• End-of-season celebration on the moors of Devon and Cornwall
• Four days of driving competition and convivial camaraderie 
• Whetting appetites for future escapades exploring America and Asia
• Soaring demand sees some 2023 entry lists already at full capacity

Last week’s splendid West Country Cloverleaf (24-27 October) has not only brought the curtain down on a sparkling programme of Rally the Globe events in 2022, but also whetted appetites for even more exciting automotive adventures to come.

In the wake of the pandemic, this year’s cleverly arranged calendar commenced close to home with the innovative Generations Rally set in the English Lake District and was swiftly followed by ever more adventurous forays as international travel has returned to normal.

The super-successful Carrera España, set largely in the mountains of Northern Spain, paved the way for Rally the Globe’s epic Ypres to Istanbul Challenge, which traversed eight different countries as crews competed from the Belgian rally capital in Flanders to the Bosphorus and the gateway to Asia.

Building on these triumphs, preparations for two even longer distance Marathon category endurance events are well advanced. With enthusiasm for four-wheeled global exploration restored, the first of these – the North American based Alaska to Mexico (27 August – 26 September 2023) is already sold out, with a reserve list. The second – the Road to Hanoi (27 January – 23 February 2024) – is filling up fast.

In the meantime, Rally the Globe’s 2023 diary also includes a repeat of the Generations Rally (24-26 March), the Vintage Shamrock (8-11 May) being organised together with Irish Racing Green and the Carrera Riviera (4-15 June). The first of these is already full with a reserve list, while only a few places remain on the entry lists for the other two.

Paving the way for forthcoming pleasures, the West Country Cloverleaf was based at Hotel Endsleigh – the Duke of Bedford’s former fishing and hunting lodge taken exclusively for three nights – with competitive Tests and Regularity sections set in the rolling moorlands and idyllic countryside of Devon and Cornwall.

Entries were restricted to members of the not-for-profit-club, and a full capacity 19 field featured a wide mix of vintage and classic cars (all dating back to pre-31 December 1976) ranging from the 1925 Bentley Supersports of Graham and Marina Goodwin up to the 1973 Datsun 240Z of Andrew and Shirley Laing. An eye-catching array of Aston Martins, Jaguars and Fraser Nashes were also on the roster alongside other automotive icons. Providing wonderful diversity these included a pair of Porsche 911s, a Triumph TR3A, two Fraser Nash-BMW 328s and a very distinctive Chrysler 75 Roadster.

After the completion of morning technical checks and paperwork, the opening day included competitive sections in the autumnal Blackdown Hills, at the Exeter Chiefs rugby ground and in the wilds of Dartmoor.

Day two was again set exploring rural Devon and featured five more challenging Tests and two Regularities as well as a surprise end-of-day trip to the Dingles Fairground Museum where the crews were free to spend some old-fashioned quality time on the dodgem cars, ghost train and waltzers!

The third day was the longest – and sunniest – of the rally. The spectacular 153-mile route included four Tests and three Regularities staged largely on the Cornish side of the border and ventured via the rocky tors of Bodmin Moor to the craggy headlands of King Arthur’s magical kingdom.

The final morning took crews back over a now foggy Dartmoor and via some further Tests at the Mansell Raceway to a prizegiving lunch at the Castle Hotel in Taunton.

Following the ‘fun first’ tradition of Rally the Globe’s more relaxed Cloverleaf events, there were no individual winners. The rally, instead, had been divided into teams. These random groupings then competed for the top spot based on the total number of penalties accrued en route and times gained by each individual team member.

After four days comprising 15 Tests and eight Regularities, those topping the timing charts were the experienced quartet comprising Andrew and Ann Boland (1960 Jaguar XK150S), Charles and Kit Graves (1958 Jaguar XK150), Neil and Peta Oatley (1967 Lancia Fulvia) and Keith Graham and Susan Hoffmann (1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL). Full results are available via the RallytheGlobe.com website.

