OPERATING AT THE VERY HIGHEST OF STANDARDS
WHO ARE WE?
The Hills Ford Stages is a Closed Road Rally, organised by Cheltenham Motor Club and run by a dedicated team of volunteers, under the authority of Motorsport UK who is the national governing body for motorsport in the United Kingdom.
Historically rallying took place in forests, on private roads and on airfields. In 2015 a change in the legislation created the means for motor clubs to apply to local authorities to close public roads for motorsport events. Transitioning to closed-road events enables greater community involvement and opens rallying to wider audiences, bringing motorsport action closer to towns and villages and creating opportunities for financial and social benefit.
The Hills Ford Stages takes place once a year, usually in September, on selected roads in the County and takes over a year and hundreds of hours to plan. The event is part of a number of national rally championships and the title sponsor, Hills Ford of Kidderminster Malvern and Worcester has been involved in motorsport and rallying for a number of years.
Contact details:
info@hillsfordstages.co.uk
What is a Closed Road Rally?
A Closed Road Rally is an exciting evolution of motorsport that takes place on public roads under the strict guidelines of Motorsport UK and under Section 12 (amendment 2015) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 Motor Racing Regulations 2018, which is law in England, Wales and Scotland. The National Competition Rules and Stage Rally Safety Requirements from Motorsport UK and the Health & Safety Executive provide the structure for safety. A local authority Safety Advisory Group supervises the Hills Ford Stages to ensure the organising team inform and consult with the emergency services, Fire, Ambulance and Police and the relevant Council Departments. A full Safety Plan for the event is compiled with Risk Assessments and Safety Measures and includes the proposed roads for closure. The Safety Plan, which is an evolving document, is submitted to Motorsport UK and to the Safety Advisory Group. The details and qualifications of the Officials of the Event, the location of the Service Park and Rally Control are also supplied.
The Section 12 (amendment 2015) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 Motor Racing Regulations 2018 requires Motorsport UK to hold a consultation with parish councils who will be involved in the event because a proposed closed road is within their parish. The consultation commences at least nine months before the event takes place and lasts for 6 weeks.
The parishes are given the facts about the event which includes the date and timings for the road closures and are provided with a copy of these Closed Road Rally Guidelines.
The Local Authority officially closes the roads and issues the event with a Motor Race Order. This Order suspends the Road Traffic Act and any Traffic Regulation Orders for duration of the road closures.
How does a Rally work?
A Closed Road Rally is made up of a number of special stages. Each special stage is made up of a number of closed public roads. A special stage is usually between 5 and 12 miles in length, on which the rally cars compete ‘against the clock’. It is not a race, it is more of a time trial. Each competing car, which has a driver and co-driver, travels from the start to the finish of the special stage and their time is recorded. It is then compared against similar cars to ascertain a winner. There are normally 4 or 5 special stages which are run once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Up to150 competing cars may enter the event, a mix of modern and historic rally cars with professional and amateur teams from the UK, Ireland and Europe. The driver and co-driver must hold valid Motorsport UK Competition licences.
The competing cars must travel between the special stages on open public roads. All the competition cars must be road legal and hold valid MOT, road TAX and insurance documentation, and must comply with all normal Road Traffic legislation, including speed limits and driving behaviour. All the competing cars are fitted with tracking devices which show their location and speed in Rally Control. An infringement of traffic legislation may result in the competitors being disqualified from the event
Each car is built specifically for competing in rallying and must comply with technical and safety rules specified by Motorsport UK. In addition to having a current MOT each car is rigorously checked - known as scruitineering - on arrival for the event to ensure it complies with all the Motorsport UK regulations including a noise check.
The day before the event the driver and co-driver are allowed to drive the rally route, in normal road cars, to allow them to make notes. This is known as the recce. These road cars are identifiable and are fitted with tracking devices which are monitored in Rally Control. The recce cars must comply with Road Traffic legislation and the rules of the road. An infringement of traffic legislation may result in the competitors being disqualified from the event.
Safety is at the heart of the Rally
The Rally is not a race and very strict speed limits are set throughout. Each rally car contains two people, a driver and a navigator, known as a crew. Each crew has to navigate the Stage together, with the driver responding to instructions from their co-driver. Both hold Competition licences issued by Motorsport UK.
Each car, including the official’s vehicles, has a tracker fitted which monitors position and speed and is closely analysed by officials in Rally Control during the rally. Each car has to pass a rigorous scrutineering and noise control process to ensure its legality and safety.
