Eifel Rallye Festival 2014

http://www.eifel-rallye-festival.de/en/home.html

After a couple of years of debate have taken the plunge and booked the week off to go and visit this amazing looking event! Having seen some of Juha's great pictures from previous years thought it was a must and looking at the entry that is already assembled I think its going to be a blast! Rohrl,Blomqvist,Toivonen,Andruet,Loubet,Duez,Waldegaard on the list with cars ranging from 6R4s thru an Astra 400 and everything in between. A lot of the cars are replicas not necessarily the real mcoy but so many famous car/livery combinations am going to have to buy some more memory cards for the camera! Really looking forward to the event and guess there may be the odd stall or two to peruse in Daun as well  

An event on our hit list to be done next year hopefully.

Just back from Le Mans after 20 years of not going and we were talking about the Eifel Rally on the way back

Would like some feedback on how easy it is to get around, your accomodation (because it all gets booked up months in advance), anything else we need to know, must do/not do etc...

Cheers
Chris

I think chat with James (JOB) as he have competed there with the last 3 or 4 years and I think he have plans to go again this year ????

Yes, always looks to be a great event. Plenty to see, drool over and bring back memories of rallying of old!   

Can't see me getting there for a few years. What with family commitments and plenty of rallycross events to get along and watch... and possibly exhibit at!   

Maybe some time in the future......

Cheers, Steve

Ryanair fly into Frankfurt Hahn - 40 minutes down the road from Daun where the rally is based. First time we went we landed in Maastricht and called to Spa and Spa Francochamps on the way there (40 minutes away) and came back via The Nurburgring ( 30 minutes away). Good quality hotels readily available at approx 40 euro pps B&B per night. Also campsites.

You have obviously found the website. I need to doublecheck as there is a separate password protected section for competitors but there is a big openair party on Thursday night with outdoor screen and all the stars hang out for a few beers etc. Oompah band etc etc Friday morning the trademark photo is taken at the airstrip and this is where I tell our crew o go - 150 iconic rally cars coming out just one entrance in a line is mindblowing.

Sacrifice one stage on Saturday to get into the town to sample the atmosphere. Daun is a very small town and the cars are stuck in every little nook and cranny so it is very easily got around and there are cars there that do not get out to the stages. Three or four guys selling models and another few selling rally books. Reinhard Klein and John Davenport also there flogging whatever their latest tome is. Handy to get the books autographed. The forementioned trademark photo from the airfield goes on sale mid afternoon on Saturday but sells out quickly. If you wish let me know and I can pick one up for you- they are only a couple of euros each. Weather usually hot - very fine UK/Irish summers days - can get thunder showers.

Stages are predominantly tar - Friday night is the only full loose stage (Bosch superstage). There are small link sections on some stages through the woods on the loose. Stages tend to have loops within them so you can see the same car maybe up to three times.

I am going for the third year on the trot this year so I would not be the best for giving guidelines on spectating. Juha and Seamus Counihan would be better placed to do that. From what I see there are huge numbers of spectators but they find a spot and stay there. Our service crew seem to be able to duck in and out to the stages with relative ease while we are out there.

Any questions just ask - send me your mobile number on a pm and I will do likewise. You will not be disappointed.

   i am................so................. wanting to do this some time soon!! sounds fantastic!!!

James

Thanks for all your up front comments.

You just made it worse we DO need to go now!!!

If anyone one has any comments from a spectators view point would also be helpful.

Good luck this year

Cheers
Chris

James

Many thanks for the info may need to pick your brains further!

We're flying to Dussledorf and picking the car up there only because the JET2 price was better and can do the 'ring on the way down!

Chris

As a first timer I'll let you know what our digs are like as its self catering lodge a few mins from the centre of Daun

Cheers all and roll on the event!

Cheers

Chris

JOB wrote:I am going for the third year on the trot this year so I would not be the best for giving guidelines on spectating. Juha and Seamus Counihan would be better placed to do that. From what I see there are huge numbers of spectators but they find a spot and stay there. Our service crew seem to be able to duck in and out to the stages with relative ease while we are out there.

Your service crew found the handy service roads through the woods.

You can do both stages on Friday, they're close to each other, and three on Saturday.

Juha were your images taken using a media pass or is there plenty of scope for camera use as a paying fan?

Sal wrote:Juha were your images taken using a media pass or is there plenty of scope for camera use as a paying fan?

You are somewhat restricted on the more popular spots  i.e. the watersplash etc.. One of our service crew has a camera with all the bells and whistles and he tells me that there are places the pro's can go with their bibs that he cannot get to. I wouldn't let that be a deterrent. There's a lot of stage miles out there.  I will be going through the maps etc with him so we can touch base on the Thurs/Friday and mark your map as best we can for you. The one thing to bear in mind is that they do have closed loops within some stages which does restrict access somewhat In any event we will be doing a recce and I will keep you in mind. Keep an eye out for car 16 the white Porker.
Just had a look at the Eifel posts from previous years so I will make the same offer again. If anyone is looking for photos of a particular car please let me know on here and I will do my best. No action shots for obvious reasons but close ups for decal purposes should be possible.

