CALENDAR SHAKE-UP FOR UK ASPHALT RALLY SERIES
Four new events and five closed-road rallies make up the 2020 Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship
Organisers of the
Motorsport UK Asphalt
Rally Championship have introduced a major shake-up for the 2020 season as four new events join the calendar – with five rounds taking place on closed roads.
Both the North West Stages – the new opening round – and the Three Shires Stages implemented a closed-road format for the first time this year and join the calendar along with the Jim Clark Rally, which runs next month as a standalone event but will return to its traditional slot in May. The Tyrone Stages Rally in Northern Ireland is the fourth new rally and replaces the Down Rally in July.
The championship will not head to Belgium as Rally van Wervik is axed from the schedule, while there will only be one trip to the Epynt military ranges for the Tour of Epynt in April. The Cheviot Stages keeps its slot and the
Manx National remains a double points-scoring round.
Regular Asphalt competitor and sponsor of the North West Stages,
John Stone, claimed it is the best calendar he has seen since he started in the series back in 2003.
“They’ve struck a really good balance there,” Stone told MN. “This is the best line-up of events they’ve ever had, it’s fantastic.
You can almost feel the enthusiasm for it [already].
Stone believes the new mix of events will level the playing field and has the potential to produce a new champion.
“With two rounds on Epynt [previously], it’s no coincidence that the last eight years it’s been a Welshman that’s won the championship,” he said. “It’s so specialist and if you’re not putting the time in on Epynt you will get
blown away. I think we’ll have a brand new champion next year.”
Double Asphalt champion
Jason Pritchard added: “It’s good to see they’ve been proactive as there’s so many championships that just sit back and go to the same places every year and it just gets tedious.
“It’s nice to have a new challenge and it’s good to see they’ve got new events onboard that are making use of the new legislation for the closed roads.
“We have got so many great roads around here. It’s a shame we’re not to be going to Belgium but there isn’t a round in June so if you want to go, there’s nothing stopping you still going to do the rally.”