Rally - Idle hands

The old saying "idle hands are the devil's tools" came to mind whilst I was working on the latest Scottish Rally Championship book. If the decade 2010-2019 brought great change to Scottish and British rallying, the next decade 2020-2029 would bring even more!

The 2010s saw many changes in how the sport and individual events were run with more regulation, additional safety measures, increased costs and the need for more stage-hands on the day of each event. There were changes too in the Forestry Commission which was broken up and devolved to ‘regional’ governments and brought with it new challenges to be overcome by organisers, and there was change too within the sport’s governing body as Colin Hilton, the CEO of RAC MSA, and Chairman Alan Gow left the building to be replaced by Hugh Chambers as CEO and David Richards CBE in the Chair in 2018.

And if we thought we were in for a more sympathetic ear well that disappeared down the turbo and out the exhaust didn’t it? Come the year 2020 and Covid interrupted the majority of outdoor sports and no doubt this gave our governors a bit of a chance to sit back and ponder the future – hence my unkind and unfair thought ‘idle hands’! The result of course was the ‘Motorsports Safety Review’ and the implementation of its many new recommendations and requirements.

Admittedly the sport had to change. In fact much of it was down to the aftermath of two separate fatal accidents in 2013 and 2014 which led to a Fatal Accident Inquiry by the Scottish Government. It wasn’t simply a matter of keeping competitors safe there was a wider responsibility to ensure the general public was kept safe. Common sense and self-preservation were no longer regarded as sufficient guidelines for spectators.

Just as football, and other sports too, had to change their management of attending crowds, motor sport had to do so too, and whilst we may not agree with the new measures which have been introduced, we have to accept them and run with it.

There was of course another change in 2020, when the RAC Motorsports Association transformed itself into Motorsport UK. We got a new logo, a new address and of course new upper management and to be fair to them all, it is still work in progress. We may be critical, and very harsh at times, but change is never easy, and the right change will always be harder to please everyone.

And so as a new season beckons we all have a part to play, so it’s belts on, buckle up and carry on.

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Rally - Red pen needed!

I have just completed the first draft of the next book ‘The Scottish Rally Championship 2010-2019’ and am WAY over my target word count for the narrative section. This has come as something of a surprise as there was quite a hiatus during that decade with, spiralling costs, cancelled and lost events and of course serious accidents and their aftermath. Or maybe that’s why I still have so many filled Notebooks!

For sure, rallying had to endure some difficult and troubled times during that decade, and motor sport, with the emphasis on rallying, was forced to take a good hard look at itself in the year 2014. A nasty fatal accident sparked an immediate wide ranging accident investigation which led to the creation of a formal ‘Motor Sport Safety Review’. That was followed by the introduction of new rules and guidelines in 2015 and which in turn was followed by the Fatal Accident Inquiry in 2016 out of which more changes had to be made.

Of course the authorities had to investigate, and whilst they looked for causes and reasons, they also sought to apportion blame. The trouble is they blamed the wrong people this time.

That’s why the rally reports as written in this current book draft vary so widely in length and detail. One of the reasons was that privileges once enjoyed by professional journalists and photographers had been withdrawn. Restricted access to rally organisers and competitors meant that fewer interviews could be conducted and notes taken.

That was because more constraints were being placed on the Press, or Media as it was constantly being referred to, who were trying to gather of information. Of course other participants and spectators experienced restrictions too, it wasn’t just the Press who were under scrutiny.

It might be hard to believe now (!), but back then the sport was in a wee bit of a turmoil with everyone trying to adjust to and interpret the new rules. 

The trouble with the RAC MSA Media credential was that it was not universally accepted by everyone. Organisers and officials had different views on how much ‘access’ journalists were to be permitted. It was a right hotch potch at times. I recall one incident where an event Press Officer had agreed with the Clerk of the Course where photographers could safely stand to cover their event only for the MSA Stewards driving through the stages ahead of the rally to come across these photographers and ordered them to move immediately. Such occurrences were fairly frequent back then, being given permission by one official only to be moved on by some other official.

Much of the time the individuals were not to blame, it was the system, although some officials did exploit their authority, but that was more down to a dislike of the press, or even personality clashes. In fact some officials were positively obstructive. Apparently, not all media folk were/are universally liked!!

