Roger Albert Clark Rally 2023

[Paul Hudson]

This 5 day event gets underway with the ceremonial start on wed night , the entry is very good this year with some interesting names coming to battle with the regulars, Its a long tough event over 5 days, Who is going to come out on top at the end ?

[the sniper]

Planning to do Walters and Sweet Lamb/Hafren myself. Working Saturday, but might not be able to avoid the temptation to do Harwood Sunday too, if I can get over doing the 4 hour trip there and back for the day...

I think I'd put my money on Osian Pryce for the win, if I were a betting man.

[Sal yet again]

Have fun and stay safe you guys that are following the rally. I will be missing it this year although the trade off is that I will be in Lanzarote for the final round of the Canary Islands championship so the weather at least should be a bit kinder to me!

Guess most eyes will be on the Escort battle with Meeke and Solberg vs the Brit pack however I'm secretly hoping for a Chris Ingram win with the TR7 V8!

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Have a great time if you're out on the stages, it should be a great event. I'll hopefully have chance to watch a bit of the extensive online coverage on https://youtube.com/@SpecialStage?si=mEImG_lFE1dRnCPQ

I also hope to see Chris Ingram have the win but I'm not sure how competitive the TR7 V8 will be. Fingers-crossed its reliable and he gets to the finish. Ditto with the Stratos of Perez and the few 911s, especially of Chris Harris.

I see a cold snap is forecast for the north so that could make it a proper traditional RAC... the weather always used to turn just in time for it !

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Go Pondy...er, Chris !! ;)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F_j0gwEWoAAMYU6?format=jpg&name=large

[HKSjbg]

I was driving through Pant near Oswestry today, saw an Opel Kadett being trailered on its way south - must’ve been either no. 112 or 120 but I didn’t catch which number.

Then the first customer I was at today we got talking about the RAC somehow. I mentioned the Kadett I saw and she said her sons were off to Sweet Lamb with some mates and her husband was going up to Kielder at the weekend.

Making me jealous but getting Thursday or Friday off work just wouldn’t work for me right now :( will have my eyes glued to the Special Stage coverage over the weekend, apparently it’ll have a retro Rally Report feel :D

[Paul Hudson]

Results Link. https://results.djames.org.uk/results/?e=687&simple

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Mega crowds at the ceremonial start !
https://youtu.be/gibgzoLTYOo?si=78spANYIMyBdrxfB

[Paul Hudson]

Live Tracking , https://geotraq.live/Roger-Albert-Clark-Rally-2023/

[Sal yet again]

The size of the crowd at the Ceremonial start show that rallying can still be a draw even in these strange times for the car so hopefully there is life in the old dog yet!

Missing not being there already but looking forwarding to seeing the battle come to life online.

[TWRC]

Meeke stopped?
Edit: on the move again

[er88]

Meeke stopped?
Edit: on the move again

Stopped for 5secs with a stall at a hairpin

[er88]

Ingram stuck in 4th gear

[er88]

Some fantastic live footage/coverage on the Special Stage youtube channel. Stageside camera and drone footage

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Pity for Ingram but hopefully it's ok as he seemed to he pulling gears on SS2. At least he said the TR7 was great otherwise.

[Sal yet again]

Shame to see both Chilman and Milner both on the retirement list after SS1..

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Stage win for Perez' Stratos on SS4 !?

Meeke puncture on SS5 has probably put paid to his chances... :(

[er88]

Shame about Meeke's engine fire and retirement. Great to see the level of interest in this event and Special Stage have done a great job covering it today, hopefully that continues. Will be out myself spectating in Scotland on Saturday

[HKSjbg]

Special Stage coverage was excellent this evening, a good bit of pre-rally build up from the ceremonial start and a bit of microphone in the face in the dark like Sue Baker used to do to the likes of Juha Kankkunen :D

You can tell this year everybody is even more excited about it than even ‘21. Hoping this sort of good will and support continues and spreads throughout UK rallying into next year!

[the sniper]

Shame to see both Chilman and Milner both on the retirement list after SS1..

Unbelievable, second edition running that Chilman/Walsh haven't made it through the first stage, the former was really gutted last time, cant imagine how he's feeling now!

[Fast Eddie WRC]

No time through for Ingram yet on SS8... worrying.

E. Electrical issue, lost 4 mins but still going.

[er88]

Sweet Lamb at full capacity for parking, for anyone thinking of making a late dash to that stage

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Organisers have been forced to cancel SS19 & SS22 Arroch Hill 1/2 tomorrow (Leg 3 - Saturday)

[the sniper]

Well that's my RAC done, I think. Did Walters Arena and Myherin in the end, as the latter's second run allowed you to see the top 30 in the light. Good days out with plenty of enthusiastic people to talk to on the stages. The RAC is an old school rally in many ways. I found the official car parks to be a bit of a sort yourselves out affair, while alternative access is surprisingly doable. I must say the best thing was being able to walk straight off the stage at Walters and into the active service park, on the way to the car park (the latter of which could have been better organised to accommodate more cars easily). I imagine the setup was the same at Sweet Lamb? It's a shame more rallies haven't done this where possible.

Something noticed by many on the stages, the Lancia Stratos looks great, sounds really nice and different from the rest, but you do expect it to be louder...

Great battle for the lead between Pryce and Solberg. I'd imagine the former will have the advantage as they head up north, where Oliver will be less familiar with the stages.

It was quite funny driving back along the A470, with every parking spot for miles taken up with trailers and trucks waiting to be loaded for the trip north.

[Sulland]

Organisers have been forced to cancel SS19 & SS22 Arroch Hill 1/2 tomorrow (Leg 3 - Saturday)

Have they said why?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Good to see Pryce keeping Solberg in sight this morning. Hopefully he can get some more time back and see if the pressure tells.

Great battle too for 3rd with McCormack and Pritchard level on time after SS16 !!

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Bollocks, Pryce stopped on SS17. :(

[doubled1978]

Shame the bulk of the top boys have had problems. I was hopeful at the start we would have a good battle for 5 days with Meeke, Solberg and Pryce and maybe a couple of the quick national lads just behind. Bit of a let down with all the mechanical failures too, nobody binned it, they’ve all broken down….can’t help feel that’s a bit poor overall.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

No Escorts ! :D

https://youtu.be/B9MZcPxMfIs?si=ZMzg704K1kw17gBE

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Puncture for Pritchard on SS23... Perez now on the podium.

[satnav]

Link to the live tracking

https://geotraq.live/Roger-Albert-Clark-Rally-2023/

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Wow now Solberg is out on the last stage on Sunday.
Some say off the road, others a broken driveshaft.

A shame for him but you have to finish this monster rally no matter how fast you are.

[mousti]

Petter and Oliver stated on their social media it's because of the broken driveshaft..

Verstuurd vanaf mijn 2201123G met Tapatalk

[Fast Eddie WRC]

@RACRMC

Solberg to re-start !

Oliver and Elliott WILL re-start the final day of the event - pending a full assessment from the team back at Carlisle.

[Steve Boyd]

Link to the live tracking

https://geotraq.live/Roger-Albert-Clark-Rally-2023/
Not impressed by the site shutting down with two stages still live on Sunday with a message that the day was over. I hope they're using something better in Rally Control.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Solberg is out now. Off the road near the end of SS29. :(

Maybe he was going too hard trying to catch back the time.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Perez' Stratos off on the final stage. Totally gutted for him and the team.