3rd January 2020 No Comments  

CARRERA ATLANTICA: FROM THE NATION’S CAPITAL TO THE FLORIDA KEYS

  • Entries open for driving adventure from Washington DC to Key West
  • Visits to fantastic motor sport museums and historic car collections  
  • Speed tests at world-class motor sport venues including Daytona and Sebring
  • Spectacular traffic-free roads through the Appalachian Mountains
  • Luxurious accommodation including Ritz Carlton at Amelia Island
  • Entries open for all owners of pre-1976 vintage and classic cars 

The advent of 2020 marks the launch of Rally the Globe’s latest driving adventure, with entries for the ‘ground-breaking’ Carrera Atlantica opening in the New Year.

Featuring an incredible route which sets out from the heart of Washington DC and concludes in sun-blessed Key West, the all-new Carrera Atlantica (17 February – 6 March 2021) will treat participants in pre-1976 vintage and classic cars to a memorable 17-day escapade through the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida before reaching a spectacular finish at the most southerly tip of mainland America.

On arrival in Key West, prizes will be awarded to those crews performing best over a number of daily regularity and speed tests – the inclusion of an element of competition enriching the travel experience for many of those entering.

Building on the huge success of the recent Carrera Iberia set in Spain and Portugal, Carrera Atlantica is another of Rally the Globe’s ‘Carrera’ style events. As such, it offers participants an outstanding all-asphalt route as well as luxurious accommodation and thus is very different in character from the second leg of Rally the Globe’s seminal Round the World escapade which is also set in North America. The latter is an epic trans-continental passage that places the emphasis on endurance, with far longer days and the inclusion of many gravel road sections.

“Carrera Atlantica will be terrific,”

 

predicts Rally Director Fred Gallagher who has been working closely with former F1 commentator and now US racing guru Andrew Marriott to plan an unparalleled 3,000-mile (4,800km) route running from the many iconic buildings of the nation’s capital to Ernest Hemingway’s haunt with its captivating Caribbean sunsets.

“The concept is ground-breaking and the driving route quite unlike anything that has been offered before,” enthuses Gallagher. “We have opted for a slightly longer event to make the shipping worthwhile for those travelling from outside the States and, being entirely based on sealed roads, Carrera Atlantica is well-suited to all vintage and classic cars whether Jaguar XKs and TRs or Aston Martin DB4s and Ferrari GTOs.

“The start in Washington will obviously be very special, and thereafter the voyage splits into two very distinct halves. The first part of the route is set largely on some great twisty driving roads through the Appalachian Mountains with tests every day; the second half in Florida is much flatter. However, race tracks are plentiful and very welcoming, too.”

Indeed, appealing to all enthusiasts, Carrera Atlantica visits many of America’s most famous motor sport venues including Road Atlanta, home of the Petit Le Mans sportscar race, Charlotte right at the heart of NASCAR country and both Daytona Speedway and the fabled Daytona Beach where Sir Malcolm Campbell set no fewer than five land speed records in his Bluebird. There is also an overnight stop at Sebring Raceway where entrants will stay at the hallowed Seven Hotel, so named as it overlooks Turn 7 of the circuit.

Another of the stand-out Carrera Atlantica hotels is the famous Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island where participants will take part in their own dedicated car show at the site of one of the world’s greatest automotive concours events.

Other major highlights include dinner aboard the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, visits to museums and art galleries plus a well-earned rest day in Savannah, where evocative paddle-steamers splash past the selected harbourside Westin Hotel complex. The second rest day comes in Naples – here, the city’s Fifth Street will be closed exclusively for the display of Carrera cars.

While the launch of the alluring Carrera Atlantica is certain to command huge interest, Rally the Globe has four more phenomenal and far-reaching events on its eye-catching calendar before competing crews start arriving in Washington DC in February 2021. In just a few weeks’ time, the inaugural Southern Cross Safari opens in East Africa followed by April’s equally engaging Celtic Challenge based in the British Isles. Thereafter follow the opening two legs of the epic Round the World adventure: the first part from London to Casablanca, the second from Boston to Vancouver.

25th November 2019 No Comments  

CELTIC CHALLENGE TO HONOUR TT RACER WHO LOST HIS LIFE AT DUNDROD

  • Famous fifties Frazer Nash ‘Kermit’ returns to scene of its fatal accident
  • Current owner to lay commemorative wreath paying tribute to Eric Winterbottom
  • Spectacular five-day driving adventure in the British Isles
  • Entries still open for owners of pre-1969 vintage and classic cars   

Many old cars have rich histories and plenty of stories to tell but few more poignant than the Frazer Nash entered into next spring’s Celtic Challenge – during the event it will be returning to the scene of its fatal racing accident dating back to the infamous RAC Tourist Trophy of 1951.

Rally the Globe’s demanding five-day Celtic Challenge (21-26 April) driving adventure starts in England and runs through Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland en route to a finish in Scotland. The challenging route includes a visit to the fearsome Dundrod street circuit, in County Antrim where the legendary TT was held between 1950 and 1955.

The combination of narrow lanes and high speeds produced some spectacular racing – and three famous Stirling Moss victories – but were not without danger, and Britain’s most celebrated sportscar race was switched to Goodwood on grounds of safety after three fatalities during the 1955 race.

Those were not Dundrod’s first casualties either – four years earlier popular Surrey publican Eric Winterbottom succumbed after crashing on the opening lap of the 1951 TT. Now, nearly 70 years on, the pale green Frazer Nash in which Winterbottom lost his life is returning to Dundrod – its current owner Noelle Dunkerley, together with co-driver and close friend Paul Flett, having joined those contesting the inaugural Celtic Challenge.

“It’s the first time I’ve entered one of these wonderful events and didn’t at first realise the significance of the route,” admitted Noelle who inherited the car from her father Alan Dunkerley. “The fact we are actually going to Dundrod will obviously make it quite emotional. We are planning to place a laurel wreath at Wheeler’s Corner in memory of Eric who had so much history with the car in the early fifties before he tragically lost his life far too early at just 42 years old.”

