Rally Ireland Clerk of the Course Gordon Noble and Motorsport Ireland President Joe Corcoran visited the recent Rally Portugal with a view to securing their event's return to the WRC calendar for 2012, according to maxrally.com.
The pair met with the main movers and shakers within the World Rally Championship, as they discussed a possible summer slot.
"We want to get Rally Ireland back onto the WRC calendar and we were disappointed not to have made it for 2011,” said Noble. “We’re here to see what needs to be done because it’s our aim to be on the 2012 calendar.”
The trend towards remote servicing and a greater geographical spread, could be ideal for the next Rally Ireland.
“It would allow us to be much more flexible and go to different areas,” said Noble. “Although Ireland is known as a Tarmac rallying country, we wouldn’t rule out a mixed surface event [like we did for the pilot rally in 2005].”
Rally Ireland wants to remain within the World Rally Championship and not pursue the Intercontinental Rally Challenge route.
“Technically our rally is very good with lots of very good and experienced people involved,” said Noble. “We had the fourth most TV coverage of any round of the WRC in 2009 and I’m convinced we can offer a lot to the WRC again. A date in January or November does us no favours because inevitably it rains and there is less daylight so a summer date would definitely be our preference.”
source: maxrally.com
Photo: Willy Weyens ©willyweyens-rallyworld
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Tags: date, gordon noble, meetings, mi, msi, rally de portugal, Rally Ireland, targets, world rally championship
