Rally Village
Scrutineering and Rally Trade Stands are open to Spectators on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday at the Norbreck Castle Hotel's Norcalympia exhibition centre. Rally fans will be able to obtain up-to-date rally results and purchase hot food and drink within the Norbreck Castle Hotel complex.
Download Regulations
Download the 2010 Legend Fires North West Stages Rally Regulations - Entries still available!
SMS Results Service
Tynemouth will again be offering SMS results services for the 2010 Legend Fires North West Stages Rally. If you're interested in receiving these, please visit www.nersresults.co.uk/
2010 Legend Fires North West Stages Rally
The closure of Blackpool's Pontins Holiday Centre not only meant that organisers of the 2010 Legend Fires North West Stages had to find a new Rally HQ but also a replacement spectator stage. No easy task, especially given the time scale involved (news of Pontins closure only coming at the beginning of October) but they've come up with an exciting solution.
Following discussions with Blackpool's neighbouring authority, Wyre Borough Council, an agreement has reached to run a spectator stage on part of Fleetwood's Lower Promenade. The proposed stage, which has never been rallied before, promises to provide a tricky test for drivers whilst giving spectators multiple viewing options.
The exact route of the stage isn't yet finalised but will be a minimum of 1.6 miles in length with surfaces changing between tarmac, concrete and paving. Former WRC driver Neil Wearden, who together with Rick Forster, will be undertaking course car duties again in his Ford Escort Mk2 knows the area well. Wearden, a lifelong Wyre resident who's Preesall home is virtually opposite the venue on the other side of the River Wyre is a Retained Fire Fighter and was called into action when Fleetwood's Pier was destroyed by fire last year (September 2008). Wearden remembers the night well "I was there pumping water from the boating lake, which abuts the stage, to fight the fire. It will make a great stage with the surface changes and the paved areas will be very slippery. It's good to be doing something local and I'm impressed by the way the Organisers have resolved the loss of Pontins. The car's undergone further development since the Pendragon (Wearden's last outing in August where he finished runner up to William Stobart's M-Sport Focus WRC), power steering being one new addition, so it provides us with the perfect test opportunity."
Joint Clerk of the Course Mark Hothersall said "We're grateful for the enthusiastic support from Wyre Borough Council that's enabled us to secure this fantastic new venue. It will form part of Saturday's schedule and will dovetail perfectly with the Blackpool Promenade stages as it is so different in layout and character."
John Stone, who's company Legend Fires are again the main sponsors of the rally, was delighted by the news saying "We have customers in the area so it's not just good for the rally but for our business as well." Aside from his sponsorship interests the Blackburn based businessman has always been a regular competitor on the event but an Achilles Tendon injury places a question mark against him appearing in 2010. Stone is currently unable to drive as his right ankle is locked in place by a 'Beckham Boot' appliance, so named after the England footballer who sustained a similar injury some years back. Stone said "Hopefully the boot will be removed on Wednesday (2nd Dec) but then I still won't be able to drive for at least four weeks. Obviously I'm aiming to be fit for the rally but it's all down to the healing process."
Route details have yet to be finalised but stages on Blackpool Promenade will feature on both Friday night and Saturday.
Change of Date for the 2010 Legend Fires North West Stages
The 2010 Legend Fires North West Stages will run earlier than in previous years, with the rally now scheduled for Friday/Saturday 5th/6th February, which allows the organisers to introduce a series of new innovations.
Following the recent closure of the Pontins Blackpool Holiday Centre, which had served as Rally HQ for the past five years, organisers have struck a deal with the Norbreck Castle Hotel. As part of that deal the rally has acquired full access to the Hotel's Norcalympia exhibition facility that will host the scrutineering on the Friday afternoon and provide indoor Parc-Ferme on Friday evening.
Scrutineering will be open to spectators with running commentary and driver interviews and there are also plans to create a rally village with trade and memorabilia stands. Joint Clerk of the Course Dave Read said "We're looking to offer the spectator something extra and maybe a bit different to what's usually available. It will be like a starter before the main course, something to whet the appetite before venturing onto the stages."
Spectators won't have to go far to watch the opening stages either, just across the road in fact, as for 2010 the Friday pair of short Promenade stages have a new location. Designed to keep spectators at the heart of the action close to rally HQ the stages will utilise the most northerly part of Blackpool's famous Promenade and provide a mixture of fast straights and hairpin bends. If that weren't enough the event's central service area will also be located close to rally HQ giving spectators a one-stop scrutineering/stage/service opportunity.
There's more good news for competitors as the organisers have negotiated some amazing accommodation deals, details of which can be found on the event website at www.nwstages.co.uk/
Read added "The rally HQ provides us with some fantastic facilities which will add to the experience of competing on the rally. We're always looking to improve on what we have to offer and this is another big step forward."