Much of that distrust stems from the fact that two of the fatalities on the 2014 accident were signed on as a journalist and a photographer (although their two passengers were not!), because they had MSA Media credentials. However, the mainstream press at the time constantly referred to them as ‘spectators’, refusing to accept the term ‘media’. Despite several conversations with BBC and newspaper journalists this description persisted although the BBC did sometimes refer to them as ‘people’ but stubbornly refused to refer to them as media reps.

There was one other victim, often forgotten or overlooked by folk, and that was the driver of the rally car which crashed. Drivers and co-drivers are only too well aware of the risks every time they step inside a rally car but they shouldn’t have to worry about bystanders standing in stupid places. That young man has had to live with the consequences of the outcome of his accident where people, hidden from approaching view, were standing in a very dangerous location, especially when one of them was a former rally driver and rally sponsor who should have known better.

Oddly enough I have never held an RAC MSA or Motorsport UK media accreditation. On the two occasions that I did actually apply for official motor sports accreditation in the early 1980s I was refused two years running – and no reason given. On that basis I never bothered to do so again. And yet I carry a ‘Press’ card (as part of my day job) which is recognised by National and Local Government, the Police, Fire and Rescue Services and even the Armed Forces and yet the MSA didn’t see fit to recognise my application.

Despite that I was consulted by John Quenby, MSA Chief Executive 1990-2001, about an improved press accreditation scheme and attended two meetings at which I voiced my suggestions. I also voiced my reservations to Colin Hilton, MSA Chief Exec 2001-2018.

When their new scheme was announced it bore no resemblance to what I and other journalists/photographers had been suggesting. The current scheme from Motorsport UK in my opinion is still not fit for purpose so I didn’t apply for that either.

Did it stop me from doing my job? Only those who have read my reports, features and columns over the years can tell. Truth be told there were times when I may have overstepped the boundaries of expected behaviour – but always in pursuit of facts, info and stories.

Although originally mentioned as a joke, the idea of an end of series ‘personal account’ after I have finished documenting the official Scottish Rally Championship history, is gathering traction and maybe, just maybe, I will name names!!

Anyway, back to the current book, it’s no’ a red pen I need it’s a bluidy red paint brush!

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Rally - Grampian rallying

The news that World Rallying is coming to Scotland, and primarily to the North East, will have some folk wondering what the heck has Scotland got to offer? Well, diet and fizzy drinks aside, the big attraction for the world rally teams venturing fearfully and expectantly into virgin territory will find that the Grampian forests are already historically steeped in rallying folklore. Many of the trees there were mere saplings when rally cars first sped past and to-day’s rally drivers weren’t even eggs!

Take the 1980 Granite City Rally for instance. This was typical of one day national rallies back when the sport was an endurance adventure based on a driver’s skill and speed with a navigator whose task it was to follow the correct route on a map, keep to the time schedule using a watch and look out for orange directional arrows in the Special Stages whilst calling out hazards as printed in an organiser’s Roadbook– no mobile phones, digital clocks, SatNavs, recces and Route Notes back then!

This particular event was a counter in both the ‘Castrol Autosport National Championship’ and the ‘Scottish Rally Championship’ plus the ‘East of Scotland’ regional championship and had attracted 112 entries. Starting from 8.00am the crews were due to tackle 80 miles of Special Stages contained in a 285 mile route with the first of the survivors due back at the Treetops Hotel in Aberdeen from 6.00pm onwards. The 16 Special Stages included such names as Whitehaugh, Clashindarroch, Bin, Teindland, Whiteash, Aultmore, Drumtochty, Fetteresso and Durris. That equated to some ten hours of non-stop action requiring stamina and intense concentration as well as speed, skill and bravery.

At the end of the day, the rally was won by Drew Gallacher and John Eyres in the Duckhams Chevette with a total time of 87 minutes 32 seconds. The first time that a Scottish crew had won this event. That was some going, eh? In second place were Bill Dobie and Peter Mellor (Escort) while third were Andy Dawson and Kevin Gormley (Datsun). Terry Kaby was 4th, George Hill 5th and John Weatherley 6th. There was a good showing of Scots in the top ten as Ken Wood/Peter Brown were 7th and Walter McDonald/Gordon Hood 9th. Just outside the top ten were some more names to conjure with including Jim Howden, Jimmy Horne, Andrew Smith and Dom Buckley. Not so lucky were Donald Heggie, Mike Jackson, Geoff Simpson, Bill Taylor, Malcolm Patrick and David Gillanders who all retired.

