The World Rally Championship commercial and media rights holder International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) intend to run superspecial type events in urban areas according to Motorsport News. Plans are at a consultation stage with various potential venues about running such events in a demonstration format from next year.
The intention is to base these events on the superspecial that Rally Ireland used at Stormont last year, which RI hope to run as a launch event for next year's WRC. ISC want to base the events on this kind of superspecial as opposed to stadium based events.
Simon Long ISC CEO explained to Motorsport News:
The ultimate will always be a WRC event and that's what our focus is on. But it's asking a lot of people to go out to the mountains or go 300km from central conurbations to follow rallying.
There is an argument to get some bite size chunks of rally and put it in a way that people can readily access and relate to it in a stadium or street environment that brings the noise theatre, the cars, the tyres, the smell and the drivers in a made for media environment."
Simon Long added that they were in discussions with many locations but couldn't specify which ones. It is believed that along with Stormont in Belfast that Abu Dhabi could be a potential venue.
World Champion Sebastien Loeb added his support when commenting to Motorsport News:
If it's an interesting stage and it's good for the public then why not."
Stormont is the template:
ISC want to take rallying and the WRC to the streets more often in 2009:
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Tags: fia, fia approval, isc, media rights, Rally Ireland, ri, sebastien loeb, simon long, sss, superspecialstage, wrc, wrc 2009























Seems like this may be the evolution of rally to make it more user friendly for fans and sponsors!