Editing Rallying (section)

==== Introduction of special stages ====
[[File:Jari-Matti_Latvala-2007_Wales_Rally_GB_001.jpg|thumb|[[Jari-Matti Latvala]] on the muddy gravel roads of the [[2007 Wales Rally GB]].]]

Rallying became very popular in Sweden and Finland in the 1950s, thanks in part to the invention there of the ''specialsträcka'' (Swedish) or ''erikoiskoe'' (Finnish), or special stage. These were shorter sections of route, usually on minor or private roads—predominantly gravel in these countries—away from habitation and traffic, which were separately timed.<ref>Tunberg, Anders, and Haventon, Peter. ''Full fart genom Sverige: Svenska Rallyt 50 år'' (''Full speed through Sweden: 50 years of the Swedish Rally''). Bienen & Haventon, 2000.</ref><ref>Mäkinen, Marko, and Rauhala, Samuli. ''Finnish Grand Prix: 50 years of rallying'' (UserCom Finland Oy, 2001), p.9.</ref> These provided the solution to the conflict inherent in the notion of driving as fast as possible on ordinary roads. The idea spread to other countries, albeit more slowly to the most demanding events.

The [[RAC Rally]] had formally become an International event in 1951, but Britain's laws precluded the closure of public highways for special stages. This meant it had to rely on short manoeuvrability tests, regularity sections and night map-reading navigation to find a winner, which made it unattractive to foreign crews. In 1961, Jack Kemsley was able to persuade the [[Forestry Commission]] to open their many hundreds of miles of well surfaced and sinuous gravel roads, and the event was transformed into one of the most demanding and popular in the calendar, by 1983 having over {{convert|600|mi|km}} of stage.<ref>Hamilton 1987 p 30</ref> It was later renamed [[Rally GB]].