How is Slowly Sideways organised?
Strictly speaking there is only one Slowly Sideways. That is the one set up in Germany by Reinhard Klein and his family. However, both the United Kingdom and Ireland have their own branches. Steve Rockingham is the committee chairman for the United Kingdom and Fintan Foley for Ireland. There is good liaison and exchanges between all three.
How can I join Slowly Sideways?
Slowly Sideways is not a club but a group of ‘friends’ with a passion for their cars and the history of rallying. If you have an appropriate car and want to join in just let us know. Once you have let us know about your car and yourself, we will inform you regularly by email on the news about Slowly Sideways.
How is the relationship between Slowly Sideways and the rally organisers?
Slowly Sideways is not a rally organiser itself. We are just the supporting programme of modern rallies where we give owners of old rally cars the opportunity to demonstrate their cars. This means we must not disturb the main event with our activities.
I have heard that Slowly Sideways has a great social side?
That is very important for us. We usually try to stay in one hotel with all teams. You can say that we drive with each other and not against each other!
… on the cars
Does Slowly Sideways accept ‘replicas’?
Yes and No. We do not get involved in chassis number discussions and originality disputes. If a particular famous car is not available to us, then a very good ‘replica’ is welcome, but it must be in very close condition to the original. Above all, it must be a rally car and not a ‘look-alike’ created from a road car.
I have heard that you have a cut-off date of 1986. Is this correct?
Mainly yes. However we accept a small number of important rally cars from the post-1986 period. They need to be proper Group A ex-works cars. Group N cars are not accepted.
I have a suitable car. How can I compete in rallies with Slowly Sideways?
First of all we have to state clearly that we do not have any form of competition. We merely demonstrate our cars on special stages. This makes a considerable difference. To take part in our demonstration you basically just need the right car. The rest also depends on the event organiser. A rally organiser may ask for a certain number of cars to run over their special stages at the convenience of the Clerk of the Course. We may run all the stages or just some.
… on the participation on the rallies
Do I have to complete a Slowly Sideways entry form?
In the first instance, ‘yes’. To be accepted into the group, you should fill in the application form (downloadable from this website) and send it to us with as much detail on your car as possible.
For actual events, this is not normally the case. If you are already known to us, simply drop us an email if you like to take part in one of our events. We will get back to you to let you know whether we have found a place for you (our numbers are nearly always limited by the event requirements).It is good to bear in mind that we have a closing date for entry into each event with which you have to comply.
Do I need a competition licence?
Strictly speaking ‘no’ as you are not actually competing. However, in the UK branch of Slowly Sideways we do insist that you have as a minimum requirement a current competition licence of at least National B status. This is required by our insurance (see next paragraph). Also an organiser both in the UK and elsewhere may ask for the Slowly Sideways drivers to hold a competition licence.
What about insurance?
This is up to the individual. Of course, liaison sections are run on open public roads and thus you will need road traffic insurance for the country in which you are travelling. You must check with your own insurance provider as to the cover your policy gives you. If in doubt, consult a specialist insurance broker. It goes without saying that for driving on the public road anywhere your car will need to have current tax, licence and MoT.
Rally organisers normally obtain ‘Third Party’ (Public Liability) insurance for all cars running on the closed roads of their special stages, and that normally includes us. This is something that we check on with the event organiser. In any case, we maintain a ‘safety net’ Public Liability insurance that covers cars that have been nominated for the particular Slowly Sideways event and whose drivers hold a current competition licence.
Do I have to pay an entry fee?
Whenever possible we try to negotiate free entry. But of course we also create costs for the organisers (insurance, road books, start numbers etc.), so they need paying entrants to meet their budget. Thus on some rallies there may be an entry fee but it will nearly always be lower than for the competitors on the main event For us it is more important to be properly integrated into an event and drive on nice roads than to drive for free.
As mentioned above, Slowly Sideways UK does require a modest annual fee to cover the costs of printing, web site and e-mailing.
Will my car have to go through scrutineering?
When our cars run on special stages within the UK and Ireland – yes, almost certainly. This is normally only for safety scrutineering. If the event is an MSA Permit event, then you will either need an MSA Rally Car Log Book or a special Slowly Sideways Log Book based on the MSA one. This special Log Book will require an MSA scrutineer to examine your car in regard to its safety items (see next paragraph). There is no question here of eligibility. Other countries within Europe have different approaches.
What Scrutineering criteria are set by Slowly Sideways?
Slowly Sideways does not set scrutineering criteria. The Clerk of the Course of the particular rally with his Chief Scrutineer sets these. Any special requirements that must be met will be set out in the rally regulations or the information we send you prior to the event. For events in the UK we require that crews wear approved crash helmets and fireproof overalls while the cars must carry fire extinguishers and have proper seats and seat belts.
Can I run ‘racing slicks’ on my car?
Basically no. The old fashioned plain slicks from the past are illegal for use on public roads. It is important for you to check that your tyres are approved for road use in the country where the event is held.
On the other hand, if the event does not call for any road mileage at all and its regulations do not ban slick tyres, then of course you are free to use them
Do I have to have experience in competitive rallies to be considered by Slowly Sideways?
Not necessarily. Your experience may lie with races, sprints or hill climbs. But the fact that you have to be in possession of a current competition licence of at least the minimum grade shows rally organisers that those coming to drive on their stages have that competition experience and are unlikely to make fools of themselves.
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