Now affectionately known as ‘Kermit’ – so named by Noelle’s daughter Claire on account of its distinctive green bodywork – the Frazer Nash has indeed quite a history to retell. Earlier in 1951, Winterbottom had raced it at Le Mans finishing a fine 14th overall and second in class. He clearly loved driving the car as he then set off, with suitcases on the rack, to the South of France for the Alpine Rally where a faultless performance earned a coveted Coupe des Alpes award for him and owner/co-driver George Duff.

After its Dundrod crash the car was rebuilt by Duff with whom Winterbottom had been sharing the driving duties at the fateful TT and continued to race at circuits such as Goodwood and Silverstone throughout the fifties and sixties. The car was then purchased by Frazer Nash enthusiast Alan Dunkerley in 1996 and passed onto his daughter Noelle on his death in 2007. 

“It was blue when my dad first got the car but he found the original colour underneath and had it restored to a similar pale green to the one it had in period,” explained Noelle. “More recently I’ve started doing some more homework on the car, and also into Eric Winterbottom. It turns out he was born in Flixton in the North West where I’m from. Later in life he must have headed south to run the Albert Hotel in Kingston, a well-known haunt for the hot-bed of enthusiastic racer drivers in the area. I’d love to find out more both about him and, of course, Kermit.”

As well as a visit to Dundrod, the 2020 Celtic Challenge also includes a visit to another of Northern Ireland’s fabled early RAC TT road courses – Ards, situated between Comber and Newtownards, where the illustrious race was staged nine times from 1928 to 1936. It attracted huge crowds numbering close to 500,000, all marvelling at the high-speed exploits of the era’s greatest drivers including double-winner Tazio Nuvolari, Rudolf Carraciola, Kaye Don and Freddie Dixon. 

Combining a number of competitive tests with some great driving roads and lashings of legendary Gaelic hospitality, the meticulously crafted five-day Celtic Challenge starts from the Carden Park spa hotel outside Chester. The opening sections are then set in the stunning scenery of north Wales including tests around the iconic Great Orme peninsula and at the popular Anglesey circuit. 

On top of visits to both Ards and Dundrod, the Irish excursion features an overnight halt in the historic Titanic Quarter of Belfast. For TV buffs, there’s also the chance to savour Game of Thrones landscapes and landmarks. 

Having re-crossed the Irish Sea to Scotland, participants visit Turnberry and a final morning tackling more competitive tests and experiencing the magnificent highways through the Southern Uplands, before a fitting finale in the celebrated golfing town of St Andrews. 

It promises to be a truly memorable driving adventure for all those entering – but even more so for Noelle Dunkerley and her extraordinarily significant 1951 Frazer Nash ‘Kermit’.  

Full day-by-day details of the Celtic Challenge are available on the www.rallytheglobe.com website. Entry is open to all abilities driving either vintage or post-vintage cars built before the end of 1969. 

Main image photo credit: Motorsport Images. Eric Winterbottom & John Marshall, A.F.N. Ltd, Frazer Nash LM Replica, battles with Pierre Levegh & René Marchand, Talbot Lago Monoplace Decalee at 1951 Le Mans.

18th November 2019 No Comments  

RALLY LEGEND GERRY CROWN JOINS ROUND THE WORLD ADVENTURE

  • Remarkable 87-year-old Aussie enters circumnavigation trilogy
  • The secrets of success: good genes, a well-prepared car, a good co-driver and a slice of luck   
  • Incredible 80 days and 35,000kms of classic endurance driving  
  • Confirmed international entries include proven marathon rally winners

Marathon rallying legend Gerry Crown is gearing up for an even greater adventure. Having recently won the Peking to Paris for the third time at the ripe old age of 87, the remarkable Australian has now entered the ultimate circumnavigation challenge – Rally the Globe’s eponymous Round the World.

Back in his earlier days, Crown rallied Down Under with enough talent to attract factory support from Renault. But then quit the hot-seat to concentrate his efforts on running one of Australia’s most well-known toys and games companies – Crown & Andrews – which he co-founded. More recently, though, Gerry has reignited his motorsport ambitions and earned himself a global reputation as the undisputed king of gruelling endurance rallies.

Split into three separate legs, the life-defining Round the World sets out from the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, London on 23 May 2020 returning to the same spot on 19 June 2021 after 80 days and 35,000kms of epic endurance motoring through four continents in vintage and classic cars.

It is going to be an incredible trilogy and an epic competitive journey featuring more than 100 speed and navigational tests – all adding up to an incredible experience the extraordinary Crown is relishing.

“To have this opportunity to rally around the world in an event which has not been attempted for 20 years is too good to resist,”

enthused the ever-intrepid octogenarian who is co-driven by fellow-countryman Matt Bryson. Providing further assistance, Matt also prepares Crown’s victorious Aussie icon cars.

The pair’s most recent intercontinental victory came crewing a 1974 V8-engined Leyland P76 in the post-war category, the same sturdy beast in which Gerry and Matt also won the 2013 Peking to Paris. Three years previously to that success the duo scored their first victory, this time in the 1964 Holden EH in which Gerry and Matt’s father John had first contested the event back in 1997 and, indeed, won their class. Now Crown is contemplating employing his two uniquely-Australian cars on the forthcoming Round the World escapade.

“Both cars are well suited to the rough terrains that we can expect,” he predicted. “The P76 is more powerful but, maybe, we’ll use the Holden for the second leg across north America.”

It is the opening leg from London to Casablanca, however, which intrigues him most. “I have never been to Morocco, so I’m really looking forward to that section,” admitted Crown before adding that he expects the marathon third leg from Vladivostok back to London to be the toughest. “Driving in Russia is always hard work,” said the man who knows better than most having conquered more of these gruelling motoring marathons than anyone else on Earth.

Crown attributes his notable successes in such endurance events to a well prepared car (“Matt has built all three winning cars”), a good co-driver (“Matt is the best”) plus a healthy dose of deal of good luck. “Things will inevitably go wrong, it is just when and how you deal with them,” he divulged.

Now he is trusting good fortune, his own wealth of experience and assistance from trusty Matt for yet another headline-grabbing, age-defying performance on the Round the World triple-header… an outstanding treble he once again is hoping to win even as he nears his 90th birthday.