The crews are allowed a reconnaissance, known as a recce, the day before the event, where they drive the route in a normal road car to allow them to make notes. They must comply with legislation and the rules of the road whilst doing this. Recce cars also have trackers fitted to them.
On the day of the Rally the relevant sections of road will closed from around 0600 until around 2000 - depending on the relevant County Council Road Closure Order. This allows for setting up the stage and for all the safety checks to be done.
We will facilitate resident access wherever possible at all times APART from when the Stage is live i.e. there are competing rally cars on the road.
The rally cars will be released from the Stage Start at 1 minute intervals. The cars do not race against each other directly, instead they are timed through each Stage.
Each Stage will be run twice or maybe three times during the day, usually once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
Once all the competing cars have completed the Stage for the final time we will reopen the road as soon as possible allowing for the removal of signs, barriers etc. A Stage Opening vehicle will ensure the road is completely safe to reopen, after which all residents will have full access.
Resident and Business Liaison
To ensure we reach & maintain the highest level of safety we do the following:
- Risk Assessments are compiled by our Event Safety Officer and Spectator Safety Officer teams
- We have a Safety Advisory Group, set up at the start of the year, consisting of Rally officials, Fire,
Ambulance and Police Departments, and the relevant County Council Departments. This group
produces a full Safety Plan for the event.
- We use a Safety Car Convoy on the day of the event.
A safety convoy comprises of a number of vehicles which travel through each stage with a specific safety role. To know more please check the hillsfordstages.co.uk website for a greater detailed explanation of the safety convoy and each vehicles roles and what goes into organising the rally.
- We have an Motorsport UK Safety Delegate who attends the whole event and assesses and
advises on the safe running of the event.
- We have a Chief Medical Officer for the event.
- We have Motorsport UK registered and accredited Rescue Units and Recovery Crews with fully
equipped ambulances staffed by doctors or paramedics with trained rescue personnel.
- Rally officials come from all over the UK and are fully trained and qualified for their roles and often
have many years of experience.
- We have senior officials on every Stage - a Stage Commander, Deputy Stage Commander and
Stage Safety Officer.
- In 2024 there were over 300 marshals, 7 Rescue Units, 10 Recovery Units, 6 paramedics, and an
experienced doctor.
Benefits to the region
The Hills Ford Stages is more than just cars and competition!
It brings a massive boost to the local economy, circa £350k in accommodation, restaurants, shopping and more! It showcases excellence in many fields particularity technology. It brings community involvement, parish councils can raise funds by organising and running spectator areas. Additionally Parish Councils can apply to the Organisers for a donation to a chosen local charity or scheme. Schools and colleges can be involved with media and technology and by showcasing what is learnt in the classroom is relevant to running a motorsport event.
Motorsport, whether rallying or F1, has always been at the forefront of development from fuel efficiency, hybrid technology, sustainable artificial fuels which all filter down to everyday transport. It is at the core of research into environmentally friendly travel solutions across all areas from the domestic car to public transport and delivery vehicles. Motorsport developments are frequently incorporated into everyday vehicles and are leaders in the use of environmentally friendly bio-fuels and are developing these fuels for general consumption.
The Environment/Sustainability
Cheltenham Motor Cub is proud to announce that it has been awarded Motorsport UK’s prestigious Sustainability Accreditation, recognising its ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility and innovation in motorsport event management.
This accolade highlights the Club’s efforts to ensure that the Hills Ford Stages Rally remains one of the most sustainable events on the UK rally calendar. Behind the scenes, the organising team has worked tirelessly to implement new practices that significantly reduce the rally’s carbon footprint. These include minimising printed materials, streamlining logistics, and adopting digital solutions wherever possible.
Beyond operational improvements, the Club has also taken proactive steps to enhance the local environment. Through partnerships with community groups, the rally supports local planting and re-wilding initiatives, helping to restore biodiversity and leave a positive legacy in the region.
OUR LOCAL RALLY AMBASSADORS
In 2024, we proudly welcomed our local resident Rally Ambassadors, Sandra Price and James Westwood, as champions of our Drive Smart Campaign. Their support has been instrumental in promoting better driving standards and showcasing pathways to improved road skills. Both Sandra and James have been unwavering in their enthusiasm for the rally, and their impressive skills behind the wheel have truly blown us away. Building on this success, we’re excited to work with more local residents in 2025 to continue driving this important initiative forward.
The Festival begins
Further Reading