More importantly, all the crews were unanimous in their praise for the sortie to the west country. Five star feedback has included: ‘Thanks to the Rally the Globe team for a brilliant Cloverleaf’, ‘What a fabulous event and lovely crowd to enjoy it with’ and ‘fantastic event, great team, great fun and great people’.

Clerk of the Course, Mark Appleton, was equally delighted. “It was the perfect end to the year,” he enthused. “We have been building up the adventure with increasingly ambitious overseas rallies, so it was nice to come back home for what was in many ways a celebratory event for our members. We struck gold with Hotel Endsleigh which gave us an amazing base to explore the more remote parts of this beautiful corner of England.”

Appleton is even more pleased to see the spiralling popularity of Rally the Globe’s unique style of premium driving experiences for owners of vintage and classic cars dating back to 1976 or earlier.

“Many of our forthcoming events such as the repeat of Generations and what’s sure to be an epic Alaska to Mexico Marathon are already at full capacity with waiting lists now open. Others such as the Vintage Shamrock and Road to Hanoi are filling up fast, too,” he reported. “The future is both busy and bright!”

Indeed, with so many great events in the pipeline Fred Gallagher, Rally the Globe’s well-respected Rally Director, has had little time to savour the successes of the West Country Cloverleaf. He has already arrived in the USA to complete preparations for next summer’s incredible North American adventure, which will take crews from the snow-capped mountains of Alaska to the tropical beaches of the Baja Peninsula.

• Exciting new partnership with Irish Racing Green 
• Award-winning vintage rallying showcase shifts up a gear
• Pre-registration open for next event in May 2023

Rally the Globe is delighted to announce that it has been invited to partner Irish Racing Green in the organisation of the Shamrock Vintage Challenge, a much-loved annual event for pre-war cars which has been hailed as putting the fun back into rallying in Ireland.

First staged in 2018, The Shamrock is the well-received brainchild of three vastly experienced and enthusiastic individuals: Mickey Gabbett, Michael Jackson and Shane Houlihan.

Their combined passions for driving legendary cars competitively on Ireland’s remarkably scenic and traffic-free roads have produced one of the popular sport’s most desirable and enjoyable of all historic rallies. Indeed, in just its second year, the lauded event was awarded the coveted ‘Spirit of FIVA’ award by the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens.

Last year’s Shamrock attracted a full 50-car entry with participants travelling from all round the world with their evocative Alvises, Aston Martins, Bentleys, Frazer Nashes, Rileys, Talbots and other early motoring icons not only to compete but also to savour the renowned hospitality of the Irish.

Such has been the success of the Shamrock’s unique character and flavoursome appeal, that the founders floated the idea of a partnership  with Rally the Globe in order to ensure that the event will continue to go from strength to strength.

As a specialist – though not-for-profit club – Rally the Globe will provide their professional touch in key areas such as pre-event promotion, route book production, on-event logistics and mechanical support, while the Irish Racing Green team will continue to supply the inspiration and in depth knowledge to produce remarkable routes, varied tests and that extra spark that has come to define the Shamrock.

“It’s really a win-win scenario,” confirmed Jackson. “We will be there sharing the wonderful Shamrock spirit that we’ve created while maximising Rally the Globe’s proven expertise in the actual management of the event. What’s more, we know just how much Rally the Globe shares our passion for the Shamrock as so many of its leading lights have competed wholeheartedly in previous years.” 

Indeed both Rally the Globe’s Chairman Graham Goodwin (photo above) and Chief Operating Officer Mark Appleton were top six finishers back in May this year, while Rally Director Fred Gallagher (photo below bottom) competed in 2019. Gallagher also hails from Belfast, so is no stranger to the many, many delights Ireland has to offer.

“For so many great reasons, I’m thrilled that Rally the Globe has been asked to play such a significant role in the future of what has quickly become one of the truly unmissable fixtures on the vintage and classic car rallying calendar,” enthused a delighted Gallagher.

“The Shamrock may have only run three times but it has already, quite rightly, earned itself a massive reputation. The countryside is beautiful, the open roads are epically uncongested, the pubs are fantastic with proper Guinness and the Irish hospitality is world famous – all the right ingredients for the perfect old-school rally.” 

