CRITICAL REVAMP TO SAVE BRITISH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Calendar shake-up in an effort to restore health ofuk series

In its most radical overhaul since relaunching in 2016, the British Rally Championship has added three new events to its 2019 calendar.

Wales Rally GB – which has divided competitors over its inclusion in the schedule – along with Rally Isle of Man and the Border Counties have been dropped.

Three new events have been rostered for 2019, including a trip to Ireland for the West Cork Rally.

British Rally Championship frontrunner David Bogie said the addition of more events, which will be shared with other series, is a positive. “The first impressions of the calendar are good,” said Bogie.

The British Rally Championship has added the Cambrian and Galloway Hills rallies to its 2019 calendar, making it three new events for next year in the championship’s biggest overhaul since returning in 2016.

Wales Rally GB, Rally Isle of Man and the Border Counties rallies cede their places, while Motorsport News revealed last week that the West Cork Rally would join the calendar in a March slot ( see above, right). That, coupled with the Galloway Hills in Scotland and Cambrian in Wales, create a shake-up intended to stimulate BRC entries.

After deciding to not visit the Nicky Grist and RSAC Scottish rallies for 2018, the BRC hasn’t shared an event with the BTRDA or Scottish Rally Championship since. It will now change that with visits to the Cambrian and Galloway Hills Rally respectively.

The Ypres Rally in Belgium, Ulster in Northern Ireland and Pirelli International in Carlisle maintain calendar slots.

Despite Wales Rally GB not having taken place yet, the event has been relegated to a reserve event in case one of the rallies on the calendar is cancelled.

Regardless of the actual costs of the event, it is perceived to be expensive by competitors. R5 drivers have also been angered by the fact that they cannot enter WRC2 on Wales Rally GB, due to clashing regulations between the two championships.

BRC championship manager Iain Campbell said: “Wales Rally GB is not ruled out, it is our reserve event but it is also recognised that some competitors have felt it too big for their championship campaign. It is my feeling that many of our teams will contest the UK’S WRC event as part of their programme anyway.”

That meant that without Rally GB next year, the series wanted to add a gravel event to keep the split between asphalt and gravel at 50-50. The Galloway Hills has one of the best reputations among UK events for quality of the stages and of the organisation.

Also key is that it is easy to reach on a ferry for Irish crews, proven by the strong contingent that comes over annually.

Because the 2018 event has only just finished, plans for what next year’s event will look like are in the infancy stages but organisers have a huge forest complex to choose stages from.

David Bogie, 2011 BRC champion who won the Galloway Hills Rally last weekend, believes that the event is a natural addition to the calendar, and that the Ypres Rally in Belgium may be

the calendar’s sticking point.

“To finish the season at the Galloway Hills is great – the organisation of that event is first class,” said Bogie. “It will be great. The stages are absolutely fantastic and they are very keen to be a round of the British championship.

“The controversial one is probably going back to Belgium. People either love it or hate it. The issue with that event is it’s a week away from work whether you’re in an R5 or an R2.

“The trip to Ypres originally was to try and showcase our championship in Europe. Unfortunately it never brought any of the French or Belgian drivers over to do the BRC.”

The BRC has been working with the Cambrian Rally for years.

Clerk of the course Alyn Edwards is the father of points leader Matt, and has been on every BRC event for the last two years, meaning he’s had plenty of fact-finding time.

The event has struggled to convince the BTRDA previously that linking with the BRC was a good idea, but Edwards seems to have cracked it for 2019.

“We’ll offer extended mileage to the BRC,” said Edwards. “We’ll keep the identity of all three championships separate, BTRDA and Welsh will have their own finish on the promenade while the other BRC competitors go off and do another 20-25 miles of stages.

“There’s going to be recce on the Friday, event on Saturday. A compact event that will be cost-effective to enter.”

One of the underlying themes of the calendar is attempting to lower time required away from work, as most BRC competitors fund their own campaigns through their own business.

Arguably the key addition for the BRC is the West Cork Rally, which gives the BRC another shared event with the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. It’s the only other championship in the region which stipulates that R5 cars fight for the title.

With R5 numbers falling since 2016, bringing more in is seen as key to the championship’s future.

“The introduction of West Cork is good,” said Bogie. “It’s the second round of the Irish Tarmac Championship – that gives us the chance to start both series and see how we get on. Going forward championships are going to have to work better together.

“I think the Irish championship and British championship are beginning to co-operate and that’s a huge step forward.

“But the more we share rounds with Irish Tarmac, the more opportunities for them to come and do the BRC and vice versa.”

Campbell added: “The conversations between Irish Tarmac Championship and ourselves happen on a regular basis and we have all recognised that the more combined rounds we can have the better for the competitors and us.

“West Cork Rally fits the bill perfectly with its timing but also with the quality of its stages and welcome of Clonakilty.”