TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP MOOTED TO SPEED UP RALLYING’S RETURN
Single-crewed cars could lead to a rethink in how competitions are run in the future
By Luke Barry
A championship consisting of rally time trials could be launched in order to bridge the gap between now and the return of traditional stage rallying.
Recent Motorsport UK guidelines prohibiting co-drivers to compete could mean that for the time being rally time trials are a solution for competition to return, and Forest Experience Rally School in Wales is keen to organise some.
Venue owner and rally competitor Ross Leach told Motorsport News: “We’ve been thinking how motorsport can start and we had the idea they [MUK] might say no navigators. We had that in the back of our minds so we’ve been making plans in the background anyway [and] were ready to send a post [online] once we saw those guidelines. We’ve been speaking to Motorsport UK so we’re following their plans and they can see the positives in it and [could] maybe use it as an example of how motorsport can be run going forward.”
Epynt Motor Club was first interested in hosting an event but Bala & District, Swansea and Ammanford Motor Clubs have all now expressed a desire too. Leach has had “40 or 50 competitors send messages saying count me in”, including Osian Pryce, Tom Williams and several clubmen.
“We’d like to turn it into a championship because we do need to find a sustainable way of going rallying that doesn’t cost as much as the current stage rallying,” Leach added. “So whilst it’s come out because of Covid-19, there’s an ulterior goal there. Entry fees are half that of a normal stage event [because it’s single venue] and you don’t need to have cars taxed. All minus a date it looks like it’s going to happen.”