“It’s great kudos for Rally the Globe that Irish Racing Green approached us about establishing this new partnership,” added Goodwin. “As I experienced for myself earlier this year, they have created a huge hit enriched with wonderful Irish quirkiness and now, together, we will build further on what’s already been achieved.”

The springtime date for next year’s Shamrock – 8-11 May – has already been announced and all those keen to secure a place on the coveted 2023 start list can pre-register their interest via links on both Rally the Globe and Irish Racing Green websites.

Although there are hopes to expand entries a little, numbers will be limited by available accommodation and, with Rally the Globe events often reaching full capacity, participants are encouraged to register early.

• Spectacular driving adventure through the mountains of northern Spain
• Victories for classic Aston Martin and vintage Frazer Nash-BMW crews
• UNESCO sites, race circuits and Parador hotels deliver in spades   
• Ypres to Istanbul Challenge follows in June 

Set in the spectacular mountains of northern Spain, Rally the Globe’s sensational Carrera España (25 April – 5 May) has been acclaimed as the club’s best event yet with incredible driving roads, inspiring competition, splendid accommodation and two worthy winners.

The fast starting 1955 Austin A90 Westminster of Adrian Hodgson and Mark Bramall set the early pace among those in the Classic Category but they were swiftly overhauled by ultimate victors Alan and Tina Beardshaw in their iconic 1965 Aston Martin DB5 (photo above).

Similarly in the Vintage Category, early pacesetters Graham and Marina Goodwin aboard their 1925 Bentley Supersports had to settle for second spot behind the hastening 1937 Frazer Nash-BMW 328 shared by Martin and Olivia Hunt (photo top below).

Neither prizewinners are strangers to the podium; the Beardshaws came out on top in Rally the Globe’s inaugural Carrera Iberia back in 2019 while Martin Hunt won the recent Generations Rally set in the English Lake District earlier this year… and both crews were delighted with their latest successes.

“Tina and I have been married and rallying together now for 50 years and this is not just the best Rally the Globe event to date but the best rally we have ever competed on,” lavished the praise from the elated Aston Martin driver.

Hunt was equally enthusiastic. “We have been following the most beautiful cars through simply breath-taking Spanish scenery and we’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he extolled.

The amazing 2,000 mile journey of discovery through the often undiscovered wonders of northern Spain started from the architectural gem of Barcelona on the Mediterranean Sea and finished 11 days later in Santander on the Cantabrian coast.

Providing exceptional competition, camaraderie and culinary delights as promised on a Carrera style event, the well-conceived, all-asphalt route featured 30 Regularity Tests and 8 Speed Tests interspersed with notable overnight halts in magnificent Paradors and former Benedictine monasteries.

It all started in the five-star Miramar Hotel overlooking Barcelona and the city’s former Grand Prix circuit in Montjuic Park with 30 eager entrants revving up for the start. These ranged from the big, century old 1922 Bentley of Gavin and Diana Henderson to the svelte 1976 Lamborghini Urraco P250S of Italians Enrico Paggi and Federica Mascetti.

After a fast start lapping Barcelona’s current Formula 1 circuit, regularities followed in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The route then travelled west through the Rioja region and into the ancient kingdom of Aragon before a return to the mountain roads in the high Sierras and a well-earned rest day in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Salamanca.

With cars and crews refreshed, participants then headed towards the river Douro and the Portuguese border before embarking onto the twisty, winding highways of Galicia.

The final couple of days were spent exploring the stunning driving roads through the idyllic rural life of the sparsely-inhabited Picos de Europa National Park.

Among the many, many highlights en route were speed tests at both the Navarra race track and the Fernando Alonso Sports Complex plus vistas of the extraordinary Roman aqueduct in Segovia. A fabulous prizegiving dinner in Santander’s palatial, and exquisitely positioned, Eurostars Hotel Real was another notable peak.

