Rally Evolution Recce Notes

In Memory of...

2009-10-01T09:55:00.001-07:00

It is with great sadness that I learn of two heroes of mine that passed away recently! Pentti Airikkala - A fantastic Man and Rally Driver whom I met on many an occasion. His wit, warmth and driving style always made me smile. Also, dear June Aslin, where would rallying be without the dedication of such a lovely woman! Always out and about on rallies with Forest Radio's, looking after us the competitor, as we sped through the stages - whether in a forest in deepest Wales or over the Epynt Ranges June would always be there for us!

Both are sadly missed but, with a smile.

Kenny Owen

The Last Post...

2009-06-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

Meet the Team...

Before I commence with what Kenny & Sir Steve have been up to recently, I thought you may like to meet the team that have been out and about for the past two weeks bringing you the best rally in the World...EVER! The Rally Evolution.

The Recce Team

Here is you Clerk of the Course and Rally Director - Kenny Owen, without hat!

Here is Sir Steve, with Hard hat!

...and here is me...Road Ant, don't I look great...but who's the geezer in the Top Hat, hey, hey!

Anyway, back to business...

Our advance party are now on their final day, the sun shines over Craig y Nos Castle as they venture out and in to the forests of South Wales. Some of the highest mountain peaks in the UK are found here in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Tyle forest sits on top of one of these mountain tops, today bathed in brilliant sunlight. This is basically a five mile hill climb from start to finish and absolutely thrilling - putting in the shade the event encountered earlier in the week on Epynt! This is the sting in the tail and it is expected that the lead will change numerous times during this spectacle! After a return trip to Cox's Quarry, a holding control at Tredegar Park will regulate competitors to the final Selectif at Tredegar House. This venue has never ever been used for rally Selectif, the only motor sporting events held here previously are Classic Car static shows. So this will be a real treat for the regulars that visit this 'best-kept' of Stately Homes.

So all that remains is for Kenny to get back to the office and prepare the Draft Road Book for the Rally Evolution. It has been a pleasure to have been part of the recce squad this time around and an eye opener it has been - and a brilliant event in the offing for November!

See ya soon and signing off...

The Road Ant

Its not over until the fat lady sings!

2009-06-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Madam PattiLive from the Pen y Cae Inn, Craig y Nos, in the Swansea valley.

For the real initiated amongst you, Craig y Nos was the home of Madame Patti, the World Famous Opera singer from way back when! Anyway, the start this morning was from Rhandirmwyn and the Llyn Brianne reservoir. The first section this morning was over the Abergwesyn mountain and on to Pwll Bo for another run. This test is completely different in the dark but the flowing corners and blind brows make for an exciting time since you cannot pick out the road edges easily. Then its back to Llandrindod Wells for the rally overnight halt - end day three.

Days four route starts around the Lake at Llandrindod - no Selectif this year due to frogs! - but a fantastic setting to start our Rally Evolution from! The first section takes us back on to Epynt for more glorious fun tests before heading in to the Glasfynydd Forest which has not seen the light of day since the Lombard in 2007! Rated as one of the best Selectifs on the rally you will surely enjoy this years run through without a doubt!

So overnight for our recce crew is at the Pentre Riding Stables just east from the Pen y Cae Inn. No Kenny and Sir Steve are not acting out a Biblical scene but this B& B is well worth a call if in the area, especially if you are out and about on the Rally Evolution or the WRC round in October!

Bye for now
The Road Ant

HRH, Americans and Tins of Beans!

2009-06-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

Cwm Berwyn Forest over looks Abergwesyn and the Tregaron Marsh with a sharp escarpment dominating the distance.
With 57 Selectifs schedule for this years Rally Evolution, there is no other event than can come anywhere close, with competition and cheap pound for pound miler for mile rallying...you'll have to be mad to miss this event...seriously! I have now spent over a week with Kenny and Sir Steve working on the route and believe me more work goes in to running an event of this size than I ever thought! I am aware that most competitors and certainly members of the public believe that events are just thrown together on the kitchen table...this is not the case! Well not the way that Kenny & Andrea organise - the detail is awesome! However, there will still be the infantalia out there that will criticise just to get their buzz...I say, take up drugs instead, its far better for you and it may ease your headache! No malice intended, but...!
So on to today's recce and what a lovely day it has been. The sun shining again, after a few days of cloud and heavy rain. This made life in the hot recce car a little more comfortable - well, listening to Sir Steve waffle on about how much better he is than the Stig every five minutes can be heavy going! This morning, Sir Steve refused to eat his brekkie until he had baked beans on his plate. The waitress insisted that beans were not part of the menu but Sir Steve held out until a full tin of musical fruits were poured unceremoniously over his bacon and eggs! Thank goodness it was a lovely day and the car windows could be left open!!!
Caio forest being the first Selectif of the morning. A seven mile run over fast and twisty hilly terrain last used in 2007 will be a dream to drive! During the Second World War, the Americans were based near Caio and but could not pronounce the village name - they called it 'C.A. Ten'! Cynghordy was called 'Sing or Die' and as for Ffairfach...well I'll let YOU guess! Sorry, I digress...
...so on to Brechfa and three long sorties for you competitors to get your teeth in to! The first uses the complex - a section of junctions and hairpins to excite your driving styles...then on to Brechfa 2. A fast Selectif with long sweeping bends and open hairpins to stimulate you further...then on to the final Brechfa test with its huge drops and fast sweeping bends which preside over precipices that will make your heart flutter before you even start the Selectif! The WRC round does not use this forest any longer so this will be a real treat. A long road section up in to the Towy forest now beckons. All these forests were used in 2007 but with a few variations to make the drive really interesting.
Well, on arriving back at the office late in the day, Andrea and our new assistant Bethan were full of excitement after the visit to the office by no other than HRH Prince Charles. HRH now resides near Llandovery and K&A have been invited for morning coffee and scones. Lets hope Sir Steve doesn't get wind of this or he'll be expecting one of 57 varieties!!!

