It's been a difficult few years for British rallying but last week provided a flicker of light at the end of a tunnel.
The overwhelming success of the Roger Albert Clark Rally outlined the passion for rallying in the UK, which has been starved of top-level World Rally Championship competition since the 2019 Wales Rally GB. The buzz surrounding the R.A.C. and its hordes of fans flocking to the stages to witness the likes of WRC stars Oliver Solberg and Kris Meeke wrestle Ford Escort Mk2s through the UK’s most iconic stages came amid a backdrop of some rather big news for British rallying, a positive announcement that has been long overdue.
Next year international rallying is set to return to these shores following confirmation Wales will host the penultimate round (30 August-1 September) of rallying’s second-tier European Rally Championship, after series organisers announced that the rapidly growing Rali Ceredigion event has secured ERC status.
The R.A.C., courtesy of its record 155-crew entry, showcased that historic rallying is booming and is in rude health in this country, and now Britain has a platform to show its support for modern rallying with the ERC coming to Wales.
The ERC news is a much-needed shot in the arm for rallying in this country but there is no hiding from the elephant in the room, that being the WRC is still a major omission from the British motorsport calendar. Sadly, and not for the want of trying, the chances of the WRC returning to this country seem, at this point, remote for the foreseeable future. This is a crying shame for a nation that has produced two world champions in Colin McRae and Richard Burns and a three-time runner-up and likely 2024 title contender in current Toyota star Elfyn Evans.
Source: Autosport