[Closed] You’d never get away with it this days!

health and safety would never allow it now.

They didn’t allow it (for long) then!

Saw a stage of the 1986 RAC Rally near Lockerbie.  I can still remember the sounds.

I learnt to drive in 1984. I would practice in an old swb ex military Landrover. I was taken for a 'lesson' one day by a mate, into the Dyfi Forest, just as the Lombard RAC rally was finishing. Broken vehicles were being patched up and then once fixed, came flying past. Scared me silly.

I saw a good few RAC rally' s at Kielder ..the cars used to pass through stages in front of my Dads house deep in the forest ..we also used to set off into the forest well away from the official spectator areas where the drivers really used to go for it ..distant memories now ..

I was a very lucky kid, my dad was an ex rally driver and huge fan, our family car at one time was his mk1 mex rally car with cage the works.

We followed the rac all over from kielder to clocaenog to trentham gardens to wollaton park. I was there from age 3 (1978) to watching one of the stages at Chatsworth with mates when I was about 17 or 18.

I was also lucky enough to go to the Manx rally twice where we met vatanen in the rothmans mk2 eccy and my dad nearly got killed by a Porsche on a bridge.

I will never forget seeing tony pond in the 6r4 or mikkalau in the Audi.

Never saw the group Bs but we went to killer kielder a couple of times after they were banned but when there were still people all over the place. I think from the outside it probably looked like my dad was trying to get us all killed

Yep, rac somewhere in Gloucestershire, pretty bonkers. The marshals were quite careful where we stood. The noise was incredible, 6r4 and rs200 days.

Certainly did. I was marshalling on the Scottish Rally when the Quattro first turned up in the hands of Hannu Mikkola (1982 I think), though if I remember correctly it was Group 4 at the time. The way that thing launched off the start line on gravel left us all open mouthed. Then of course the Group B cars moved in. I always thought the Lancia and Peugeot jobs were really impressive (though lethal).

I have very fond memories of rear wheel drive Group 4 though. Luckily when they became too slow for international events they found their way into the road rallying scene for a while. I used to love seeing the EARS Escorts of Pattison and Carless around the Derbyshire lanes.

I also competed on the Devil's Own (Motoring News road rally championship event) in '82 when it was won by an Opel Ascona 400! Those were the days.

I can remember seeing and hearing the fantastic induction tune of the twin Webers, the Cibie spotlights and the Minilite wheels

Roger Clark in the Cossak hairspray mk 2 escort, the Lancia Stratos the original Stig in a Saab, Penti Arikila, Eaton yale escort of Hannau Mikkola and maybe standing just 15 feet away from them but you knew never to stand on the the outside of a bend or a log pile

Then watching Colin Mcrae from a youngster to world champ

Yep, I was there. Chasing them around the forests of Wales, marshalling at Trentham Gardens, even being almost involved in an altercation with Michelle Mouton as she jumped a red light coming out of a secret service at about 2 in the morning. Still helping my mate out with his historical rallying (Group A works Cossie Sapphire) and get to see some fantastic older cars up close.

Even saw about 10 spectators knocked flat by a Rothmans Porsche in the Forest of Dean on the same RAC. Luckily no serious injuries

Saw some of the early Quattro's in Hamsterley during the old RAC rally. Scary fast.

First ever rally car I saw was a red one like this...

[img] [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Di8xKs ]Roger Clark

In the forest stage near Sutton Bank. Going very fast, sideways.

Roger Clark.

There's a couple of 6R4s always being tweaked just round from my office. Lovely sound when they give it beans around the estate.

Sutton Park with 20,000 others.  Bloody brilliant.  The Quattros were quick but the Peugeot’s were incredible.

I also saw the stage at Sutton park.

West Midlands Safari park stage too a few year before

Used to love watching the RAC.

saw then in the RAC in grizedale, they where banned by the time i could drive and would then follow the rally around for a few days.

Never attended but I've got loads of DVDs of Group B years. Fantastic stuff with the volume up and the subwoofer doing a grand job of creating an atmosphere. Was there anything sexier than a perspiring Mouton in her Quattro?

It was fine.

They were good. Went to a stage near Ludlow with a mate from work who had an Escort Mexico and after a spirited drive there we parked in a field no problem and stood by the side of a dirt track with our backs against a tall hedge. The cars came past closer than a punishment pass. Also a night stage near Cardiff which was basically a loud noise and then a load of lights flying through the air. Weston Park a year or two later and H&S was in full swing.

The company I worked for a the time was involved with BL and we made several visits to Cowley where the 6R4s were parked in a field. I think everyone who visited got to sit in a 6R4.

You’d never get away with it this days!

We kind of do - we just allow it on two wheels these days only - the Isle of Man TT

rachel

WF Still helping my mate out with his historical rallying (Group A works Cossie Sapphire) and get to see some fantastic older cars up close.

I sometimes get to help service a Escort Cosworth and Love it. I spent many hours standing in stupid places watching stuff from Mantas 400's, though the 6R4 era and then the likes of RB and CM.

As soon as you got away from the main spectators area you could pretty much go where you want. Malcom Wilson almost ran me over when he took a wrong turn and I helped Alister Higgins clear mud/grass from his dashboard after flipping over and smashing his windscreen

Off to see the Wales Rally this week !  I'll be keeping well out of the way knowing my luck and accidents.

Before my time all that.

But I do remember going to see the Donnington special stages at night, Imprezas and Evo's 😁

Did road and stage rallies in a Chevette HS ( and Firenza before ) in the 80's and early 90's. Saw Group B cars and the demise of 'proper' road rallies when the likes of Grp 4 Escorts, Ascona 400, TR7 V8 etc appeared in the lanes ( public roads ) in the MN championship. I remember the first sight of Mikkola in the fire breathing Quatro accelerating away in Hamsterly so much quicker than Ari's Rothmans Escort. Enjoyed the times both competing and marshaling/spectating on the RAC and Manx etc. It just doesn't seem the same, these days or is that me being old !

It just doesn’t seem the same, these days or is that me being old !

No you're right. Back in the the good old days the RAC was 5 days and nights of attrition - and that was just for the spectators!

You're right on the attrition for the spectators ... used to take the week off and marshal on the Sunday stages and a Yorkshire stage ( with the local motor club - Huddersfield ) and spectate in Wales, Lakes and/or the Borders till the Thursday .... had some cracking times !