The bid is centred around Rali Ceredigion, an asphalt event located around the seaside town of Aberystwyth, that is growing in stature since its inaugural edition in 2019.
This year the event [2-3 September] will host the fifth round of the British Rally Championship and a round of the FIA European Rally Trophy. Last year’s rally was won by former works Hyundai WRC driver Hayden Paddon.
However, organisers wish to take the rally to the next level, being the European Rally Championship, and have been working closely with regional stakeholders, including Ceredigion County Council, and commercial partners to secure the resources and infrastructure.
It is hoped the event could secure a spot on the 2024 ERC calendar, which would bring international rallying back to Britain for the first time since the 2019 Wales Rally GB - the last time the World Rally Championship visited these shores.
Wales hosted a WRC round from 2000-2019 until a loss of funding resulted in Britain losing its round of the world championship. Efforts to bring the WRC to Northern Ireland since have so far been thwarted by a lack of funding.
Rali Ceredigion representatives attended the Royal Rally of Scandinavia ERC round in Sweden earlier this month, where they met with the championship promoter to discuss the event’s future.
“Every year we strive to innovate and drive our event forward, and fulfilling our ambition to become a round of the ERC is the next step in that progression,” said Phil Pugh, chairman of the Rali Ceredigion organising team.
Source: Autosport