RALLY ROUND OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

RALLY ROUND NEWS - October 2015

With only a few days to go until the team are off to join the competitors in Kolkata for the long-awaited start of the Thunder Dragon Rally in India and Bhutan, we wanted to give you a heads-up and update of all things Rally Round. To join in the adventure of our 55 entrants and staff, make sure you follow the tour via the blogs on our website and on Facebook. If these events whet your appetite to join us on one of our future Driving Adventures, download your complimentary brochure from our website, email us or give us a call. We will happily give you further information or send you a brochure.

Start to India and Bhutan Adventure on 1st November

After many months of hard work by everyone involved in the planning and organising for the Thunder Dragon Rally, from our car shipping partners at CARS UK, our colleagues in India and the office staff lead by Liz Wenman at Rally Round HQ in the UK, the day of departure to India is coming ever closer.   The breathtaking schedule of the 23-day event comprises stunning scenery, cultural festival in remote areas and routes less travelled. So with only days to go to the checkered flag, be sure to follow the cars and drivers on this unmissable adventure with latest events and photos on our Facebook page and blogs on the Rally Round website, which will have a live car tracker, showing the position of all the cars on a map. This will become active as soon as the tracking devices are fitted to the car, so that you can really share their adventure.   Thunder Dragon Rally Entry List Max Stephenson / Julie Stephenson  (AUS)  -  1923 Vauxhall 23/60 Bill Bolsover / Biddy Bolsover  (GBR)  -  1927 Bentley 3/8-litre Chris Lunn / Nicola Lunn  (GBR)  -  1929 Bentley 4.5-litre Le Mans Sir Gerry Acher / Lady Joyce Acher  (GBR)  -  1931 Ford Model A Tourer David Cohen / Adele Cohen  (CAN)  -  1931 Ford Model A Mark Winkelman / Dorinda Winkelman  (USA)  -  1932 Plymouth PB3 Coupe Mark Seymour / Chris Evans / Louise Seymour / Sophie Evans  (GBR)  -  1936 Ford Type 68 Xavier del Marmol / Ines Bodmer  (BEL) - 1937 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe DHC Richard Cunningham / Paddy Walker  (GBR)  -  1937 Buick Coupe 40hp Mark Robinson / Yvonne Fuller  (GBR)  -  1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Frank Bird / Ross Oakman / Belinda Oakman  (AUS)  -  1939 Willys Sedan Jorge Ruiz / Agustin Panes  (SUI)  -  1955 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn Jose Romao de Sousa / Maria Romao de Sousa (POR) - 1956 MG Magnette ZA Adrian Shooter / George Harding  (GBR)  -  1958 Morris Oxford Dougie Lawson / Kate Lawson  (GBR)  -  1959  Jaguar XK150 DHC   Peter McLaughlin / Jane Kitchel  (USA)  -  1965 Buick Skylark Jan van Gemert / Marion Huijbregts  (NED)  -  1965 Ford Mustang Alastair Caldwell / Snjezana Poljanec  (GBR)  -  1968 Porsche 912 Roger Allen / Maggie Gray  (AUS)  -  1971 BMW 2800 CS Alan Pontin / Carol Pontin  (GBR)  -  1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 DHC Gerd Bühler / Birgit Deymann-Bühler (GER) - 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC

2016 Haka Classic Rally

Whilst we were busy with rally preparations for India, our New Zealand rally expert Rhys Nolan has been working tirelessly on fine-tuning the route, hotels, events and attractions for theHaka Classic Rally.     The lucky contestants of this epic Driving Adventure, which will take place in New Zealand from 1st to 25th November 2016, will be enjoying the most spectacular roads on the North and South island. The daily driving distances have been designed wherever possible to give the contestants the opportunity to sample local attractions, both culinary and cultural, and enjoy time with rally friends old and new. Rhys is putting together his experiences of the past weeks on the Haka route in a recce report, which we will send out to everyone who has expressed an interest in this rally.  If you would like to join us on our New Zealand adventure, or would like more information, simply download the brochure from the 2016 Haka Classic page of the Rally Round website. Alternatively you may send an email to the Rally Round office requesting your complimentary brochure or telephone us on +44 1252 794 100.   Haka Classic Rally - Current Entries   David Royds  /  Natasha Newman  -  1921 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost David Berks  /  Barbara Berks  -  1929 Chrysler 75 Jorg Lemberg  /  Petra Lemberg  -  1938 Lagonda LG45 Rapide Georg Lemberg  /  Isabel Peil  -  1960 Porsche Roadster Petr Uhlir  /  Petr Kejdus  -  1967 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 Andeas Pohl  /  Jaqueline Pohl  -  Car TBC Nathalie Pohl  /  Nicola Pohl  -  Car TBC Robert Peil  /  Gabi Peil  -  Car TBC Steven Harris  /  Hayden Burvill  -  Car TBC Justin Gan  /  TBC  -  Car TBC Adrian Shooter  /  Barbara Shooter  -  Car TBC Gerd Bühler  /  Birgit Deymann-Bühler  -  Car TBC Edmund Peel  /  TBC  -  Car TBC