As well as honouring the victors at the gala dinner, Rally the Globe presented two discretionary accolades: the ‘Against all Odds’ trophy being awarded to Beat Erni and Barbara Mahrenholz for overcoming fuelling issues in their 1963 Sunbeam Alpine and the ‘Spirit of the Rally’ award going to Chris and Rita Dillier for their unfailingly cheerful attitude both when aboard their 1930 Ford Model A and when in the bar!

“Driving through the snow-capped peaks of the Picos de Europa under a deep blue sky was an incredible finale to what was an unbelievable rally – I couldn’t be happier or prouder of the team,” enthused Fred Gallagher, Rally the Globe’s vastly experienced Rally Director who had masterminded Carrera España.

“People are always amazed by just how many mountain ranges there are in Spain, all blessed with terrific, traffic-free roads – you really are spoilt for choice when organising such wonderful driving adventures. The spirit shown by all the crews was just fantastic and I’m really looking forward to meeting them all again on some of our future rallies.”

With the next fixture on Rally the Globe’s calendar now only weeks away, Gallagher may not have to wait too long to make some welcome reacquaintances.

The epic Ypres to Istanbul Challenge commences from the Belgian rally capital in mid-June and takes crews on a three-week escapade to the Bosphorus at the far end of Europe.

Running under Rally the Globe’s ‘Challenge’ banner of rally categories, it will be somewhat more adventurous than the Carrera España with the 3,500 miles (5,500 km) route including a wide variety of demanding gravel and unsurfaced roads.

While still in the wake of the pandemic, this year’s calendar is focused on exploring Europe, plans thereafter are more global with even longer Marathon events confirmed for both North America and South East Asia.

Entries for those are already open as well as a chance to pre-register for Rally the Globe’s next Carrera – taking place in June 2023, the eagerly-anticipated Carrera Riviera will journey through la belle France from north to south.

Aware that time is galloping by, we at RtG decided that the recce for this summer’s Ypres to Istanbul Challenge needed to continue. Previously we had covered the section from the start to the Czech / Austrian frontier, but there was still a long way to go.

Jim Smith and I met up with our trusty recce Hilux, Y1 RTG, in Prague on the evening of 3 January and proceeded to get the first of a number of mandatory COVID PCR tests. With the pandemic ripe across Europe and a lot of snow featuring in the various weather forecasts we were somewhat sceptical as to how far we could get. First objective was to get to the Hungarian border with Romania and the end of the Schengen area with the first likely border check.

Recce Day 1 (Rally Day 7)

We had already driven a route from Prague to Český Krumlov back in August 2020 so today was all about refining it. The weather was grey and wet as we left Prague and we soon decided the first regularity was far too easy and deleted it. The other sections were top class however and they, combined with some great tests, will present a good challenge after the rest day. Our rally hotel was still closed so we stayed in the lovely town of Budweis where the beer, of course, was great.

Recce Day 2 (Rally Day 8)

We visited UNESCO World Heritage Site, Český Krumlov, first thing next morning and started the road book from the main square where our rally hotel is situated. An excellent, new, gravel section was first off followed by a fairly long test round a few farm buildings. Then a regularity to a remote border crossing into Austria. This was unmanned, although it won’t be on the event, and our PCR tests went unchecked. Austria looked as immaculate as ever even on a gloomy afternoon and another decent regularity on super smooth roads before descending to the River Danube, which will be our frequent companion for the next two weeks.

Recce Day 3 (Rally Day 9)

Very early on our third day the snow started to fall and didn’t really stop. Minor roads were impossible so having found a charming coffee stop in a mountain Gasthof we descended to the plain and entered Hungary. Immediately over the border the appearance of the towns, villages, farms, roads and people, was totally different from what we had seen before. The town of Koszeg has a pretty square and we arranged for the cars to be parked there while competitors have lunch in one of the adjacent restaurants. Forest regularities and an intriguing gravel test took us to Sumeg and our hotel.

