JIM CLARK REIVERS AXED FOR IN 2016
The Jim Clark Reivers Rally has been cancelled after it failed to garner the entry necessary to break even.
On Tuesday evening last week, the organisers of the Scottish championship round took the decision to call off the event, which had been scheduled to run on June 5.
They had received 72 entries (including promises) but had set their break-even point at 85, despite what the regulations stated, and the shortfall was too great for the organising Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club to bear.
Last year the event ran with 71 entries plus seven Land Rover teams and still made a loss. With the club not prepared to incur any further debt, the event, which uses an all-gravel format, has been shelved for 2016.
It was intended that this year’s rally would be the club’s last foray in the woods before reverting back to a closed road event next season.
The 2017 route is already in place but the club, Scottish Borders Council and the local MP and MSP are still awaiting the final ruling from the Lord Advocate following the tragic events on this rally two years ago when an accident claimed the lives of two media representatives and a ‘guest’ travelling with them.
“It was a very difficult decision to take,” said club chairman Dan Wright.
“Despite that, it was also a relatively easy decision to come to. We are extremely sorry for those crews who feel disappointed but we had no choice. To run this year’s event at a loss would jeopardise next year’s return.”
The Executive Committee of the Scottish championship offered a loan to the Reivers organisers. This would have saved the rally, but it would still have left the club in debt, and so the offer was refused.