r/rally • u/sci_zephyr • 17h ago
How to attend WRC event
I have been lucky enough to attend races from series such as F1 and WEC. Until now I've never attended a rally, but I would like to go to WRC Sweden next year. I am wondering about how the access to the stages is done. Should everyone pass through a gate/area to gain access to the stage? What tips do you have to find the most exciting places to watch the stages?
Thanks all in advance!
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u/JamiDoesStuff 15h ago
atleast in Rally Finland you have a map with all the stages with viewing areas and parking spots marked in it, usually when you drive to a parking spot they check your ticket and once you park there are signs giving you directions to the nearby viewing areas
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u/Piragix 14h ago
Stages are mostly accessed through roads connected to the stage. Cars will park along the road and then you walk along the stage to your desired spot. If there's a bus available to the stage I highly recommend taking those as parking can be quite difficult sometimes. Just make sure to bring some warm clothes as standing still for 3~ hours is not easy even in relatively "warm" weather like -5°.
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u/Pillens_burknerkorv 13h ago
I recommend diving Rally Sweden into two stints. A stage stint where you go out on a stage and watch the cars fly by. You can take a bus to some of the stages https://umeabuss.nu/rallybuss/
Like others have posted, bring warm clothes and the pro tip is to bring a sit pad to stand on. The insolation from the snow makes a huge difference for not getting your feet cold. A store in the city centre carry them for cheap https://www.clasohlson.com/se/Sittunderlag-vikbart/p/31-8252-1
And stay close to finns and estonians who will keep spirits up(in both sense of the word).
The other stint should be at the Red Barn Arena and the service area. A couple of stages finish at the red barn arean and the place is packed with people. There will be plenty of food trucks, merch for sale, big screens showing rally TV, concerts, etc. And you can walk over to the service area and see the cars pull in for service etc. If you wanna get some beers make sure you buy the right ticket as it’s only served in the VIP area.
The arena is also located a 15 min walk from the city centre so easy to get there and back.
If you’re staying in town check out www.visitumea.se for tips on places to eat etc. If you find something appealing make a reservation because places are packed during the rally.
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u/pindajara 12h ago
before attending you need to do some research about stages and fanzones. If you just want to see rallye cars and you don´t care about anyting I recomend you to visit service park and on a stage just build a tent one day prior the rallye. If you want to visit rallye like a hardcore fan you do a big research, you need to find a ways from one stage to another. This year I attended CER and I drove through whole stage because it was located in our neighborhood, so I could look around for spectator places.
Me, my dad and our friend, 12 years visited every rallye in our country.
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u/Karmaqqt 9h ago
There are rally tour company’s that will help guide you around to the best spots. I’ve looked into it, sense I really want to goto Finland or Sweden.
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u/diets182 7h ago
It's quite alot of logistical planning if you want to watch multiple stages to get there on time, park walk etc with road closures. I attended rally Finland with a tour group called "Rally travel" and they take care of everything. Your only responsibility is to get on their bus on time and they deal with the rest. Id recommend that
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u/112233445566778899JB 16h ago
In my experience, what I learned was that if you’re planning on going for several days, rent a motorhome.
It might have changed since I haven’t been since 2019 (kids), but access to the stages used to open the night before and you’re given a GPS location to the ticket area. Once you’ve passed through this, you’re basically inside the stage car park. Feel free to park up, have a beer, nice dinner, chat to other people there and then (if it’s one of the earlier stages of the day) get an early night. In the morning, breakfast at your leisure, walk to the stage which you are already in the car park of then either go to a designated fan zone which tend to be on hairpins/complexes of corners near the car park or go off a way into the stage if you want. The marshals are pretty chill if I’m honest, unless you’re being a complete idiot.
If you want to switch stages in the day, then obviously getting out of the car park, driving there and then parking up and finding a parking spot is a hassle, but setting up a motorhome-base in the car park of a stage is the main downside to my suggestion.
When I went to WRC events, I stayed in hotels in the surrounding areas. They’re overpriced as everywhere is booked up, you end up spending quite a lot of each day travelling to and from the stages and you inevitably end up having to get up early to account for traffic/parking at the stages which is by no means easy or guaranteed, especially the later in the day that it gets.