Classic Rallying at its Best

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The 21st Classic Marathon - June 2009

August 12th update....
We have added the latest Classic Rally News newsletter to the downloads page. This is packed with details of the exciting CRA programme of events right through to the winter of 2012. The Classic Mountain Challenge and 10th Rally of the Tests entry list are updated with the latest changes. And a reminder that the Rally of the Tests Marshals Application forms are on the Downloads page... we will still very much welcome any offers of help from marshals for the Rally of the Tests.

Coming Next

The Classic Mountain Challenge - 12 - 18 September
Keith Baud’s latest brainchild, The Classic Mountain Challenge, has captured the imagination of classic car enthusiasts new and old. It's a week long drive over many of the most famous cols in the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. It's not about outright speed, there will be few rules, no regularities and you choose your own route - however it's not as easy as it sounds >> Read more

The 10th Rally of the Tests - 15 - 20 November
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2010, the Rally of the Tests will be a day or two longer than usual starting in Dublin and finishing in Blackpool. The 10th Rally of the Tests page has full details of this exciting 6-day event >> Read more

Looking Ahead

2nd Poppy Rally - 18 - 20 March 2011
After receiving a fantastic welcome in 2009, we are returning to Ieper (Belgium) for the Poppy Rally. Clerk of the Course, George Mullins will once again be working with the local motor club to provide a testing weekend event suitable for expert and novice crews alike in this iconic rallying area. Following Scrutineering on Friday evening, the rally will take place on Saturday and Sunday with the weekend rounded off with a Prizegiving Dinner in the famous Cloth Hall. The event also attracts local crews and relaxed vehicle regulations allow most pre-1981 cars to enter.

23rd Classic Marathon - 25 June - 1 July 2011
Following a very successful event in 2010, described by many as the best driving route yet, we head for new territory in 2011, with an event in the spectacular mountains and coastal areas of Northern Spain. Starting and finishing close to the ferry ports serving the UK, competitors can look forward to a week of wonderful traffic-free roads, well planned regularities and enjoyable special tests.
*The dates given are provisional and may change by a day or so once the ferry schedules are published.

The 1st Classic Cup - Lochs and Glens 1st Classic Cup - Lochs and Glens - 4 - 9 September 2011
Many of our regular competitors have asked us to arrange an event closer to home that will be suitable for novices, so for 2011 we’ll be doing just that. This new event has been carefully designed so that it builds in difficulty as the event progresses, allowing novice crews to develop their confidence. It will be based in two centres, with a good variety of roads to minimise the difficulties of reloading the car each day. Navigation will generally utilise a tulip route book supplemented by marked maps. During the event there will be an opportunity for group and one to one discussions with experienced competitors, who will form part of the marshalling team.

Winter Challenge - 20 - 25 November 2011
For a couple of years Keith Baud has been harbouring a desire to run another Winter Challenge in the form they were originally run with a concentration run, older cars, period clothing and a Monte-Carlo finish. For 2011 we are giving the Rally of the Tests a well deserved holiday and in its place will be the Winter Challenge. As was the tradition, we’ll have two starting points – Chester (UK) and Noordwijk (NL) - both towns steeped in rally history. The starters from the two routes will meet in Northern France for breakfast before following a common route to Beaune and on to the traditional harbour side arrival at Monte-Carlo using many original Challenge sections on our way. Navigation will be by route instructions sent out in advance for you to plot onto your own maps. The regularity instructions will be kept as simple as possible to emulate the events that were so popular in the 90’s.

Rear View

Storming Tre Cime on The 20th Classic Marathon

The Three Legs of Mann - March, 2010
Fulfilling a long held ambition to visit the Isle of Man, this exciting weekend event devised by Fred Bent and John Bateson included twenty five special tests, over a dozen regularities and a tough evening TC section and saw Owen Turner and Matt Fowle take a dominant victory in Geoff Twigg's Mini Cooper S >> Look Back