“Luckily I’m blessed with good genes – my father was 96 when he passed away and my Mother 99,” he said before switching his attentions to competition ahead. “While the main appeal is always the wonderful camaraderie of rallying with old friends, we will certainly be trying hard to win it, but there will be some stiff opposition.”

Indeed, underlining the exceptional quality of those setting out around the globe, those already entered include Graham and Marina Goodwin who won the pre-war class in the latest edition of the Peking to Paris in their twenties Bentley and another husband and wife team – Alan and Tina Beardshaw – who took top honours on Rally the Globe’s recent Carrera Iberia driving an Aston Martin DB5.

“We are thrilled that Gerry and Matt will be contesting all three legs of our Round the World adventure,” said Fred Gallagher, Rally the Globe’s distinguished Rally Director. “It’s a real honour for us to have them on the entry list and with their amazing track record, they will certainly be among the favourites for victory… and what a terrific story that would be!”

Before the seminal Round the World leaves London next May, Rally the Globe’s next two events are the East African-based ‘Southern Cross Safari’ in February 2020, followed quickly by the Celtic Challenge in the British Isles in April. A few remaining places on those events are still available for those wishing to take advantage of Rally the Globe’s inspiration, vision and expertise – three stand-out excellences endorsed by the five star reviews awarded to the club’s highly-praised Carrera Iberia debut last month.

24th October 2019 No Comments  

CARRERA IBERIA CURTAIN-RAISER RECEIVES RAVE FIVE STAR REVIEWS

• Rally the Globe sets new standards in the delivery of epic driving adventures 
• Aston Martin DB5 and rare Kurtis Comet make history by winning new venture’s debut event   
• Superlative ten-day competitive journey draws huge praise from sell-out entry  
• Plaudits agree: ‘The Rally the Globe team is the best in the business’

Rally the Globe’s debut event – last week’s Carrera Iberia – has been hailed as a massive, game-changing success by all those involved.

Established as a not-for-profit club by many of the sport’s top organisers and participants, the ambitious new group could not have hoped for a more positive introduction, nor for a more perfect launchpad for its forthcoming programme of peerless global competitive driving adventures.

Carrera Iberia attracted a sell-out entry of both vintage and classic cars with entrants unanimously agreeing that Rally the Globe has already set new standards, setting the bar by which future events will now be judged.

“I’ve done three rallies in six weeks all run by different companies and, without a shadow of doubt, this is head and shoulders above everything else,” enthused Stephen Hardwick who finished seventh overall in the Classic Category in his 1965 Ford Falcon.

“We’ve done lots of these events and this is as good as it gets,” concurred Jim Gately, the American claiming victory in the Vintage & Vintageant Category in his distinctive 1947 Kurtis Comet. “This really has been a fabulous rally: the route was the best we’ve ever done; the traffic free roads were a dream for classic cars and the hospitality throughout was second to none. It was just great to be part of it and we are definitely coming back for some more.”

Sharing similar thoughts, Ian Milne co-driver in an iconic 1974 Datsun 240Z added: “No other rally organisation will be able to hold a candle to Rally the Globe now. It is self-evident that the Rally the Globe team is the best in the business.” 

“It’s hard to believe this was Rally the Globe’s inaugural event,” echoed Bentley pilot Clint Smith.

Indeed, Rally Director Fred Gallagher confirms the rally has received widespread acclaim; an incredible achievement for a new team – albeit of proven experts – which has conceived and delivered a totally new event all within 16 months. “We could not have had a better start,” admitted a delighted Gallagher. “Putting together this rally in such a short space of time was very demanding, but the end result has been well worth it. Now we are looking forward to the future.”

Carrera Iberia was a magical ten-day journey taking participants on an exhilarating voyage from the historical port of Santander in northern Spain to Vilamoura on the southern coast of Portugal – an epic 3,470kms route, packed with outstanding attractions as well as nine tests and 19 regularity sections.

The carefully planned route featured nine days of memorable driving on deserted asphalt roads far away from the beaten track.  Crews drove through wine regions, rolling hills, dramatic canyons, twisting hillclimbs and atmospheric medieval citadels, while enjoying overnight stops at Paradors, Pousadas and five-star hotels.

In the Vintage & Vintageant section long distance rally winners Graham and Marina Goodwin jointly topped the early leaderboard with Gately and his navigator Tony Brooks after the opening day’s section between Santander and Rioja. It was a short-lived joint lead, though, for the Bentley pairing and the Goodwins eventually would have to be satisfied with third place in their Category.

From Day 2 onwards Gately’s distinctive Kurtis Comet was never headed although the Belgian duo Anton Gonnissen and Inge Willemen, in another of the Bentleys, kept the pressure on right to the end in the Category for earlier cars.

Meanwhile, the glorious Aston Martin DB5 of Alan and Tina Beardshaw never lost the lead in the Classics Category despite being under pressure for the entire rally from the Triumphs of Mike and Lorna Harrison in a TR3A and David and Jo Roberts in a TR4. David and Susan Danglard’s tremendous pace on the final day’s test saw the Americans grab a last gasp podium place in their blue Porsche 911.

At the finish Alan Beardshaw was ecstatic. “Having never won anything other than Tina’s hand in marriage, today is a very special day for me, we’re absolutely thrilled,” grinned the victorious Beardshaw. “I’m not sure it gets much better than this.”

As well as crowning the winners and welcoming all the finishers, Gallagher was quick to praise those who have played key roles in the creation of the already peerless Rally the Globe club.

“I must thank all those who have had faith in us: the founding members who shared our vision; the competitors who believed we would deliver a new level of driving and lifestyle experiences and our great team who nailed their colours to our mast and combined to produce such an utterly tremendous first event.”

