke support programmes for the country’s most promising young race and rally drivers.

Jordan’s advice to young competitors today is that hard work is the key to success: “My dad, Mike, would say, ‘There’s probably someone out there who’s better than you, so you need to work harder than them’. You need to be prepared to sacrifice a lot and work harder than the guys you come up against.”

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10 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

15/02/2012 15:45

news Rallying

Rallies Committee LOOKING AT tracking Options are being explored for live tracking systems

my motor sport Race

Q&A with skeleton racer Amy Williams MBE, 2010 Winter Olympics gold medallist Why does rallying appeal to you?

I’ve always had an interest in motor sports; I’ve been lucky enough to ride with rally and race drivers in the past. I also appeared on Top Gear where I was able to drive around a track at high speed, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Then Tony Jardine saw me learning to co-drive on A League of Their Own, and he asked me to go a step further and take on the challenge of competing in Wales Rally GB. What was the biggest challenge on your road to Wales Rally GB?

UK stage rallies could soon feature live vehicle tracking if investigations by the MSA Rallies Committee prove fruitful.

Live rally tracking is prevalent worldwide in countries where mobile phone networks have been developed to cover the vast majority of the landmass. However it is significantly more difficult in Britain, where mobile signals are instead based on population centres, and where stage rallies are generally run in remote areas.

Rallies Committee, under chairman Andrew Kellitt, is now hoping to discover possible technological solutions that would allow rally headquarters to track competing vehicles in real time.

“This is an important project as there isn’t currently a suitable automated tracking system for stage rallies available in the UK, so domestically we rely on a labourintensive manual system of radio relays,” said Kellitt. “The FIA World Rally Championship (and therefore

Wales Rally GB) runs a very expensive bespoke system that relies on a plane circling overhead to relay the signals, and there’s a satellite-based system in Australia but we believe that’s very expensive too. The question we’re asking – not just of the motor sport community but also the communications industry – is, ‘How can we reliably transmit data from the cars to Rally HQ in real time at an affordable cost?’ It’s certainly our intention to find a suitable solution that can be implemented on stage rallies in Britain.”

Rallies Committee has drawn up a list of requirements for its desired solution and the MSA now wishes to hear from any companies that could satisfy them, either by adapting existing systems or developing new technology. The costs to competitors will be a key consideration for any system that may ultimately be adopted.

Interested parties should contact Ian Davis, MSA Regional, Rallies & Cross Country Executive, via ian.davis@msauk.org

Turn to page 30 for our interview with rally legend Malcolm Wilson

The whole process was a very steep learning curve for me.

The night stages I did on Rally Yorkshire were a very different experience, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well I could see! The Colin McRae Forest Stages were tough, and I got lost several times in my pace notes. There was a lot of pressure to get through each rally, in order to get the signatures I needed to upgrade to the international co-driver’s licence I needed. As an athlete I’m used to pushing myself to the limits every day to achieve a goal.

How friendly and accessible have you found the sport?

Very! Everyone has been so lovely to me and has accepted me into the sport. I’ve had some good tips from many other co-drivers, whether that’s been out on a recce or in the service area. Both skeleton and rallying are not sports you see every day in the newspapers, so we are always trying to raise awareness of our sports.

Which is trickier, a skeleton run or co-driving a rally stage?

Both are very different. When I was first learning skeleton it was tough. You train your body to sprint as fast as possible pushing the sled, then you have to drive it down the track as fast as possible. The more experienced you get, the more natural it becomes. On the other hand, I’ve learnt that a co-driver’s job is very tough as you have so much to do.

However, ultimately both sports aim to get the competitor down or around a track as fast as possible. So speed and control are the main aims of both sports.

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org

11

news

Tynemouth and District Motor Club

club

focus

LAT

North East club looks to restore past glories Some clubs are born with four wheels, some achieve four wheels and some have four wheels thrust upon them. Take, for example, Tynemouth and District Motor Club, established in 1948 and affiliated initially with the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU).

“A group of motorcyclists used to congregate in a café in Whitley Bay in the late 1940s,” says Donald Tarbet, President of Tynemouth DMC. “One of the founder members, the late Rupert Doughty, placed an advert in the local press saying they were going to hold a meeting in a public house in North Shields to discuss forming a club. That’s how Tynemouth DMC came into being.”

The early events comprised social Sunday runs to local beauty sports, as well as gymkhanas, treasure hunts and motorcycle reliability trials. But as the members grew older, married and started families, the need for four wheels was thrust upon them. Finally in the early 1960s the club registered with the Competitions Department of the Royal Automobile Club, which later became the MSA as it is today. In 1976 Tynemouth and District Motor Sports Club Ltd was formed to run the club’s motor sport activities.

“In 1971 we ran our first Stage Rally, the Lindisfarne, based in Kielder forest, giving 100 stage miles in a one-day event,” says Tarbet. “It soon became part of the then RAC National Rally Championship and attracted such names as Roger Clark, Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola and Jimmy McRae, to name a few. It ran until 1986 but in 1993

12 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

The Lindisfarne Rally was a national event created by Tynemouth DMC

it was revived as an all-asphalt event on the Otterburn Ranges.”

The club’s other major event, the Turnbull Trophy, is a single-venue rally held at Aldermarle Barracks on the former Ouston aerodrome.

Tynemouth DMC is also well known for its autocross events, which were once so successful that they funded a cornerstone of the club’s heritage, as Tarbet explains: “In those days autocross events attracted a large number of spectators and 500 was not uncommon. As a result the club’s funds became rather healthy, which allowed us to achieve our ambition of having our own premises. A plot of land was acquired from the local council and most of the work was carried out by club members. It opened in November 1968.”

At its peak the club boasted over 500 members, though today there are around

100. Garry Salmon, club Chairman, is keen to restore the numbers to their former glory, and has therefore engaged with Peter Metcalfe, Go Motorsport’s Regional Development Officer in the North East. “I think it’s great that the MSA is looking at different avenues to try and grow grass-roots motor sport,” says Salmon.

“Each motor club does things in its own unique way, and sometimes they need to think outside the box. Peter brings some interesting ideas to the table, and we’re also arranging a school visit with him. We’re definitely open to progressing club motor sport by generating new ideas and tackling issues in a positive way.”

Founded 1948 Membership circa 100 Website www.tynemouthmotorclub.co.uk

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Meet the MSA at Autosport International The MSA will be on hand at Autosport International at Birmingham’s NEC on 9-12 January to discuss sporting, technical and licensing matters, plus talent development and grass-roots participation initiatives.

The stand will once again be complemented by a Go Motorsport offering, this time based on motor sport in the regions. The MSA will also arrange another AutoSOLO outside the exhibition hall to give visitors a taste of club motor sport.

“Autosport International heralds the new year for British motor sport, so we’re looking forward to getting back to the NEC and gearing up for another great season,” said Rob Jones, acting MSA Chief Executive.

“The MSA team will be available on all four days across the MSA and Go Motorsport stands. Whether you have a question you’d

safety

Whiting to give Watkins Lecture Charlie Whiting, FIA Formula 1 race director, will be the guest speaker at the Motorsport Safety Fund’s Watkins Lecture on 10 January 2014 at Autosport International. Admission is free but by ticket only; tickets are available from www.motorsportsafetyfund.com rallying

WRGB at the NEC Wales Rally GB will be back in the spotlight at Autosport International.

Famous rally cars from the event’s history will be on show. f1

like to ask or an issue you’d like to raise, please drop by and we’ll be happy to help.”

Croft and Lotus legends confirmed Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft and Classic Team Lotus will represent grand prix racing in Autosport International’s Live Action Arena. Croft will host shows in the UK’s largest indoor racetrack, which will feature the iconic Lotus 79 and Lotus 49.

MSA members are eligible for a £5 ticket discount; visit www.autosportinternational.com and use the code 5MSA.

Exhibitions

Stars and cars lined up for 2014 show Motor sport luminaries Martin Brundle, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish, Adrian Sutil and John Surtees are among the guests confirmed for Autosport International 2014.

Surtees will kick off the 50th anniversary celebrations of his 1964 F1 world championship title. Brundle, a Sky Sports

industry

Trading places

F1 commentator and former grand prix driver, makes a return, while current F1 racer Sutil gives his debut appearance.

Representing the sportscar world, Audi Sport team-mates Kristensen and McNish will discuss their Le Mans 24 Hours win in 2013 and look ahead to the Circuit de la Sarthe’s 2014 race.

Trade exhibitors can now register for Autosport International 2014. Passes are available for £26 from www. autosportinternational.com/trade industry

Down to business Birmingham will again host International Motorsport Business Week in the run-up to Autosport International. Visit www. internationalmotorsport businessweek. com for more information.

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opinion

Finding ways to reach new audiences The MSA’s Club Development activity has come a long way and this year’s successes show the way forward, says MSA Chairman Alan Gow Back in 2008, with Lewis Hamilton riding high and Jenson

Button about to follow him into the winners’ enclosure, the MSA took its first steps into the world of marketing and promotion. The saturated media coverage ensured that people were talking positively about motor sport, but we recognised that unless you knew someone in the sport, it was difficult to see how to get started. Since then, we have brought thousands of people into contact with the sport, but we must continually evolve our approach for maximum effect.

Go Motorsport started life as a PR campaign, using the assets provided by the top end of motor sport as a platform to communicate to an enthusiastic audience.

The simple message was that motor sport was inclusive and accessible and really did offer something for everyone, but getting people excited and then getting them involved required more than just media coverage; it needed a direct sales channel.

The clubs have always been one of the MSA’s greatest asset; they are the embodiment of the sport at a local level. They are found in the towns and cities across the country, quietly going about their business of organising fun and exciting motor sport events. But many clubs, run largely by volunteers, felt that they did not have the relevant experience to be confident in their marketing and promotion activities.

So the Regional Development Officers (RDOs), whose remit initially was to give presentations in schools and colleges, were increasingly asked to work with the clubs in their area to provide support and guidance.

Sometimes it has been the provision of knowledge, sometimes it has been offering contacts, but most often it has involved reassuring club members that their ideas and initiatives are worth trying out.

A series of workshops with each Regional Association got the Club Development ball rolling last year, providing clubs with a forum to discuss their challenges, to share their successes and to come up with creative

The MSA let people ‘have a go’ at Autosport International

solutions for the future. Some clubs even decided to work together for mutual benefit!

Now with ten RDOs, the MSA’s commitment to Club Development has never been stronger and many clubs have seen the benefits of working closely with their local RDO. In the course of the past 12 months, two things have become clear.

Firstly, creating the opportunity to ‘have a go’ should be the absolute mantra for the development of club motor sport. We were skidding around a car park at Autosport International in January and followed up with a similar event at Silverstone for Go Motorsport Live in the summer; as a result we have seen thousands of people this year whose eyes have been opened by a simple passenger ride and the realisation that they could have fun on four wheels. After all, what’s not to love about driving as fast as you can around cones in your own car for little more than £20? One of our ambitions for 2014 is to get more people behind the wheel.

