Rally - Change ahead?

Thought provoking and interesting column in ‘Motorsport News’, tomorrow, Wednesday. Ambitious and radical plans for Scottish motor sport depending on general election outcome. They couldn’t go that far, could they?

Rally - A Call to Arms

The news that UK  legislation to allow Public Roads to be closed for motor sports events has generated much excitement and debate, and also some notes of caution.  Quite right.

The recent passage of the Deregulation Bill which will permit public roads to be closed for motor sports events has energised the ongoing debate about rallying. Equally, the appointment last year of a new President for the Scottish Association of Car Clubs has energised the quarterly meetings of the association.

The new Prez didn't say much at his first meeting, said a little more at his second then gave it full throttle at the most recent. He's a very driven man, he can also be stubborn and impatient!

The trouble is, if the club representatives and the club members don't respond to his foot on the gas we'll get left behind. He'll disappear over the horizon leaving us to our own devices, and we'll be back where we started - on the road to nowhere.  We're only really going to get one shot at this, the countdown is already underway. The challenge now is to keep up - and try to get ahead.

The text of his letter is printed here with some additional editorial and info:

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2015/03/29-mar-car-clubs-call-to-arms/

Rally - Closed Roads

The Deregulation Bill which will enable public roads to be closed for motor sports events got its Royal Assent yesterday – just before Parliament closed for the General Election, which would have put the whole process back another year. Phew! 

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2015/03/27-mar-closed-roads-are-go/

Rally - Border Gossip

High drama, nail biting excitement, butt clenching tension, arming marshals with Tasers, bribery in the Scrutineering tent and falling asleep in the loo. Just another day out at a rally in Scotland.

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2015/03/27-mar-border-news-gossip/

Rally - Border Classes

That's the full Classes round-up from the weekend's Border Counties Rally now in the on-line Mag. Just the News & Gossip to do now, but I have a dilemma. Should I reveal who fell asleep in the toilet the night before the rally - or not? Perhaps a more pertinent question, could I be bribed to keep my trap shut?

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2015/03/24-mar-border-classes-round-up/

Rally - Border report

That's the main event report from the Border Counties now in the on-line rally mag. The Class round-up will follow shortly - and then the Gossip!

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2015/03/23-mar-bogie-wins-border/

Rally - Stage chatter

There are still many doubters out there who do not believe that rallying is in as much trouble as has been reported recently. Some folk seem to think it is all being hyped up and that the Government wouldn't dare. You only had to look around the service area and the stages at the weekend to see the number of 'high heid yins', other 'interested parties' and visiting rally organisers from other events to realise that this threat is being taken seriously.

There were also few who held the uncharitable view that should anything have 'happened' to any of the quad bikers who disrupted the rally at the weekend then it would have been seen as some form of rough justice. But think of the fallout. If anything had indeed gone wrong then the mere fact that they shouldn't have been in the forest in the first place would have carried little weight with the more lurid tabloids.

Many folk are also still under the impression that this is solely a Scottish problem. It's not - read David Evans in Wednesday's 'Motorsport News'. It's a UK problem.