Rally Day
Rally Day 2019
Castle Combe Race Circuit
Photography and Report by Chris Pearson of CPe FOTO
Opening the curtains at stupid o’clock, I was very pleased to see that the weather forcasters had got it right and the sun was shining nicely for what would become 2019’s last beautiful Summer’s day. Taking the slightly more scenic route from Gloucester down to Castle Combe was worth it for the stunning views of iconic ‘British Countryside’.
On the approach to Castle Combe Race Circuit, it was quite evident that something very special was going on today. With hoards of Subaru Imprezas and Mk1/Mk2 Ford Escorts aplenty, it was of course the annual Rally Day event!
Once parked up and armed up with all my kit, I set off to the Strawford Media Centre to collect my blue Media Bib and say Good Morning to the lovely Emma who keeps everyone in check throughout the day.
First job of the day was to get some images of the open track sessions that were going on as I arrived. So many cool cars were out on track with a mix of standard looking road sports cars, track cars and full out race and rally cars.
After getting the blood pumping with some on track action, it was time to take to the paddock and see some of the absolute beauties that were on show around the circuit.
The thousands of visitors to the site were in for some serious treats with a great array of amazing machines like the genuine Group B rally cars including Ford RS200’s, Metro 6R4’s and even a Lancia Delta S4!
Just in case that wasn’t enough, they were going to be unleashed on circuit by Rally Royalty during the ‘New For 2019’ The Legends Stage session with Didier Auriol, Craig Breen, Nicky Grist, Alister and Jimmy McRae.
They were amongst the crowds and giving interviews, autographs and as you can see they were happy to pose for some photos too!
Craig Breen the 2012 WRC Super 2000 World Rally Champion who is driving for this years Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team was out on track with his own MG Metro 6R4.
But the star of the Group B Rally cars was the 6R4 driven by Jimmy McRay who won the 1986 Ulster Rally in this classic Rothmans sponsored car.
On track after the Legends Stage there was a fantastic selection of Featured Cars that were giving it everything and not taking any prisoners! Some of these meticulously restored Rally monsters have been tearing round the tracks for over 30 years.
It was a real pleasure to watch and I could only wish that one day I would be able to get behind the wheel or even just be a passenger!
With a vast array of Trade Stands all around the site you would be catered for if you were looking for rally car parts, performance upgrades, car cleaning products or even just a toy car and a t-shirt.
Most of the stands were joined with a stunning car or two to keep the eyes interested while the potential spending commenced.
All in all, a very entertaining day where the time absolutely flew by! If you have wondered about going and haven’t yet, I would highly recommend going to Rallyday 2020.
Chris Pearson of CPe FOTO shooting exclusively with Olympus gear for four years and amassing around 100,000 images, he has been published in motorsport magazines, newspapers and been front cover featured in the Official Olympus Magazine.
He has worked with drivers and teams to promote their campaign and secure sponsorship deals along with regularly capturing the action at various race meetings. One of the highlights was shooting the BTCC at Thruxton as a VIP guest with Olympus Cameras and Power Maxed Racing.
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