Secondly, we have learned that rather than creating our own events, it can be more efficient to piggy-back onto someone else’s audience to take our message to the public.

We have seen thousands of people this year whose eyes have been opened by the realisation that they could have fun on four wheels

Go Motorsport Live was a great success and brought many new people into the sport, but the effort involved in attracting 5,000 people to Silverstone in July was extraordinary. The Go Motorsport Live concept itself is strong and will be retained for 2014, but they may become more regional in their focus and will likely form part of a bigger event.

Another initiative for 2013 was the designation of the Year of the Volunteer, to recognise the immense contribution of the volunteer community to our sport. The resounding success of the campaign has perhaps been best exemplified by the #ThanksMarshal social media activity. Who would have thought that a fluffy lion would have captured the imagination of the sport and been photographed with F1 and WRC drivers, TV presenters, radio DJs, chefs and sports stars – and, of course, with the loyal army of volunteers throughout the sport.

Next year, we will celebrate the Year of the Rookie, concentrating on those new to the sport or just starting out. It should encourage us all to provide more opportunities for people to have a go, to reach out to new audiences and to show just how much fun motor sport can be.

Every sport’s governing body is faced with the need to bring in new blood, to grow their membership and develop the sport. The MSA continues to embrace the challenge as it bids to shape the future of motor sport in the UK. Winter 2013 www.msauk.org

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talking heads

Should Wales Rally GB be a counting round of the MSA British Rally Championship?

yes

McKLEIN/LAT

Andrew Coe, Wales Rally GB chief executive

It’s very difficult for a major event to exist on its own in our sport these days, so the logic for me would be to tie the links together in the structure of the sport.

The British Rally Championship is a standalone competition and I understand the constraints and additional costs of including a three and a half day event, but we are making a special effort to reduce the costs by cutting the entry fee for British drivers. We are quite fortunate in that our traditional calendar date is at the end of the season and Rally GB would provide a fitting finale to the BRC.

Rally GB would provide British Rally Championship crews with a link from the British to the world championship, enabling them to bridge that gap and giving them something to aspire to. Of course, not everybody aspires to compete in Mark Higgins, the World Rally Championship, multiple BRC but for those that do, our event champion would really benefit them from being included in the BRC calendar. We have a One of the primary responsibility to put on the best problems for me on this possible show and we want that question is one of cost, to include as many British especially in the current drivers as possible. climate. Before you What do you The British Rally even turn a wheel on think?

Championship is the event itself, Would linking the BRC and Rally the premier rally doing Rally GB GB be mutually beneficial? Or are series in Britain would cost you the costs of entering an extra and Rally GB is the £10,000 and that’s event prohibitive for British drivers? Let us know what you premier event in a huge amount of think at msa@ Britain, so it would budget to find for a thinkpublishing.co.uk seem natural to put driver who is probably the two together. As an struggling to get a BRC event we have the space, programme together as it is the opportunity, some great in these economic conditions. So stages and a great opportunity to tie them in with an expensive to work together on this for the round like Rally GB is something mutual benefit.

I’m really not sure about.

No

As well as that, when Britain’s round of the World Rally Championship came around it was always an event that offered the chance to prove yourself against the best of the drivers from around the world and in front of all world championship team managers. And a driver’s chances of doing that could be hit if they’re worrying about scoring points or making sure they finish because the rally is at the end of the championship season.

There are other regulatory issues to consider here as well.

Latterly, when we were doing Rally GB in the Group N Subaru, we were running different tyres and a different fuel to the WRC drivers. To the outside world, it looked like one Group N car up against another, but the reality wasn’t like that.

It’s a difficult one, because obviously we want the best of British rally drivers to be competing in the best of the British rallies, but at the same time we have to consider the cost implications of this.

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 19

volunteer’s view

Jeff Bloxham/LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Cadet marshals can help at all sorts of events, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Jumping-off point Too young to compete? Fear not, you can indulge your burgeoning interest in motor sport by becoming a cadet marshal from the age of 11. We hear how to get involved from 15-year-old Michael Lear The forest rally stage at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

relies entirely on marshals, many of whom stay for the full three days. Without them, an integral part of this motor sport garden party in the grounds of Lord March’s Goodwood estate could not take place.

I began marshalling at Goodwood and other events with my dad through Redditch and District Car Club, of which we are both members. I know first-hand what a fantastic experience it is to be a marshal, as I have been one for the past three years – from the age of 12 – on the Festival of Speed rally stage as well as at other clubman rallies.

If you wish to become a rally marshal, all you need to do is join your local MSAregistered motor club and apply for your marshal’s licence. There are no initial formal training requirements for rally marshals, 20 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

although it is important to know how to respond in certain situations.

Training events are organised throughout the year, covering areas such as first aid, casualty evacuation and fire fighting. Even at the Goodwood rally stage, where the drivers are doing demonstration runs only, a Ford Fiesta R2 rolled onto its side. This clearly demonstrates how marshals have to be ready to respond to anything.

Cadet marshalling means you can get involved from as young as 11 years old. Like any other rally marshal, you can also enjoy being as close as

you can get to Group B legends and the latest World Rally Cars, like I did myself at this year’s Festival of Speed.

One role rally cadet marshals can help with is spectator safety, particularly important at competitive clubman events where spectators (if allowed) tend to have more freedom when watching cars on the stages. There are some restrictions for cadet marshals and a responsible adult must look after them at events and give consent for them to become marshals.

Overall, cadet marshalling is a fantastic way to pursue an interest in motor sport and get involved in it at a young age. Otherwise it is a more difficult and expensive sport to participate in. As a cadet rally marshal, I have enjoyed many exciting, hair-raising and memorable moments, not least at the Goodwood rally stage this year when a Land Rover Wolf XD was so out of shape it made our group of marshals take a significant step backwards!

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Britain’s best rally stages With such a rich rallying heritage and a tradition for some of the finest and fastest roads in the world, we couldn’t decide on Britain’s best rally stages. That’s why we asked the experts…

They spoke to David Evans

22 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

rally special

Alastair Fisher

MSA British Rally Championship driver

Torr Head Northern Ireland, asphalt This stage is just like Finland on Tarmac! It’s an amazing stretch

EBERY/LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Alastair Fisher tackles the rollercoaster Torr Head stage in Northern Ireland – his favourite in this part of the world

of road, so fast and with so many bumps and jumps… I love it. The first time I did it, when it was part of the Ulster Rally in 2009, I couldn’t believe how good it was. It’s like a rollercoaster.

The speed is really high anyway, but the feeling of speed down there is always even higher; it’s a double-width road, but it still feels quite narrow. As you can imagine, getting your pace notes right for this stage is absolutely critical to setting a good time. One thing which does help you out a little bit is the white line which runs right down the centre of the road – that gives you some idea of where the road is going over the next blind crest of brow. But, you could never trust that 100 per cent!

Being up on the coast in Antrim, the weather could have quite a big impact on the stage, changing the nature and the grip level quickly.

It’s always been pretty dry when I’ve driven it. I remember taking the Mitsubishi [Lancer] through the Torr Head stage one year, and the outright speed and power the car had in there was fantastic. Obviously, there are a lot of great roads over in this part of the world, but I can’t think of one quite as good as Torr Head.

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 23

JAKOB EBERY/LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Higgins and Bryan Thomas driving on the Baldwins in the 2009 Manx International Rally

Mark Higgins

MSA British Rally Champion (1997, 2005, 2006)

The Baldwins Isle of Man, asphalt Coming from the Isle of Man, I grew up watching rally cars

BRENDAN HOWARD/SHUTTERSTOCK

competing on the roads around home and it’s a classic from the Manx that I’ve chosen as my favourite stage in Britain.

The Baldwins is a stage with a bit of everything in it, but it’s the quick sections which tend to stick in the mind. The sensation of speed is incredible – you’ll be doing more than 100mph, but you can’t seem to see the next corner. It’s in these places that you could take a chunk of time out of your rivals if you stick your neck out. The Baldwins is a proper driver’s stage.

Starting from Druidale, the stage crosses the island and that can make it really difficult

from the perspective of picking the right tyres. If the weather’s changeable, you could be in sunshine at the start, but it could be raining at the finish. And for a good few years, this would be the last stage of the rally – so you were really gambling everything on getting the choice right for the conditions. In those changeable conditions, coming under the trees is always tough as well; there will always be damp patches waiting to catch out those late brakers.

I did this stage in a few different cars, but I think the best one I drove would have to be the Vauxhall Astra F2 car. Those Formula 2 cars were raw machines which you had to really get hold of and drive. You had to be aggressive and in The Baldwins I would get in it, get on it and just hang on all the way through the stage!

When you came out of there in one piece, having given everything, you knew you’d had a good one. A classic.

The sensation of speed is incredible – you’ll be doing 100mph, but you can’t seem to see the next corner ...

The Baldwins is a proper driver’s stage 24 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

rally special Kris Meeke

Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion (2009)

Dyfi

Wales, gravel The Dyfi stage was the first stage I ever drove when I won a drive in a

Peugeot 106 on the Bulldog Rally back in 2000.

Maybe that’s the reason I think this is the best stage in Britain – it was the one that gave me my first taste of rallying.

But it is some stage. Some stage to start your career on!

It’s a special one for me as well, because it was the place that I set my first real fastest time, when I won it in the Mini on the 2011 Wales Rally GB. It’s funny, when we came to the recce on that event, I remember telling Paul [Nagle,

co-driver] about how special this place was.

Then it became even more special a few days later.

Dyfi is one of the stages which makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. It’s a really fast stage and, when you are hurtling up there in the mist of an early November morning, there’s nothing quite like it. As well as that, when you’re competing on WalesRally GB, you have the home fans thing going on as well and that really makes it special as well.

The other stages in that area – the likes of Dyfnant – seem to cut up quite a lot, there’s a little bit of a softer base to them. But Dyfi’s not like that, it’s a real solid hard surface which gives you good grip which is quite consistent. It’s somewhere that you can go in and have a really big push.

And once you get into the rhythm of the stage, the corners just seem to flow into one another – that’s when the feeling is really special.

It’s a stage I’ll remember for a long time!

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Dyfi is one of the stages which makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

It’s a really fast stage and there’s nothing quite like it

Dyfi: a fast stage with a solid surface that makes for a fun and hair-raising experience

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 25

David Cleghorn

rally special

This is very much a commitment stage, but there are also some really technical sections

Guy Wilks favours the Abbey St Bathans stage of the Jim Clark Rally which, if you’re not careful, can bite

Guy Wilks

MSA British Rally Champion (2007/2008)

Abbey St Bathans Scotland, asphalt

This stage has absolutely everything in it. It usually starts

on a fast and flowing medium-width road, then after a square-right at a junction the road gets even wider – but the surface is like ice. If it’s raining, it’s so, so greasy. The only downside to this stage is that they usually put straw bale chicanes on this section.

