Rally - Bears in the woods

Last week, the motor sports papers, mags and websites were full of tributes to a lost star. And rightly so. Colin McRae MBE touched so many lives in so many different ways. From the computer screen generation listening to those couthy tones and watching Subarus and Fords dancing on the screen to those more fortunate who saw the man and machine in full three dimensional action, hurling cars at unbelievable speeds into the unknown.

This weekend it's Coltness Car Club's turn to pay tribute, but not just to Colin. The whole McRae family have been a part of the club since Jim took up rallying in 1974 after a career moto-crossing, or motor cycle scrambling as it was called in those days. As wife Margaret observed: "I was happier, because I thought cars were safer than motor bikes - if only I knew!"

At 31 years of age, Jim was a late starter in rallying, and who knows, had he taken to rallying before he discovered bikes maybe Scotland could have had its first world rally champion a lot sooner.

Even then, rallying was changing. And fast. Four wheel drive, turbos, superchargers, power steering, sequential shifts, suspension, electronics, tyres and of course Pace Notes.

The sport demanded more of its drivers too. Top drivers had to become top athletes to cope with the physical demands and the pressure. Talent behind the wheel was not enough.

Then along comes a skinny, gangly young man who turned that theory on its head. If it was front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or four wheel drive he would simply jump in and drive the wheels off it. The biggest problem was getting him to slow down, and countless relatives, friends and team managers tried to do so over the years. But it was that innate ability, courage and spectacular car control that endeared him to countless rally fans around the world.

Like Colin and his Dad before him. Alister came through motor cycle trials and motocross too, but it was 'dodgy motocross knees' that encouraged him to switch from two wheels to four. It could be argued that Alister was just as quick as his big brother but he had a more 'thinking' approach to the sport. He was also a bit more flamboyant and talkative outside the car. Two quite different personalities and two quite different attitudes to the sport.

And yet, throughout all that fan hysteria and public clamour, all three of them would drop into clubnights when they had the time. Even at the height of his fame, Colin enjoyed the clubnights. It was the one chance he could relax amongst friends. He wasn't 'on stage' he was one of the 'bears'. Both he and Alister were ribbed mercilessly about their exploits whether winning, losing or crashing. Nothing was off limits, and everything that happened within the club, stayed within the club.

Coltness Car Club celebrated its 60th anniversary 3 years ago and the McRaes have been a central part of this club for over 40 of those years. So this Saturday's one-off 'McRae Gravel Challenge' at Craigvinean Forest will commemorate not only a lost club member but the whole family. Although Alister now lives in Australia, faither will be there. Jim will be on Course Car duty.

What Coltness have planned is unusual, four stages in one forest in one day. Facilities and space are limited so if you're planning to come, bear that in mind, but I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday. Just remember, sensible clothes and stout boots. Oh, one other thing, if you do transgress, just 'bear' in mind who is running this event!

Full spectator information is on the Coltness Car Club website:

http://www.coltnesscarclub.com/documents/MGC%20spec2017.pdf

Rally - Mull beckons

October is just around the corner. That time of year when thoughts turn to tarmac. For many folk, the middle weekend of the month used to figure prominently in their plans over past months. Accommodation and ferries booked. Essential supplies listed like fuses, spark plugs and driveshafts, not to mention toolboxes, trolley jacks and groundsheets sorted out, ready for packing the van. Almost as essential as the multipacks of Tunnock's Caramel Wafers and Teacakes!

And then there were the Notes to be updated and improved with additional 'Caution!' marks entered at the appropriate locations after the previous year's frights. Plus the small matter of clothing. Tee-shirts and shorts or anoraks and leggings? Better with both, and of course additional supplies of underpants and knickers for those who succumb to sudden bouts of adrenalin rush through the nether regions.

It will be different this year. Even the weather is in mourning. Autumn has arrived early. For those driving north, the vistas are already beckoning with their first blush of burnt orange and dark red which stains the forestry greenery. The hills and mountains have already donned their overcoats of dark, wet and glistening greyness, hunching up against the skyline and the approaching winter.

It won't be quite as busy this year thanks to Government and national sporting authority interference. And yet many rally fans are intent on making the annual pilgrimage - from as far afield as Eeebygumladland and Coronationstreetia to show their support for the 'best rally in the world' - which is currently on enforced leave!

To ensure a warm welcome for these distant travellers and those closer to home, the indefatigable Muileachs are brewing up some entertainment. So if you are just itching to plunge your competition dipstick into the sump of motor sporting competition, there are two events planned with possibly more to come.

Thanks to Beatson’s Building Supplies, Mull Car Club and the Guardians of Mull Rally, have organised the Mull Targa Rally on Friday the 13th and the Mornish Rally Time Trial to be run on Saturday the 14th of October (halfway between Dervaig and Calgary).

The Mull Targa Rally will feature a daytime route with mid-morning Start in Tobermory. The route will cover approximately 95 miles of which 17 are private and mainly gravel. There will be around 14-16 tests and 4 Regularity sections with the last car due to finish around 6pm in Tobermory - in plenty of time to catch the last ferry!

