Tribute rally cancelled due to repair works

Organisers of the inaugural Carl Sorensen Memorial Rally have been forced to cancel the event as it clashes with venue repairs that will make many parts of the proposed route unavailable.

The rally was scheduled for August 18 at RAF Portreath in Cornwall, replacing the popular Boconnoc Rally Festival which could not run this year due to venue problems.

South Hams Motor Club’s organising team decided to cancel when landowners, the Ministry of Defence, announced they would be carrying out long-awaited repair works to large parts of the radar station’s perimeter tracks.

The proposed event was named in honour of co-driver Carl Sorenson, who was fatally injured in a motorcycle accident in May this year.

Clerk of the course, Paul Watts, said: “We fully understand the need to repair the tracks at Portreath. Nevertheless it is really disappointing to have to cancel as the new rally would be a fitting tribute to Carl [Sorenson]. We would like to thank all the crews who had already entered and the marshals who had volunteered their services.”

Watts confirmed that the TSH Stages Rally, which also runs at Portreath, will go ahead next May.

lanother event not taking place this year is the Donegal Mini Stages, which was due to run on August 10. Donegal Motor Club made the decision to postpone the event for a year as a mark of respect to the family and friends of Manus Kelly, who was killed on the

Donegal International last month. Organisers hope to hold the event again in 2020.