See ya tomorrow...Evolutionists
The Road Ant

PS

Watch out for the new competition launching very soon where you can enter the Rally Evolution for a £1! Also a massive TV boost for the event!

Hill Climbing to Victory

2009-06-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

As our intrepid crew arrive on the Epynt Ranges to start the days recce, they stumble across Brecon Motor Clubs Hill Climb event! Before the event starts, Kenny and Sir Steve attack the hill measuring the Selectif for next November. They now settle down for a few minutes to watch this exciting sport. Unlike rallying, this is a short sprint type event and great for beginners or the seasoned competitor! Some cracking machinery was on show but time ran out, the recce had to continue. The first of the Epynt Selectif's is at the Farm. This is the shortest of the Epynt tests but brilliant fun, with blind brows and yumps that get the belly going...but not in the way you're thinking! A long hill climb finishes off this test with every driver trying to get the most out from their cars. You'll have to take your 'hat off' to us for this test!

We now move on to the Big Dipper. No, not a fun fair ride but a long section up and down the rolling hills of the MoD ranges, with laybys and gravel tracks that will give you plenty of sideways motoring - this is the most fun you can have with your hat on!

A short drive to the next Selectif where you negotiate the Telephone Exchange triangle, Four Ways bridge - which way arrrrggghhh! - and the demanding Burma Road! You'll know you have done a real test at the end of this one! Again you'll have to take your hat off!

As our recce crew leave the MoD ranges, they head for Crychan forest and the Cefn Llwydlo. This forest has a mixture of fast flowing bends and in total contrast, tight twisty tracks that link the roads together. A short road section to Esgair Dafydd with a complete new finish to previous years. This Selectif was famous in the 1970's for the Rally Sprint that was shown on BBC Sports TV. Malcolm Wilson - Ford Motor Sport WRC guru - in his then works Total Ford Escort famously rolled in front of the cameras and in front of a youthful Kenny Owen, your Clerk of the Course. Again, the best fun with your hat on! So, make up your mind, with hat or without hat! The decision is yours!

The recce day ends at Llandovery where Prince Charles - who currently owns a local estate -will be visiting the Rally Office. So tune in tomorrow for our Royal Seal of approval and more on recce notes!

The Road Ant

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

2009-06-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

After an over night halt at Talyllyn near Tywyn, Kenny and Sir Steve set out on another adventure to bring you the best rallying Selectifs the UK has to offer.

However, the night before an urgent message had to been received on Kenny's mobile phone. With no phone signal anywhere in the region, a short 15 minute drive to Tywyn was made. On arrival, the only signal that could be received was by standing on the pebble beach. With the tide in, a paddle was the only way to make the call! Sir Steve felt peckish after a long days work-load, so bought some chips, which attracted the attentions of the famous Tywyn Pheasants...Seagulls! A quick retreat back to the overnight accommodation at Talyllyn was actioned if only to get rid their avian friends!

Saturday morning and a further run through Pantperthog to fine tune the route before heading South once again and on to the Taliesyn stage variation. This time the Selectif finishes over the Nant y Moch reservoir side. The mountain section that follows this test is a treat in itself. Kenny reminisces - "I competed in the Welsh 1300cc championship in 1985 taking third fastest time along this section, beating a field of top 2 litre Escorts of the day!" His enthusiasm for navigating hasn't waned and it shows in the excellent Road Books.

So on to the Sweet Lamb Rally Complex for a reverse of the earlier Selectif run in the dark the day before (on the event). This way around is even more exciting that Thursday route!

So to complete the day two the rally heads for Llandrindod Wells and the Hotel Metropole. However, the recce day has not ended for our team in the VW Passat as they head for Epynt and the start of day three's route. More on this tomorrow when we go agricultural, go to the fair, unsure which direction to take and climb the Steps!

Bye for now,

The Road Ant

2009-06-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

Leaving the home of Owain Glyn Dwr and heading South in to the forests where Legends are made! Two short Selectifs to start this days recce, approx three miles each. The first, an up hill drive of some one and a half miles before decending the last. Fast and sweeping bends to look forward to here. The second three miler is a bumpier affair, but far more interesting with a tight uphill hairpin junction and crests that can catch you out quite easily if you do not concentrate...great fun though! From here and on to Bala where Penllyn Forest lies at the foot of the Hirnant Mountain. A good climb with steep drops to keep you honest is the order here. A tight hairpin to finish before the long road section across the Hirnant and Lake Vyrnwy and on to Dyfnant for the next competitive section. In 2007, numerous competitors were caught out in Dyfnant with some clever working of the junctions that even the experts had to think about, but what a brilliant forest this is! Some three Ply to start, then Cat 1 sections, before more three ply, fast open corners to entertain the most careful drivers and a surface smoother that a billiard table!

Its back to Dyfi for a re-run of this special of special Selectifs. There's no repeat of our Alien friend this time around. May be he didn't want a 'close encounter for the third time!'

Joke!

What do you call an overweight ET ?

