RALLY LIEPAJA ATTEMPT TO HOST TOP-LINE CONTEST FAILS
Latvia’s bid to join the World Rally Championship by turning Rally Liepaja into a joint event with the European Rally Championship failed because there was not unanimous support from the three leading teams, Motorsport News understands.
The gravel event’s inclusion on the heavily revised WRC calendar was expected to be a formality given the shrinking number of alternatives available to achieve the desired sevenround schedule.
Latvia’s government had been due to debate a funding proposal from Rally Liepaja promoter RA Events on June
30. However, when it emerged that there was opposition to the Latvia plan, the proposal was withdrawn and talks with WRC Promoter stopped.
RA boss Raimonds Strokss said: “We thank WRC Promoter for recognising Rally Liepaja as an event worthy of the WRC. This is great testament to the work done since we started preparations for the first Rally Liepaja in 2013.
“We have shown that are not afraid to work hard and accept a challenge as massive in such a short amount of time. However, due to various reasons, it has been agreed that Rally Liepaja will not be a new addition to the revised WRC calendar this year.”
Sources have suggested that Hyundai objected to a WRC round in Latvia. Although this couldn’t be substantiated, the team is entering World Rally Cars on Rally Stars and Rally di Alba in Italy on July 24-26 and July 31-August 2 respectively, plus Rally Dirtfish in Estonia from August 7-8.
Strokss confirmed Rally Liepaja would go ahead as planned from August 14-16 as the second event of the
ERC season.