British Rally Championship gears up for rousing return in 2016
The
MSA British Rally Championship returns in 2016 with an exciting
new-look calendar to go with the revised vehicle eligibility
regulations that were announced in January.
In what’s set
to be the biggest shake-up for many years, next season’s
revitalised BRC will be staged throughout the British Isles and will
include a mix of gravel and asphalt surfaces to provide crews with the
ultimate challenge in national rallying.
Starting in March and
concluding in September, the new championship will comprise seven
events, of which four are retained from previous years, while three are
new or returning rounds of the championship.
The campaign opens
with the Mid Wales Stages, using the legendary forests of Myherin and
Hafren that test the world's best drivers each year on Wales Rally GB.
A visit to Belfast after Easter allows crew to test themselves against
the FIA European Rally Championship's top stars on the UK's second
biggest stage rally, the Circuit of Ireland, before returning to
Carlisle for the first of four long-standing BRC events, the Pirelli
Rally.
Having tackled Kielder over the Bank Holiday weekend, the BRC crews will take on the Borders' asphalt for the Jim Clark Rally at the end of May. The Scottish Rally
occupies its traditional date at the end of June, before an eight-week
gap to the championship's second visit to Northern Ireland for the
Ulster Rally in August. The season will conclude with a journey north
for the end of year celebrations at the Granite City Rally in Aberdeen, which put on such a great show earlier this year.
The
inclusion of a made-for-TV one-day special event remains a possibility
for 2016, subject to discussions with broadcast partners and securing a
suitable venue/date.
2016 British Rally Championship provisional calendar*
| March 5th/6th | Mid Wales Stages (Gravel) | | April 8th/9th | Circuit of Ireland (Asphalt) | | April 29th/30th | Pirelli Rally (Gravel) | | May 27th/28th | Jim Clark Rally (Asphalt) | | June 24th/25th | RSAC Scottish Rally (Gravel) | | August 19th/20th | Ulster Rally (Asphalt) | | September 9th/10th | Granite City Rally (Gravel) |
* subject to approval by the MSA
Ben Taylor, IMS Managing Director, said:
"Compiling
a brand new calendar has been one of the most challenging aspects of
putting the new BRC together; every event and date change has
ramifications across the sport and we have tried to be mindful of that.
We are grateful to all the events that expressed an interest in being
involved, either next year or in the future - they have taken a great
leap of faith to support what we are trying to achieve.
"I am
thrilled with the quality of the events that we have secured on the
calendar and I am sure they will provide the best possible test of the
best drivers in British rallying next year.
"But we should also
spare a thought for those events that narrowly missed out. We have had
to make some tough decisions, but we feel that this is the optimal
calendar to relaunch the championship in 2016. Nothing is set in stone
beyond that and we will continue to talk with them; it is important
that ambitious events know that the BRC is not a closed shop."
Now
that the calendar has been agreed, Taylor explained that his team's
attention will turn to the remaining aspects of the creation of the new
championship.
"Competitors, teams and events need as much notice
as possible to get things in place for next year, so we have moved to
publish the calendar as early as we can. I would like to thank everyone
that has played a part so far, as the creation of a new and exciting
championship takes a huge amount of work. We are nowhere near finished
yet and there are still a lot of things to sort out, like TV and media,
one-make championships and prize funds.
"I must also pay tribute
to the sport and the other championships, because there has been a lot
of change and uncertainty caused by the absence of a BRC in 2015 and
then the creation of a new series for 2016. We have been clear in our
ambitions to raise standards and provide a fitting pinnacle for the
long-term strength of the UK rally scene, and it is encouraging that
most people throughout the sport seem to have welcomed this approach.
The most important thing is that we all work together as one sport to
give the competitors and the fans what they want, which will make the
events more successful and the clubs behind them stronger.
"We
now look forward to starting work with our partner events to create the
best possible rallies for our competitors and putting in place the
remaining elements to create an outstanding and exciting new British
Rally Championship.
"The enthusiasm to date has been overwhelming
and, while we know that talk is cheap and what counts is what happens
in March 2016, if only half of those who say they are coming actually
turn up, we'll be absolutely delighted."
Mark Higgins (British Rally Champion 1997, 2005 and 2006):
“The
British championship has historically been a fantastic stepping stone
for aspiring drivers aiming for the WRC, especially as it allows crews
to recce and make their own pace notes on fantastic events and stages.
I’m very glad to see the championship back again and hope the new
format can put it back on the map as one of the best the world.”
Daniel McKenna (British Rally Champion 2014):
“The
BRC was an important stepping stone for me to cut my teeth and prepare
for the World Championship. To follow in the footsteps of great names
like Burns, Vatanen and McRae is a real achievement and honour.
“It’s
a great move for the BRC to adopt the R5 rules as drivers can enter the
British series and then use the same car in the WRC and ERC, keeping
costs down and allowing young talent to develop against the
world’s best. I would certainly love to defend my title next year
in what will be an exciting year for the BRC. It won’t be long
before it is back to the success of its heyday.”
Osian Pryce (British Rally Championship runner-up 2013 and 2014)
“The
British Rally Championship was once the world’s best domestic
series and, from what I’ve seen in recent months, it looks like
we could be back on the road to that sort of standing again. The
calendar is a great mix of new rallies and classic events. And,
obviously, starting in mid-Wales is the best news!
“British
rallying needs a strong BRC and after a year away, I’m sure our
premier series is going to come back stronger than ever in March.”
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