Volkswagen Polo GTI R5

Winter Stages Rally Fires Up the New Year

Only three weeks into the new year, my motorsports season kicks off with the MGJ Engineering Winter Stages Rally at my local track, Brands Hatch. Last year was wet and cold, as you would expect for January in the UK, but this year, Kent's premier race circuit was bathed in glorious winter sun. It was still pretty chilly, and I was glad of my thermals.

This year’s event delivered yet eclectic mix of 93 rally machines, everything from classic Minis and Escorts to a Ferrari 308GTB and Nissan Micra’s. Alongside those, several genuine ex-professional rally cars mixed up the field to help deliver an entertaining day of motorsport.

If you know Brands Hatch and haven’t attended this event, you’re presented with a very different venue arrangement. The entire site is used for this event, converted into eight rally stages that cover the race track, pit lane, paddock, access roads, and the circuit’s specially designed rally experience areas. Spectators are treated to the strange sight of cars running the wrong way along parts of the track and pit lane, providing an unusual spectacle and very different angles to capture images.

Each stage is about 5 miles long, and cars set off at timed intervals, which means a constant flow of vehicles to watch or photograph. If you are a photographer, I’d advise walking around to find different vantage points while the stage is running. This way, you can avoid your images all looking very similar—the same tyre walls with a different car between them. Just look at some of mine in the gallery below as an example.

Finally, I understand the Ferrari attraction

Over the last couple of events, I’ve become more interested in this 1978 Ferrari 308GTB, driven by James Crossland and Loic Ditchburn. At first, I thought it was the craziness of someone using a Ferrari for rallying. This team are committed to their rallying enjoyment. They were never holding back on showing their 308 plenty of action, so much so that an over-eager entry to one corner saw the Ferrari sliding on loose gravel, understeering into a bank and on exiting the corner, leaving its front bumper wedged in the grass.

Ferrari 308 GTB rally car

I’ve not been a big fan of Ferrari as a manufacturer; they’ve made some great cars and had lots of success on the race track, plus privateers entering hill climbs and even continuity rallying. Special stage rallies seemed like a wild outing for such a vehicle. All of that highlights my ignorance about such matters. After looking over this Ferrari 308 GTB in more detail and talking to the drivers, I understood their passion and excitement. Suddenly, I appreciated Ferrari in a new light, and I think I finally understood the attraction.

Ferrari 308 GTB Group 4 rally car

Introduced in 1975, the 308 GTB was the second mid-engined Ferrari to use a V8. Famed racing specialist Michelotto, who prepared road-going Ferraris for the track, felt the car would be perfect for Group 4 rallying. Although it wasn’t an in-house Ferrari project, it was developed with Maranello’s blessing.

The Group 4 rally Ferrari 308 GTBs first ran in 1978 and proved highly competitive in the European, Italian and French rally championships. The following year, driver Raffaele’ Lele’ Pinto and co-driver Claudio Penariol delivered the 308 GTB Gr4 rally car its first victory at the Monza Rally. Following this, the cars secured more rallying success until 1983.

After 1983, Ferrari 308s were prepared for Group B with a new set of specifications. This fire-breathing era led to rally cars becoming so fast and dangerous that it changed the face of the sport forever—ultimately leading to the banning of Group B cars on safety grounds in 1986. Subsequently, this also ended the project, although the work wasn’t wasted as much of the engineering was transferred to the GTO and the Ferrari F40.

Close-up of Ferrari 308 GTB badge

As with any motoring event, it’s always worth checking out the car park, as there are often little gems to be found. This time I was smitten by a lovely little Lancia Fulvia. It was no concours show beauty, but a perfect example of a much loved, cared for but a well-used example. I think the Italians have got me this weekend.

Red Lancia Fulvia

The Chelmsford Motor Club runs the Winter Stage Rally alongside other events. Their organisation and marshalling are always spot-on, balanced nicely with a very open-access policy to the pit eras. Spectators can get up close and personal with the cars, drivers and pit crews. Most are open to conversations when not elbows-deep preparing or fixing cars. A social atmosphere runs right through this event, and I recommend attending. One word of advice, though, dress appropriately in warm, waterproof clothes. That includes thermal underwear, too, as Brands Hatch is cold and damp at this time of year. Staying warm and dry will add to the joy of this event.

2 responses

  1. I was driving the evo 7 at brands number 28 and was out just for fun. Times weren’t right on the day so didn’t do use justice which was down to the exhaust waste gate opening at 0.75 when it should have been 1.5 bar. But it’s a local event for us as we’re normally in Belguim so if you want to come along to a rally next year just let me know.
    Kind regards Ben Smith

    1. Hi Ben, thanks for commenting. You were doing a mighty fine job, driving hard. Would be great to catch up with you at an event.

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