Oh! And spectators were pretty much free to roam with best places highlighted and map references given. But of course that was back in the days of common sense and self-preservation, none of this ‘tell, them nowt and keep them in sheep pens’ approach to modern rally spectating.

By the way, the Entry Fee was £75 !!

Of course there is a more detailed report in the books, plus many more!

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#rallyscotland

 

 

Rally - Hopes and Fears

If the ‘Rally of Scotland’ proved one thing it was that a wee nation of six million tartan-clad, bare knee’d, wild-haired, haggis munchers on the north western edge of Europeland could host a world-class motor sporting event. Hard to believe that it all started 17 years ago way back in 2009, 2010 and 2011 but it certainly helped to open minds to such an outrageous idea as the WRC coming to Aberdeen.

It wasn’t just a case of, if Wales can do it, then so can Scotland, but Aberdeen has a number of factors going for it. The P&J Arena has a vast covered complex which can host the WRC organising and media teams and all the technical paraphernalia that will come with that plus a huge sealed-surface outdoor area for the competitors. Aberdeen and the north east also lacks the densely populated conurbation that is spread across central Scotland and is pretty close to the forests.

At a more basic level, the UK has the best Marshals and the best Stage Commanders in the world and there is a long established car club culture in the country so there will be no lack of volunteers.

And let’s not forget the ‘McRae factor’. Whilst many of the WRC hierarchy will have to look up a world atlas to find out where Scotland is, they will know only too well of the antics of a certain ‘tartan tearaway’ who left his mark on the world’s stages thirty years ago.

The only thing that concerns me is Forest & Land Scotland. They will really need to pull their socks up for this one, and if they do, then it might just help all of us at a more local and national level in the future. Fingers crossed for that one, eh?

Ever since ‘Forestry Commission Scotland’ and ‘Forest Enterprise Scotland’ were devolved into ‘Forestry & Land Scotland’ exactly 7 years ago next month, things have changed, and not necessarily for the public good. Area managers no longer have the same level of autonomy as power and decisions have been shifted to a new HQ in Inverness and the emphasis these days seems to be more about the ‘green agenda’ than public access for all.

Having said that FLS has been involved in discussions well ahead of any world scale event coming to the north of Scotland and one can only hope that the required forest roads will be ready to face the onslaught. That means better built and better maintained. There are some cracking roads in the region, Gartly and Clashindarroch spring to mind but there are some softer, sandier roads in the Drumtochty area that could do with more than a spring clean. But I’m sure that is all in hand 

And if FLS look kindly upon this brand new adventure then maybe, just maybe, it will benefit the rest of us. For too long now we have been getting squeezed out of classic forest tests in such locations as Argyll, Perthshire, Carron Valley, Fife and the Scottish Borders while other choices are harder to get. And then there is the question of quality, it would appear that roads are not built to the standards of old and maintenance isn’t what it was. That is down partly to new and different methods of timber extraction but it is also down to cost, hence the ever increasing forestry charges which are being made on rally folk.

And on a perfectly selfish note should any visitors wish to find out what Scottish rallying has to offer fans from afar there are a number of books on the market which will give an insight into the land where legends are made!

Mind you the talks of an F1 Grand Prix at Knockhill are still at a very early stage !!

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#rallyscotland

WRC Rally Scotland

The FIA World Rally Championship will return to the United Kingdom in 2027 with the introduction of WRC Rally Scotland, marking the series’ comeback to one of rallying’s most historic territories.

Developed in partnership with Motorsport UK, the new gravel-based event will be based in north-east Scotland, with rally headquarters and service park facilities located at the state-of-the-art P&J Live complex in Aberdeen. Stages will run across the surrounding regions of Aberdeenshire and Moray.

The agreement forms an initial three-year deal beginning in 2027 and ends an eight-year absence for the championship in the UK, following the most recent running of Wales Rally GB in 2019.

Scotland’s dramatic landscapes and world-class forest roads are expected to provide a spectacular sporting challenge for the WRC’s leading drivers and manufacturers, while the region’s infrastructure and transport links offer a strong platform for teams, media and fans attending the event.

The rally has been secured through a partnership between Motorsport UK, WRC Promoter and the Scottish Government, with support from Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils. Together, the stakeholders aim to establish Rally Scotland as a major international sporting event delivering significant economic and tourism benefits for the region.

