Saturday 19 September 2015

Rallyday at Castle Combe

A chance conversation at the RetroRides Gathering resulted in a pair of tickets dropping through my letterbox the week before the 15th Rallyday at Castle Combe, courtesy of Jamie my brother and I would be wandered round the Wiltshire circuit to the backdrop of WRC, GrpB and many other rally and road cars. The last time I went to Rallyday was a very wet 2006, despite the foggy start it was sunscreen and t-shirts all round. Parking near Quarry corner we walked through rows of club stands to the paddock.

 photo Rallyday001.jpg

 photo Rallyday003.jpg

 photo Rallyday004.jpg

 photo Rallyday012.jpg

 photo Rallyday019.jpg

 photo Rallyday025.jpg

As we reached the paddock and the rally cars proper it clear we were in for a treat, There cars from all eras right up to the latest WRC machines from M-Sport.

 photo Rallyday033.jpg

 photo Rallyday038.jpg

 photo Rallyday042.jpg

 photo Rallyday047.jpg

 photo Rallyday048.jpg

 photo Rallyday050.jpg

There was a special gathering of cars driven by the late Richards Burns, a local chap to me.

 photo Rallyday064.jpg

 photo Rallyday063.jpg

 photo Rallyday068.jpg

 photo Rallyday067.jpg

Every avenue we walked down held something different from a line of Stratos to Lada's GrpB VFTS

 photo Rallyday071.jpg

 photo Rallyday080.jpg

 photo Rallyday082.jpg

 photo Rallyday084.jpg

 photo Rallyday087.jpg

 photo Rallyday091.jpg

 photo Rallyday092.jpg

 photo Rallyday097.jpg

 photo Rallyday102.jpg

 photo Rallyday117.jpg

 photo Rallyday123.jpg

 photo Rallyday134.jpg

With the on track action not far off we decided to head back to the car for lunch and to catch the action at Quarry. While kneeling down to get a shot of a car I caught sight of a pair of cars that were all wings. A pair of Quattros were bubbling past, one an S1, the other a bonkers Pike Peak version.

 photo Rallyday137.jpg

 photo Rallyday139.jpg

At Quarry we watched the last of the track sessions go round before the 4x4 group entertained the crowds on a course laid out along the infield area.

 photo Rallyday176.jpg

 photo Rallyday180.jpg

 photo Rallyday214.jpg

 photo Rallyday222.jpg

 photo Rallyday219.jpg

First out on the stage was Ari Vatanen in his old 1976 championship winning Mk2 Escort. Followed by Elfyn Evans in this years M-Sport Fiesta WRC, he performed multiple doughnuts at each corner...on each lap. The crowd loved it.

 photo Rallyday229.jpg

 photo Rallyday230.jpg

 photo Rallyday243.jpg

 photo Rallyday246.jpg

 photo Rallyday249.jpg

Next up a variety of cars performed several runs on the feature stage. A chicane laced lap of the circuit, beginning in the pit entrance the cars launched forward before turning 180ยบ and heading the wrong way up the start straight before turning for a return run and off round the lap. Several temporary chicanes were put up to slow the cars and show off some lurid slides.

 photo Rallyday254.jpg

 photo Rallyday257.jpg

 photo Rallyday260.jpg

 photo Rallyday262.jpg

 photo Rallyday267.jpg

 photo Rallyday268.jpg

 photo Rallyday271.jpg

 photo Rallyday275.jpg

 photo Rallyday296.jpg

 photo Rallyday298.jpg

 photo Rallyday323.jpg

 photo Rallyday325.jpg

 photo Rallyday328.jpg

 photo Rallyday330.jpg

 photo Rallyday343.jpg

 photo Rallyday347.jpg

 photo Rallyday358.jpg

 photo Rallyday362.jpg

Slowly roasting in the sunshine we decided to head round to the startline for an explore and some shelter.

 photo Rallyday380.jpg

 photo Rallyday384.jpg

 photo Rallyday385.jpg

With a last look round we waited for the stage to end before they parked all the cars up on track for the public to walk around them. A chance to get really close to machines, some still hot from the action minutes before.

 photo Rallyday398.jpg

 photo Rallyday399.jpg

 photo Rallyday402.jpg

 photo Rallyday405.jpg

 photo Rallyday408.jpg

 photo Rallyday411.jpg

With the time getting on we took the slow walk back to the car and home. A brilliant day out and with the 30th anniversary of GrpB next year, maybe a return visit!

 photo Rallyday413.jpg

Steve.