The 51 RallyRACC, an example of environmental friendliness

28/09/2015

Dani Sordo gives advice to the fans in a video, to whom the RACC asks for collaboration

After setting a trend working meticulously in order to preserve the condition in which the tracks that are used for the race are left, especially since the RallyRACC became an event with a mixed (tarmac/gravel) layout, the RACC is aiming to provide this coming 51st edition with the highest levels of environmental friendliness, including roads, tracks and properties public or private - that will be used during the event.

The RACC together with all the organisations affected, will intensify a series of measures with the aim of favouring the logical coexistence of the race and the natural environment around it. They are making a call, especially to all fans following the rally on any of the four race days, in order to achieve this new approach for the way in which we all experience the event, especially as regards special stages. Fans have the key to the success of this aim that the organiser has set itself together with the town councils, regional councils and owners of the areas that will be covered by the itinerary: At the end of the rally, the territory must remain in the same conditions it was at the beginning; not only the tracks and roads, but also the ditches and surroundings.

There are several actions taken as regards the cleaning of the areas visited by the rally, but both RACC and fans must undertake this joint challenge: Not leaving any kind of waste in the natural environment and the properties. The organization will be distributing 10,000 trash bags in the areas in which the presence of public is expected, as well as containers in the spectator areas which will be emptied by staff of the organisation after the last passage of the cars in each of the stages.

Safety and environmental protection go hand in hand in a rally race. The presence of large crowds implies a very rigorous control of both factors, but nothing can be achieved without the collaboration and involvement of the fans.

Most of the stages will be closed to traffic from midnight on the night before. All fans accessing the stages before they are closed will only be allowed to park in public areas, which will be duly signposted, and it will forbidden to camp, as established by the current legislation. Staff from the organisation, together with the Rural Police and the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) will be regulating the access of vehicles to the special stages.

Dani Sordo, official RACC pilot for Hyundai Motorsport team, collaborates in the campaign advising the fans in a video. In order to make this aim known, there will be a communication campaign in the channels of the 51 RallyRACC, supported by boards placed at the stages, with the following messages:

- Do not leave waste outside the set up containers.
- Place the waste inside the bags that have been provided in the areas planned by the organisation.
- If there are neither bags nor containers in the area chosen to watch the event, take the waste with you.
- Never light fires, do not use fireworks, and do not throw away cigarette ends or glass.
- Respect the environment and the rural surroundings. Do not invade crop land.
- When leaving forests or tracks, these must remain the same as they where when you arrived.
- Make a responsible use of water, paper and energy.
- Given the case, do collaborate to protect the habitat and wildlife of the environment.

As a support to this campaign and also to make sure that the safety regulations are complied with, there will be a helicopter remembering this advice, making control easier, since a camera on the helicopter will be sending live images to Race Direction. As regards the safety caravan, the usual SEAT vehicle fleet will be covering the stages before the race, giving advice to all fans.

The success achieved in safety predicts also a success in environmental friendliness
The symbols and their interpretation in terms of safety at spectator areas in special stages introduced in 2009 are still fully in force given their success, as a consequence of the change in philosophy, looking for and finding the complicity of spectators, thus minimising the environmental and visual impact of the safety areas.

The huge success of this initiative in order to control safety in a simple way, turning the civilized behaviour of the public into the main aspect, is what encourages the RACC to ask spectators now to join their will to protect the environment and to help the organiser in order to achieve the aim established for the 2015 edition.

According to Aman Barfull, Director of the Sports Area at the RACC and RallyRACC Clerk of the Course, in a society in which recycling and the treatment of waste is being considered as a primary question that concerns everybody, asking followers and fans to help us with the task of taking care of and cleaning the natural environment of the rally is something logical. All of this will make the RACC continue with its proverbial drawing-up of proposals with the main aim of improving the speciality, reducing costs and watching over everything that will make the inhabitants of the area continue to receive a top level event with enthusiasm".

Spectator Guide available
The Virtual Spectator Guide is available from today at www.rallyracc.com. It includes a complete description of the areas recommended for spectators in all special stages of the rally, including the shakedown. This electronic document, available in Spanish, Catalan and English, offers pictures and the usual indications, like general description, access, services and general assessment of each area, with a respective video, thus showing in a clarifying way what spectators will find when they arrive at the chose area.