2016 Paris-Vienna Rally

Our Paris-Vienna Clerk of the Course, Fred Bent, has been back to Austria and France for the second part of his recce with driver Paul Wignal. Apart from the stunning scenery along the route between the French and Austrian capitals, planned highlights include champagne tasting in the French Champagne region, a visit to the zeppelin museum and the use of local test tracks Saalfelden and FTZ Teesdorf to use for regularities and driving tests. And if the event needed any extra spice, Fred has also included the spectacular "Stoderzinken" pass near Grobming, as previously used in classic races such as the Winter Trial, the Alpine Marathon and the Ennstal Classic. So watch this space to find out more. Last, but not least, we are pleased to confirm a change of our planned finish hotel to the stunning Rennaissance Hotel Schloss Weikersdorf in the trendy spa town of Baden near Vienna in order to guarantee the best available local gastronomy for our participants. Entries are still open for our Paris-Vienna Competition, so be sure to submit your entry for your chance to win an entry worth £ 5,500. We now have 35 confirmed entries, with continued worldwide interest. To see the current entry list, visit the Paris-Vienna page of our website, where you will also find a brochure and online entry form. If you have any questions, email us or call us on+44 1252 794 100.     Paris-Vienna Rally - Current Entries    David Royds  /  Natasha Newman  -  1917 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost John Harrison  /  Catherine Harrison  -  1917 La France Roadster Charles Bishop  /  Nellie Bishop  -  1924 Vauxhall 30-98 Mark Seymour  /  Chris Seaton  -  1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Jeff Robinson  /  Glenda Robinson  -  1926 Dodge Brothers Tourer Albert de Mey  /  Nicolas Leonard  -  1927 Bentley Tourer John Raker  /  Melinda Raker  -  1928 Ford Model A Steven Collins  /  TBC  -  1928 Bentley 4.5-litre Ken Fraser  /  Jane Fraser  -  1929 Bentley 4.5-litre William Brandt  /  Jo Brandt  -  1929 Chrysler 75 Le Mans Harry Jurgens  /  TBC  -  1930 Packard 740 Bob Meijer  /  TBC  -  1931 Bugatti T46 Nicholas Phillips  /  Barbara Phillips  -  1932 Alvis Speed 20 Arthur Manners  /  TBC  -  1933 Lagonda M45 T7 Chris Evans  /  Nick Evans  -  1934 Lagonda M45 Simon Mackenzie-Smith  /  Charles Gooch  -  1934 Lagonda M45 Simon Shaw  /  Maria Shaw  -  1934 Bentley 4.5-litre Irvine Laidlaw  /  Christine Laidlaw  -  1935 BMW 319 John Burton  /  TBC  -  1935 SS 1 Tourer Melvin Andrews /  TBC  -  1935 Bentley 3 1/2 litre James Mitchell  /  Anya Jackel  -  1936 MG TA Dougie Lawson  /  Kate Lawson -  1936 Lagonda  LG45 DHC Michael O'Shea  /  Clive Venning  -  1938 SS Jaguar MkIV Andrew Bailey  /  Philippa Spiller  -  Bentley (year and model TBC) Damian Perl  / Maria Perl  -  1955 Mercedes-Benz SL300 Coupe Pierre Hallet  /  TBC  -  1958 Jaguar Special (model TBC) James Fenner  /  Katja Fenner  -  1960 Porsche 356 BTS Jan Woien  /  Jan Erik Hansen  -  1962 Maserati 3500 GT Stephen Duckworth  /  Vanessa Duckworth  -  1965 Jaguar Mk2 3.4 Michael Eatough  /  Peter Godwin  -  1966 Mercedes-Benz 230S Fintail Petr Uhlir  /  Petr Kejdus  -  1967 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 Rally Andrew Bailey /  Philippa Spiller  -   Bentley (year and model TBC) Gerd Bühler  /  Birgit Deymann-Bühler  -  TBC Tim Wilkinson  /  Julie Wilkinson  -  TBC Alastair Caldwell  /  TBC  -  TBC

Driving Adventures for seasoned rallyists and novices

For those of you who have been tempted to join us on our Driving Adventures, but are not quite sure about the logistics and other aspects of our rallies, we would like to give you some more information about how our events are organised and run. Rally Round caters for seasoned and novice rallyists alike. The entry fee to our events includes a detailed (tulip-style) road book, your food and lodgings during the rally (including daily coffee halts and lunch stops), medical support by our Rally Doctor and full mechanical support by our team of experienced Rally Mechanics to cover most eventualities. Our Chief Mechanic Charlie McGowan is of course also always on hand to advise you on the best choice of car for each rally and answer any car-related question you might have both in the preparation phase and during the actual rally. Each rally starts with a detailed compulsory Rally Briefing, during which the whole Rally Round team including the route designer, Clerk of the Course, Rally Director and our mechanical and support teams will be present to answer any questions you might have. The teams are of course on hand during each rally to support crews on their quest to safely navigate the exciting course to win the coveted trophy and class prizes. For less competitive rallyists, we offer touring classes on some of our rallies. We are of course always happy to answer any individual questions you might have regarding participation in our rallies. You can call us on +44 1252 794 100 or send us an email with your question.

And finally....!

Well that's about it from us for now. Please do follow our epic adventure in India and Bhutan through the links to various blogs on the Rally Round website and on our Facebook page starting on Sunday 1st November 2015. The office will be staffed from 9 am to 12 noon during November and we will answer any of your queries during these times, before we are back to a full head-count when the team returns from the Thunder Dragon Adventure. Have a safe and happy Autumn!