The marshals can be very strict, certainly on the more popular spots, but there's always a solution. The watersplash on the friday afternoon is very difficult without a media pass, but the jump on the same stage isn't, and night shots on the jump in the evening can be taken without a media tabard.



On Saturday morning, there's a nice hairpin on the opening stage at Niederstadtfeld.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/4tiVr

Park near the junction near the L27 and walk up. If they don't let you through, walk through the Schulstrasse and after 200m you can climb up the hill and walk on the stage.

No media tabard required to stand in the places where I took these:





The last stage of the Saturday loop has a very popular section of corners ending with a lefthander through a tunnel underneath a motorway (90 left, medium left, hairpin right and left). It offers excellent viewing, with food an drinks on hand and plenty of space to park.

You can stand in these places if the marshals are in a good mood.

Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/UmiwN







One kilometre further on is a very quiet but good spot, a T junction with a split (90 left or right). You can either walk up to it if they let you (from the previous spot), or move the car, do a mile of gravel roads, and park it there. The entrance to the access road is easily missed, and strictly speaking you can't use it, but we've never had any problems - and neither did James' friends as they showed up there too.

This is the road you're looking for: https://goo.gl/maps/V4QZn

James/Juha

Many many thanks for the information I really appreciate it.

Looking at the quality and variety of the entry I'm sure its going to be a rally never to forget.

Kind Regards

Chris

Flight tonight and a couple of days in Luxembourg before hitting Daun in time for shakedown. Looking forward to catching up and 3 days of historic rallying nirvana!

Will try and post some updates but not taking laptop so you will have to wait for the pics!

Cheers
Chris

HI Chris,

Have a wonderful time.

I don't think that will be too difficult for you!!

Yours, jealously, Steve

Have a good time Chris. Get plenty of pic's  

Cadwell Park for me this weekend. Not rallying i know but my friend is racing his MK1 Escort in the Historic Touring cars   

safe travels chris, im also looking forward to pix of this...not really jealous.................much!!    

I'll be 'making do' with a day of rallycross action at Pembrey, South Wales on Sunday.

Can't wait! Plenty of on-track action, meeting up with friends in the Retro Rallycross Arena, collecting some parts for my Metro (that's my 1:1 scale 1983 mk1 Vanden Plas) and taking plenty of pics from which I will start making the Retro Ralycross grid in 1/43 scale. This will include models of cars from manufacturers from other countries such as Germany and America (Porsche and Ford), which is a first for me.

Have a great weekend of motorsport ahead Chris and Chris. Yeehar!!

Cheers, Steve

Cheers Steve. Have a good one yourself.

Thanks Chris,

I think it's a certainty I will!!

Cheers, Steve

Guys many thanks! Invested in some new memory for the camera so will be taking shots of anything that looks like a rally car!

Driving over to Daun on Thursday am from Luxembourg as less than 2 hours away. Pity Rally Germany isnt on as Trier is only a stones throw away!

That's the Eifel finished for another year. Really pleased to have met Sal a few times over the weekend. He looked like he was having a great time, I'm sure he'll be back!

When I made this photo, I had no idea there were two forum members on this photo, and Chris Patterson as a bonus.

[quote="Juha"]When I made this photo, I had no idea there were two forum members on this photo, and Chris Patterson as a bonus.quote]

Juha,

Who is in the photo, then?  Can you name and shame    , I mean help us see who is who?    

Many thanks, Steve

Just got the wifi key out of the hotel so what a great surprise to see that image, thanks Juha!

The largish chap boring everyone to death with my Walter Rohrl just signed my rallypass story is of course me with my long suffering wife to the right of the image!

Going to post a report and pics when I get back to blighty but must just take the opportunity to publicly thank James and Juha for all the guidance and help without which we wouldnt have had such a great time!

All I'm going to say for now is get yourselves here in 2015!

My pics are online at www.rallyfoto.be

Dad and I arrived on Friday morning, we decided not to bother with shakedown. Dad met some old friends, James introduced me to Sal, and James got to meet my old man at the town square. The rally is half the fun, meeting people and making friends is what makes this rally great.

I did exactly the same stages as last year, even the same corners except on the opening stage. I should change that for next year, some corners do become boring after going there every year since 2008. 

Harri Toivonen and Cedric Wrede reunited with their 6R4, which only lasted one stage unfortunately.



One of the many Opel drivers, they only do it sideways.



The Master getting ready for action, and showing sideways precision on the evening stage.





Multiple Czech champion Vaclav Pech in the ex-Churchill RS200.



Conor Falvey and JOB.



Special effects, with a little help of my German friends.



Saturday morning and Sal joins me for the hairpin at Risselberg.



And off to Lehwald for two runs on that stage, more sideways Germans, Matthias Kahle in his Skoda.



We've seen them before.