An extra cholesterol !

On that note, gud bye fa now!

The Road Ant

Pretenders to the Crown & Alien Nation!

2009-06-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

The day starts bright and early for Kenny & Sir Steve, having an overnight halt at Machynlleth, where once Kenny was booked by a Traffic Warden called 'Jake the Pegg' while spectating on the Lombard RAC Rally in 1978! No such dramas this time but off and on to Dolgellau for this mornings recce start.
Coed y Brenin, rarely used these days, was the first forest to be visited. This beautiful wood is fast and flowing, with catch you out culverts! Sir Steve still reckons the crows are birds of prey stating that Buzzards in Wales are the size of Budgies in Oxfordshire - ???!!! I didn't ask! However, on to the mountain road overlooking the Snowdonia mountain range and the pinnacle itself, Snowdon, it is on to Trawsfynydd and the Bala Motor Clubs Ranges. A fast flowing tarmac Selectif which can catch out the best of drivers, is a change from the gravel tests seen earlier in the day. There is one brow that catches most drivers on their first visit, but a carefully placed chicane will make sure there will be no dramas!!! Yeah!

So on to Clocaenog and two Selectifs of quality! The first, a nine miler of fast flowing corners is a tough test before heading across Llyn Brenig and the Llyn Alwyn Selectif with its narrow lanes and tight junctions. Encountered today was another Alien type figure, again clutching UFO debris. It appeared from the long overgrown scrub land and bounced in to the foliage the opposite side of the forest road, never again to be seen! Brandishing a large bow and plastic type sheet, this strange human life form must have built a community with other aliens close by! Maybe there are millions of these life forms walking the planet and all in Clocaenog Forest! So beware, the beast of Bodmin impales in to insignificance compared to this alien life form from Planet Clocaenog!
So after our recce crews shocking encounter today, they are to meet with Owain Glyn Dwr, No, not the Price of Wales, but a pub in the heart of Corwen!

So off to gwelly now - gwelly means bed - and see ya tomorrow when Kenny meets Legends and Sir Steve meets Leg Ends...Lamb Shank to you!

Gud Nite
The Road Ant

Rack of Lamb & the Aliens of Gwynedd

2009-06-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

An early start sees our fearless recce crew descend in to the Plynlimon mountains and that of the Sweet Lamb Rally Complex. This will be a tougher test than anything the Wales Rally GB had to offer last year..or should we say the Rally GB! Sweet Lamb offers some of the best rallying in the UK and we can only thank the forward sightedness of the Bennett-Evans family. An eight mile test of hairpin after hairpin, sweeping bend after sweeping bend and 100% FUN! Kenny has designed a much slicker test than in previous years and entrants will know they have competed on something special by the finish line.

A short distance from here and on to Aberystwyth for a Closed Street Selectif. This is highly secretive at the moment with Kenny only stating..."a sting in the tail on the first day!"

Aberystwyth is the host for the rallies first overnight halt with first cars arriving at around 8pm. This allows more social time for tales of daring do at the bar!

The following morning sees the Rally Evolution head in to the historic Taliesyn Forest. Famous rock bands reside close by and the sound of rally cars will rock the community like never before! Taliesyn is a Selectif that climbs and climbs steadily in to the clouds with fantastic views of the Mawddach Estuary, before a sudden drop in to Artists Valley...Brilliant!

So on to Machynlleth and the famous, yet demanding Pantperthog Forest. Unlike Taliesyn with its gentle climb, Pantperthog ascends quickly through hairpin after hairpin until you reach Heaven! Then the road descending to Hell is approached with great caution...obviously! You'll be outta breath by the end of this spectacle!

Now on to Dyfi and a very strange phenomenon indeed!

After completing the Dyfi Selectif, a strange sight indeed! What can only be described as an alien encounter, walking through the forest! This figure, a man shaped creature, about 12 feet tall, hovering above the ground, clutching a mysterious crumpled roll of space debris, face void of expression, came in to sight and then...disappeared!!! It is said that Sir Steve has many Close Encounters of the third kind! His dear lady say's..where have you been, what time do you call this and who is Barbaraaaaa!!!

Machynlleth plays host to our hard working recce crew today, so we wish them good night and hope the encounters tomorrow are of a less unworldly nature.

Gud Nite

The Road Ant

Marching in to the Marches

2009-06-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, the 'Ed' has been taken ill so I (the half brother of a pesenter from a top motoring programme) have had to take over writing this blogg for him.

After the over night halt at the Premier Inn, Hereford, our fearless crew head off, deeper in to the Welsh Marches and the venues that lie there! Foxley Wood - now here's a good blast. Our good friends at Hereford Motor Club will be running this Selectif. Although a short test, competitors will have to have their witts about them! A dash through the wood yard avoiding the seasoned oaks is a challenge in itself before being unleashed into the wood where numerous obsatcles have to be negotiated with precision and skill! Well that defeats our intrepid Sir Steve..so Kenny has to take the reins and set the bogey! This Selectif is great fun!

So on to the Welsh border and Radnor Forest for two tests! The first starts with hairpin after hairpin, looping around a short circuit before launching deep in to the darkness of this pine tree wonderland! You will just have to wait and see how fantastic this 8 mile Selectif is, cos I'm not saying what the best bits are - you mean there's more! The second of the Radnor tests is different with up hill hairpins every few yards, climbing high up in to the Welsh mountainside the low clouds. Some of the roads in this section are tricky to say the least and you have to be clean and clinical to get a quick time here! The historics will love this old RAC Stage as will any spectators, bringing back fond memories of yesteryear! A quiet pint in the Severn Arms near Crossgates is a must if you are out and about watching in November!

