Final assessment by Aman Barfull, Clerk of the Course of the RallyRACC
(19/11/2012) |
| Aman Barfull |
"We've made a huge step forward to bring the RallyRACC closer to society"
Aman Barfull, RallyRACC Clerk of the Course, leads an organisation and a team of the highest level within the FIA World Rally Championship. True to his intentions to innovate and provide the world of rallying with new elements to make this sport grow, the highest official of the Spanish race makes a final assessment, on behalf of the club and from his own perspective, of an event that has set another milestone as regards the organisation of world rally championship events.
Aman Barfull, RACC Sports Area Director, RallyRACC Clerk of the Course, Vice-President of the FIA Rally Commission, member of the FIA WRC Commission states:
"The feeling of satisfaction once the RallyRACC is over is the best sign that everything went well, and this year we are more than satisfied, because we also managed to achieve one of our main aims: to bring our rally closer to society with a view to the future. Our focus while designing the 48th edition of the rally had been clearly set on the public.
Once we had reached a high level as regards safety, environment-friendliness, innovations in terms of sports and organisation, and after creating the only rally of the world championship to include mixed stages, it was clearly the turn to try to involve in our proposal all those who would probably never attend a car race like this. And we made it happen with Barcelona.
With the involvement of the Barcelona City Council, we have been able to enjoy a great show, unprecedented, unanimously praised by the FIA, teams, drivers, journalists and citizens. While I was watching the cars starting from the ramp after an afternoon filled with excitement, I couldn't have any other feeling but that everything was working out exactly the way we had planned it...but with a much bigger beauty than we thought a start from the Cathedral could ever have.
The RallyRACC is a consolidated event, but its new evolution line is from now on oriented towards the society, the public, the people who have to make this race important for the city, a great event that will provide a close and interesting sports event and that will obviously serve to make the territory in which it is held grow in order to boost the international character on all levels.
We should also mention the values which we are creating around our event, values that the organisation, and especially all volunteers, as well as the Catalan and local police forces have made grow: the collective effort. The RallyRACC is an extraordinarily complex event. Close to 2,500 people, as I already said last year, are our best asset, now and in the future: our rally is teamwork.
Last but not least, I would like to comment on our mixed-stage itinerary designed at the Costa Daurada. We have impeccable special stages, they are selective, and this year the rain turned the first rally day into a true challenge for drivers and their machines. And it did not only provide for a great uncertainty at the beginning, it also forced several drivers to give up the fight, which confirms that our race is a difficult, unpredictable challenge.
We have been organising the RallyRACC for eight years in a row at the Costa Daurada, with its nerve centre in Salou and PortAventura. Now, with the inclusion of Barcelona, the popularity and the worldwide repercussion have been significantly increased, turning our race into a great celebration in the world of rallying. As we usually say, see you next year, but this time, and more than ever before, the memories of the images from the year 2012 will take a long time to give way to the excitement of thinking about the next edition, the RallyRACC 2013. It's been a total success".