Gallagher attributes much of the success to Rally the Globe’s unrivalled insight into what participants covet from such driving adventures, as well as meticulous attention to detail. “Whether it was the magical pre-start reception in Santander’s grand old Hotel Real, the Estoril Grand Prix track, the exclusive parking in Trujillo’s historic Plaza Mayor, the private ferry to the deserted Troia Peninsula,  or even the event-themed and monogrammed M&Ms given out at the start, it all added up to a very, very special dawn for Rally the Globe,” verified Gallagher. “Now we have raised the bar and established new standards, the challenge is to keep on delivering such sublime motoring experiences.” 

As Chairman and one of the founding members, Graham Goodwin has been highly involved in the setting up of Rally the Globe. He summed up Carrera Iberia by saying: “The team we have put together is fantastic and what they’ve delivered has been remarkable. We’re really looking forward to the future and it just goes to show that with the right planning, the right people and the proper team, you can achieve anything. I’m absolutely delighted and looking forward to many more such events.”
 
To that end, Rally the Globe has already announced a full-programme of both endurance and adventure style rallies filling the next four years – many of these are already in advanced stages of preparation.

Next up is the East African-based ‘Southern Cross Safari’ in February 2020, followed quickly by the Celtic Challenge in the British Isles next April and then the seminal ‘Round the World’ split into three individual sections between May 2020 and June 2021. A few remaining places on those events are still available for those to take advantage of Rally the Globe’s now proven inspiration, vision and expertise.

2019 CARRERA IBERIA: RESULTS

Vintage & Vintageant Category

1. Jim Gately (USA)/Tony Brooks (GBR) 1947 Kurtis Comet 0:02:13
2. Anton Gonnissen (BEL)/Inge Willemen (BEL) 1948 Bentley Speed 8 0:02:59
3. Graham Goodwin (GBR)/Marina Goodwin (GBR) 1927 Bentley Speed 0:03:41
4. Keith Ashworth (GBR)/Norah Ashworth (GBR) 1927 Bentley 4 1⁄2 Le Mans 0:03:55*
5. Bertie Van Houtte (FRA)/Charlotte Van Houtte (GBR) 1925 Bentley 3-4 1⁄2 0:05:45
6. Andrew Long (GBR)/Gina Long (GBR) 1937 Bentley Derby VDP 0:06:59*
7. Anthony Strelzow (CAN)/Lee-Ann Strelzow (CAN) 1936 Bentley Derby Coupe 0:15:38
8. Clint Smith (GBR)/Dawn Smith (GBR) 1929 Bentley Speed Six 4:35:18
9. Gavin Henderson (GBR)/Diana Henderson (GBR) 1922 Bentley 3-4 1⁄2 5:27:51

2019 CARRERA IBERIA: RESULTS

Classics Category

1. Alan Beardshaw (GBR)/Tina Beardshaw (GBR) 1965 Aston Martin DB5 0:01:07
2. Mike Harrison (GBR)/Lorna Harrison (GBR) 1959 Triumph TR3A 0:02:10
3. David Danglard (USA)/Susan Danglard (USA) 1973 Porsche 911 0:02:33
4. David Roberts (GBR)/Jo Roberts (GBR) 1963 Triumph TR4 0:02:54*
5. Mick de Haas (NLD)/Grace de Haas (NLD) 1966 Mercedes-Benz 280SL 0:03:20
6. Manuel Dubs (SWI)/Irene Dubs (SWI) 1965 Ford Mustang V8 Convertible 0:03:31
7. Stephen Hardwick (GBR)/Samantha Hardwick (GBR) 1965 Ford Falcon 0:03:39*
8. Andrew Laing (GBR)/Ian Milne (GBR) 1974 Datsun 240Z 0:06:33*
9. Clemens Lansing (GER)/Emilia Lansing (GER) 1971 Porsche 911 Targa 0:06:43
10. Christof Ley (GER)/ Len Treeter (CAN) 1958 Mercedes-Benz Ponton 220S 0:07:16
11. Sholto Gilbertson (GBR)/Casper Killick (GBR) 1964 Jaguar E-Type 0:07:21
12. Neil Oatley (GBR)/Peta Oatley (GBR) 1967 Lancia Fulvia 1.3S Rallye 0:09:29
13. Rogier Quekel (NLD)/Marjan te Velde (NLD) 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 0:09:32
14. Jeremy Clayton (GBR)/Jenny Clayton (GBR) 1966 Ford Mustang 0:10:10
15. Anthony Verloop (NLD)/Sonja Verloop (NLD) 1973 MGB GT V8 0:10:11
16. Charles Stuart-Menteth (GBR)/Nicola Stuart-Menteth (GBR) 1962 MGA MK2 0:10:36
17. Otakar Chládek (CZE)/Jindřiška Žemličková (CZE) 1971 Mercedes-Benz 350SL 0:15:49
18. Roland Singer (AUT)/Bernhard Ziegler (AUT) 1966 Saab 96 V4 2:02:39

*Class winners (note top three overall ineligible for awards)

3rd October 2019 No Comments  

RALLY THE GLOBE COUNTS DOWN TO ITS CARRERA IBERIA DEBUT

• Ambitious new club primed for the first of its driving adventures
• Full capacity entry gears up for nine days of epic motoring
• Mouthwatering cocktail of deserted country roads, race circuits and historic hotels 
• Evocative field ranges from vintage Bentleys to classic Jaguars and Aston Martins
• Follow-up events filling up fast as Rally the Globe comes of age 

The final countdown has commenced to the first of Rally the Globe’s exciting new portfolio of epic worldwide driving events: next month’s eagerly-anticipated – and impressively sold-out – Carrera Iberia (7-17 October).

Launched late last year, Rally the Globe is a new, not-for-profit club established by a number of regular historic rally competitors to provide them, and the growing number of likeminded and enthusiastic vintage and classic car owners, with memorable motoring adventures right around the world. Next month’s Carrera Iberia is the first of these sought-after events.

The magical ten-day journey will take participants on an exhilarating voyage from the historical port of Santander in northern Spain to Vilamoura on the southern coast of Portugal – an epic 3,470kms passage packed with outstanding attractions as well as competitive sections to entertain the more spirited.

The carefully planned route features nine days of memorable driving on deserted asphalt roads far away from the beaten track taking entrants through vineyards such as Rioja and the Douro Valley, quaint towns, rolling hills, dramatic canyons, twisting hillclimbs and atmospheric medieval citadels, all interspersed with overnight stops at paradors, pousadas and five-star hotels in the wine regions.