The Radnor sortie is followed by a rest halt at Knills Service Station where the RAC Roadside services mobile teams will be located to assist with any mechanical problems you may have. They were out and about last year and did a magical job for us, which was rewarded when all the entrants gave the team a standing ovation at the presentation dinner. They promise an even better mechanical service this year - we can emagine how, but bring it on lads!

Tonight Kenny & Sir Steve are staying near Sweet Lamb Rally Complex in readiness for tomorrows recce of the venue - I know what Kenny has planned for the entrants on this years Rally Evolution, but you will have to wait until tomorrow for this next report from Mid Wales!

If you remember some time ago Sir Steve met Glen Millar wandering through a forest in Scotland. Glen said to Steve, "How the Heck do I get otta here!" Well today, geuss who he met - Lord Lucan! Lord Lucan came running along the Randor Forest track shouting...someones stollen my clothes! So Sir Steve comforted him saying..."Don't worry, I'm not playing golf today, you can have one of mine!"

On that note, see ya tomorrow!

The 'Road Ant'

Recce Day 2: Sunshine & Day of Thunder

2009-06-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

Above: Tredegar House, with insert...Captain Morgans Anchor found in the garden shed!

As the recce heads out from Tredegar House the sun is bright, the air is warm and what a pleasant day it is, as Kenny and Sir Steve head out from Britain's best kept historic house! As our intrepid recce crew head north - well they couldn't head south, cos they'd get their feet wet! - the roads are clear and it is an easy run to the first of the venues.
Cox's Quarry is a 3 mile forest track that has only been used once before, by a local motor club is a good opener. A short narrow uphill section leads to a quarry before a testing, twisty 'baby bottom' surfaced section to an enclosed open hairpin right! A short down hill section in to a devious 90 left bend with a fresh air drop in to Abercarn, 400 feet below!!! The last section of this short sortie in to the south Wales forests ends with a long straight, with 'catch you out' bends that look quicker than they really are! A number of dog walkers encountered while recceing this wood stopped to chat, interested in the Rally Evolution - great, maybe thhe'll marshal!
From here and on to our mysterious Racing Circuit that never was! Only a mile and a half in length but a clean clinical route that will test the best of you with short straights, up-hill twisty bends and tight sharp 90's.
A quick down hill run into a long fast right to turn 90+ left through a gateway...a short uphill sprint into a long left, tightening in to a fork left, over crest flat and bumps, to a series of quick bends which lead to a long sweeping right-hander. This leads to a negative camber series of bends that take us through a middle of a golf course. It is said that Sir Steve plays golf with two pairs of trousers...just in case he gets a hole in one - droll! Leaving the golf course the route heads down hill from a very deceptive 90 left narrowing on the exit and then a series of fast bends - again deceptive - to the finish. As our recce crew completed the test the clouds began to 'fluff up' and rain was on the way!
Along the Heads of the Valley, Monmouth, across the border and in to Herefordshire - cider country. A secret forest here only use once before, tight and twisty with a slippery surface for most of the way. Five years ago when this was last used on the Lombard Rally many slid off trying too hard! So be warned. One competitor said, "You just cannot get the power down, but what fun!"
As our recce crew leave this dark forest the rain clouds burst open, followed by loud claps of thunder! The road becomes a river and aquaplaning is evident as the car heads through this beautiful garden of England. The hop fields are taking a hammering as the recce car meanders its way along this river bed - the A40.
So on to Worcestershire and the Three Counties Showground Selectif. This was last used to great effect in 2007 and many photos have since been used on the event web site showing Owen Turner four wheels in the air over one of the many Yumps! This is a highly safe but fun venue with loads of run off space - I can't wait myself! A short journey back in to Herefordshire before a well earned rest for our recce crew.

See ya tomorrow when Kenny tells 'Tales from Foxley', rumours from Radnor and Sir Steve meets Barbaraaaaa...again!

See ya

The Ed

Here we go...Recce Time!

2009-06-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

As Kenny and his driver, Sir Steve arrive in Newport to start the Rally Evolution Reconnaissance the sun is shining brightly on what will be the best Rally Evolution yet! Scrutineering and noise check areas have been confirmed today along with hotels and other venues that will precede the start in November.

This year the event will start from the rally HQ at the Hilton Hotel, Coldra, Newport just off the M4 making routes to the start better than ever before! From the parc ferme out control at the Hilton Hotel the rally will make its way along the A48 to Tredegar House where a civic reception is arranged. Maybe Captain Morgan the famous Caribbean Pirate will make an entrance...or we may have to do with just Sir Steve! Newport City Council have been excellent in their approach to this years event and we can expect to be well looked after - at this Jewel in the Crown City start!

It is said that Sir Steve like jewels...well for those old enough to remember Nearest & Dearest on ITV that's Jimmy Jewell - yes, him of Eli's Pickle Factory fame!

So on to the recce...well just tune in and read all about it tomorrow night when Kenny will expose the finer details of the route...there may be some exciting surprises in store - but not what you're thinking!

The Ed

Chelsea, what a Messi and Big TV

2009-05-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well what can I say...Kenny's been moody for days now after his beloved Chelsea lost to Barcelona - however, he's over that now - we think - and he is working flat out on the Rally Evolution and the imminent Three Castles Welsh Classic Trial, the biggest Classic Car event in the World! So whats been happening at the Rally Office recently...well here are a few rumours to whet the appetite!