After that it’s a square-left up a narrow, single-track road where it’s bumpy with rocks on the inside. It opens up quite a lot over the top of the moors and that’s where it’s really fast. This section tests the cars as well as the drivers, especially if you’re doing this stage in the dusk; the light change is quite dramatic, going from quite flat light in the open to really 26 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

dark in the forested parts. There are lots of compressions over this section and, if you are brave, you can take time out of people here.

Then it’s down through a woodyard and into Abbey St Bathans itself. Under the trees coming into this section, you always have to be careful because the grip’s changing all the time. If the weather’s been wet, you have to be so careful here. The wind would probably have dried the road over the moor, but down under the trees it could still be really wet – not what you want when you’re braking from sixth to second.

In the yard itself, there’s a lot of gravel around, usually some cow muck, enough to really move the car around and have some fun. You then go across a steel bridge over the river – I’ve brushed the fence a few times going through a long left-hander onto that bridge…

This is very much a commitment stage, but there are also some really technical sections which can bite you. And if you get bitten in there, it’s not going to be a small bite!

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rally special Robert Reid

World Rally Champion co-driver (2001)

Craigvinean Scotland, gravel I remember watching a Ford Escort MkI through this stage in

the late 1970s – that was my first experience of spectating and my first experience of Craigvinean. Part of the appeal of this stage is that it’s quite close to home for me. When you get up into the middle of the stage and get up quite high, you can see back down into Perth – that’s when the weather permits.

Another reason I love this stage is because it’s filled with a really rich history, so much has happened in Craigvinean on Scottish rallies down the years. The other reason is that it’s simply a fantastic stage and a really challenging stretch of road. I’ve driven it in both directions, starting and finishing near Dunkeld, down by the side of the A9. There’s a

big spectator area called Hermitage and coming down the hill into there was always fantastic. The section which sticks in the mind is just a bit further back into the stage, though – through the quarry. Depending which way you went, this was a series of corners which kept tightening until you came to a famous open left-hand hairpin.

The first time I competed on it would have been some time in the eighties on the Hackle Rally. And I loved it from the start. It was a real challenge for the co-driver. There were some super-fast sections with blind crests and then much more technical places. The traditional definition of a forest stage is road-ditch-bank, but that doesn’t really hold with Craigvinean; the ditch to bank section was merged with some grass, which, combined with the fact that the stage wasn’t particularly wide, made for some interesting moments.

Depending on which way the stage ran, at the finish there was an old ruined house with a park bench on the outside of a right-hander – it had been thumped a few times!

Robert Reid co-drives the late Richard Burns on the 1993 Scottish Rally

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

It’s simply a fantastic stage and a really challenging stretch of road ... filled with a rich history

And not forgetting…

Pundershaw: classic killer Kielder

Clipstone: popular Nottinghamshire RAC stage

Grizedale: fast and flinty with a beautiful Lakes backdrop

Ringwood: the pick of the crop on the south coast

Dalby: shatteringly quick straights and entertaining woodyard

Chatsworth: great RAC loosener in days gone by Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 29

Getting down to

drew gibson

business

30 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

interview Malcolm Wilson has transitioned from rally champion to a captain of industry.

Chris Harris finds out what has driven him to succeed Malcolm Wilson’s grin is a touch infectious. We’re discussing

Group B and specifically a Sport Quattro he drove on the Manx in 1985. “The one with no wings,” he says faux-ruefully. “But it needed wings!” He then slightly loses himself – and you can tell this because his eye contact wanders from mine to a corner of the room as he explains what an animal the car was, all the time sporting that impish smirk. Seeing it makes me smile too.

Malcolm Wilson, Order of the British Empire, really has seen it all – two British National championships, a legacy with the Ford Motor Company that saw him campaign and develop everything from Escorts to the fabled RS200. Now he is managing director of M-Sport, a company he observes is the last British manufacturer of top-class rally machines. But despite full order books and a big sponsor for his now non-factory Ford WRC machines, the sport in which it operates appears to still be in a state of flux.

So why isn’t rallying where many people believe it should be – garnering vast television audiences? The Group B grin recedes as Malcolm explains how he views the current state of the sport internationally.

“As we speak, for the past two years the sport hasn’t been delivering what it should.

That’s compounded by the various promoters we’ve had. Then Red Bull Sportsman took over which was an improvement, but I’m still disappointed at the lack of progress given the time they’ve already had. There is some real light at the end of the tunnel though, for instance the whole of Rallye deFrance was live, and the coverage was absolutely outstanding.”

He concedes that not having the WRC broadcast on terrestrial television in the UK is a big problem for M-Sport. “When the boss of Ford can’t see you on the Malcolm Wilson OBE, winner of telly, he is unlikely to produce his two British chequebook for a factory team. With National two major players like VW and championships Hyundai on board they’ll want some return on investment, and they’ll invest further in the sport, but there’s still a long way to go. In the UK we’re lagging well behind for coverage.”

His views on the state of the national sport are less forthright because, as he Winter 2013 www.msauk.org

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interview acknowledges, he’s been immersed in Wilson’s WRC for nearly 15 years.

Way “It’s hard to pinpoint but we’ve Next March will see the 39th Malcolm Wilson somehow lost the link between Rally take place in international rallying, national rallying Cumbria. For more and our main event, Wales Rally GB. information visit www.

I can’t say exactly why that is – is it malcolmwilson. co.uk because we’ve not allowed all the different types of cars to compete in all the different championships? Back in the day you could buy a car and you could do just about anything with it. Now that is not the case – is that the root cause? Is it just the profile of rallying, the same problem the international sport is facing but on a smaller scale? We don’t have the Colins or the Richards battling against each other at the very top of the game, and that has to be a factor.

“It’s a difficult one and it’s important to our business: of all the cars we’ve designed and built here we’ve never sold one Super 2000 Fiesta or Fiesta WRC in the UK. I believe we’ve just sold two Fiesta R5s in the UK. Out of 53 orders that’s just two in the UK. I need to look at it: it’s a really sad situation.

You have a company here based in the UK and we’re not selling in the UK, but we are everywhere else in the world. I want to help find a way of reinvigorating the sport and (that grin returns) get some UK customers as well.”

The new R5 Fiesta is the machine for that task. It’s not cheap at £180k, but on some stages it’s less than a second a kilometre slower than a WRC car and is far cheaper to buy and run. There’s some interesting parity here with the GT3 circuit racing programme M-Sport is running for Bentley Motors: “For me time is money, that’s why many of the good club and national events work in the UK: you turn up on Friday, compete on Saturday and then you’re done. I think many of the people who have turned to historic rallying over the past decade could be persuaded back into something like the R5. They want to have a go on a full Wilson’s hard work and four-wheel-drive machine. They have determination no interest in a front-wheel-drive has led him to Fiesta. This is why GT3 circuit racing is succeed in both sport and so successful. The MD car owner gets business back to the office on Monday and can say, ‘Look what I’ve been driving.’ To be honest I’ve learned a lot in the small time I’ve been involved in GT3 category. I think we need to create a home for these type of gentleman drivers in rallying.”

Malcolm agrees that these are very interesting times. The emergence of two Rallycross championships has intensified the debate over what a rally format should be, and it surely has ramifications for the sport at all levels? Like many of us he clearly pines for an era when these events were real endurance tests, but he concedes that time and cost constraints mean they have to change.

lat / drew gibson

For me time is money, that’s why many of the good club and national events work in the UK: you turn up on Friday, compete on Saturday and then you’re done

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 33

lat / drew gibson

interview

“Personally I’ve always thought Rallycross was a great sport – it lost its way for a bit, but is back and it’s arenabased, all done in a day, which is perfect for television. Also they’re supercars with 600hp, banging, flames and excitement.

But you can’t lose sight of the DNA of rallying: the sheer number of fans that actually go out and still watch rallying.

I think we need to look at shorter rallies, and I don’t mean in terms of competitive stage driving. We should actually make the events more demanding and the days longer, but geographically everything should be more compact. Central service parks, more attractions, a better event for spectators.”

Ah, the spectators. This is where I try and persuade Malcolm, a man who spent a decent chunk of his professional life peering from the side-window of a MkII Escort, that what we need are rear-wheeldrive machines going sideways everywhere!

The grin returns, but is quickly followed by a more pragmatic tone: “Look, front-wheel drive, downhill on a British Championship event is always fantastic, but uphill it’s a disaster! And I have one big reservation about rear-wheel drive: technology. Once the clever engineers get involved it wouldn’t be long before the cars weren’t driving like the cars we love to remember. On the other hand you could limit suspension travel etc, but it would need a lot of top engineers around a table to create an agreement. The fact is the manufacturers don’t want rear-drive cars, they want to showcase technology.”

So what about the other component, the driver? We’ve been missing a superstar from the UK for too long. How do we nurture the young talent to find the next Colin?

“I’ve tried to do this and we’re going with Elfyn Evans now. I think he’s the best hope 34 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

Wilson thinks rallies should be more demanding but also more compact geographically

Personally I’ve always thought Rallycross was a great sport – it lost its way for a bit, but is back and it’s arena-based , all done in a day, which is perfect for television there is at the moment. Where I disagree with some people is that, yes you need the funds to get a start, but I also still believe that if you have the raw ability and the appetite, if you want to make it work you will somehow. Just look at Thierry [Neuville]. I’ve never seen anyone work so hard at their career. It’s amazing to watch, he’s just relentless. And he started with nothing.”

I can’t help but occasionally sneak a glance over Malcolm’s shoulder. In a glass cabinet there are dozens of model rally cars, clearly

ones he drove, and so the conversation wends itself, inevitably, back to Group B. Was that era of rallying actually over-rated? He goes slightly wistful again: “No, it was just brilliant. They were monsters.”

Malcolm drove that Quattro, the Metro 6R4 and the RS200, so he should know. In fact he knows so much about rallying you do get the sense someone should persuade him to spend less time at M-Sport and more time helping shape the future of the sport he so clearly loves.

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11/10/2013 11:57

Armchair en

Imagine a division of motor sport that allows you to race wheel-

to-wheel at 150mph in your favourite GT machinery without having to raise thousands of pounds of funding.

Better yet, there are no entry fees, no maintenance requirements or cost, and no risk of damaging your pride and joy. Sound a bit too good to be real? That’s because it isn’t. But the realm of virtual racing and rallying is rapidly becoming a new-age, grass-roots motor sport.

As home computer technology has advanced, more and more people are turning to gaming to advance their real-life driving skills. Drivers can now pick up much more than just general knowledge of a particular track layout, racing lines and overtaking spots, and there are now 36 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

full online championships for players to contest.

