PIRELLI RALLY REPLACED BY CLUBMAN ONE-DAY EVENT
New Kielder Forest Rally will be held next year after Italian tyre manufacturer pulled its backing
A new one-day event aimed specifically at club competitors has been announced, which will replace the Pirelli International Rally for 2020.
The Italian tyre manufacturer had sponsored the Carlisle-based rally since 1992 but has decided to pull its backing from the event.
The Cumberland Sporting Car Club, which organises the event, has now unveiled plans for the Kielder Forest Rally to be held on April 25, 2020.
Many of the organising team remain and are joined by incoming clerk of the course, Steve Waggett.
“There’s no animosity between us and Pirelli, it was probably one of the longest deals in rallying,” deputy clerk of the course, Andy Smith, told Motorsport News. “Things change and people have to accept that.
“The key core of team are still there. We have got the skills there to produce an event for what people want.”
The intention is to base the event in the Kielder Forest to reduce road mileage and make use of previously ignored routes, such as in the Falstone and Redesdale areas, to create an event of approximately 40-stage miles.
The Pirelli International had previously been a mainstay of the British Rally and British Historic Rally championships, and the new event will remain a round of the latter.
“It will be part of the BHRC but they have different demands than the BRC so we’re re-looking at the format and trying to cut the road mileage down and offer something that is good value for money,” added Smith.
“If we can base it in Kielder we’re talking zero road mileage which makes a huge difference. That’s what we’re trying to look at.
“Three or four stages [could be used] depending what we can use sensibly. We have had competitors complain about the number of chicanes we have put in [previously] but we had that many for the BRC and R5 cars because they’re quick for the Kielder roads. So we’re going in re-looking at what is available to us.”