Skoda Rally Blog

This week sees Rally GB, the final round of the WRC, and of course an event we dearly wanted to take part in, but it wasn’t to be.  However, now I’ve got over the disappointment of that and had time to reflect (and indeed study the rules more carefully!), I’m still thinking there is a long-term plan.  If anyone is reading this this year hoping we’d be entering Rally GB and hoping for another blog, then I’m sorry to disappoint you, but given that we had so many hits this year, I think there may be some who will read the blog this week as clearly for the 51 weeks between each Rally GB far fewer people read the blog!

So, right now is where I am starting the drive to enter Rally GB 2010; this may seem like a very long time away, but at least it’ll mean we should be prepared!

And where do you fit in?

If you’re a keen reader, then please bookmark us, and come back regularly.  Obviously we don’t have something to report all the time (this is a part-time effort by someone with a full-time job, and although it’s my hobby and I love it, I often have other things going on, and can’t afford to enter a rally every other week, much as I’d love to).

If, like me, you’re disappointed that this week we won’t be taking part in Rally GB, you can help! If you’ve read the blogs in previous years, or enjoyed seeing us on the stages, then please consider making a donation to the team for next year.  There is no fixed amount, if you read the blog you can donate whatever you think is appropriate, from £1 (which will pay for us to do around 1/20th of a mile on Rally GB) right up to, well, whatever you want!  The only thing we can say is that all money received will ONLY be used for Rally GB, and if we don’t enter in 2010, you’ll get your money back.

Secondly, if you have a business and would like to sponsor us, then you can do so; our entry is somewhat unusual (for obvious reasons), so generates a disproportionately large amount of publicity and public attention; sponsoring will achieve exposure to around 200,000 spectators over the course of the event.  See the “sponsorship” page for details of the different areas that are available on the car, and their cost.   If you are a private individual and want your message to get to rally fans, you can, of course, do that too!

Finally, car progress:

The car is actually ready to do an event, right now, aside from needing to be mapped (as the engine has a new head on it) – however, for several years I have had some rather tired Proflex suspension which I got as a part of a large “job lot” of Skoda parts (including a brand new bodyshell).  And this has been sent off to Proflex UK for an estimate for rebuilding; the rears look to only need a minor refurb, but the fronts are far sorrier, so they may well break the bank.  Time (and a letter from Proflex) will tell.