A new event on the horizon with a new web site...a famous F1 pundit ...and a major TV company rumoured to be filming this years event! I'm sure the Rally Office will spill the beans soon but I am like a mushroom...kept in the dark and fed Bull S***! Seriously, there are things ahead which will excite the calmest of us...so watch this space over the next few months?

Other news...
Kenny's just had his recce car sign written so watch out for a black VW Passat streaking by!

Kenny is about to embark on the second full recce so watch this blog for regular updates from 14th June!

Signing off for now... the Ed

Fast Track to New Venue

2009-04-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hi All

Over the Easter hols Kenny kept working flat out locating new and interesting venues while most were at the beach chasing the Easter Bunny Girls!!! Nuff of that...a new venue has been located for the Rally Evolution - a racing circuit that was built but never used - strange! However, negotiations are well underway and Kenny is confindent that this venue can be secured for this years event. The venue is set in a beautiful location with lakes, trees, wildlife...more Bunny Girls! Now that's got you interested, hasn't it!

Anyway, more very soon but it's back to the office to see what the Team are up to...a few famous faces were seen to day at the Llandovery Rally Office so who knows, they may be competing on the 2009 rally Evolution.

See ya

Chief Blogger:)

2009-03-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

No, this is Tredegar House not the Rally Office...see below for the rally office?

Live from Llandovery - Rally HQ

The next group of Selectifs lies in the upper Towy Valley. This vast acreage of woodland is situated in possibly the most picturesque corner of Britain, yet alone Wales and encloses one of the largest expanses of water in the UK, Llyn Brianne Reservoir. Llyn Brianne is a man made lake and boasted at one time, the highest rock filled dam in the World - dam, being the wall! The road surfaces here vary in condition and structure but most of the old sandy soils have been replaced by the Forestry Commission revealing good quality road ways. "I remember in 1975 watching the RAC Rally pass through these woods. The Roar of the Ford Escorts, the Purrr of the Fiat 131 Arbarth and the sheer Rasp of the Lancia Stratos still fill my ears today", Kenny reminisced. "Many entrants on today's rallies - generally speaking - only know of these things by reading retro books, or looking at the pictures. They were fantastic days and I am glad I was born in to the true rallying era, never to be forgotten!" The route on this years event concludes one Selectif by actually crossing the Llyn Brianne dam wall. Dalarwen is a five mile selectif with fast sweeping bends and large drops - so bring your snorkel!

After a run across the Abergwessyn the route descends back on to the Epynt Ranges for another bash before heading due south and towards the end of the rally at Newport. Before the recce crew arrive at this New City there are still many venues to plot! Glasfynydd, possibly Kenny's favourite Selectif on the rally, nestles in the Brecon Beacons National Park like a 'Zit' on the land scape! However, this is no 'Zit'! In 2007 one crew decided to film the Selectif with their in-car Camcorder and were faring very well until the last corner of the test when they rolled the car! This footage is still on U-Tube today and well worth a look - if only to show you budding competitors that this event is no mean feat! Lady and Fat come to mind.

Some say that our intrepid Sir Steve loves his meat very lean indeed...the girl he was dating was so thin that she had to dance around in the shower to get wet! It is also said that he can peel an Orange in his pocket with sunglasses on, in a blizzard while balancing on a tightrope while reciting 'Wind in the Willows! Now there's Novel!

From the Brecon Beacons and on to Rhondda where Tyle forest beats a retreat right on top of the mountain above Treorchy down in the Valley's. Max Boyce once sang Hymns and Arias here at the local Rugby Club - Rugger to the English of course boyo! They were good days too - when you used to work from 5am in the morning til 4am the following morning - kip in a cardboard box middle of road - Kwik Save of course, and then have meagre breakfast - if you were lucky - at the local cafe underneath the Abercwmtwrch flyover before getting whipped around the ear by mam and sent back down pit! Ahhh good 'ol day's they were! Ahem...sorry, I digress...back to the present and...well can't help this retro thinking mun!

So on to Newport and the final fling around Treochy House - never ever, ever, been used on a full blown rally ever, ever, ever, before. Home of Captain Morgan the famous pirate - no he doesn't live there now Steve!!! Set in a beautiful 90 acre park, Tredegar House is one of the best examples of a 17th century Charles II mansion in Britain. The earliest surviving part of the building dates back to the early 1500’s.

Note: Admiral Sir Henry Morgan (Hari Morgan in Welsh), (ca. 1635 – August 25, 1688) was a Welsh privateer, who made a name in the Caribbean as a leader of privateers. He was one of the most notorious and successful privateers from Wales, and one of the most dangerous pirates that lurked in the Spanish Main.

So that completes this recce and the rally for now at any rate. We hope you have enjoyed this experience with us and learned a little as to where, and how the rally will develop over the coming months. It is now time for Kenny & Sir Steve to hang up their driving boots for a short while and have a well earned rest. However, I know full well that Kenny will be slogging in the office while Sir Steve will be building someones house. So there is one last thing I have to say before I bade farewell to you all...If you see a Black VW Passat passing your house...you may well be on route!

Good bye for now, and see you soon on the next recce later this summer!

Gud Bye readers!

The Chief Blogger.

The Rally Office some where in deepest Wales!

Prince of Wheels!

