“There is diversity in grassroots rallying”

It’s a common adage, ‘there’s a lack of variety in motorsport’, ‘the cars are all the same, there’s too many hatchbacks’, ‘everything is boring to watch’.

A brief look at the last few weekends proves that’s not the case. Perhaps these people are looking in the wrong place.

In recent weeks we’ve had some stunning underdog performances in various machinery. OK, you have to put up with many Ford Escort Mk2s and Fiestas, but take a look further down the order. Barry Lindsay on the Cheviot Stages last month took eighth in his 1600cc Peugeot 106. He knows Otterburn well, but still Lindsay is a year-on-year example of what can be done in low-powered machinery. A prize drive thanks to the SG Petch Championship showed what Lindsay – in a Ford Fiesta S2000 with a two-litre turbo engine – could do, winning the Jack Frost Stages on snow at Croft.

And Lindsay is far from the only example, these giantkilling performances are happening every week. You just have to be patient and do a bit of proper old school spectating. As there’s still endless diversity on the club rallying stages if you’re willing to be open minded and patient.

Take last weekend. In some of the worst conditions I’ve ever witnessed (on video, thanks social media), Kevin Davies won not one, but three stages in his Pinto-powered Mk2 Escort on the Pokerstars Rally on the Isle of Man. He was brilliant. I was lucky enough to see Kevin in action on the Cilwendeg Rally recently and he was lightning-quick. But tidy as well, the kind of trademark you see from top talent. Tidy is often fast these days.

Road rallying isn’t short of producing talent either, even today. The Pokerstars winner was Jamie Jukes, a regular in road rallying, and Andy Davies – newly crowned Welsh champion – took fifth in his Group N Subaru Impreza.

The point is, if it’s variety you’re looking for, then don’t look at the absolute pinnacle of the sport. Drop your eyes slightly and have a look at some of the more grassroots events taking place around the UK and Ireland.

Speaking of grassroots, it’s a word I’ve heard David Richards say a fair few times this year. As you have (hopefully) read on page 28, the next stage of his – admittedly it’s not all his work alone – masterplan is complete and the MSA has a new name, Motorsport UK.

If he has his way, barriers to entry will fall and more Lindsay’s and Davies’s could be out on the stages proving their pace soon.

Rallying has been spoiled for the last year with seeding rules changed to give organisers more flexibility and belts and seats receiving new life (literally, some have had a two year competition eligibility extension), things are looking up.

Hopefully Richards’ look at how the sport is governed allows for this kind of forwardthinking, flexibility and rapid action to become common-place throughout the governing body where appropriate, as a new era dawns in Colnbrook. It’s an exciting time for clubmen.