Adding further to the experience, the daily itinerary always includes several  regularity tests requiring comradery and team-work from driver and navigator while, for those wishing to unleash their cars, there are visits to a number of the region’s top race circuits: Navarra, Braga, Portimao and Estoril where Ayrton Senna won his first Grand Prix.

“I’m really thrilled with route we devised for our very first event,” confirmed Fred Gallagher, Rally the Globe’s vastly experienced and internationally respected Rally Director. “Everyone who has driven these roads during our preparations has remarked on just how traffic-free they are. They have also enthused about the great variety of roads ranging from twisty mountain passes to the vast plains of Don Quixote country.”

Unlike some of Rally the Globe’s more endurance-style rallies in the future, its collection of Carrera events will all be purposefully set on smooth asphalt roads, encouraging participants to enter cars not seen quite so often on such escapades.

“I’m delighted to see E-types, Aston Martin DB5s and MGAs on the start list – a detail which is almost as significant as the fact that we have achieved a completely full entry for Rally the Globe’s first event,” extolled Gallagher who is also pleased that a third of the entrants are in the pre-1948 vintage category. Indeed, the roster includes no fewer than eight early Bentleys in a year when the famous Flying B is celebrating its centenary.

Among the ‘Bentley Boys’ are Graham and Marina Goodwin, recent winners of the Peking-to-Paris marathon. Graham is also one of the founding members – and Chairman – of Rally the Globe.

Since the new venture was launched last November, Gallagher and Goodwin  have assembled an impressive team including many of the business’ most eminent specialists to ensure unrivalled levels of professionalism, experience, vision and voyage.

Now, less than a year after its conception, Rally the Globe comes of age when its inaugural Carrera Iberia hits the road in just a few weeks’ time. Thereafter follows a full-programme of endurance and adventure style rallies filling the next four years – many of these are already in an advanced stage of preparation.

Next up is the East African-based ‘Southern Cross Safari’ in February 2020 followed quickly by the Celtic Challenge in the British Isles next April and then the ultimate ‘Round the World’ split into three individual sections between May 2020 and June 2021. A few remaining places on those events are still available for those to take advantage of Rally the Globe’s inspiration, vision and expertise.

2019 CARRERA IBERIA: ENTRIES

1. Gavin Henderson (GBR)/Diana Henderson (GBR) 1922 Bentley 3-4 1⁄2
2. Bertie Van Houtte (FRA)/Charlotte Van Houtte (GBR) 1925 Bentley 3-4 1⁄2
3. Keith Ashworth (GBR)/Norah Ashworth (GBR) 1927 Bentley 4 1⁄2 Le Mans
4. Graham Goodwin (GBR)/Marina Goodwin (GBR) 1927 Bentley Speed 3-4 1/2
5. Clint Smith (GBR)/Dawn Smith (GBR) 1929 Bentley Speed Six
6. Anthony Strelzow (CAN)/Lee-Ann Strelzow (CAN) 1936 Bentley Derby Drophead Coupe
7. Paul Hartfield (GBR)/Matthew Hartfield (GBR) ­1936 Packard Super 8 Sedan
8. Andrew Long (GBR)/Gina Long (GBR) 1937 Bentley Derby VDP
9. Jim Gately (USA)/Tony Brooks (GBR) 1947 Kurtis Comet
10. Anton Gonnissen (BEL)/Inge Willemen (BEL) 1948 Bentley Speed 8
11. Len Treeter (CAN)/Christof Ley (GER) 1958 Mercedes-Benz Ponton 220S
12. Mike Harrison (GBR)/Lorna Harrison (GBR) 1959 Triumph TR3A
13. Charles Stuart-Menteth (GBR)/Nicola Stuart-Menteth (GBR) 1962 MGA MK2
14. David Roberts (GBR)/Jo Roberts (GBR) 1963 Triumph TR4
15. Sholto Gilbertson (GBR)/Caspar Killick (GBR) 1964 Jaguar E-Type
16. Alan Beardshaw (GBR)/Tina Beardshaw (GBR) 1965 Aston Martin DB5
17. Manuel Dubs (SWI)/Irene Dubs (SWI) 1965 Ford Mustang V8 Convertible
18. Stephen Hardwick (GBR)/Samantha Hardwick (GBR) 1965 Ford Falcon
19. Roy Stephenson (GBR)/Rachel Stephenson (GBR) 1965 Ford Mustang
20. Jeremy Clayton (GBR)/Jenny Clayton (GBR) 1966 Ford Mustang
21. Mick de Haas (NLD)/Grace de Haas (NLD) 1966 Mercedes-Benz 280SL
22. Roland Singer (AUT)/Bernhard Ziegler (AUT) 1966 Saab 96 V4
23. Neil Oatley (GBR)/Peta Oatley (GBR) 1967 Lancia Fulvia 1.3S Rallye
24. Isabelle Mathew (GBR)/Denise Seely (GBR) 1967 Mercedes-Benz 280SL
25. Rogier Quekel (NLD)/Marjan te Velde (NLD) 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE
26. Clemens Lansing (GER)/Emilia Lansing (GER) 1971 Porsche 911 Targa
27. Otakar Chládek (CZE)/Jindřiška Žemličková (CZE) 1971 Mercedes-Benz 350SL
28. Anthony Verloop (NLD)/Sonja Verloop (NLD) 1973 MGB GT V8
29. Wilfried Schaefer (GER)/Sandra Schaefer (GER) 1973 Porsche 911S
30. David Danglard (USA)/Susan Danglard (USA) 1973 Porsche 911
31. Andrew Laing (GBR)/Ian Milne (GBR) 1974 Datsun 240Z

4th September 2019 No Comments  

A REAL DISCOVERY OF REMOTE NORTH AMERICA – RECCE FOR ROUND THE WORLD PART TWO

Rally Director Fred Gallagher joined Gill and John Cotton in the USA in August for the western section recce for Round the World Part Two, starting the recce from Indianapolis, before Gill & John continued from Jackson Hole into Canada.

