After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, details of the AutoRaise Rally have been announced by the organisers and the 2022 event is being held from 21-23 September 2022 and it would appear to be even tougher than ever before!

A great and challenging route awaits adventure loving participants keen to take on the AutoRaise 2022 AutoRaise Rally. The official starting grid will be at Caffeine & Machine in Stratford then heading off to take in the amazing landscapes of Wales over two days, including stays in Aberystwyth and Cardiff.

“The event is now called “AutoRaise Rally” in recognition of the number of competitors from the vehicle repair industry and AutoRaise being the primary beneficiary of funds raised” explained Vice-Chair, Steve Thompson. “It was a fairly easy decision to stay in the UK due to the uncertainty of travelling abroad and the opportunity to once again relish in what stunning scenery we have on our doorsteps. We appreciate that we have our work cut out in producing another great event, but with an amazing team supporting us; we expect this one to be the best, although the most demanding to date.”

With participating team numbers steadily increasing over the years and based on some teams who have already pre-registered, the AutoRaise Rally organisers are expecting another record attendance. “Based on current projections, we think there could be as many as 85 teams and we will have to restrict numbers to that level to make sure everyone gets a hotel room each night” Jen Evans, AutoRaise business Executive commented. “We expect to enjoy some great adventures along the way, and we’re very excited about bringing people together once again for some lovely scenic drives, lots of social time to chat with friends and colleagues and no doubt a few “vehicle issues” too!”

Because of the anticipated demand, places will be reserved strictly on a first-come, first-served basis and by making a £500 deposit per team. The deadline for places is Monday 14th March 2022, although preference will be given to previous competitors, AutoRaise Partners and Affiliated Repairers.

Anticipated cost per team (assuming two people are sharing a double occupancy room for the two nights) to include all meals (except the Cardiff night), accommodation, lunches, refreshment breaks, drinks receptions and provided entertainment will be circa £1,500.

The rules for the 2022 AutoRaise Rally will remain the same as previous years. Every team has to raise a minimum of £500 in fundraising and sponsorship for the charity, with this being a minimum criterion for entry. Competitors can either enter a “Banger” or a “Classic”. These are defined as:

Banger – a vehicle that is either valued at or purchased and then made Rally-ready at a cost of less than £1,000

Classic – a vehicle that is either valued at or purchased at a value exceeding £1,000. To enter a Classic, the team must make a mandatory donation of £1,000 to the charity.

This year AutoRaise have a dedicated a Rally page on their website https://www.autoraise.co.uk/autoraise-rally along with their usual social media channels for the Rally and anyone interested in joining the 2022 AutoRaise REAL Rally should register interest by emailing autoraiserally@autoraise.co.uk