Recce Day 4 (Rally Day 10)

We awoke to a cloudless blue sky and bitterly cold temperatures. The previous afternoon we had visited a tremendous permanent race circuit and tried to rent it for a test at the end of Day 9. This was impossible but an agreement was reached to open Day 10 with it so we retraced our steps a little to integrate it into the route. It promises to be a busy morning with the circuit, a Rallycross track and a testing gravel regularity before a café lunch overlooking Lake Balaton. After lunch we are in the Great Hungarian Plain where, as expected, the countryside is flat, and the roads are straight. Just outside the city of Pecs, thanks to our friends in the local motor club, we hope to have a short hill climb followed by a twisty, and wonderfully hilly, regularity. Pecs, pronounced “Pech”, was founded by the Romans and is full of wonderful architecture. We had planned for the rally to carry on to Szeged but Pecs was so delightful we decided to end the day there. We will be split between two hotels, one very grand but a bit faded, the other modern and bright. Both are a very short walk from the main square where we hope to park our cars overnight.

Recce Day 5 (Rally Day 11)

A short way out of town we found a long, twisty regularity before going back down to the plain, where everything was shrouded in fog. We stopped in Baja, again on the Danube. This city is known to Mark Appleton and me as it was a stop on John Brown’s 1998 London to Cape Town Rally. We stopped at our original choice for the rally, the Novotel in Szeged, and by this time snow was falling heavily, everything was shrouded in fog and the maps were out to help stitch the new plan together.

Recce Day 6 (Rally Day 12)

From Szeged it was a short run to the border with Romania where once we had our COVID vaccination certificates scanned we were quickly on our way. Our original plan was for the rally to do a test or two near the city of Arad and then sleep in Timisoara. The latter city turned out to be surrounded by miles of industrial warehouses and having seen a decent looking hotel in Arad plans were changed yet again.

Recce Day 7 

Jim and I had two nights in Arad to let me catch up on route notes, maps and future plans. We had got into Romania, which already felt like a victory, and in the evening found a very pleasant pub attached to a micro-brewery with decent food and no goulash to be seen. Bliss!

Recce Day 8 (Rally Day 12)

Back in Arad, where the streets were treacherous with ice, we searched for a city official to help arrange things in the area. I was sent from office to office and saw levels of bureaucracy that I thought had disappeared with the fall of communism. Finally, after 90 minutes of queues and disinterested shrugs I found a charming multilingual woman who worked directly for the mayor. After a tour of the rather grand City Hall, we were off on our way through snow covered roads happy in the knowledge that Arad would work for us. The afternoon got better and better; a tremendous, long section through a forest was followed by an amazing hunting lodge in the middle of nowhere. There was lots of enticing gravel but with daylight fading fast thanks to the time lost in the morning we reluctantly gave up and headed for our very welcoming hotel in Sibiu.

Recce Day 9 (Rally Day 12/13)

With everything under a thick covering of snow we headed off to cover the end of Rally Day 12 in reverse before returning to make the road book notes. The snow got increasingly deeper and just as we were considering a U-turn we got stuck, and properly so. It was minus nine degrees and it took a full hour before we finally got some traction from a wooden pole wedged under the front right wheel. Finally free, we turned around, contemplated a warming brandy, but decided the mountainous section of Rally Day 13 could be explored. And what a section it was. The Transalpina is Romania’s highest road, built by the military in 1938 and opened to traffic in 2012, although for safety reasons it is still closed from 18h00 to 08h00 each night. Views were spectacular and we discovered a couple of hefty gravel regularity sections to keep the competitive level high.

Recce Day 10 (Rally Day 13)

Today we descended from the mountains and onto the plain heading for the capital, Bucharest, but not before discovering some interesting back roads and a couple of test venues. Our arrival in Bucharest was surprisingly simple and the luxury of the JW Marriott hotel was much appreciated after some hard days on the road.

Recce Day 11 (Rally Day 14)

Another day getting the notes in order, obtaining the usual PCR test for Bulgaria, and eating some great food passed in a flash. For the first time we started to think that Istanbul might just be doable. And while it was still very cold, the snow had gone.

