POSTPONED BORDER COUNTIES RALLY FACES CALENDAR HEADACHE
J ed burgh event will struggle to keep british and scottish series
The Border Counties Rally faces a struggle to return to the rally calendar with its championships intact with no obvious date to reschedule the postponed event.
The Jedburgh counter was due to kick off the British Rally Championship, and was the second round of the Scottish Rally Championship.
However, with a congested calendar, it looks unlikely that the Borders will be able to run on a weekend where it is suitable for both the SRC and BRC
(see calendar boxes, right).
“We need to sit down as a committee and work out where we are,” said Clayton Lackenby, Border Counties Rally clerk of the course. “It’s a congested calendar to try and work out where we can slot in and work in the championships, it’s going to be difficult and we know that. The other events that were cancelled are looking for dates as well.
“There’s nothing [a date] that’s obviously ideal considering the British and Scottish Championships. We have to speak to the championships and see where they would want to be.
“We wouldn’t want to leave out a championship, as we’ve committed to both of them.”
British Rally Championship manager Iain Campbell added: “I admire the organiser’s stance, cancelling at a time when competitors could still get accommodation deposits and such like back. Even if the stages could have been cleared, the issue of getting marshals and rescue units into place properly was always going to be a concern.”
The event was cancelled early [Friday March 2] due to concerns over getting marshals and safety crews into the stages. The event organisers were robbed of valuable set-up time over last weekend due to heavy and drifting snow. Thought was also given to the number of crews travelling long distances and from abroad, in order to give them time to recoup cash.