The Online Racing Association, or TORA, is one of the fastest growing organisations within the sport. Founded in 2008 by Matt Hunter and a group of university friends, the organisation’s global racing community now has over 2,500 active members. TORA is the first online racing group to be officially recognised by the MSA. Hunter says the biggest appeal of online racing is its accessibility: “We started TORA almost by accident,” he explains. “We were all huge motor sport fans but never had the budgets to start racing ourselves as even the entry level classes aren’t cheap. So we decided to create a place on the most common and accessible format at the time, the Xbox 360 and Forza Motor sport. We

credit

Their experience of the sport may be limited to their living rooms, but today’s gamers are leading a new, grass-roots surge in the sport, as Robert Ladbrook discovers

virtual racing

nthusiasts Virtual racing is an excellent tool to carry the message of the sport to a much wider community #############################################

Sophisticated gaming is enabling players to make the leap from simulated driving to the real thing

wanted to give the real racing experience without the cost that is usually prohibitive.”

TORA is different to the normal in-game online lobbies in that it offers a new level of professionalism. Too often most online races get spoiled by someone intent on doing more harm than good and simply driving into other players. TORA enforces real-life driving standards for its members.

“Online racing is the fastest growing area of the sport, but it has to be controlled to remain sustainable,” continues Hunter. “ Having the support of the MSA has helped our position in aligning ourselves as closely as possible to real motor sport and given us great kudos. We now have real race teams creating their own virtual presence and creating and designing cars for players, just like they do for real customers.

“There are many transferable skills from online racing. Many drivers that have started in our leagues have gone on to get real race licences and we regularly see a spike in interest during the winter when real racing drivers join to keep their hand in.

“You learn things like racing etiquette, race craft, circuit layouts and even all of the small things that go into getting a car on track. We have guys who spend hours tweaking set-ups and genuinely come away with a good knowledge of what changes can

credit

Jann Mardenborough, a former winner of the Nissan GT Academy scheme, is now an F3 driver

benefit cars in real conditions. Virtual racing is an excellent tool to carry the message of the sport to a much wider community that wouldn’t normally be able to participate.”

There are also a growing number of gamers that are graduating into real cars, and Nissan’s successful GT Academy scheme is a perfect example.

The global talent search asks players to set a qualifying lap time on Gran Turismo on the Playstation before taking the fastest players and putting them through an intensive boot camp to become real racing drivers. Spaniard Lucas Ordonez and British racer Jann Mardenborough are both winners of the scheme and have both stood on the LMP2 podium at the Le Mans 24 Hours with backing from the Japanese manufacturer.

Welshman Mardenborough, who is now contesting the FIA European Formula 3 Championship after graduating out of British GT, explains: “It’s been an amazing journey, and it’s crazy to think that my career started on a computer game.

“Technology has come so far that current versions of simulation games can replicate understeer, oversteer and braking sensitivity accurately. You can feel all of the sensations back through a good quality controller, not to the extent that you can in a real racing car, but all of the basic signals are there.”

While controllers and games go so far in replicating a driving experience, TORA gives its members the benefit of basing its meetings on real formats.

Drivers have to

Winter 2013

www.msauk.org 37

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We wanted to give the real racing experience without the cost that is usually prohibitive

pre-register for events using the TORA forums. By signing up you get allocated a racenumber and can then enter events.

Most championships run one round per week. Once registered, drivers on the entry list are then invited to join a private lobby on the designated game at the allocated race time. The lobby will be hosted and administered by a member of the TORA Race Marshals team or a trusted community member.

All championship rounds include a qualifying session and race. Race durations vary according to which championship you choose – from sprint events using production spec cars to full-blown endurance races, which mimic the FIA World Endurance Championship and operate for top-level LMP1 prototypes.

When entries for any round exceed the maximum capacity of the lobby, drivers will be separated into races according to their qualifying times, with the fastest racing in lobby A. The maximum lobby size for Forza Motorsport 4, the most popular platform, is between 14-16 players.

Part of the appeal of virtual racing is the social side. Playing over the internet allows drivers to be in communication with each other by connecting into the lobby audio channel. Players can compliment, or complain, far more directly than in the real world. The constant engagement with players

around you adds an extra dimension to the racing experience.

The lobbies also offer spectator options, facilitating the real-time stewarding in TORA. Race hosts and TORA staff will watch each event and rule judgement over any foul play, simulating the role of a real-life race control. They can hand out post-race penalties, demand places be given back in real-time, or even ban repeat offenders.

Most races are also streamed live on the TORA website or race highlights uploaded.

“Our meetings are run to real-time so you have to be in the right place at the right time, just like a real meeting,” says Hunter. “We try to keep the rules as close to reality as possible because we want to educate people on how motor sport in the real world works.

We’re currently looking at how to implement the new ‘one wheel off’ track limits rules into our racing to keep in-line with MSA standards.”

The social aspect also carries over outside the game lobbies to the wider community.

Drivers share set-up tips and fastest lap data on the forums, making TORA an open community.

“Virtual racing is well on the way to becoming one of the best ways into motor sport for the next generation,” Hunter adds.

“The growth we’ve seen has brought in players from across Europe, South Africa, America and Australia. It’s only a matter of

Among the most popular racing games are Forza Motorsport for the XBox 360 (above) and Gran Turismo for the PlayStation (below)

time until virtual racing is recognised as a sport in its own right. I believe we have the momentum to run full British and internationally-recognised championships in the next few years.

“This is a sector of the sport that will only grow as new technology develops and it shows no sign of slowing down yet.”

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 39

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role play

A Lavadinho

MSA Team UK’s Elfyn Evans en route to WRC2 victory at Wales Rally GB 2013

Ahead of the game

It requires organisation, experience and a deep knowledge of the sport to become an event coordinator There’s a lot to consider when organising the largest rally in the

United Kingdom. To give an idea of the extent of Andrew Kellitt’s role as event coordinator for Wales Rally GB, during a short interview he describes his responsibilities as including route planning, the safety of spectators and competitors, making sure that every aspect of the rally meets regulations, deciding where the central service area should be, how many toilets will be needed and where to put the car park.

It’s a demanding full-time job that requires an aptitude for thinking on one’s feet – often

about several things at once. But, he couldn’t do it alone and stresses that he is in no way a one-man band. “You’ve got to be able to get on with people and persuade them to do things,” he explains. “You need to build a team around you because you can’t do everything yourself. You need people to be stage commanders, be a chief marshal, be a timekeeper. You need to find a results team.

You don’t get very far on your own.”

As well as a good team behind him, Kellitt can draw upon his more than 30 years’ experience of organising and competing in rallies. Like a lot of people who get involved in

the organisation of the sport, he was a spectator before starting to compete, becoming a co-driver in the late 1970s. It was around this time he became more involved in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the sport.

“Like a lot of co-drivers at motor clubs, you’re the one who gets asked to organise the motor club’s next event,” he says. “I got involved in Wigton motor club up in Cumbria where I live, organising singlevenue rallies on airfields and road rallies, and then I got involved in what is now the Pirelli Rally, which was the Tour of Cumbria then. I became the Clerk of the Course of that in the 80s.”

In 1989, Kellitt was offered a full-time job as route coordinator for the then Lombard RAC Rally. This allowed him to leave his job working for the local council – which he admits was a risk at the time – and has been working in the industry ever since.

Over the years, his role has changed considerably, and he is now event coordinator. This includes, among those tasks listed above, the duties he was originally set as route coordinator, which, he confesses, is the aspect he still likes most. “I enjoy getting out and about on the route – into the forest – reminding myself why I do it – finding good bits of road.”

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role play One of the biggest challenges facing a rally event coordinator is the ability to adjust to the changes that take place from one year to another

One of the biggest challenges facing a rally event coordinator is the ability to adjust to the changes that take place from one year to another. There’s very little opportunity to rest on one’s laurels, with stages changing with every event – and 2013 sees one of the biggest changes in Wales Rally GB years. While in past all the stages, 2013 started at largely speaking, have taken place in Conwy and the lower half of the country, this year finished three days later at Llandudno sees a shift to the north of Wales.

“It’s been fairly static up until this year,” he explains. “This year we’ve moved, basically, to North Wales, so the events are running from the north coast of Wales downwards. While on one day the southern most stages are the same as the previous years’ northern most stages, the other two days are completely new.

Some of the stages we haven’t used since the mid-90s.”

For those looking to become a rally event coordinator, Kellitt’s advice is simple: get involved in your local motor club.

“Motor clubs are always looking for people to organise events,” he explains. “A lot of the people organising events are the same ones I’ve been around the last 30 years or so Ma

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and we’re all getting a bit older, so new people coming in to organise is great. You wouldn’t be left on your own to do it, either. There are people there to help you work out what to do.”

Where there’s a will there’s certainly a way, but that’s not to say that particular skills are not essential to meet the demands of the role.

Whether you’re the event coordinator for Rally GB or your local motor club, there are certain skills you can’t do without.

“You have to be organised,” Kellitt says. “You need to be able to think about 28 things at once. You need to be able to convince others that you’re completely organised and that everything’s under Sébastien Ogier control. You also need to have the splashes towards victory at Wales ability to adapt. If something’s going Rally GB 2013 wrong in your event you can’t just stick to what you’ve already planned. You need to think.”

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Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 43

5

Going from

strength to strength

Devising a solid strength and conditioning plan can transform your fitness, says Gerard Gray of the Porsche Human Performance Centre

44 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

It may be true that drivers do not require the same type of

fitness and conditioning as, for example, rugby players or track athletes. But at the Porsche Human Performance Centre (PHP) we believe that professionally minded motor sport athletes have as much need for strength and conditioning as any other professional sports person.

However, it is sometimes harder to pin down the exact requirements for an individual competitor, as motor sport is so diverse and can place variable stresses on the body. In many traditional athletic sports high level

competitors have programmes designed for them by professionals whereas in motor sport, more often than not, junior drivers in particular have to lift their training straight out of a magazine or borrow it from other sports. This runs the risk of making their training less productive than it could be.

Recently at PHP we had MSA competition winner Ben Norfolk attend for physical testing and programme prescription.

Ben, currently serving in the RAF and a competitive hill climber, as well as an amateur endurance athlete, is not short on knowledge for strength conditioning. He

performance

The PHP programme devised for Ben Norfolk will give him the durability he needs for racing

down patterns of movement in an autonomous way.

While this type of training may not directly mimic the movements experienced in the car, it conditions the muscles (and brain) to anticipate and act on unpredictable situations with great force and speed in an almost subconscious manner. This leaves the driver to focus on staying on the racing line and, ultimately, that is why betterconditioned drivers tend to make fewer errors and finish more events.

Strong neck muscles keep the head attached to the top of the spine. They need specific conditioning, mostly in an isometric range.

This means the muscles are strengthened to resist rather than encourage movement. When a head is experiencing 3g, therefore weighing (with helmet) close to 20kg, a driver needs the neck muscles to be strong and resistant to external forces that want to bend it sideways. Ben’s training involved a series of isometric holds in the four key directions in which a head moves, and this is common in any top driver’s programme.