Recce Day 12 (Rally Day 15)

Before leaving the city, we took the rally route past the impressive Palace of the Parliament, reputedly the world’s most expensive building, built on the orders of the late socialist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. From there it was north to an excellent kart circuit on the city’s ring road before a quick dash south to the Bulgarian border, situated on the banks of our old friend, the Danube. Again no one wanted to see our expensive PCR tests but as usual we needed proof of vaccination. Bulgaria yet again felt very different with virtually all signposts in the Cyrillic alphabet and very Soviet-style architecture, at least to begin with. In the middle of nowhere we found a winery where lunch will be taken and any border delays recovered. The afternoon was spent looking, frequently in vain, for good gravel sections before we finally hit the jackpot close to the old capital city of Veliko Tarnovo and our hotel for the night.

Recce Day 13 (Rally Day 16)

We were joined after breakfast by our Bulgarian friend Damian Kirov, who makes the vast majority of RtG road books, and his friend Viktor. Their local knowledge was to prove invaluable over the coming days. Before a splendid lunch venue, they had already identified a potential closed road test, two fine regularities and a spacious kart track. The day ended with another regularity and a visit to Bulgaria’s only permanent race circuit on the outskirts of Plovdiv, our home for the next two nights. Before leaving the carpark, Viktor insisted we try some of the local Rakia, the country’s national drink. A search on the national website revealed the following gem – An important fact very few foreigners are aware of is that Bulgarians are heavy drinkers, and it is not a good idea to try to drink as much as them.

The following morning Jim and I very much wished we had followed that advice!

Recce Day 14 (Rally Day 17)

Today we drove a loop through the high mountains to the west of Plovdiv. Snow was back on the menu and the scenery was spectacular. We identified some great roads as well as coffee and lunch halts. Damian has the job of stitching them all together in the coming weeks. It was our final night in Bulgaria in a very comfortable hotel and we went to sleep with the realisation that Istanbul was a mere three days away.

Recce Day 15 (Rally Day 18)

Damian showed us a couple of interesting asphalt regularities just outside the city before we headed east towards Turkey. And then we discovered one of the absolute highlights of the event, a 45-kilometre loop of twisty, mountainous deserted roads with the occasional gravel section for good measure. It was jaw-droppingly good! Before we bade farewell to Damian he had one final discovery for us; a splendid, out of the way hotel restaurant where the day’s timing will end, and an outdoor barbeque lunch is planned. The man we met there spoke Bulgarian and Geordie having worked for a time in Newcastle in the Northeast of England! Entering Turkey took a bit longer than expected but our motor club friends in Istanbul have recommended a much quieter crossing and we will use that on the event. And so, we finally made Turkey. The rally hotel was still pretty much in lockdown with the bar and restaurant closed but we were recommended a splendid local establishment where a grand assortment of meze, grilled kebabs and cutlets and a good bottle of local wine came to almost €20!

Recce Day 16 (Rally Day 19)

The morning run to the shores of the Sea of Marmara didn’t look promising on the map but we discovered that most of the side roads were gravel and at times reminiscent of East Africa. Fittingly a Time Control section is planned. In Tekirdag we found an excellent venue for morning coffee before a wonderful, long, twisty road following the coast. This was followed by a long uphill gravel section which should be easier in summer than it looked in the January ice. We passed through Gallipoli in the Dardanelles before taking a short ferry crossing to Canakkale and our final night stop in a beautiful hotel with a fine fish restaurant on the roof.

Recce Day 17 (Rally Day 20)

Early next morning we found a surprisingly good regularity in the hills passing two dams. The section started rather gently and Jim commented “Too damned easy” before both navigation and driving became somewhat tricky. The section will be called “Two Dam Easy?”! After going back to the coast we discovered a really challenging, long, gravel section east of Bandirma. Conditions weren’t always great in January and it will be up to the 48-hour car to decide if this section is on, but if it is it will be a tremendous end to the rally. Our intended ferry to the heart of Istanbul was cancelled but we still made it home before dark, tired but delighted with what we had achieved. 

