PAUL LAWRENCE
“R.A.C. Rally back and better than ever in 2017”
Iwas lucky enough to be taking in rallying with my dad when I was just a lad so I have memories from half a century of the sport: from Roger Clark to Elfyn Evans and everyone in between. However, some of the best memories I have are from 12 editions of the Roger Albert Clark Rally and last weekend added so many more. Four days in epic stages from Gwibedog in Wales to Greskine in southern Scotland via Kielder.
It all started at Shelsley Walsh on Friday morning and 2014 winner Matthew Robinson set the tone for the event when he dropped the clutch at 8000rpm and fired his Ford Escort Mk2 into the rally. The BDG lump barked its way up the side of the Teme Valley to the delight of a massive crowd.
Next up was a flowing downhill section in Gwibedog topped by the awesome sound of the Lancia Stratos of Steve Perez. After a host of dramas with the Stratos, Perez boldly brought it back to the forests for the event that first inspired the project. Listening to it powering up out of the valley made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Sixteen hours and 300 miles later we were in Shepherdshield on the southern fringe of the Kielder complex but the highlight of Saturday was the later Harwood stage as darkness fell. It was a stunning starlit night as the temperature dropped below freezing and the stillness of the night was punctuated by high-revving BDG engines and headlights tracking across the horizon.
Sunday was another epic day, starting in the spectacular Greskine stage up above the M74, 30 miles over the Scottish border, while Monday was all about the daunting challenge of Kielder in a tough final leg.
This event is so much more than a rally. It is a total adventure in which the crews, teams, spectators and marshals immerse themselves for four days. Normal life and the worries of the world are replaced by camaraderie, tales of heroic adventure and outrageous efforts by service crew pepper the event.
Ludlow’s Henri Grehan was a classic example of what makes this rally so special. His Escort Mk2 developed engine problems on Friday, which would normally have been the end of his rally. But his crew went back to base, rebuilt the engine and got to Carlisle in time to restart on Saturday morning. By early afternoon the car had been rolled after a misheard note but once again the crew set to and fixed the damage enough for another restart on Sunday. It is that sort of rally.
The Roger Albert had not run since 2014 but last weekend it came back bigger and tougher than ever before. It is provisionally set to run again in 2019 and, no matter what your role in the sport, don’t miss it for this is an absolute gem.