What has been the biggest challenge to overcome in hosting the ERC for the first time? “It’s not what you’d call a challenge because challenges can be difficult, but the biggest thing is just the increase in the infrastructure and the resource required to run the rally with the step up to the ERC. This year it’s two completely separate rallies, the international and the national. Prior we were running as an international event but it was all in one. There’s the requirement of the additional service area for the ERC, which is not easy in a town centre where space is already limited. But the team has done a fantastic job in carving out what we need with the help of the local businesses and the council.”
You mentioned the team helping you and as rallies don’t happen without volunteers, how many people are giving up their time to make the event possible?
“In the core team we would have fortnightly and monthly online meetings in the year ahead of the rally. In the whole organising team there are about 60 people and when you see 60 people on those calls each month you step back and think, ‘wow’. Everybody plays their part, they all have an important role to play and important things to do and that’s what makes it work. So many good people come together and the will is there, which is the biggest thing. We’re at the point now where everything is moved into place. You spend 10 or 11 months talking about it but now it’s the time when everything comes together. All the infrastructure, all the people, all the stage set-ups… it’s all well in progress.”
The event is massive from a UK rallying point of view because it’s been five years since the country hosted an international championship event. You’re obviously aware of the significance of that?
“I’m very aware of it but there’s an old saying that when you’re in the eye of the storm you can’t see everything that’s going on all around it! Hopefully there will be a positive ripple effect for rallying in the UK, it’s a long time since there has been a full-blown FIA international championship rally here. But we’re aware that brings responsibility as well to deliver the thing to the best possible standards we can do so that brings its own pressure. But it’s a good pressure to have.”
What will the fact the top four in the ERC are competing this weekend bring to the event?
“It hopefully brings an even bigger audience and more of an increase in the level of interest in the rally itself. Hopefully more people will see what Welsh and UK rallying is all about. The stages will give the drivers a good technical challenge but it’s pretty much a level playing field for all of them. Hayden Paddon did the rally two years ago but 90 per cent of the stages since then are brand new. That’s good and the cream always rises to the top when it’s a level playing field. It should be exciting.”
There are plenty of alternative attractions to keep people busy this weekend so why should they come to Aberystwyth to watch the ERC stars in action?
“First of all the weather is going to be fantastic, we ordered that a long time ago and hopefully that will be delivered! But it’s the quality of the international field and the national field with so much variety of cars and drivers. A lot of cars aren’t seen in UK rallying from one end of the year to the other so the variety and quality will be big attractions. There have also been some great viewing spots picked out for the spectators on the stages, the Fan Zones, so if you’re a rally fan or not there will be plenty to see and do and there’s also the Rali Engage events taking place in and around Aberystwyth. And Matt Wilson will be doing a couple of demo runs [through the super special] on Friday and, I think, also Saturday evening in the latest Rally1 Ford Puma. He did the same last year, it was fantastic and very popular and it's great to see him and M-Sport back doing that for us, it’s a big thing for the rally and it helps to being even more to the event.”
JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion hosts the penultimate round of the 2024 ERC season from 30 August - 1 September with all stages broadcast live on the Rally.tv platform. Click HERE for more event information, including details of the Rali Engage events and Fan Zones, plus the rally’s partners.
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