It’s going to be a hell of an adventure. We hope you can join us!

Day 1

Jim Smith and I met up on a Tuesday morning in late October on the waterfront in a very sunny Barcelona. After a quick coffee with our local “fixer” Pepe we looked at a couple of potential start hotels, Jim at the very important parking areas and me at the “fixtures and fittings”.

The following morning, after an easy run out of the city we found ourselves at the Circuit of Catalunya, home of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix where we had a fantastic welcome. We are not ready to reveal what our activities at the circuit will be, but fun is guaranteed.

From there we were quickly into the mountains and the first regularity section of the event, climbing up the Montseny Hill Climb course. When last used for the European Championship in the 1970s the winning average was over 105 kph which is hard to comprehend giving the tortuous nature of the road.  It goes without saying that you will be travelling at a rather more sedate speed.

We checked out another kart circuit and regularity before a splendid lunch venue in a beautifully hidden-away, countryside restaurant. Suitably refreshed we found a final regularity section over the Coll de Jou, and yet another potential test just a short distance from our overnight halt in a luxurious hotel at the foot of the Pyrenees. We dined content in the knowledge that the rally would get off to a fine start.

Day 2

Our second morning started very well with another mountainous regularity. We then searched a sizeable market town in vain for a morning coffee stop. Having given up we found a suitable fuel station with a well sized restaurant attached and arrangements were quickly made. 

Almost immediately after we found a road shown to be gravel on the map, but which had been freshly surfaced with asphalt and had the potential to be a challenging section. Duly completed we carried on to the next sizeable town, over 40 kilometres away, only to discover the single road out was closed, and was likely to remain so for the next month. Reluctantly we retraced our steps only to discover that the diversion made for an even better route!

A barbecue lunch was arranged for the rally and it seemed rude not to have a quick taster ourselves before tackling the 1291 metre high Puerto de Serrablo. A very varied liaison section then took us to a fascinating Parador in an isolated village where the mayor is promising to come and flag us in.

Day 3

An entertaining run out from the hotel brought us to the Circuit of Navarra, the only point in common with our successful 2019 Carrera Iberia. After a full inspection of the facility we decided that the great kart circuit was much more to our taste than the circuit used previously and an agreement was quickly reached. 

Then we drove through glorious vines with high mountains to our right and views all around. Last time in this area, our friends from the CVNE wine consortium welcomed us at Viña Real for the end of day MTC but this time we have been invited to lunch at their headquarters in Haro. The setting is spectacular and the meal promises to be one of the gastronomic highlights of the event.

A relatively short afternoon run saw us climb to over 2000 metres where we saw wild horses before descending to the modern Parador in Soria after another excellent day. Our only worry at this point was if we would be able to keep up these high standards for the rest of the rally.

Day 4

We started the day with a pair of regularities, the second of which features more junctions than can usually be found in Spain and promises to keep the navigators busy. Then a beautiful old hotel for coffee in the middle of a cobbled village with the main square closed specially for us.

The morning finished at a splendid circuit where Jim’s eagle eye noticed the potential for a second test on the site. We then moved on to a great lunch venue where the only problem, still unresolved, is to explain that a seven-course tasting menu complete with wine pairings is a little extravagant for a rally lunch – even on a Carrera!

We kept the afternoon deliberately short to allow competitors to explore the relatively unknown, but spectacular, city of Segovia with its amazing Roman aqueduct and imposing town square. The night’s modern, five-star hotel is perfectly placed to visit all the sights on foot.

Day 5

Today was All Saints’ Day and for once there was a little more traffic than usual on the Spanish roads. In fact, everyone seemed to be heading for our planned lunch stop, which was so busy we decided to make arrangements when we got back to the office.

We discovered two incredible long, twisty regularities either side of lunch, the merits of which will likely be debated late into the night when we arrive in our spectacularly positioned hotel in Salamanca on the eve of our well-deserved rest day.

