Visitors to this year’s RallyDay will need to remember to take a few things with them: a camera, to capture some of the most iconic rally cars from every era of the sport; if the last few years are anything to go by, some sun cream and definitely a pair of comfortable shoes, as they’ll need them as they wander round the paddocks.
Anyone planning on hitting the track in their road or rally car will also need to bring their safety gear and their driving license. But this year, there’s one crucial piece of kit they won’t need to bring with them or panic if they forget; fuel. That’s because the company that distributes the control fuel at the FIA World Rally Championship, Vital Equipment, will be setting up an on-site filling station, to provide anyone running on the day with all the fuel they’ll need.
As it does for the WRC, as well as the BTRDA and Scottish Rally Championships, Vital Equipment will be making both super unleaded and high-performance turbo fuel available on the day. Anyone requiring fuel doesn’t need to pre-book; they simply turn up, fill up and pay for what they use.
Vital Equipment’s involvement in rallying goes back some four decades, when Managing Director Alistair Roberts began competing in road rallies. Over the intervening time, Alistair has co-driven and has worked for manufacturer teams in both logistics and overall management roles, helping to claim Tommi Makinen’s four driver titles with Mitsubishi.
Vital Equipment was set up in 2004 and assumed responsibility for transportation and distribution of the control fuel for the WRC in 2009 as well as a host of other series, both in the UK and abroad.
Vital Equipment will have Super Unleaded and a high-performance fuel, suitable for aspirated and turbocharged rally cars in Group N, R4 and World Rally Car specification, available at the event. The latter fuel is the same as used by Mark Higgins on his recent new world record lap of the Isle of Man TT circuit, where he shattered the previous record set by Tony Pond, averaging 113mph over the 37 mile course.
The company will naturally have a range of delivery options, ranging from FIA-approved couplings to familiar, service station-style nozzles for road cars and will happily dispense as much, or as little, as needed. The Super Unleaded will sell at a marginally higher price than local forecourts but means that drivers don’t have the inconvenience and potentially dangerous responsibility of carrying and, more importantly, filling their vehicles in the busy paddocks.
Because of its longstanding involvement in rallying, the company is keen to support RallyDay, as it recognises the importance of the event to the rally community and fans. Commenting, Roberts said; “Having visited RallyDay several times over the last few years, we felt that we ought to be offering the rallying community the opportunity to fuel their cars at the event in a safe and controlled manner.
“I realise that many people will automatically assume that they need a full tank or to bring fuel with them and they may well prefer to do that. However, we will be setting up the same re-fuelling service that we use on the WRC, the BTRDA and the Scottish Rally Championship.
“This means that drivers needn’t worry about bringing fuel with them or running low. And if they decide they need more, they won’t have to go out and fight the crowds to get back in again or worry about how far the nearest filling station is when they leave.”