The next step to make WRC Rally Scotland a reality will be for a Candidate Event to be held later this year, where the FIA will work with Motorsport UK and event organisers to evaluate and prepare for a return to World Championship-level competition. The event will then be submitted for approval on the WRC calendar by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

Simon Larkin, Senior Events Director at WRC Promoter, said: “Since the FIA World Rally Championship last visited the UK in 2019, Motorsport UK and WRC Promoter have worked closely together to find the right pathway for its return. We have nothing but praise for the determination and hard work shown by Motorsport UK in bringing this project to life.
“We’re delighted to be working alongside the Scottish Government and local authority partners to see this exciting initiative come to fruition - something that will benefit many, and especially the passionate rally fans across the UK.”

FIA Deputy President for Sport, Malcolm Wilson, said: “This is a huge announcement for the FIA World Rally Championship, it really demonstrates the positive direction we are now taking. The United Kingdom has incredible heritage and passion for our sport, and the return of a flagship world championship event in Scotland is the start of the next chapter in this long history. As we enter a new era for the WRC in 2027 with new regulations, more accessible cars and more crews competing at the sharp end, it’s fantastic to see the appetite is there from organisers, governments and of course the fans to put together new WRC events. Alongside Motorsport UK, the WRC Promoter and the local organisers we are very much looking forward to making these plans a reality.”

David Richards CBE, Chairman of Motorsport UK, said: “Rallying has always had a special place in the story of British motorsport and, for me personally, it has been a huge part of my life. I’ve had the privilege of experiencing the World Rally Championship from inside a rally car, and I know just how unique the atmosphere of a UK rally can be — the forests, the fans and the extraordinary community of volunteers and motor clubs who make these events possible.

“That’s why seeing the championship return to the UK is so meaningful. WRC Rally Scotland will bring the world’s best drivers back to British stages, but it will also be more than a rally. It’s an opportunity to showcase the passion of our rally community and demonstrate how motorsport can contribute to innovation, sustainability and inspiring the next generation to get involved in our sport."

National ‘Scottish’ Book Day

The UK’s National Book Day is usually held on the first Thursday of March each year, but I was awfy busy so ignored it. That’s because I was struggling with my latest tome documenting the Scottish Rally Championship (2010-2019), so I have my own ‘book day’ -  every day!

People may think that rallying is on its last legs (wheels?) but that has been thought and feared before although those concerns are still with us today for different reasons. Mind you things came awfy close ten years or so ago. Following a fatality on a Scottish event in 2013 and three more in 2014, the whole sport had to sit down and take stock of itself. And it could so easily have gone the wrong way for its future. Not only that the Scottish Government wanted answers.

Immediately after the 2014 accident the Scottish Government established a ‘Motorsport Event Safety Review’ working with the Motor Sport Association which culminated in the publication of the ‘2015 Multi-Venue Stage Rally Safety Requirements’ guide. It contained not just guidance and advice but more regulation, restrictions and of course costs! And while much of the focus was on spectator management and control, wider issues took in the controversial ‘life-ing’ of safety equipment. What was already a difficult task for an amateur team organising a rally suddenly became more difficult and complicated incurring additional expense.

That was followed by a Scottish Government instigated ‘Fatal Accident Inquiry’ and the sport was indeed fortunate that it was Sheriff Kenneth Maciver QC who chaired the investigation. Although not really a fan as such, he did have an interest in motor sport and a basic understanding. Had it been someone else who had no interest and no knowledge the outcome could have taken a quite different turn.

Oddly enough, there was another organisation involved called ‘Scottish Motor Sports’ (SMS). This body had been created two years previously by the MSA and the Scottish Sports Council ahead of the proposed Scottish national devolution debate and referendum. Had Scotland voted for independence, that would have created some jeopardy for any sport which didn’t have a separate Scottish governing body, and that included motor sport. The new body was initially tasked with the creation of a long term plan for the sport on both four and two wheels.

Looking back on that long and tortuous procedure it was indeed fortunate for the sport that those professionals who were tasked with looking into the proposed safety requirements actually listened to the experienced and knowledgeable amateurs who were asked to contribute to the process.

Which leaves me with a dilemma, does this affair require a whole chapter documenting those past events, or merely a summary? The outcome could so easily have gone either way!

Earlier books are available here:

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Rally - Alex Lindsay

Alex Lindsay, 1957 - 2026

Another hole has been torn in the fabric of Scottish rallying this this week, a big hole. His may not be a household name to many but to those who organised rallies and championships and especially to all Coltness Car Club members the loss of Alex ‘Eck’ Lindsay will be hard to bear. He passed away on Sunday morning after a short illness which followed a period of poor health. Even so, the news came as a shock.