Day 6

Mirroring the rally itself, we stayed for two nights in Salamanca. Jim washed the truck while I wrote up some notes before venturing into the old town. Continuous torrential rain meant that more time was spent huddled under an umbrella with a glass of local white wine than actually sightseeing, but it was good to have a few hours off.

Day 7

Back in January when I was spending lockdown preparing the route, entertainment seemed hard to find for this particular day . Luckily the reality turned out to be somewhat different.

The day began with a fast 90 kilometres over the Spanish plain, almost to the border with Portugal which we would skirt for the remainder of the day, and even at one moment briefly cross.

We were surprised and delighted to find an excellent regularity section that finished on the banks of the River Duero, or the Douro as it is known in Portugal. We then spent more than an hour searching in vain for a coffee stop on the river’s banks. Finally, we located a decent looking hotel which, although currently closed for the season, is keen to welcome us when we arrive in May.

Another twisty, climbing regularity, followed by a third which takes in an amazing metal bridge over the Duero, found us back at the Portuguese border. Crossing this briefly we passed through two villages that looked almost mediaeval in nature and, on each occasion, we were convinced we were on the wrong road. A rough wooden signpost said “España” and before we knew it we were on the way to Puebla de Sanabria and our simple but comfortable Parador in the village.

Day 8

The day started with deserted mountain roads and there was a real “middle of nowhere” feel. A couple of abandoned slate mines gave the morning a Welsh feel but didn’t prepare us for the biggest, active mine either of us had ever seen! It went on for about 20 kilometres before we descended to O Barco for much needed fuel.

A short regularity starting from Prada took us to lunch at a pleasant restaurant next to a fuel station before a short afternoon drive on minor roads following the course of the spectacular River Sil. Our hotel for the night will be the breath-taking Monasterio de Ribas de Sil where we sleep in the former monks’ dormitories, sympathetically updated with all the modern comforts.

Day 9

Next morning, we stayed on minor roads to avoid the rush hour traffic around Ourense. We knew there was a kart circuit in the vicinity but neither the maps or Satnav would reveal its location. Finally, we had to make a plaintiff call to the circuit manager who came and guided us in. We had been within 500 metres of the circuit without realising it and wasted a good hour in the process. Nevertheless, it was a great find and will host an exciting test.

A mountain regularity saw us find a great little lunch halt called Catro Ventos, The Four Winds, and they all seemed to be blowing at the same time as we were there! A simple afternoon run then took us to Corias and another monastery. Rather bleak on the outside, the interior was a revelation. A beautiful library, a fascinating museum showing the history of the site, a fine dining room and large comfortable bedrooms all added up to a memorable stay.

Day 10

The penultimate day was always planned to be a short one. A couple of interesting regularities took us to the outskirts of Oviedo and the Fernando Alonso Museum & Circuit. Contact had already been made and we were warmly greeted by the circuit manager Riccardo.

After an extensive site visit a plan was made to have an interesting test followed by the end of day Control. Then a few optional “activities” which have to remain secret for now before lunch on site. Of course, with the day’s formal competition over, participants will be free to go to our opulent City Centre hotel, although we suspect few will be able to tear themselves away. The Oviedo hotel is the third monastery in a row and by far the grandest. Situated in the heart of the city it is a fine base to explore the Capital of Asturias.

Day 11

Competitors will be entranced by the spectacular scenery on the final day of the event, but we saw none of it. Thick fog, torrential rain and then deep snow over 1500 metres meant this was a really testing day for us. We did find a lovely little coffee stop run by a very enthusiastic young couple who were at least able to show us photographs of the views.

We identified a suitable lunch halt and, as visibility improved, a splendid kart track for the final competitive element of the 2022 Carrera España.  From there it was but a short drive to the beautiful Hotel Real in Santander where the Rally the Globe story started back in 2019 and this time will host the finish and prize-giving party. 

In all, it was a very satisfying trip and the route and arrangements came together even better than we could have expected, leaving us excited for the event itself.  Over half of the available places have already been snapped up, so if you’re thinking of joining us just drop us a line at info@rallytheglobe.com .