Riponian returns for 50th anniversary

The Riponian Rally has confirmed its 2019 return for its 50th anniversary, complete with the use of closed-roads as predicted by Motorsport News earlier this year.

The North Yorkshire gravel event suffered from the forests it was due to use in 2018 being made unavailable for motorsport shortly before the February event was due to run. Organisers have now successfully been able to link two forests on the Wass Moor to create one long stage, which competitors will run twice before a service. It will then head into the familiar territory of the Cropton forest.

“We used to use those stages [in the forest being linked together] up until five years ago,” said Riponian clerk of the course Alan Hill who surveyed the stages earlier this week.

“We stopped using them because we used to get spectators parking on the road-side which was a bit of an issue, so we gave them up. But because we’ve been able to close the roads, we can channel spectators into a better area.”

The event offers around 40 stage miles, and will seed its two-wheel-drive entries at the front of the field.