Parc Ferme time

It’s time to drive the blog into the Parc Ferme for a while. It grinds to a halt for a while, but it will get faster again.

Route Preview: Rally Catalunya 2021

Spain’s Rally Catalunya used to be known as the only mixed surface of the series from 2010 to 2019. However, mixed surface events are not allowed anymore so after one year off the Catalunya has returned in all tarmac format, like it was from 1993 to 2009. There’s a few new stages and sections to […]

Route Preview: Rally Finland 2021

Last year’s Rally Finland was another victim of COVID-19 cancellations. This year’s event also got postponed into October to make sure they can run the event with spectators. In turn it means we’ll get a unique darker and moister autumn rally. The route itself packs 287 stage kilometres and the shakedown compactly into two and […]

WRC Calendar History X: 2009-2010

The decline of world economy near the end of the 00’s saw the teams disappearing and FIA responding with a shorter WRC calendar. At the same time, a number of events were rotated – some taking years off, some joining the new IRC series – allowing new countries to join in as well. Mixed surface […]

Route Preview: Acropolis Rally 2021

Greece’s Acropolis Rally used to be one of the roughest and slowest rallies of the season. Acropolis lost its WRC status after 2013 but is now back on the calendar, replacing the cancelled Chile. Like Safari, this year’s Acropolis has been condensed into a compact and modern event with the main characteristics still present. Cover […]

WRC Calendar History IX: 2004-2008

By 2004 WRC had become very popular with new teams and event organizers. To fit more events, the calendar was expanded, resulting in the longest calendars in the history of the sport. Conversely, a new rule allowed scoing points without completing all stages. New rallies of this era include Mexico, Sardinia and Japan. High on […]

Route Preview: Ypres Rally 2021

The World Rally Championship introduces already its third new event of 2021 in the form of Ypres Rally Belgium. It will have a unique character of fast but narrow countryside roads. However, it will be very tricky with bumps, ditches and muddy cuts as well as numerous surface changes and junction turns. In addition, the […]

Vaheri and Himos – Classic meets modern

Vaheri is one of the 1000 Lakes Rally classic stages, driven all the way since the 60’s. In latter decades a nearby skiing center of Himos has also had its namesake stage and occasionally these two stages were merged together. In Rally Finland 2021 the area will return with the new Patajoki stage. This article […]

Route Preview: Rally Estonia 2021

Rally Estonia joined the WRC last year amid a storm of COVID-cancelled events. However, they had already arranged a pair of candidate events so the place was well deserved, and the continuation of the deal was no surprise. Thus we will see the fast but soft gravel roads of Rally Estonia again. This year’s route […]

WRC Calendar History VIII: 1998-2003

The WRC had rebooted itself in 1997 and the format was found successful. The calendar changed mostly only by one event a year, although new events were eager to join in. Rallies started to concentrate their routes on smaller areas, with less service area locations combined with longer stages. Meanwhile, new rules were being experimented […]