Fred had this to say about his impressions of the section from Indiana to Wyoming:

The first rest day on Round the World Part Two is in Indianapolis, and I can’t think of a better location. The city centre is immaculate and there are excellent bars and restaurants everywhere you look. And I did look! Nevertheless, the wonderful Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is a “must visit” for race fans who can pull themselves away from the delights of downtown.

Those who have traversed the North American continent will be aware there are a few flat days in the middle where delights have to be searched out, so we were delighted that lots of pre-recce research paid off. The first day through Amish country gave us covered bridges, smooth, twisty gravel, abandoned racetracks, and a fine lunch in a farm-to-table restaurant in a former bank. Later that day we crossed the 90-degree longitude line; a quarter of the way round already!

Next morning, starting from the west bank of the Mississippi, delight followed delight. We followed the historic Lincoln Highway, discovered quirky old fuel stations and found a series of picturesque 19th Century German villages in rural Iowa. A trip through the Bridges of Madison County added to a splendid day.

After a brief trip to Nebraska we then spent another fine day in Iowa – highlights being either more splendid, smooth gravel roads or a stop in Le Mars, the self-proclaimed ice-cream capital of the world! Then onwards into the Dakotas and real cowboy country. The Badlands National Park has roads twisting through impressive geological formations that can take the breath away, and we saw numerous coyote, deer and prairie dogs. Then onwards to an overnight in Rapid City where the pace of life seemed slow.

Mount Rushmore needed a quick visit for those who, like me, hadn’t seen it before but it was the maze of twisty asphalt roads in the area that really impressed me. The further west we headed the longer the gravel sections became too, but they never became rough. This trip will be a real discovery of remote America.

After a leisurely run through Yellowstone we arrived in buzzing Jackson Hole which will see us in a very fine hotel, just off the central square, for two nights. There I reluctantly said goodbye to the Cottons as they continued their journey through Montana and into the Canadian Rockies.

Gill & John also gave their summary of the journey from Jackson Hole through to the finish line in Vancouver:

Having left Fred in the heart of cowboy territory we headed North through Idaho taking in some more fabulous gravel roads, through sand dunes (yes, sand dunes!). We were then into Montana before a lunch stop in Lima (did we take a wrong turn somewhere?), and North through the mountains to our overnight stop in Helena.

The next morning we checked out a great test venue at the Emergency Services training centre in Helena before heading further North into the mountains, via more smooth gravel roads and a beautiful drive through the Glacier National Park to Whitefish. From here on the locals tell us there’s a possibility we’ll see snow in early October, so pack some warm clothes!

We were then into Canada via a quaint historical village museum and an easy border crossing (as long as you’re not carrying any firearms of course!). Then some glorious gravel and tarmac mountain and lakeside roads led us to the beautiful Fairmont Banff Springs hotel.

From Banff to Jasper, all route possibilities provide awe-inspiring views and driving delights. A stop at Lake Louise will be a must. We always aim to find traffic free driving, but be aware, we were unable to avoid the odd traffic jam, usually caused by a bear sighting or, in our case, one crossing the road right in front of us!

Jasper to Kamloops, provides similar delights. A beautiful gravel mountain pass brought us down to the South Thompson River Valley and our superbly located hotel for the night. Onwards then, to our penultimate stop in the fashionable “village” of Whistler. It seemed that everywhere we travelled during the last 4 days, so did the amazing Trans-Canadian railway, and we drove particularly close by on some fabulously twisty tarmac roads. 

Our final day out of Whistler to Vancouver is straight-forward smooth tarmac, but we hope to have an exciting test before entering the Vancouver city limits via the Lion Gate Bridge, followed by a lovely drive through Stanley Park to a super finish venue near to our hotel on the Vancouver waterfront.

The Boston to Indianapolis section of the recce for Round the World Part Two will take place in October, so keep an eye out for more detail on what to expect from this coast to coast adventure across the USA and Canada.

3rd September 2019 No Comments  

LONDON TO CASABLANCA 2020 – THE ADVENTURE AWAITS

John Spiller carried out the recce for the Spanish and Moroccan portions of Round the World Part One during August. Here is his report.

It is difficult to describe the ingredients of the event – that is the route, the sights, the places, the people and the sporting elements of Round the World Part One, London to Casablanca, without resorting to tired, clichéd adjectives and superlatives, a thesaurus and much repetition but I will try.

Starting from Greenwich in May 2020, with the Trip Meter on Zero and Zero degrees East/West reading on the GPS, the event leads from the land of roast beef and fish and chips through the tapas of Spain to the tagines of Morocco taking in, as a truly global event should, a broad spectrum of civilisation along the way. 

It is rare that the horizon is not dominated by an historic castle or monastery, ruined or otherwise; in fact, use is made of many as control locations or overnight rest halts. From the Portland stone of London to the mud walls of the medinas, the architecture is constantly changing as is the countryside, as every mountain range in western Europe and North-West Africa is traversed with sinuous climbs and corresponding descents, with regular respite as the lowland roads wind through fields of sunflowers and seemingly, endless olive groves.

The landscapes never fail to impress; the mountainous Basque country leads into Castilla. Castilla leads to Andalucía. Then onto Africa where the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara await. In parts, the remoteness cannot fail to remind one of the unspoilt panoramas of Mongolia. It is no coincidence that countless Hollywood films have been set in these places. Scenes from Indiana Jones and Game of Thrones, among many, were produced along the route. Our luxury overnight camp amongst the dunes in Erg Chebbi will be one of the event highlights, although we will leave it to the camels to negotiate the soft sand sections.

The sporting element is just as entertaining; the driving is demanding and technical while the navigation is a good test with a variety of demands on concentration and time keeping. The occasional tests will clear the cobwebs of those looking for a “bit of a blast”. The roads are quiet and many sections are a drivers’ delight. Traffic is rarely encountered and the extensive gravel sections are generally smooth and well noted in the Route Book.