The middle spine is surrounded by superficial and deep musculature that likes to push and pull. Life, however, flexes everybody forward and research reports that too much flexing forward causes aches, pain and long-term damage. We must therefore create an imbalance that pulls the body back into an extension. As a consequence, Ben’s programme had two pulling exercises to one pushing.

For a motor sport athlete, the lower spine has to resist forces coming from above (the

middle spine) and below (the pelvis and hips). This means it is under a great deal of load for the majority of time and why for the majority, back pain starts in the lower region of the back. For Ben, quite a tall individual, there are four exercises that seek to strengthen key supportive muscles and move large joints (the hips, the knees) through big movements.

The core is a much-misunderstood area. It is so much more than purely your ‘abs’ or ‘six pack’. In fact, most of the exercises we give at PHP are core related in that they encourage a lot of movement and muscle activation alongside the more traditional speed and power components. For Ben, we gave him two exercises that seek to strengthen muscularity around the lower part of his chest, ribs, lower back and pelvis.

Excluding warm-up activities, Ben’s entire programme consists of no more than 10 exercises, and encourages various combinations of them within his allotted training time. Just two exercises require one dumbbell each, the rest of them require merely bodyweight. With consistency and effort, the programme will give Ben the durability he requires for his racing.

Strength and conditioning for motor sport must be precisely that; it is not body building, training for triathlon or weightlifting. Rather, it should be a series of exercises that focus on movement quality, muscular coordination, strength, power, speed, reactions and robustness. Match that with consistency and the effort will give any motor sport athlete a racing chance.

Strength and conditioning for motor sport must be precisely that; it is not body building, training for triathlon or weight lifting

discovered, however, that the way we work at PHP is to encourage the athlete to work as a unit, teaching the body to be strong, coordinated, efficient and robust in all areas.

Strength and conditioning for a driver generally focuses on three key areas: the spine, shoulders and hips. In the car, the bulk of the external forces pass through these parts of the body. To cope with this, the body needs exercises that encourage muscles to work together. By continuously training the connection between muscles (and therefore the brain, as it is ultimately in charge) a motor sport athlete is able to lay

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 45

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Visit www.properformance.co.uk or email sim@properformance.co.uk for more details

The simulator developed by Pro Performance can emulate a range of single seaters

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 47

BUYER’S

GUIDE

Take a seat

Keeping you safe, and comfortable, seats and harnesses are an essential part of your competition car.

We guide you through some of the best FIA-approved products on the market Corbeau Seats

What do they offer? Corbeau’s range of popular Revenge seats are used by touring car and GT drivers across the world.

Recently updated, the range is available in three different seat shell composites and two sizes. A new range of base cushions ensures the correct seating position, and Corbeau offers a bespoke seat-trimming service.

Why should I choose them? The company also supplies the 2000 Sport range of Luke harnesses, which are available in four, five and six-point configurations.

Where can I find out more?

Visit www.corbeau-seats.com or call +44 (0)1424 854499

Nicky Grist

What do they offer? Available in four- and six-point configurations, the Nicky Grist harnesses come in standard and lightweight buckles. Prices start from £101 and £111 for the standard versions and £129.95 to £147.95 for the lightweight options (all prices exclude VAT).

Why should I choose them? Velcro on the side straps of the six-point version means it cleverly holds the straps to the sides of your bucket seat, while a Velcro strap on one of the shoulder straps is designed to hold your intercom/radio cable and keep it within reach.

Where can I find out more? Visit www.nickygrist.com

48 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

Takata Racing

What do they offer? Takata are a global safety company offering a new and expanded range of FIA and after-market harness systems and seating.

Why should I choose them? The Takata Racing harnesses and seating options give the market a wide selection of high-quality products, models and colours which have never before been available from Takata.

Where can I find out more? Visit www.takataracing.com or any one of their UK importers.

Grand Prix Racewear

What do they offer? GPR are suppliers of Sparco, who have been manufacturing race seats for over 30 years.

Sparco develop their seats in partnership with professional drivers and teams to ensure they comply fully with FIA homologations.

Why should I choose them? A range of Sparco seats for different budgets are available, from the entrylevel ‘Sprint V’ to the mid-level ‘Ergo’ and the premium ‘Circuit’.

Where can I find out more?

For help and advice please contact one of GPR’s trained sales staff on 08435 070 858 or email sales@ gprdirect.com

buyer’s guide

pole position

Christmas gift guide

Some great ideas for Christmas presents

Alpinestars karting boot www.gprdirect.com

If you have a karting-mad kid in the family, then you can be certain to make their Christmas with a pair of TECH 1 KX karting boots from Alpinestars. Aimed at up-and-coming young racing stars, the high-quality boot is said to give excellent breathability and superior foot-to-pedal feel. Priced at £91.62 +VAT, the boots are available from Grand Prix Racewear.

For more information call 08435 070 858 or email sales@gprdirect.com

Colin McRae book www.nickygrist.com

‘McRae - Just Colin’ is the latest book about the world’s most idolised rally driver, penned

by Autosport rallies editor David Evans, with photographs from renowned WRC snapper Colin McMaster. McRae’s flamboyant driving style was enjoyed by millions of people all over the world, so this new tome is sure to make an ideal Christmas present. Released by the photography agency McKlein, it is a great insight of the man throughout his career. Priced at £39.99 it is available from www.nickygrist.com

GoPro camera www.gprdirect.com

www.ybracing.com

What do they offer? Ybracing.com are an online dealer for OMP’s range of TRS seats for entry-level and clubman competitors with a small budget. The HANS-compatible seats are available in a range of sizes and feature a tubular steel frame with bottom and side fixing points.

Why should I choose them? Ybracing.com currently have a special offer on the OMP 801F Harness, reduced from £142.62 to £99.99, and available in three colours. The new OMP HTE 400 fibreglass competition seat, finished in Airtex to help keep you cooler, is available from www.ybracing.com from just £489.21 inc VAT and UK delivery Where can I find out more? Visit the website at www.ybracing.com

If you’re stuck for a present to buy your motor sport-mad loved one, then take a look at the HERO:3 Black Edition camera from GoPro. Billed as the world’s most versatile camera, the wi-fi enabled HERO:3 is GoPro’s most advanced product. It is waterproof, capable of capturing high-resolution video, and snaps photos at a rate of 30 per second. The HERO:3 costs £299 +VAT, available from Grand Prix Racewear. For more information call 08435 070 858 or email sales@gprdirect.com

SCHROTH HANS DEVICE www.schroth.com

The recently launched XLT FHR line of head and neck protection offers some of the lightest devices the market has to offer, making it the perfect gift for your competing partner. It combines new materials and cutting-edge design to provide the highest level of safety, comfort and weight-saving performance gains. Go to www.schroth.com/racing or contact any one of the UK importers for Schroth.

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 49

Nicky Grist_1_MSA_WIN_13.indd 1

23/10/2013 15:02

let’s try

Standard and modified 4x4 vehicles can enter RTV Trials as long as they are ‘road legal’

LET’S TRY…

RTV TRIALS This form of Cross Country Trial offers one of the simplest – and cheapest – ways to compete in motor sport, says Ben Anderson

DAVE BARKER

In the last issue of MSA magazine, we explored where

and how you might find some cheap motor sport thrills on grassy hills away from asphalt and gravelly roads. But what if you like your terrain a little tougher than a hillside? Or you own a 4x4 or SUV off-road vehicle and want to find out what it’s capable of? In that case, you need to think about going ‘cross country’.

Dave Barker is a triallist (both in the conventional and cross country senses of the term) with three decades’ experience. He is a member of the MSA’s Cross Country Committee and says Cross Country RTV Trials are one of the cheapest and simplest ways to become a competitor in motor sport.

“Cross Country RTV Trials are cross country

events for road-taxed vehicles,” explains Barker. “As the original cross country trials became more demanding and vehicles got modified, many becoming just off-road specials, the RTV Trial came about as an alternative trial catering for people with road-taxed vehicles who wanted to compete in a trial in their everyday road-going 4x4.

“Essentially they’re for people who want to tackle challenging terrain without damaging their vehicles. The idea is to make it as simple as possible to compete: ‘drive in, drive out’.

The majority of clubs stipulate that cars have to be driven to and from the event. Clubs such as the Yorkshire Off-Road Club insist cars are driven to the event and compete on the tyres they arrive on.

“We don’t have any rules about tyre pressures and the like; we don’t even have a championship! Some clubs can have as many as 10-12 classes, but we just have four based on wheelbase and suspension. Most clubs decide classes based on the types of cars that enter, but there are no hard and fast rules.”

Cross Country Trialling, like other types of Car Trials, is a post-war pursuit. “It started with people buying surplus Army Jeeps after the Second World War and wanting to drive them cross country,” adds Barker. “From the Land Rover owners’ point of view, it began with people towing caravans with their new Land Rovers to campsites in the early 50s and finding a bit of rough terrain at a corner of a site to drive around on, and it developed from there.

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org

51

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let’s try

DAVE BARKER

RTV Trials cater for people with road-taxed vehicles who want to compete in a trial in their everyday road-going 4x4

“The events are similar to Car Trials in the way they work, except we drive ‘cross country’ through gates that denote a course. This could be up and down, through water, over ditches, across boulders, around boulders. Car Trials take place distinctly on hills.

“I’ve done both, and the big difference I find is that Car Trials are a bloody mad rush compared to Cross Country Trials – everyone hurtles about and drives all over the place, whereas Cross Country is far more relaxed and a bit more of a social event. That’s why they always take place at the weekend.

“Typically we turn up and do nothing on the Saturday, except maybe a Tyro Trial for the under-aged drivers, then hold our main Trials on the Sunday. Sometimes Cross Country and RTV events run together, but the RTVs will go off in a different direction when the terrain gets too rough. Where you go is really about how far you want to push your vehicle and your skill, and how much damage you are prepared to accept.”

The emphasis is on low technology in Cross Country RTV Trials. Cars are allowed to be modified, because the only stipulation is that the car must be ‘road legal’ not ‘standard’, although some clubs run ‘Showroom Trials’ for unmodified cars, according to Barker.

“Most of the clubs try to keep things simple and as inclusive as possible,” he adds. “An RTV Trial will typically cost £15 to enter and I would estimate you’ll find 15-20 clubs running events every weekend.”