2009-03-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Live from Llanybyther

Sunday being a day of rest, far from it for our courageous duo as they head South and on to Llandrindod Wells on the next leg. Re-visiting some of the dual use forests on the way and some road networks made famous by the original Motoring News Rallies of the 1950's,60's and 70's. So on to Mynydd Epynt the military training range where a great deal of the Saturday leg will take place. Such well known and iconic named areas will be driven competitively in November e.g. Deer Leap, Devils Leap, Copse Corner, The Steps, New Road, Four Ways bridge and Burma Road to mention a few! Phew! The route is cunningly designed giving maximum impact and if entrants survive this sortie across the mountain tops they will feel they have achieved a great result!

From here Crychan and Esgair Dafydd play host again before heading in to the Irfon forestry block for a real stunner! A re-visit to Epynt rounds off the morning - and what a morning this will be - before a late lunch at Llandovery under the shadow of the Town's impressive Castle. Keeping guard over this historic monument is a streamlined stainless steel statue - try saying that after a belly full of beer - of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan. Llewelyn was a Welsh landowner, a squire in effect, who in 1401 organized a decoy of Henry IV's English forces searching for the Welsh resistance leader Owain Glyndŵr. The deception allowed Owain to escape but involved Llywelyn in putting his life on the line. As punishment for his actions, Llywelyn was condemned by the English king to be executed in the town square of Llandovery. They cut his stomach out and had it cooked in front of him, following which Llywelyn was hanged, drawn and quartered. Just a normal Saturday night in Llandovery then!

It is said that fearless Sir Steve was at the disembowelment of Llewellyn in 1401 and was reincarnated in to this life - but we know he came by bus!

After lunch it is on to Caio and the demanding Brechfa forest where three Selectifs await. The complex halfway through the first of these tests will see competitors constantly on the handbrake, negotiate the sweeping hairpins that seem to linger every few hundred yards or so! The second of these tests may as well be run in the dark as the tree canopy restricts the sunlight most of the way shrouding the roads in the Black Forest! Thirdly, the sweeping bends on Brechfa 3 will have the drivers smiling at the end of this long test - a real satisfying drive.

Across the mountain road and on to Llanybyther where we make our evening halt on both the rally and today's recce - enough for one lazy Sunday I think! The lads have really worked their socks off today and need a good old fashioned rest...after a beer or two no doubt!

See ya tomorrow

The Chief Blogger

'Randy', 'Sir Steve' & 'Winny the Pooh'

2009-03-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

The road to heaven - The Eunant

After a fun night at Pentrefoelas - good local craik - Kenny & Steve...now known as Sir Steve following on from his prediction that Chelsea would win the Premiership Title...head for Clogaenog forest. Its been a few years since Kenny competed in between the conifers here and not a lot had changed, or so it seemed. Rounding a corner in the north section of the forest a great deal of work was going on with large acres of woodland being devastated by the saw. "You can see for miles and miles and the landscape is alien to that of just a few years ago, when tall trees blocked the horizon - you can now see North Wales and Prestatyn" remarked Kenny. The road surface in places was undulating to say the least where trees have been dragged out, but by November this section will be graded - we hope! The rest of the forest was ideal, very quick in places but tight in others - good rallying roads!

Across the A4501 and Llyn Alwyn Forest. Again never used on the Lombard Rally but last time used on the RAC in the early 1990's I am ably informed - I guess someone will tell me different! Although only a short four miler here it is a good surfaced forest with fast flowing 90 degree turns and a few twisty bits to catch you out!

So on to Llandudno and the venue for this years lunch halt on top of the Great Orme. The Summit Complex theme cafe and view point, once owned by Randolph 'Randy' Turpin the famous boxer who beat the then world Middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson on 10 July 1951, is where lunch will be served. 'Randy' beat Robinson after a 15 round decision by the judges. After lunch the competitors will descend the limestone mountain to start the Great Orme Selectif heading West to East - the hard way! Unlike the previous day where sheep lined the mountains, here it is home to a long-established herd of several hundred feral Kashmir goats (a present from Queen Victoria). Steve curiously eyes up these wonderful beasts - for lunch maybe!

Some say he eats Marmite toasties for breakfast...and this makes him drive at great speeds achieving 35mph...that is if Kenny let's him - But we call him, Sir Steve!

The route runs back southward from Llandudno and on to a second sortie through the Clogaenog's, this time in a reverse direction. Further on lies Penllyn forest at the foot of the Eunant mountain. The scenery here is as good as anywhere in the UK with the public highway disappearing in to the Gods and beyond before a gradual decent back down the mountain and on to Lake Vyrnwy and Dyfnant forest. Dyfnant last used in 2007 caught out numerous crews where a craftily sighted control meant that competitors had entered the final control zone from a wrong direction. You will have to keep your wits about you as Kenny loves to throw in the occasional bit of extra navigation to keep you on your toes - this is definitely NOT a stroll in the park event, but its blinking excellent fun!

So tired are our recce crew that they now have to break and find a bed for the night and some supper. Not a great deal on offer in this area but a light in the bottom of the valley seems if it could be a place of respite. This turns out to be a telephone box in the middle of nowhere and a rear find nowadays! In the phone box is a business card stuck to the information board - no, not what you're thinking, but an advert for a local Hotel in Dinas Mawddwy. Owned by a rally minded person, the Dolbroadmaeth Hotel is well worth a visit and on Saturday nights a live music gig is often arranged.

So it's off to bed now for our valiant Recce-ists...oh yes, I forgot to tell you about the Donkey!

