Quote:
Originally Posted by NaBUru38
A circuit rally requires renting a racetrack, which may or may not be expensive. But it helps to attract paying fans, which can't be done easily in a stage rally.
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Venue hire is expensive no matter whether it's a circuit, airfield or forest (I can't remember what the Forestry Commission charge per mile but it's not cheap!). For the circuit based events the circuit will take the gate money for the spectators (the cost of putting the event on will be paid by the organising club and recouped from the competitor entry fees).
For the circuits it's another way of bringing in money during the "off season". When we did the rally at Brands Hatch this year there were areas around the circuit undergoing their winter improvements / maintenance - they couldn't have run a race meeting or track day given where the work was being carried out, no problem for the rally though so it turns otherwise "dead" time into paying time for the circuits.
The circuit based events are great for the casual rally fan and as mentioned above some circuits have turned them into family friendly events by putting on things like fireworks as well. It's a way of getting people to watch rallying that may otherwise never see a rally. Many of the single venue events are on Ministry Of Defence sites and no spectators are allowed, forest events are by their nature more difficult to get to and have limited facilities - bobble hats compulsory
The closed road events also offer a good chance to bring new spectators to the sport - the Clacton rally had plenty of people out watching a rally for the first time.