Roger Albert Clark Rally route revealed
The detailed route for the 2023 Roger Albert Clark rally (November 23-27) has been revealed ahead of five full days of forest rallying covering Wales, Scotland and England.
This year's rally opens with a ceremonial start in Carmarthen on Wednesday evening (22 November) and finishes in Carlisle on Monday afternoon after 350 stage miles, 33 special stages and the longest special stage rally in the UK for more than 30 years.
Thursday offers a straightforward 46 stage miles, effectively a BTRDA rally for starters. Rally manager Colin Heppenstall said: “The first day is a relatively easy lead in for everybody, especially the new crews and the foreign crews. The idea is to get people to the end of the event and Thursday will just ease them in,” says Heppenstall.
With 77 miles, including 12 miles in Myherin and 16 miles in the main Hafren stage, Friday is where the results will start to open up before the transport section to Carlisle ahead of Saturday’s new look leg in south-west Scotland.
“We start Saturday morning straight into the Ae stage that everyone knows well. The Ae and Dalbeattie stages are both single use. Then we move on to brand new stages for this event, and some of them haven't been used for a long time.
“It’s our first time going into the Galloway forests. We've worked with the local forester who has welcomed us with open arms and allowed us to have forests that haven't been used for quite some time. It's really good to have a forester who is willing to work with organisers to come up with something new for an event.”
Heppenstall reckons that Sunday will be the toughest day of the rally. “It’s the longest day with 88 stage miles and every stage is over 10 miles long. The first four miles of Mount Common have never been used and the last two miles have not been used for many years,” says Heppenstall.
However, Monday is perhaps even more intense and is certainly the sting in the tail with 76 stage miles before a 1530hrs finish in Carlisle. Heppenstall says: “The final loop of stages is still being finalised but we have the option of joining some stages up to make a longer stage. We’re in discussion with the forestry and Motorsport UK and we're looking at various options for linking some of the stages together for a big final stage. I think we've come up with a very, very good challenge for this year's event!”
The route in detail
Stage Name Distance First car
Wednesday November 22
Ceremonial start, Carmarthen town centre 1900
Thursday November 23 (47 stage miles)
SS1 Crychan 1 10.75 0944
SS2 No spectators 3.10 1011
SS3 Walters Arena 1 8.00 1208
SS4 No spectators 3.00 1306
SS5 Crychan 2 10.75 1348
SS6 No spectators 3.10 1415
SS7 Walters Arena 2 8.00 1537
Friday November 24 (77 stage miles)
SS8 Esgair Berfaud 5.19 0920
SS9 Myherin 1 11.66 1100
SS10 Hafren 1 16.13 1228
SS11 Hafren South 1 8.31 1303
SS12 Myherin 2 11.66 1447
SS13 Hafren 2 16.13 1605
SS14 Hafren South 2 8.31 1640
Saturday November 25 (66 stage miles)
SS15 Ae 8.50 0839
SS16 Dalbeattie 4.60 1008
SS17 Glen Gap 1 7.00 1037
SS18 Glencaird Hill 1 10.75 1255
SS19 Arroch Hill 1 8.85 1332
SS20 Glen Gap 2 7.00 1517
SS21 Glencaird Hill 2 10.75 1655
SS22 Arroch Hill 2 8.85 1732
Sunday November 26 (88 stage miles)
SS23 Kershope 1 16.81 0834
SS24 Kershope 2 16.81 1140
SS25 Mount Common 1 16.57 1246
SS26 Harwood 1 10.86 1407
SS27 Mount Common 2 16.57 1648
SS28 Harwood 2 10.86 1809
Monday November 27 (77 stage miles)
SS29 Shepherdshield 6.50 0844
SS30 Pundershaw 14.18 0907
SS31 Roughside 10.09 0937
SS32 Hopehouse 8.08 1006
SS33/34/35 tba 37.89 1250
Please note: these times and distances are provisional and may change.