You see, when Kenny entered the Hotel, there was a small party going on with a guy sitting quietly by himself in the corner of the bar. Each time a party goer went to the bar, he or she ordered a round of drinks and always finished off by saying "...and one for the Donkey at the corner of the bar please!" This went on all night as each party goer bought a round. So Kenny decided to chat to this lonely guy at the corner of the bar feeling a little sorry for the chap. "Good evening" Kenny introduced, "Tell me, why do they keep calling you Donkey?"

The chap looked up with droopy eyes and said " Eeyore Eeyore Eeyore, they always call me that!"

On that note...gud bye!

The Chief Blogger!

PS: On spell checking Pentrefoelas, the computer returned the word 'Contraflow'! Say's it all really.

The Sound of Music - or Backfiring in Snowdonia!

2009-03-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Kenny seraching for Nirvana...
Guess he'll find it at the local record shop!

Under the shadow of Cader Idris - the second highest peak in Snowdonia - the team set off once again into the mountains of North Wales searching for Lost Horizons and their Nirvana - that special Selectif that will stand out on the event. What better location to search than that of the high rises above Trawsfynydd. An earlier call at Coed y Brenin found a new exit route though an ancient ford down a narrow track which dates back to biblical times but most certainly a public highway. Adjacent to the Ford is an old stone foot bridge that also dates back to the 15th Century. A cracking place to spectate.

Now on to Trawsfynydd and the Ranges above the famous Neuclear Power Station which, looms out from the low cloud. Here is a test that is short in distance but very demanding with its sweeping crests and sudden tight curves which will wake up even the most wide awake drivers! Navigators beware and keep you eyes well peeled to direct your drivers along the correct route - put a wheel off the tarmac here and you literary will have a wheel off - plus a few dents in to the bargain! The scenery here is absolutely stunning! Watch out for the delinquent sheep that roam the hills - nasty they are!

Along the timeless treck across the mountain road to Llanuchllyn, numerous 'Woolly Backs' graze the verges exposing the deep ditches that abound the highway.

Some say, that our fearless Steve F. should not chase sheep? But he does wear a woolley jumper!

So on to Pentrefoelas and the overnight halt at the Foelas Arms Hotel. Kenny reccommends this fine pub since it is the local branch of the Chelsea supporters club - even though the pub is owned by a Man Utd fan! Well we can't have everything - except the Premiere League, FA Cup & Champions League!

Tomorrow's run takes our intrepid crew in to the Clogaenog's and on to the Great Orme.

Tune in tomorrow for tales of the unexpected, goats, famous boxers and the Donkey's!

Good night Evolutionists
The Chief Blogger

Plynlimon or Rock & Roll

2009-03-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Its a long way down!!!

Making a habit of these early morning starts 5amish, missing breakfast for the first time and heading in to the mountains. There's a very large smile on Kenny's face today since they - CHELSEA - are through to the next round of the Champions League. Unfortunately its turned out that they will play Liverpool again in the next chapter - no worries!

The early morning mist still hangs over Sweet Lamb as the recce car approaches. The steep ascent from the start line over soft surface stone suggests that no competitor will average a quick speed along this initial section of the Selectif. As the gradient levels out at around 1200 feet, the way forward is twisty and demanding but the views from the top over looking the Plynlimon's (Pumlumon un Cymraeg) and the near by wind farm are awesome. The route then decends down to the main complex where there are two water splashes to negotiate before heading back in to the clouds, across the next headland and towards the end of this fantastic and famous of tests. While at Sweet Lamb a famous rally driver is having a work out with his newly acquired Ford Focus - I wonder if our intrepid Steve can match his times on these closed roads!

Some say Steve is as fast as Superman - but I can assure you, he wears his inside his trousers! Pant's that is!

So on to Aberystwyth and Kenny is working on a test never ever used previously on any rally! Quite impressive I am told, so watch this space?

The route heads north and linear once again, and on to Taliesyn Forest. A classic stage from by-gone times - 1960/70's rock band Deep Purple wrote an album about the Book of Taliesyn in 1969 - just a slice of nostalgia for us older statesmen in motor sport. Here this Selectif climbs forever upwards in to the mountains before descending rapidly in to Artists Valley. Talking previously of rock bands and maybe 'air guitars', Taliesyn has numerous 'fresh air' drops which will scare the pants of anyone, including our man of steel, Steve F! - but what a fun Selectif this will be!

On leaving Taliesyn and the Plynlimon's we head North and on to Machynlleth, famous for the original Welsh Parliament and Princes of Wales who sought conflict on numerous King's of England - well let battle begin in our next collection of forests. Pantperthog and Dyfi await the unsuspecting competitor and this is where Kenny expects the results table to change dramatically on the day! "These beautiful yet skillful woodlands demand 100% concentration when driving through the trees. Further large drops and hairpin bends will challenge even the best of drivers as the route plays Tango before Waltzing to a crescendo in to the valley's below. This IS rallying at its best!

So on to Dolgellau and the overnight stop off point for our brave recce crew. The Ship Hotel in the centre of this Welsh town plays host, but the welcome is far from British. A Polish receptionist greets the team while a Romanian Porter leads to the room. However, the waitress is thankfully a Spanish Senorita, so Kenny can show off his Espaniol skills! "Te Querio Corathon" is greeted with a smile and a shrug of the shoulders! Never mind, better luck next time C of C and at least a black eye is avoided!

So our bold team have a bed for the night and a later start in the morning at the Forestry Offices in Dolgellau.