Barker says the inclusive nature of trialling also means a wide variety of people are attracted

If you fancy bought a Land Rover and got to the discipline: “Seventy-five trying your hand at interested in trialling. per cent will be Land Rover Cross Country RTV Trials, join your local “I did my first trial in 1983. I owners,” he says. “But we get cross country club, enjoy the social side and the all types of people at events: which you can find at challenge of testing the car’s doctors, solicitors, farmers, www.msauk.org ability and mine across the scrap merchants, mechanics, or www.Go Motorsport.net ground. It’s similar to circuit racing accountants; we even have two in that you have to judge your apexes archaeologists! A lot of correctly and maintain the right speed. archaeologists drive Land Rovers…

But unlike circuit racing, where you have “I came from a car background to turn up with something that is originally. I worked in a garage in Liverpool where local people raced at Oulton Park. Then technologically correct, it doesn’t matter what car you drive, you will be able to go I moved to Cumbria and got involved in Cross Country Trialling with it.” rallying. When I came down to Yorkshire I

The most popular cross country vehicle is the Land Rover Defender 90

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 53

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04/10/2013 10:08

technofile techno

file

If the sound of your car’s engine rings in your ears long after you’ve switched it off, then you need to think again about your hearing protection, says Ben Anderson

Listen up!

STEVEN TEE/LAT Photographic

Sound is one of the most appealing aspects of motor sport. The scream of a Cosworth

DFV F1 engine as it revs in top gear, or the guttural roar of a Chevrolet V8 (that you sometimes feel before you hear such is the potency of its vibrations) as a Corvette GT car thunders past, provide the sorts of distinct soundtracks that keep fans coming back for more.

The unfortunate price of that unforgettable audio experience is possible ear damage from overexposure, which is why some spectators won’t leave the house without a set of ear defenders in their luggage. For the competitor, usually just a few feet from the source of these awesome noises, the risks of severe hearing damage are greatly amplified.

That’s why it pays to use a proper pair of earplugs when you compete, something that sports car racer Sarah Reader knows from bitter experience. “I only started using earplugs last year,” reveals the Juno driver and professional instructor, who has been racing for 14 years. “I was using nothing before and that’s why I have really bad tinnitus. Eight years ago I noticed it but just blocked it out – I’d only hear it in bed at night – then I started struggling to ignore it. I’d tune into it while watching the TV! “There’s no cure unfortunately; once you’ve got it that’s it. Mine’s a ringing noise, some get a whooshing sound, like holding a seashell to your ear. It’s not something that gets spoken about much in motor sport, because people don’t think about what they can’t see, but mine was getting worse and I needed to do something about it.”

That’s why Reader paid a visit to ACS in Banbury to get some proper protection for her lugs. Now, she is the company’s motor sport agent, selling a range of custom moulded earplugs and radio headsets to her fellow drivers and race teams.

“The earplugs are designed to attenuate (weaken) noise above a certain frequency, but still allow you to hear everything you want to, as you would want to hear it,” explains Reader. “Foam plugs are like having your fingers in your ears, which blocks out any noise that isn’t in your own head. Our filters allow sound to pass both ways, so you don’t get occlusion (a constant sound in the inner ear). I use them and I think they’re fantastic. You can still have a conversation with them in and they’re very comfortable.”

The technology in the ACS range has been developed by its founder Andy Shiach through years of personal obsession over how sound affects the ears. ACS has been making custom earpieces for F1 for over a decade.

Hearing loss is common in motor sport – drivers are encouraged to be more aware of the problem and protect their ears

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 55

MOTORSPORT

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Professional hearing protectors, used by spectators/officials and drivers alike.

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technofile “I was a professional musician until my ears got trashed in a studio when I was 19 years old,” says Shiach, who is on a mission to make motor sport people take better care of their ears. “I got tinnitus – a ringing in the ears – and it killed my career. So I started a business trying to stop that happening to other musicians.

“Noise is everywhere, but the big problem is that by the time people notice it’s an issue, it’s too late. There are loads of elderly racing drivers who struggle with their hearing now. Look at guys like Jack Brabham – he can’t hear anything his ears are so badly damaged. Even Murray Walker is wearing hearing aids because of a life spent around racing cars.

“The noise levels are really dangerous.

When Renault had a works team in F1 we used to go there, test everybody every year, and fit them with custom hearing protection. The average age must have been 35-40 years old and everybody we saw had high-tone hearing loss to some degree.”

Custom earplugs such as those made

by ACS use soft, medical-grade silicon

For those on a budget Proguard Offering a wide range of custom fit hearing protection products, as well as a selection of universal earplugs, ProGuard has something to suit most budgets. Prices begin at £4.19 excluding VAT

www.proguard.co.uk Demon Tweeks DIY Ear Plugs An affordable custom mouldable earplug kit. £13.61 excluding VAT

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moulds fitted with filters that give a specific level of reduction in the volume of noise depending on what you need to block out, whether it be wind noise (a big problem for motorcyclists) or the scream of a high revving engine in a racing car. The earpieces can also be fitted with balanced armature speakers (originally developed for hearing aids and adapted by companies like Shiach’s for the music industry) for those

who need radio communication with the pitlane. The principle is all about giving control of exactly what you hear, and how you hear it, back to the individual.

“The technology is very difficult because the ear is such a complex organ and when it gets damaged it’s very difficult to rectify,” explains Shiach. “It’s a serious issue.

Certainly in the music industry your ears are your most important instruments.

If you break your bass guitar or drums you can replace them, but if you break your ears that’s it. That’s what happened to me.”

So it pays to think about the little things in motor sport. After all, you don’t want to end up suffering as Sarah and Andy have done for something you could have prevented.

“I know I’m suffering for not looking after my ears – I’m very sensitive to noise because of it and I know plenty of people who are deaf in one ear and wish they’d done something about it earlier,” warns Reader.

“Everyone who goes racing thinks about safety equipment – suits, helmets, gloves – that protect them, but people rarely think about looking after their hearing. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

The ear is such a complex organ and when it gets damaged it’s very difficult to rectify

JAKOB EBREY/LAT Photographic

The high levels of noise within a car mean that a driver must invest in hearing protection

Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 57

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17/10/2013 Cartek Automotive_MSA_WIN_13.indd 12:19 1

16/10/2013 12:02

national court

MOTOR SPORTS COUNCIL NATIONAL COURT SITTING TUESDAY 23 JULY 2013

Steve Stringwell (Chair) Mike Garton Mike Harris CASE No J2013-14 HHC Motorsport – Charlie Robertson CASE No J2013-15 HHC Motorsport – Raoul Hyman

The MSC National Court convened at Motor Sports House on the 23 July 2013 in order to hear and consider the Eligibility Appeals pursuant to General Regulation C7.2 of HHC Motorsport on behalf of itself and on behalf of Car No 55 Charlie Robertson and Car No 5 Raoul Hyman, and the exclusion from the BRDC F4 Championship round held at Snetterton on the 16 June 2013.

The MSC National Court panel read a comprehensive file covering many aspects of the case (that was submitted to the MSC National Court with an appeal on the same grounds by HHC Motorsport on behalf of itself and Car No 55 Charlie Robertson and 5 Raoul Hyman), the ‘rear wings’ of Car No 55 and Car No 5 were available and, after the five seals were removed in the presence of an independent witness, were duly examined by the MSC National Court panel.

The BRDC F4 Technical Regulations clearly state under Article 5.6.2 that ‘Tape may be applied to any vulnerable leading edges of the bodywork only. In all cases it must be clear that the tape has no function other than protecting the parts to which it is attached.’ In this case the tape was being used as the primary fixing for the gurney flap.

Technical Regulation 5.4.3 clearly states ‘The car must be operated in accordance with the Technical Manual supplied by MSV. In the Technical Manual, unless a setting is specified as adjustable or a component is specified as an alternative part, then the car must remain as originally supplied.’

The Panel referred to Section 02 (v 2) published on the 23 April 2013 of the BRDC

QPH.indd 1

Formula 4 Technical Manual Article (2.4) Performance Options (b) which clearly sets out the ‘Suggested gurney flap for the rear wing mounting plane – 18swg al-alloy ns4’, the dimensions and states ‘Attach with M3 Button Head Bolts and Nyloc Nuts’.

The MSC National Court panel were most concerned that the method of fixing used in this case could fail with serious consequences for a following driver and trackside marshals.

After due consideration the MSC National Court finds that the decision of the Clerk of the Course on the 16 June 2013 should stand and accordingly the Appeal on behalf of Car No 55 and Car No 5 fail.

The MSC National Court orders a contribution of cost of £500 to be made.

STEVE STRINGWELL CHAIRMAN

SITTING TUESDAY 13 AUGUST 2013

Tony Scott Andrews (Chairman) Len Pullen David Scott CASE No J2013/17 Appeal by RP Motorsport

The MSA National Court comprising Mr Tony Scott Andrews, Chairman, Mr Len Pullen and Mr David Scott met at Motor Sports House, Colnbrook, England on Tuesday, 13 August 2013.

The Court determined an Appeal brought

by RP Motorsport against the Decision of the Stewards of the meeting numbered 6 and dated 13 July 2013 on the occasion of an event at Silverstone for the 2013 Euro F3 Open.

The Appeal to the Court is pursuant to the provisions of the International Sporting Code Article 182.

Appearing before the Court were: On behalf of the Appellant: Mr Fabio Pampado

Mr Carlo Sterantino On behalf of Team West Tec:

Mr Ed Jones Mr John Miller Team West Tec was legally represented by Mr J. Champkin.

On behalf of the Motor Sports Association: Mr R Jones.

Mr Jones confirmed to the Court that the Appeal had been properly lodged in that all requisite time limits had been met and the Appeal fee duly paid.

The facts of the incident that gave rise to the Appeal were as follows: The car entered by the Appellant was numbered 1 and driven by Sandy Stuvik.

The car entered by Team West Tec was numbered 11 and driven by Ed Jones.

Car No 1 slipstreamed and pulled alongside Car No 11. There was said to have been contact between the right hand front wing of Car No 11 and the left rear tyre of Car No 1 as a result of which both cars lost time and were overtaken by the following Car No 27.

Both cars continued. Car 11 won the race and Car 1 finished in 5th Position.

The incident was not reported to Race Control by the Observer nor did the Race Director refer the matter to the Stewards.

The matter did, however come before the Stewards by virtue of the Protest brought against Car No 11 driven by Ed Jones alleging that he had caused the collision with Car No 1.

The Stewards heard evidence from both drivers and viewed in car video recording from Car No 27. In car footage from Car No 11, which the Stewards wished to see, was not available as the camera had been damaged. On the basis of the evidence before them the Stewards concluded that the driver of Car No 11 had caused the collision and imposed a three place grid penalty on Ed Jones for Race 2.

The Appellant took the view that the penalty was both insufficiently severe and inappropriate. The Appellant considered that a greater penalty and one which would have a detrimental effect upon Ed Jones’ position in the results of Race 1 (in which the incident had occurred) should have been imposed.

They duly gave notice of their intention to Appeal the Steward’s decision and it is that Appeal which came before this Court.

The Court heard the representations made by Mr Sterantino on behalf of the Appellant, and on behalf of Team West Tec heard evidence given by both their driver Mr Ed Jones, and by Mr Miller and heard also the representations of their advocate Mr Champkin.