After leaving school it could be argued that Alex got in with the ‘wrong crowd’ at Motherwell Technical College because that was where the seeds of an interest in motor sport were sown which burgeoned into a life long passion for all things fast and four-wheeled, especially on loose surfaces. And yet his own automotive career started in a much more modest way, travelling to and from Motherwell Tech on a Yamaha FS1E – a 50cc moped. Never was such a modest conveyance so badly abused.

A succession of jobs after completing his apprenticeship in various garages and in the Fire Service led to him establishing his own ‘Alex Lindsay Motor Engineers’ service for which was purchased a Land Rover and the name proudly emblazoned along its flanks, but by this time he was already steeped in rallying folklore. Early memories recall him at the wheel of a large Toyota Crown estate car in the mid 1970s servicing for the likes of Allan Arneil and others. The Toyota was a 2 acres of tin service barge 15 feet long and over six feet wide with a full length roof rack decorated with spare wheels and jerry cans and riding on its bump stops with the throttle ‘flat to the floor!”

On the basis that Lanarkshire Car Club was a bit too posh, Alex joined the lesser known Coltness Car Club which was already creating for itself a bit of a reputation as a breeding ground for fast drivers and organising events which bore a passing resemblance to the Blue Book. It wasn’t long before Alex built himself a really very smart Ford Escort Mk2 which saw service on a few rallies as and when he could afford to compete. To say he was a spirited driver is somewhat of an understatement, regardless of whether he was on a stage or on the public road.

After marrying Jean the arrival of the two boys John and Allan calmed him down (somewhat!) and he turned his attention to supporting their interests and efforts while he contented himself by joining the Coltness CC committee becoming an integral part of the growth and success of the car club. Latterly he served as Club Secretary a duty he also performed for the Scottish Rally Championship management committee for a number of years.

In the early days, the club organised road rallies and the Coltness Stages Rally, which used a multitude of private roads and estates in southern Lanarkshire, before organising the hugely successful Strathclyde Park Hillclimb till its reputation outgrew the limits of a public park. The club then achieved greater notoriety when it created the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally first in the Tweed Valley and then later in Perthshire. From starting out as an event Marshal and Official, Alex was soon heavily involved in the planning, promotion and organisation of the club and its events where another talent revealed itself. He produced all the club paperwork (once Jean had tidied it up) and printed all the club’s event decals and stickers. He even assumed editor-ship of the club newsletter and its distribution.

It could be said that Alex used a broad brush when it came to the intricacies of detail planning but there was a good team on the committee. After everyone agreed on the way forward, Alex did his own thing anyway. Whatever, it worked.

Alex wasn’t just a big presence in the sport he was a big noise and often expressed his opinions audibly and without ever giving the consequences a thought. At least folk knew where they stood, they also understood that he never held a grudge. On that basis Alex could work with anyone, and they could work with him. Friends and enemies would be greeted with the same measure of robust ‘geniality’. In fact if he missed out on insulting someone, they often felt slighted or wronged.

This carefree attitude led him and fellow club members into many scrapes which no doubt led to and encouraged the growing reputation of the ‘Coltness Bears’. Nor was he any respecter of authority or celebrity. As ‘cheerleader in chief’ he accompanied the Coltness CC Quiz team and supporters to the depths of Englandshire to participate in the 1988 Ford Motor Company British Motorsport Quiz and whilst the CCC team won the top prize and claimed the top club award, Alex hoovered up all the stage equipment, props and promotional materials and spirited his loot away back north for the benefit of the club and its members.

And the least said about ‘the gun incident’ on the Island of Mull, the better. Suffice to say, the Police Sergeant was mollified to the extent that he ended up having a pint, or two, or more, with the Bears afterwards!

Thankfully this force of nature ‘matured’ in later years but behind the scenes he was an integral and vital part of the glue that kept Coltness Car Club together, regularly hosting committee meetings and event organising teams in his garage-converted office behind the family home in Burnbank. 

There at home he had a rather different personality, the caring husband and kindly, generous father, far removed from the noisy imposing figure that could terrify and mollify, enthuse and encourage, insult and praise all in the same words of conversation.

For sure he gave out more than he received, but it’s folk like him who keep this sport alive and more folk like him that the sport needs. But to Jean and the boys, they have lost a husband, father and grandfather and our thoughts must be with them at this sad time.