Having watched the
Autosport Awards the other night on the motoring channel, presented by oor
David and Miss eLeegance herself, I was struck by the lack of rallying
recognition. There were two main awards for International Rally Driver of the
Year and Rally Car of the Year, all the rest were for racers, racing cars and
racing glitterati.
For instance, the
National Driver of the Year award is open only to those racing in BTCC, British GT or
Formula 3 while the Club Driver
of the Year is open only to British drivers in any class of TOCA
supports and below. No rally drivers, or co-drivers. And not a mention on the
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards either!
That's fair enough I suppose, it's their
awards and they can choose, but on that basis rallying surely needs is own
bigger, bolder and better platform. We always seem to be playing second fiddle
to the racers. Derek Warwick has done a tremendous amount for young race
drivers nationally while Graham Brunton and the SMRC have done a lot for young
Scottish drivers, but where is the driving force behind British and Scottish rallying
talent?
Nowhere, apparently. Such a scheme is so far
off the radar an explorer couldn't find one, not even if he had one of our top
co-drivers helping him.
We need a recognised figurehead to campaign for
our sport and we need a national organisation to back it. For sure the various
rally championships all have young driver awards and incentives and prizes, but
there is nothing on as grand a scale as the Autosport awards which are highly
regarded right around the globe. Nor are there any financially backed rally scholarship
schemes, prize drives and manufacturer test sessions to fight for.
If there is hope for the future then it could
be that the new Chair of Motorsports Council may yet bring some sunshine into
this dark corner of motor sport. Dave Richards takes over from Alan Gow on the
1st of January and he has a foot in both camps, rallying and racing, whereas Mr
Gow was distinctly one-sided.
Also, the sport itself needs more support and
more exposure as things are looking quite bleak at present.
Despite the enlightened report following the
FAI in Edinburgh, closed road rallying faces a decidedly tough and uncertain
future. If the show does get back on the road, one can only wonder at the
restrictions that will be placed on organisers. More officials and more
marshals will be needed to man shorter events with fewer stages just so that spectators
can be contained and managed.
And it's the same in the forests. There's a
growing need for ever more strict requirements on how such events are manned
and run.
And it's not
as if we are getting any leadership or encouragement from those whose wages we
pay through licences and permit fees. For instance the FIA has suggested that World
Rally Championship stages should be around six miles long and endurance should
not be a factor.
This madcap
plan was announced by their new-ish rallying 'supremo' Jarmo Mahonen who joined
the FIA 5 years ago. A surprising idea perhaps from the man who previously ran
the Finnish Motorsport Federation and promoted Finland’s round of the FIA World
Rally Championship for many years. And since the Rally of Finland includes such
fearsome delights as the 24 km Ouninpohja and 23 km Päijälä tests, it makes you
wonder what the Finnish rally fans would make of their countryman. Perhaps it's
a good job Mr Mahonen will be based in the FIA's Geneva office.
He prefers
the idea of two loops of short stages and a lunchtime service, as opposed to last
October's Wales Rally GB format, criticising the long day of 140km (87 miles)
with no service and no service at all on the first day.
He is also of
the opinion that the Rally Service Park should be visited more often to
generate more opportunities for the teams to provide hospitality and more
'entertainment' for spectators.
Think World Touring Car Championship - on
gravel!
Of course those with 'our best interests at
heart' will listen intently and nod in agreement and then dictate to us the
future of our sport. And we can't do a single thing about it.
One of the reasons for that is the low public
profile that our sport has even at World Championship level. The glory days of
McRae and Burns making headlines around the globe are long gone. It was obvious
from the mainstream media reporting on the FAI just how little news and 'sports'
reporters know about our sport. And that is worrying too. How are we going to
attract and educate them?
Particularly when it is becoming more
difficult to attend rallies in a media capacity. For instance, a recent forest
special stage rally stated in their 'Media' section that ONLY MSA accredited
journalists and photographers would be accommodated. That rules out the local newspaper,
agencies, freelances and local radio and TV stations.
Me too, since I haven't signed up to the MSA
media accreditation scheme. For my part that was a deliberate choice as I don't
agree with the current format. There is no incentive to sign up. And yes, I
have told them I'm not signing up to it and why.
Fortunately, I have been around long enough that
I can go about my duty without such accreditation and most events will allow me
to sign-on, but if this recent example of discrimination catches on, then how
will the youngsters and cub reporters get started?
What's to be done?
Thirty years ago in a 'Rally Sport' column I
accused the MSA of being an unelected and unaccountable self-perpetuating
oligarchy. We paid them and they told us what to do and how to do it.
Anyway, the future is looking a wee bit more
hopeful. Following
the conclusion of a 'Strategic Review' instigated by Motorsports Council the MSA
Executive Committee will not be allowed to pick their own candidates for
specialist committees and committees will be allowed to elect their own
Chairman. There will also be a new system of 'national' and regional
committees. It's not democracy, but it's a step in the right direction.
Full
text of MSA News Release here:
It remains to be
seen how the new ideas will be introduced and implemented, but it will only
work if we get the right people in the right positions. And that is down to us,
the licence and permit fee payers and the car clubs and their members.
That is possibly
our biggest challenge. I'm not sure what it's like around the county, but up here
in the far north, the Scottish Association of Car Clubs' quarterly meetings are
full of grumpy and very cynical auld gits (me included) and not enough
youngsters.
If these new
National and Regional committees are to have any chance of shaping the future
then we should not promote and appoint simply based on age and experience, we
need youth and vigour as well to fight for the cause.
It's not simply a
matter of promoting our sport to attract young drivers and co-drivers, we need
to enthuse the organisers and volunteers of the future too. Choose wisely. I'll
keep you posted.
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