The Court viewed not only the video evidence which had been seen by the Stewards of the Meeting (which included the in car footage from Car No 27) but also video evidence from the car of Mr Ed Jones which had been retrieved from the damaged camera subsequent to the hearing before the Stewards.

It was argued by the Appellant that the overtaking manoeuvre by Mr Stovik had been completed before Mr Jones collided with Mr Stovik’s rear tyre and that he could and should have avoided such contact which they maintained prevented Mr Stovik winning the race.

Mr Jones maintained that contrary to what had been alleged, Mr Stovik had not completed the manoeuvre before contact between the two cars occurred and that Mr Stovik’s car had turned into the corner early effectively leaving little or no room for Mr Jones to take avoiding action or to brake.

Having seen the in car footage from Mr Jones car (which the Stewards had not been able to see despite asking to do so) it is the view of this Court that the Three place grid penalty imposed upon Mr Ed Jones for causing a collision is indeed inappropriate.

The Court finds that this was a collision for which both drivers must take some responsibility.

On that basis it is clearly inequitable to impose a penalty (or allow a penalty to remain in place) in respect of but one of the drivers involved. The Court must therefore consider a penalty in respect of both drivers or neither.

This Court considers the latter course to be appropriate and to regard the contact

59 Winter 2013 www.msauk.org 17/10/2012 10:13

national court between the two cars as no more than a racing incident.

The Court accordingly Orders that: 1 The Appeal be dismissed.

2 The said Stewards’ decision Numbered 6 and dated 13 July 2013 be set aside.

3 The Appeal fee be forfeited.

4 The Appellant do pay a contribution toward the costs of the hearing in the sum of £500.

TONY SCOTT ANDREWS CHAIRMAN

SITTING TUESDAY 1 OCTOBER 2013 Guy Spollon (Chairman) Mike Garton Bob Kettleboro CASE No J2013-19

This is an Eligibility Appeal that results from the exclusion of a young driver, following the alleged discovery of a technical infringement.

On 11 August 2013 the West of Scotland Kart Club staged a National ‘B’ Kart event at Larkhall.

Upon completion of all finals involving Rotax Classes an inspection was made by officials of the carburettors on the first 3 finishers. One kart was excluded on the basis that the one carburettor jet was oversize.

The Junior Rotax MAX Regulation N1.4.2., page 17 of the 2013 Kart Race Book, states that; “all parts of the carburettor, including the body, are to be unmodified and run as supplied

by Rotax.” Page 18 of the Homologation 01/ ENG/11 Regulation No. 18.11 lists the combination of floats and idle jets permitted. In this case combination 1 was used.

The number stamped on the jet was ‘30’.

A sample new carburettor and 4 new unused ‘30’ stamped jets were measured giving sizes of 0.32 mm. The jet removed from the competitor’s carburettor allegedly measured more than 25% greater than those mentioned above.

In his written representations to the National Court, the father of the competitor made the following points: 1 He was told on the day that the “offending jet measured 0.342 mm”.

2 The jet used was as supplied by Rotax and had not been modified although it was larger than the jet taken from the new sample carburettor.

3 When the Rotax sealing agent responsible for rebuilding and servicing the engine was told of the exclusion by virtue of an oversize 30/30 jet his response was: “This is not possible as there is no size given by Rotax.”

4 At the meeting the Scrutineers could not show in any documentation what the acceptable tolerances of the jet were.

60 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

5 According to JAG (the importers) there is ongoing discussion over the Fiche with Dellorto and the MSA but at the moment there is no size or user guide on the 30/30 jets.

The father concludes by saying; “How can they exclude us from a race when they don’t know what the Fiche and tolerance sizes are?”

The National Court has considerable sympathy with the father’s sentiments. From the information provided to the Court: 1 It is not entirely clear which jet we are actually dealing with but it seems it is the idler jet.

2 There are no Fiche dimensions and/or tolerance figures.

3 It is not clear how it is alleged that the alleged offending jet is “25% greater” than standard.

In the premises this Appeal is allowed and the Appeal fees will be reimbursed.

The Court notes that particularly with Eligibility Appeals the Court must always be provided with clear and precise details and full explanations as to the nature and extent of the alleged breach of the relevant rules and/or regulations.

GUY SPOLLON CHAIRMAN

SITTING TUESDAY 1 OCTOBER 2013

Guy Spollon (Chairman) Mike Garton Bob Kettleboro CASE No J2013-20 DPR Motorsport

This matter comes before the National Court by way of an Eligibility Appeal.

On the 10 and 11 August 2013 there was a MSVR/BRSCC race meeting at the Brands Hatch circuit.

Post Race 10 of the event for Caterham R300 Superlight Championship a protest was made against Car No 24, a vehicle run by DPR Motorsport and driven by Mr Ollie Taylor.

The complaint related to the water engine cooling system.

Car No 24 was checked for any irregularity and according to Mr Ian Miller, Eligibility Scrutineer: 1 The car was found to have a non standard Caterham part fitted to the top hose, the fitting of this part requiring that the standard top hose being cut and a machined aluminium tube with a boss attached to fit a Stack sensor.

2 Under the Caterham R300 2013 Championship Regulation 5.4.2. no standard components can be modified, substituted, relocated or changed in any way except those specified therein.

3 The allegedly non standard part along with the top hose was sealed by means of an

MSA rotoseal and MSA sealing paint.

4 Caterham cars supply a part designed for the purpose of having a sensor in the water system part 58769 which should have been used to locate the sensor found.

5 He completed a Non Compliance Report, timed and dated 5:04 on 11 August 2013.

According to the written submissions of DPR Motorsport dated 30 August 2013: 1 The protest at the circuit was rejected by the Clerk of the Course and DPR Motorsport understood the matter to have been finalised.

2 DPR Motorsport were then notified by e-mail on 19th August 2013 from Jennifer Grace of Caterham Motorsport that: a) A non compliance form was subsequently issued. b) Car No 24 had been excluded from the race results.

The decision of the Clerk of the Course whereby Car No 24 was excluded is formally recorded in a document dated 14 August 2013 (3 days after the event) with an issue time of 9:00. The actual justification for the exclusion is recorded as: “The top radiator hose of Car No 24 was found to have an additional aluminium machined coupling to facilitate the mounting of a stack water temperature sensor. This is not a Caterham part and thus contravenes Art 5.4.2 of the 2013 Caterham R300 Regulations”.

Under the provisions of the General Regulations 3.1.1 if eligibility judges of fact agree that the vehicle or component is ineligible, this will be reported to the Clerk of the Course ……. who after giving the parties the opportunity to be heard, will exclude the vehicle from the relevant results unless there are exceptional reasons why this should not be done.

From the documentation provided to this Court it is clear that: 1 The Clerk of the Course did not receive the non compliance notice until after the event.

2 No one connected with Car No 24 was given any opportunity to make any representations about eligibility or exclusion prior to the decision by the Clerk of the Course to exclude Car No 24.

3 The formal decision to exclude notice is recorded as having been issued at 09:00 on 14 August 2013.

4 The first DPR Motorsport knew of the exclusion was when notified by e-mail on 19 August 2013 by Caterham Motorsport.

5 The provisions of C3.1.1 have been completely ignored.

6 This Appeal must succeed and the Appeal fees will be reimbursed.

7 There is insufficient clarity as to what modifications can be made with regard to the fitting of additional sensors in the cooling system and this must be clarified as a matter of urgency by Caterham.

GUY SPOLLON CHAIRMAN

SITTING TUESDAY 1 OCTOBER 2013

Tony Scott Andrews (Chairman) Mike Garton Mike Harris CASE No J2013-29 Hill Speed Racing Inquiry

This is an Investigatory Hearing held under the provisions of MSA General Regulation C.9.

The issue to be considered relates to the wish of a competitor, Hillspeed Racing, to Appeal against the decision to exclude the team’s Car No 31, driven by a minor, from the results of a race held at Snetterton on Sunday 8 September this year. The race was a round of the BRDC Formula Four Championship.

The decision to exclude was made by the Clerk of the Course pursuant to a Scrutineer’s Non-Compliance Report issued in respect of Car No 31. It was considered that the dimensions of the Gurney flap exceeded those permitted by the Championship’s Technical Regulations.

The Appeal which the competitor wished to lodge would therefore be a Technical Eligibility Appeal and the time for giving Notice of Intention to Appeal is within thirty minutes of the announcement of the decision against which the appeal is brought – MSA General Regulation C.7.2.1(a).

The facts in this instance are that within the thirty minute period available to Hillspeed Racing to give notice of their wish to lodge an Appeal the team’s driver was required by the Clerk of the Course to attend a hearing before the Clerk to give evidence in respect of an on track incident involving another driver for which such other driver was subsequently penalised.

During the course of that hearing and well within the said thirty minute period the Team Principal of Hillspeed Racing (who was obliged to be present at the hearing as the appointed guardian of the driver of Car No 31) made it known that he wished to appeal the Clerk’s earlier decision to exclude Car No 31.

Although the Clerk could have adjourned the hearing to allow that to happen he elected because of time constraints to continue with the hearing as any penalty he might wish to issue against the driver concerned (and any potential appeal) could affect the grid of the next race.

It was clearly understood, however, that Hillspeed Racing would have thirty minutes after the conclusion of the hearing in which to deal with their Appeal.

Reference to the decision made by the Clerk in that hearing shows that it concluded at 12:25. Within the ensuing thirty minute period Hillspeed brought to the Clerk duly completed Notice of Intention to Appeal together with the requisite fee. Although the Clerk confirmed he would accept it, it was considered appropriate for the competitor to take the papers to the Secretary of the Meeting rather than leave them with the Clerk.

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national court Receipt of the papers was timed by the Secretary at 12:56.

Within the ten day period stipulated by MSA General Regulation C7.2.1.(b) Hillspeed lodged their Grounds of Appeal with the MSA only to be advised by the Clerk to the National Court that the Appeal was out of time as Notice of Intention had been timed at 12:56 whereas the relevant decision to exclude had been made at 11:50.

The Clerk to the National Court, entirely correctly, took the view that it was not within his authority to effectively waive the time limit imposed by the General Regulations and admit the Appeal. He did, however, refer the matter to the MSA whose Legal and Governance Director instigated this Investigatory Hearing.

Consideration of the MSA General Regulations shows that:Section C.5 deals with protests against a fellow competitor.

C.5.2.3 – for the hearing of a Protest before the Clerk of the Course, the Clerk can extend the time limit for lodging the Protest “if he thinks the circumstances make the lodging of a protest physically impossible within the time quoted.”

Section C.6 deals with appeals to the Stewards of the Meeting.

C.6.3 – details the specific time limits relevant to the nature of each appeal.

C.6.3(c) – specifies the time limit for “Appeals against a decision of a Scrutineer or Technical Commissioner.”

