Organisers in spectator search

Rally GB organisers are determined to track down individuals who were found spectating in dangerous areas on last weekend’s round of the World Rally Championship.

Video footage highlighted a handful of people standing on the line of competing cars passing inches away at more than 100mph. Rally GB’S safety officer Sue Sanders said she wanted to name and shame individuals who could be jeopardising an otherwise exceptional safety record for Britain’s WRC round.

“Collectively, there’s a desire within the organisers to pursue these people and highlight to them the dangers of what they were doing,” Sanders said.

The second running of the Clocaenog stage was only saved by quick thinking from zero car driver and British Rally Championship driver Matt Edwards, who stopped the car and persuaded fans to move to a more sensible area.

“I’ve never heard of a zero car stopping in a stage to do this before,” said Sanders. “But thank goodness Matt did. Fortunately, he knew some people in the crowd and could work with them. These people in Clocaenog had not come into the stage from an official entry point, so they hadn’t gone past any of our signage or messages about safety and they were standing in a dangerous place.

“If it hadn’t been for Matt’s quick thinking, the stage would have been cancelled.”