The Time Trial will be run over a 3.1 mile forest gravel stage, with co-drivers allowed, and it will get underway at 10.30 hrs. Four timed runs are planned, but more if time allows and no-one screws up the schedule by going off! Cars will start at 1 minute intervals prior to which Competitors will have a convoy familiarisation run through the stage before it all gets underway.

Full information on the Mull Rally website at:

http://mullrally.org/

Rally - Safety in the Stages

The previous post caused quite a nice wee stooshie within rallying circles, hence this follow-up. Still, it did the trick, it opened up the debate.

However, I reserve the right to call certain sections of the spectating public 'eedjits'. And it's not sports specific, every other sport has its share of 'eedjit following' to the detriment of the sport and others folks' enjoyment, whether it be football, cricket or bog snorkelling.

On the other hand, the vast majority of people who follow rallying are not eedjits. Instead, they should be considered a 'valuable resource' a phrase much used by experts and consultants to emphasise their own importance especially when they know nowt about the subject in hand.

Oops, I'm off again. I get easily distracted these days by the infuriating over-use of 'experts in their field' and 'consultants to the profession' who appear on TV and radio news bulletins and are quoted by news agencies and websites.

Sorry, back to the 'valuable resource'. I am not for one minute advocating training or accreditation for Spectators. That is completely impractical and would drive even more folk away from the sport. Besides, if you train and accredit someone, you call them Marshals. Yes, we certainly need more Marshals, but you can't hijack mere spectators and press-gang them into it.

Nope, by all means educate and inform, using printed material handed out at events or on those websites where followers search for their pre-event information. Advice could be given about what to do in the event of an emergency. As has been pointed out in many of the previous post comments, spectators can often be first on the scene of an accident mid-forest. Rather than stand by with their hands in their pockets there is a natural urge to want to help.

Just like the aftermath of terrorist incidents and motorway accidents, there is a desire by the responsible majority of the great British public to want to do something to help and we've all seen examples of this on TV, and even some heroic acts of personal dis-regard. While that is to be applauded, a little bit of professional help and knowledge would go a long way in such situations.

It's the same in the forests. In the absence of the MSA's much vaunted car tracking scheme, which has been abandoned for the time being for technical reasons, we have to rely on other competitors spotting that the car ahead is in trouble, Marshals becoming aware of an incident, the Results Team spotting that someone is missing or the 'numbers system', and only then calling up the Paramedics.

As I said in the original article, every incident is different and the outcome is not always evident to those who follow, so we have to plan for the unforeseen. Hence the use of spectators. There is a huge following out there who avoid 'spectator areas' preferring to visit past or favoured locations, or something that looks promising on the Ordnance Survey map and then plan accordingly. It is these people who provide the pockets of human reassurance to those crews travelling at speed through otherwise seemingly empty forests.

And another thing. Personal responsibility. People who make the effort to travel to forests and walk into forests to watch the action all know one thing or are quickly made aware - Motor Sport is Dangerous.

It is entirely up to them whether they choose to go in the first place or stay when they get there. No-one is twisting their arm and it is time that the legal system understands this, but just as there are 'eedjit spectators' there are those in the 'legal profession' who place profit and personal gain ahead of fairness and justice for all.

Everyone wants to blame someone or something for their own failings and misfortunes. Anyone who trips on a pavement blames the Council and then wants to sue, never once thinking that if they took their nose out of their bluidy phones and lifted their feet it wouldn't have happened. Similarly, it's not the travel agents' fault if folk want to visit the Caribbean during THE HURRICANE SEASON and then Irma comes a -calling.

It's the same in the forests, or even Closed Roads if we ever get them back, there is an established procedure in the MSA Blue Book (see original article) for competitors but if all else fails and there are spectators on hand why not use that natural enthusiasm and desire to help?

Rally - Competitor Safety

A certain columnist in last week's 'Motorsport News' raised concerns about the safety of rally crews in stages when things go wrong. There is an established procedure (detailed in the MSA Blue Book) which has to be followed, but accidents don't always conform to text book practices.

There is another issue too. One raised by an experienced competitor who commented: "I can often drive for miles through a forest stage these days without seeing a soul - that's actually quite worrying."

And whilst it would be nice to have stages fully manned by Marshals who were stationed within sight of each other all the way through a stage, that's about as likely as Jaggy Bunnet setting a fastest stage time through Craigvinean on his bike.

So what's the alternative? Bring back spectators? It's a thought, but they would have to be given advice and the knowledge of what to do when things go bump in the forest. Many of the regulars already know what to do, but if we can give newcomers a sense of involvement and responsibility, then who knows, they might just respond in a positive manner.

Of course there will always be the eedjits, but there is a growing appreciation that a culture change is needed. Sensible spectators can set an example for others to follow and if the sport can offer advice and information about the practice of 'sensible and responsible spectating' then perhaps this culture change can be accelerated, and we can all get back to some semblance of normality.

There is a full opinion piece on the subject here:

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2017/09/13-sep-competitor-safety/

Rally - 2018 Asphalt Championship .

The MSA has announced the format and the dates for its new 'international' Asphalt Rally Championship in 2018 - with events in Northern Ireland, Belgium, Isle of Man, Wales and North East England. That means no room for 'mainland' UK closed road events - yet.

Full Press Release here:

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2017/09/10-sep-2018-msa-asphalt-cship/