C.6.3(g) – specifies the time limit for “Appeals against the decision of the Clerk of the Course not falling within (a) to (g) inclusive.”

C.6.3.1 – “The Stewards of the Meeting may extend the above time limits if they think that the circumstances make the lodging of an appeal physically impossible within the time quoted.”

Whilst noting the reference at C.6.3(c) and the ability of the Stewards to extend such a time limit, the entirety of section C.6 is stated to deal only with Appeals to the Stewards of the Meeting. A Technical Eligibility Appeal is not an Appeal to the Stewards of the Meeting. It is specifically excluded from being such by virtue of C.6.1.3. Such Appeals come straight to this Court.

Save therefore for a reservation as to effect of the inclusion of C.6.3(c), neither General Regulation C.5 nor C.6 assists for an appeal such as this is heard not by the Clerk nor by the Stewards.

It appears therefore that Clerks can extend time limits for protests being lodged before them, that Stewards can extend time limits for Appeals being lodged before them yet reference to Section C7.2 which deals with Eligibility Appeals contains no specifically stated ability for this Court (the final Court of Appeal for UK licence holders which has the ability on an appeal to over-ride the decision of Clerks and Stewards and waive or vary any penalty imposed by them or, indeed, impose a fresh penalty C.7.4) to do the same for matters coming before it.

62 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

This would seem to be entirely inconsistent.

This Court takes the following view: First, MSA General Regulation C.9 empowers this Court to deal, inter alia, with “inconsistency” and to “make such order as it deems appropriate”’.

Secondly, it must follow from the above that, at the very least, the National Court is able to do that which can properly be done by Clerks and Stewards. It is considered that the Court has an implied and inherent jurisdiction to do such.

Thirdly, there is clear provision within the Regulations to extend time for lodging Protests and Appeals other than Technical Eligibility Appeals. There can be no sustainable reason to distinguish Appeals in this way nor any justifiable reason to deny would-be appellants the same facility to extend time which on occasion is afforded to other competitors.

Fourthly, the Court is mindful of the specific provision of MSA General Regulations A.2 and A.3.

In all the circumstances of this case and for the reasons enumerated above the Court considers it is empowered to admit the Appeal and deems it entirely appropriate to so admit the appeal. Furthermore the Court notes the contention put forward by the Clerk of the Course himself, Mr David Scott, that to refuse to admit the appeal would “surely (be) against natural justice.”

This Court also wishes to makes the following recommendations:1 That the irregularity and/or inconsistency which it perceives within the General Regulations be addressed such that consideration be given to granting to the National Court express as well as implied authority to extend time limits in such circumstances as are considered appropriate in the interests of justice.

2 MSA General Regulations C.5.1.2 and C.6.2 make it entirely clear to whom “Protests” and “Appeals for hearing by the Stewards” (together with the appropriate fee) are to be given. C.7.1.2(a), however, whilst setting out a time limit for lodging a Notice of Intention to Appeal on a technical eligibility matter, makes no reference as to whom such a Notice of Intention to Appeal should be given. It would be helpful and advisable if it did so.

3 C.7.2.1(b) requires the Technical Commissioners/Scrutineers to submit detailed reasons in writing “within ten days of the Notice of Intention to Appeal”. There is no mechanism specified within the existing regulations for ensuring that they are notified that the ten day period during which they are required to act has begun. Again, it would be advisable if provision is made within the regulations to ensure that they are to be informed immediately Notice of Intent to appeal has been given.

4 Further, there is no provision currently for the parties to an Eligibility Appeal to be sent copies of the written comments to the original submissions under C7.2.1(c). This

should be provided for, together with an opportunity for further written comment where any entirely new matter has been raised.

The Court now refers to the said Eligibility Appeal lodged by Hillspeed Racing.

The Court has before it the detailed written submissions of the Appellant and of the Chief Scrutineer and Technical Commissioner together with the subsequent comments of each, such documents having been filed in accordance with the requirements of MSA General Regulation C.7.2.

Car No 31, entered by the Appellant was excluded from the results of Round 20 of the BRDC Formula Four Championship because it was found to have a Gurney flap measuring 10mm in height and 15mm in depth. It was maintained that the Technical Regulations for the Championship required the Gurney flap to be but 10mm. in each dimension.

There is no appeal against the measurements ascertained by the Scrutineer but there is argument as to the regulations themselves insofar as they relate to Gurney flaps.

The Court is referred to the following Championship Sporting and Technical Regulations:5.4.1. All replacement components for the F4 car must be supplied by MSV, with the exception of fasteners. Parts, original or replacement, must not be modified, nor must their method of installation be changed.

5.4.3. The car must be operated in accordance with the Technical Manual supplied by MSV. In the Technical Manual, unless a setting is specified as adjustable or a component is specified as an alternative part, then the car must remain as originally supplied. and also to the Technical Manual: Section B1.2. A gurney flap of no more than 10mm or 3/8” in overall height may be added to the trailing edge of the rear wing mounting plane (see drawing in Section 02-On Track).

Section 02-On Track sets out a drawing of a Gurney flap incorporating measurements. It is dated 23.04.2013, is headed “Suggested gurney flap…..” and incorporates the words “Material could be a readily available 10mm x 10mm metric or 3/8” x 3/8” imperial extrusion or folded from a flat development…. “ Section 02-On Track (version 3) also sets out a drawing. It is dated 03.07.2013. The heading is in heavy type, permits 16 as well as 18swg al- alloy but there is no mention of the word “suggested” nor any reference or indication that it had been removed. It also retained the words as set out above i.e.

“Material could be a readily available 10mm x 10mm……”

The Appellant contends that: a) Section B1.2 refers only to the maximum permitted height for the Gurney flap i.e.10mm, a requirement met by the Appellant’s car. It makes no reference to any other dimension. b) The drawing dated 23.04.2013 was headed only “suggested” Gurney flap…

c) Although the word “suggested” was omitted from the drawing dated 03.07.2013 its omission was not brought to the attention of competitors. d) There is nothing within Section B1.2 to indicate that compliance with the drawing is mandatory. Even the reference to material to be used is merely to that which “could be readily available”. It does not amount to a specific requirement even though measurements for the material are referred to. e) It is alleged against the Appellant that the measurements contained within the drawing are mandatory, i.e. the Gurney flap must be 10mm x 10mm. The Appellant maintains that this is an incorrect interpretation. If one “must” comply with a requirement for a flap measuring 10mm x 10mm then that is inconsistent with the requirements of Section B1.2 which enables the use of a flap of less than 10mm. in height, “a Gurney flap of no more than 10mm or 3/8”” in overall height may be added.”

The Court understands that the Gurney flap is not an item of original equipment provided by MSV such that there is no “originally supplied component” as referred to at Regulations 5.4.1 and 5.4.3. In that eventuality the competitor is left only with the requirements of Section B1.2 and the drawings at 02 of the Technical Manual.

There may well be an intention and a requirement on the part of those responsible for drafting the Technical Regulations for the flap to be no more than 10mm in either dimension and for the measurements contained within the drawing to be mandatory.

This Court, however, can find no such requirement within the regulations. To the extent that references are made they are contradictory and ambiguous. The Court recommends that the relevant regulations be clarified for the benefit of competitors and officials alike.

• The Appeal is accordingly allowed.

• The decision of the Clerk of the Course timed at 11:50 and dated 8 September 2013 be set aside.

• Car No 31 entered by the appellant Hillspeed Racing is to be reinstated in the results of the race from which it was excluded.

• The amended results be published accordingly.

• The Appeal fee be refunded to Hillspeed Racing.

As to allegations made by the Appellant in relation to the actions of the Scrutineer, the Court finds them to be utterly reprehensible, based as they are on nothing more than speculation, suspicion and assumptions which the Court believe to be misplaced. Such criticisms made by the Appellant do not assist the Appellant’s cause and are rejected by this Court in their entirety.

TONY SCOTT ANDREWS CHAIRMAN

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opinion

Simon says..

It was a brown Hillman Hunter, a 1725 GLS if memory serves, and its job for the next five

Having covered every Formula 1 world championship grand prix between 2001 and 2012, Simon Arron has returned to the real world and now works as features editor for Motor Sport magazine

days would be to serve as both cross-country transport and sleeping quarters as we tracked Britain’s biggest motorsport event the length and breadth of the nation.

The other party was a university acquaintance named Rob: we shared a common interest and he had a car, but for some unfathomable reason – possibly a football match, less probably a tutorial about Wordsworth’s interest in transcendence – I had to withdraw. More than 30 years on, I regret that decision still.

I never did get to follow the whole of what used to be known as the RAC Rally (as it continues to be in France, where they can’t be bothered with name changes and refer to Britain’s round of the World Rally Championship as “le RAC”). I’d catch the odd stage here and there, usually at a racing circuit, but never experienced the full, grimy ritual that was second nature to so many, a world of early starts, sleeplessness, flying pebbles and lukewarm Thermos coffee.

There was always a sense of anticipation as the event approached. Motoring News would produce a special supplement containing a full entry list and my eyes would sift through 300-odd crews, wondering whether the works Wartburg drivers might be secret agents, or why anybody considered it a good idea to rally a Volvo 240. It emphasised, though, that this was a world-class event in which Brian from Brixham could compete

66 www.msauk.org Winter 2013

alongside (rather than against) the finest drivers of the age, and he needed little more than a Mini Cooper, an extra spare wheel, a couple of spotlights and a rollcage.

It was romantic and rugged in equal parts: service areas were an occasional treat, so if the clutch master cylinder failed, the crew would have to bodge a repair using Coca-Cola (other fizzy drinks are available), chewing gum, string or whatever else they could find.

Cars sometimes hobbled along public roads looking fit only for a demolition derby, but that was fine so long as they could move under their own steam. It would all be straightened in due course, most likely with a couple of large hammers. Messrs Health & Safety were otherwise engaged and the world was a better place.

Very little Formula One percolated the mainstream media during the 1970s, but the RAC attracted nightly TV bulletins and the General Post Office (owner of what is now British Telecom) provided a wonderful results service on the other end of a phone. It was updated regularly, but you couldn’t always be sure who was leading: the poor souls doing voiceovers could just about cope with Roger Clark and Russell Brookes, but had no chance at all with Pentti Airikkala, Per-Inge Walfridsson or anyone else who was vaguely Scandinavian.

The World Rally Championship has since changed largely beyond recognition, with the FIA mandating compact events instead of sprawling perennials such as the Safari. The spirit of yore has passed to the historic community, although it has partially been restored at world championship level with the Wales Rally GB embracing special stages that once formed part of the RAC’s backbone.

Can’t help feeling I’ve missed out, though.

Very little F1 percolated the mainstream media during the 1970s, but the RAC attracted nightly TV bulletins

LAT Photographic

The rich heritage of the former RAC Rally lives on in the special stages of this year’s Wales Rally GB, says Simon Arron