The overall route has been designed to take in the best in terms of accommodation and hospitality, which ranges from notable, historic establishments to full, modern resort hotels. Where convenient or possible, controls have been located to afford that brief respite, a wash of the hands and a welcome coffee, but not always; there are some remote sections that simply do not pass even the most basic facility and a degree of self-sufficiency is required.

In summary, the event is a great opener for the Round the World series and those checking in to the final control, some 5,300 kms later, on the shores of the Atlantic in Casablanca, will be itching for more as they cast their eyes westward toward Boston and the next tranche of this great adventure.

14th August 2019 No Comments  

CELTIC CHALLENGE 2020 HITS THE PRESS

We are delighted that our Celtic Challenge, which will be held in April 2020, has recently had considerable coverage in the British specialist press. This has resulted in a fantastic amount of interest from potential competitors with both pre and post-war cars, which has been great to see. As a result of this interest, we have reconsidered our original decision to make the event for vintage machinery only. 

The Celtic Challenge will now be open to all cars of a type built before 31 December 1969, but will have completely separate Vintage and Classic categories with distinct classifications and awards. 

Our Assistant Clerk of the Course (Ireland), Peter Scott, wrote a brilliant piece in the most recent HRCR’s Old Stager, describing just what to expect on the Celtic Challenge, and you can read the article in full below.

We are sure the event will be very popular, and we do hope you can join us.

Rally the Globe is running the Celtic Challenge, a five-day event with tests and regularities in Wales, Ireland and Scotland in April 2020. Entrants will start arriving on Tuesday 21st at the Carden Park Hotel outside Chester for car scrutineering and the issuing of the route followed by the first rally dinner. The event starts on the Wednesday morning with two immediate tests in the vast Carden estate owned by Redrow Chairman Steve Morgan. Two more tests, one of them at Chirk Castle, and a regularity precede lunch at the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel, immediately followed by a regularity using the scenic lake shore road. A test at the superb Cerrigydrudion kart track leads the rally convoy to the spectacular Great Orme at Llandudno where both a short, sharp regularity and a final test are on the menu. The overnight halt is at the Quay Hotel in Degany where the rooms have spectacular views over the Conwy Estuary.

Wednesday is a day of tests, six in all, starting with a return to the Orme and a test near Bangor before crossing the Menai Bridge onto Anglesey. The island is traversed via tests at the Anglesey Showground and Kartio Mon before the final two tests at the superb Ty Croes race track. The first of two ferry trips across the Irish sea is next on the list, from Holyhead to Dublin, and the Grand Hotel in Malahide, just north of Dublin city, is the second overnight halt.

Day 3 starts a little earlier at 8.00 am and Bellewstown Horse Race course on the ancient Hill of Crockafotha – with views of the Mountains of Mourne one way and the Irish Sea the other – is the venue for the first of the day’s six tests. An immediate regularity brings the crews almost to the next test at Ireland’s only international status kart track, White River Karting, outside Dunleer. A coffee stop at the famous Fitzpatrick’s pub on the shores of Carlingford Lough precedes the aptly named Windy Gap regularity in the Cooley Mountains. There may, or may not, depending on the outcome of Brexit, be a formal border crossing into Northern Ireland before one of the highlights of the event, South Armagh’s Slieve Gullion Forest Park with its incredible five miles of sinuous twisting tarmac forest drive. It and the neighbouring similar venue in Camlough Forest have many blind brows to catch those who are just too brave.

The first day in Ireland is not yet half way through, and now in Co Down there is a PC at the top of the stunning former hill climb at Spelga Pass followed by lunch at the Maghera Inn. Suitably fortified, crews head for the superb but little known Bishopscourt race track for both a test and a regularity. Another ferry, this time at Strangford, and only taking a few minutes, leads to another race track, Kirkistown, and a challenging lap consistency test. The last challenge of the day is a bit special and is on the estate roads of Lord and Lady Dunleath’s Ballywalter Park. The route to the night halt, the stunning Titanic Hotel housed in the former drawing office in Belfast docks, is over part of the famous Ards TT course of the 1930s raced by Caracciola and Nuvolari.

The route leaving Belfast on Saturday will pass some of Belfast’s famous ‘muriels’ (Google it!) before another trip back in history on the Dundrod TT circuit, where Moss, Titterington, Brooks, Collins, Salvadori and Hawthorn displayed their skills. Dundrod is now the home of the Ulster GP motorcycle races and the first test of the day is in the pits complex. Two ‘testing’ laps of the nearly one mile Nutts Corner International kart circuit follow as the route heads north through Country Antrim via two regularities and another forest drive test followed by a non-competitive trip over the stunning Torr Head. Lunch is at the Londonderry Arms in Carnlough, not far from the Stena Line ferry from Larne to Cairnryan on which Rally the Globe have commandeered the 1st class lounge and priority boarding and disembarking. An untimed run from Cairnryan to the Turnberry Hotel completes the day.

The disused airfield beside the Turnberry Hotel, once an early fifties Formula One race venue, starts the action on the final day on a route crossing Scotland from west to east. Four scenic regularities and five more tests at venues including Forrestburn hill climb and Leuchars army base, plus halts at New Lanark Mill Hotel and Houstoun House Hotel make up the day. The finish is at the wonderful Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews where the cars in the first three places will be on display in the centre of the dining room during the prize giving Gala dinner.

8th August 2019  

WHAT TO EXPECT ON OUR ROUND THE WORLD ADVENTURE

We have had a number of enquiries about the style of the various legs of the event, so we thought it a good time to expand on the information included in the brochures, especially now that the recces for Parts One and Two of our Round the World event are well underway. 

Part One will of course start in Greenwich on the Prime Meridian and will include a full day of competition in the South of England. Once we arrive in Spain, the route will be entirely different from that of Carrera Iberia. In fact, there is around ten kilometres common in the region of Cáceres, but even that will be done in reverse. There will also be gravel sections in Spain, but none of them will be “car breakers”.

Once into Morocco the route becomes more mountainous and rugged with lots of mountain driving. We will also be off the asphalt from time to time, but again avoiding the rough – although there will be some light sandy sections to tackle. However, at all times our route planners are taking into consideration the capabilities of our treasured cars.

