Easter Stages Rally joins Irish Tarmac series

The Easter Stages Rally is set to make a comeback next year and will form part of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

The event will be run and organised by the Ulster Automobile Club, filling the void left by the Circuit of Ireland Rally, which is not taking place as the funding usually offered by the Northern Irish government can’t be confirmed while it isn’t sitting.

The Circuit of Ireland is run and organised by Bobby Willis and the Circuit of Ireland Management Team, meaning the Easter Stages event has no relation to the Circuit of Ireland other than it will use the same road-closing order which belongs to the UAC.

It is scheduled to be run over April 6/7 and will become the third round of the ITRC. The exact route and venue for the service area are yet to be confirmed. Stages in County Antrim are being evaluated.

UAC spokesperson Chris Beck said: “Event planning started in July when the Circuit of Ireland Management Team informed the Ulster Automobile Club they would not be in a position to promote the Circuit of Ireland Rally next season.

“The Ulster Automobile Club felt, as there was again no Circuit of Ireland Rally, that they should step in and fill the void.”

The Easter Stages was due to run last in 2013, but heavy snow before the event forced its cancellation.

The rest of the ITRC calendar is yet to be confirmed.