So see you tomorrow for some more tales from the forests of deepest Wales and hear more about our famous driver Steve as he tackles mountains and valley's, rivers and streams, goats and rubber boots!...guess he's been watching Sound of Music again on night time TV!

See ya tomorrow!

The Chief Blogger.

Farm tracks, multi coloured Big Cats and True Blues!

2009-03-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Live from the Black Lion Llangurig

Here we go again...another early start after a hearty breakfast takes our Clerk of the Course and Steve F to the Great Malvern Showground last used in 2007. This 'Selectif' will be used in the same way as previously and run twice at 30 second intervals. Rated as one of the best tests in 2007 the network of roads work their way between the numerous agricultural buildings before heading off in to the meadow section over good surfaced gravel tracks - After a merge control, returning to the built up arena with a few big 'Yumps' to test the best of drivers as the route turns over grass and on to the finish line. This being a spectator venue, it is expected that many will make the lunchtime start to view this fantastic 'Selectif'.

On leaving Malvern, a chance meeting with the manager of a near by Stately Home seems to have led to a brand new venue never used on previous Lombards. A four mile test over mixed surface may well be included on this years event - watch this space.

Heading back towards the Principality, Kenny visits another new venue - a short dash of around three quarters of a mile but well worth a visit. Mainly a slippy concrete surface will greet competitors as they meander their way through wood yards and numerous lay-by's - this venue also makes way for a 'Soapbox Derby' in the summer months. That sounds fun!

Across the border and on to the Radnor Forest last used in 2005. However, due to tree felling some of the narrower tracks within the wood have been totally destroyed by cutting machines, forcing Kenny to re-route his original design! 'Balderdash' said Kenny, on realising the predicament - or words to that effect! ' We'll have to design an easier route now!' Knowing him, it'll be just as tough, but bl**dy good fun as always!

Now a journey to a forestry named after a curiously coloured Big Cat - Red Lion Hill! Although, only a small route through, it is quite demanding but unlikely to be used this year. A few miles further along is Abbey Cwm Hir and even more unused woodlands. Here our intrepid driver Steve F, managed to get the recce car stuck after trying to avoid a deep pothole and getting the wheels stuck in the soft verge. After some skillful manoeuvring, the car was reunited with the tarmacadam once again.

Some say he is a demon among drivers...but others know his handicap! Think about it!

So on to the overnight halt and the Black Lion Hotel at Llangurig...we actually ate at the Blue Bell Inn next door - cos they were showing the European Cup match on the big screen - Chelsea v Uventus. Cum on yer BLUES!

While at the Blue Bell Inn a supporter wearing a Man Utd shirt walks in to the bar looking for trouble as usual. "That hurt" he said! He is met by a bouncer who tells him he must wear a necktie to gain admission. So the Man U fan goes out to his car and he looks around for a necktie and discovers that he just doesn't have one. He sees a set of jumper leads in the boot. In desperation he ties these around his neck, manages to fashion a fairly acceptable looking knot and lets the ends dangle free. He walks back to the pub and the bouncer carefully looks him over for a few minutes and then says, "Well, OK, I guess you can come in -

just don't start anything."

On that note...gud nite!

The Chief Blogger:)

Wading in to the Marches

2009-03-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

Live from British Camp - Malvern Hills Hotel

An early morning 5am start from the Mid Wales Rally Office and on to Newport City to start the first full recce for the 2009 Rally Evolution - affectionately known as the Rally EVO. A fine mist hangs over Tredegar House and the recce heads northwards and on to some new forests in the Abercarn region.

A trio of reflective orange clad council workers leaning over the forestry gate greets Kenny as he fumbles for the right key! 'Morning gents', but the 'Three Wise Men' abort the scene and scurry away to their trash cart. Must have disturbed their 'tree break'!

Continuing further north and on to the Heads of the Valleys where a number of potentially excellent 'Selectifs' lie - watch this space!

After a long drive along the A465, A40, through Monmouth and in to Herefordshire they return to a little gem, last used in 2005 - Athelstans Wood. However, on arrival it is evident that the roadway has been thrashed back exposing the track that was once well overgrown. Where once it was a lottery to find the way through - good fun though - you can now see your way forward. Not fully spoilt by the cutting back of the trees and brash, an excellent Test can be achieved once again - certainly not cleanable by any competitor in any car - power is not the name of the game here!

So on to the Malvern Hills where lies an ancient monument at the summit called the British Camp just off the A449 - this is where we make our bed for the night at the Malvern Hills Hotel - well worth a visit.
Due to Kenny's recent accident, strong Steve Fellows has to hump his bags up three flights of stairs while the Clerk of the Course sips away at a nice cup of tea, ahem, while getting down to the maps, plotting the days route. Some say Steve is stronger than an Ox...but I've seen the size of his Man Bag!

Not council workers but
Roman Soldiers who defeated
a local Chieftain at British Camp

Ah well, Malvern Showground tomorrow and then back across the border where the route will begin to pick up even more momentum - into the forests of mid Wales, and the Radnor Hills.

See you tomorrow.

The Chief Blogger

It's Recce Time again

2009-03-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Kenny is out and about on his first full recce of the season and will be reporting from the mountains and valleys of Wales over the next week or so, depending on WiFi signal of course! So tune in for the latest updates as the route plan develops right in front of your eyes here on our Blogger!

Pictured above is Kenny's trusty driver Mr Fellows...some people say he is quicker than the 'Stig' but I've seen him put his socks on in the morning!

See ya soon

Chief Blogger