Part Two is North America coast to coast, and again we will be searching out the best driving roads we can find – whether they be on asphalt or smooth gravel. Circuits and private venues will also be on the menu. Our final five days in Canada in early October could see the odd sprinkling of snow in the mountains to add a bit of extra spice to the trip.

Part Three is the longest and potentially toughest of the three. Nevertheless, we are determined that the sections through Siberia will not be anywhere near as demanding on crew and machine as some other Pan-Asian events. We are also aware that Russia, once out of Siberia, can involve long days of limited interest, and to that end, we will divert south into Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan for around ten days with some glorious mountain sections included. Then a couple of days in Western Russia before we arrive back in Europe and on to our return to Greenwich at the end of a glorious adventure.

We hope you can join us!

12th July 2019  

NEXT STOP, THE WORLD FOR PEKING TO PARIS WINNERS

  • Rally the Globe chairman raises sights after famous victory  
  • Bentley success fuels special centenary celebrations  
  • ‘Warm-up’ for the ultimate Round the World adventure 
  • Circumnavigation entries already ‘exceeding expectations’ 

Fresh – or as fresh as you can be after 36 days and 8500 miles in a 1925 Bentley Super Sports – Peking to Paris rally winners Graham and Marina Goodwin are already looking forward to their next, even bigger adventure.

Just days after the hard-earned celebrations in the French capital city, the victorious pair are setting their sights on Rally the Globe’s definitive ‘Round the World’ driving odyssey set for 2020-2021.

Billed as the greatest-ever four-wheeled circumnavigation of the planet Earth, plans for the first ‘Round the World’ rally in a generation were revealed recently at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Totalling around 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometres), it will be the longest, most challenging and, ultimately, the most rewarding yet staged, eclipsing the distance of the previous event run in 2000 to mark the millennium.

“We are really chuffed to have won the Peking to Paris rally – and it means all the more to be the first ever Bentley winners in what’s Bentley’s 100th anniversary year – but now we are already looking ahead to the once-in-a-lifetime rally we’ve always dreamt of doing: the Round the World which starts next spring,” said Goodwin after driving the road weary Bentley home to Yorkshire from Paris.

“The unexpected roughness of the Peking to Paris route and durability of the Bentley certainly contributed to our success. The harder it got the better the Bentley did – getting the right balance between speed and not destroying the car was the key, particularly on some of the really harsh and long off-road sections in Mongolia of which there were many. Even so, we still broke our chassis!”

Understanding the time constraints of potential participants and mechanical needs of the competing vintage, post-historic and classic cars – all of which must be built before 1976 – the supreme Round the World marathon has been divided into three individual legs: the first from London to Casablanca in Morocco (23 May to 9 June 2020); the second from Boston, Massachusetts to Vancouver, Canada (19 September to 10 October 2020) and finally the third from Vladivostok in Russia back to London (8 May to 19 June 2021). Fittingly the start and finish of such a flagship event will be in Greenwich, site of the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian Line (Longitude Zero).

“In many ways the journey from China to France was a warm up for the definitive road trip which comes next,” explained Goodwin who is intending to drive another of his vintage Bentleys on the circumnavigation as the winning Super Sports (number four of just nine built by the factory) is in need of a full rebuild. “I know the roads and tracks being planned for the supreme challenge won’t be as harsh as some of those we have just endured between China and France, however the competition will be intense,” he continued.

Goodwin has a unique insight into what lays ahead as Round the World is being organised by the ambitious new Rally the Globe not-for-profit club of which he is one of the seven founding members as well as Chairman.

Indeed, several further of Rally the Globe’s founding members were celebrating in Paris, too. Keith and Norah Ashworth finished a fine third in their Bentley 4 ½-litre Le Mans, while Jim Gately and Tony Brooks came home ninth in their Cadillac 60 Series. Two more founders also completed the event: David and Jo Roberts (Sunbeam Alpine) and Alan and Tina Beardshaw (Volvo 544).

As hugely experienced – and now hugely successful – participants in the full spectrum of historic rally events, their individual personal insights and resultant feedback are invaluable in the creation of a rousing portfolio of exciting new adventure rallies, topped by the eagerly anticipated Round the World.

“As enthusiastic participators we know the balance most entrants want between competition, endurance and adventure – that’s crucial when planning these incredible rallies,” disclosed Goodwin. “Moreover, as a non-profit club, we can keep the costs down, the quality of accommodation up and ensure any profits are reinvested into future events.”

In his position of Rally Director, it is the remit of the well-respected Fred Gallagher to create epic voyages to meet the visions of the founders and all those potential participants. Gallagher and his team are constantly reviewing reports from Goodwin and others to ensure the full value of their knowledge benefits future Rally the Globe undertakings.

“Taking into account the scale and challenge of the Round the World mission, we have purposefully chosen smoother gravel roads wherever possible, thus putting the emphasis on adventure and driving pleasure rather than just out-and-out endurance,” he clarified. “It’s also worth pointing out that our route across Asia and Europe will also have little in common with that taken by those on the Peking to Paris – it will also be around 5000km longer.

“We start on the eastern seaboard of Russia and effectively follow the Trans-Siberian Express Railway through virgin rally country. We have also found some fabulous mountain passes in Kyrgyzstan. We want to make this the ultimate circumnavigation of the Earth and we want everyone to enjoy what’s almost certainly a once-in-a-lifetime road trip. An element of competition always adds extra excitement and interest but our primary aim is to see as many crews fulfilling their dreams and returning to Greenwich after 80 memorable days of amazing driving,” asserted Gallagher.

To ensure smooth passage, Gallagher has secured the services of many of the most experienced and well-respected figures in the operation and management of successful global endurance rallies and they are all key members of the notable Round the World organising team.

The new club’s first rally – this autumn’s Carrera Iberia – is already totally sold out and only a few places are now remaining for those wishing to enter the following spring’s Southern Cross Safari set in the game parks of East Africa. Although only announced recently, entries for the complete Round the World rally are also ‘exceeding expectations’ according to Gallagher.

Click Here for more information on Round the World as well as the Rally the Globe team and its full event calendar,