Stages are set for biggest Guernsey Rally yet
Competitors will revisit tried and trusted courses but also tread completely new ground in this year’s bigger-than-ever Guernsey Rally.
Organisers have now unveiled the routes for the sixth Guernsey Rally, taking place on Friday 28 February and Saturday 1 March, and the challenge will consist of more stage miles than ever – roughly 58.
Stages will vary from the west coast stages on Friday afternoon and evening to Saturday’s routes in the ‘upper parishes’, including the return of the spectator favourite at Petit Bot.
‘There’s a little bit of flowing, open road stuff and there’s a lot of tight and twisty stuff,’ Guernsey Rally chairman Karl Marshall said.
‘A good mixture, so it should be a close rally, all being well.’
The Little Big Group-sponsored rally is to be started by multiple world touring cars champion Andy Priaulx on Friday afternoon.
The opening stage takes competitors up the headland near Lihou and past the shingle bank and will, for the first time, take place on the Friday afternoon but finish before the evening. The closures for this first stage are set for between 1.30pm and 4.30pm.
‘The idea of running it like this is so we don’t impact the traffic coming in from work,’ the rally chairman said.
Marshall has described this 0.87-miler as a ‘warm-up’ and a ‘short stage just to get everybody up to speed’.
However, that does not mean it will be easy.
‘It’s a bit of everything – a bit of open road and a bit of tight and twisty stuff.
‘It’s just a warmer really, and then they go on to our night stages – we’ve used them previously but they’re extended ones.’
There will be a pause before going into those night stages, revisiting the old, coastal Vaugrat and Vale routes, at 6pm.
Although the road closure goes until 10pm, Marshall expects to be finished at least half an hour in advance of that.
‘Once again, they’re open road, but then tight and twisty.
‘A lot of changes have been made this year by Motorsport UK. All chicanes now are going to be a minimum of four bales – so basically that slows the cars right down.’
Marshall has described Saturday morning’s stages, in St Saviour’s and St Andrew’s, as being pretty challenging.
Both stack up at 3.20 miles – longer than any previous rally stage.
The St Saviour’s stage will be relatively new despite reusing a few sections that have been used previously.
The afternoon action heads back to St Saviour’s for the Reservoir but also brings back the particularly demanding Petit Bot stage that debuted in 2022.
‘Petit Bot’s probably got the tightest stuff in it, that’s for sure. It’s not about speed, it’s about your technical ability to drive things around corners that are nigh-on impossible.
‘That’s where people make up the time.’
It is set to be Guernsey’s biggest rally in entry numbers, with 38 crews competing, but also in total stage miles – with each route being run four times.
The last edition in 2023 consisted of 39 planned miles and came up short due to disruptions.
However, although the rally has grown significantly in distance, Marshall does not see it approaching Jersey’s 100 stage miles.
‘I think this is our limit. That is hard enough to close, so we wouldn’t get any higher – end of – as we just couldn’t find the routes.’
The rally will be staged in memory of motorsport stalwart Graham Robert, who passed away in 2023, and will raise money for the Guernsey Society for Cancer Relief.
Organisers are urging members of the public to stick to the designated spectator areas, rather than using private land or places along the stages that are considered unsafe. Spectator areas are highlighted on the maps.
