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International flavour as Hankook GRC spreads its wings |
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Thursday, 18 January 2007 |
The UK’s leading gravel rally championship – the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship - is spreading its wings this year with rounds in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and Ireland.
News of an Irish round to complement the six British-based rallies creates a new level of interest for competitors – and brings together Hankook’s key rally series - the Hankook GRC and the Hankook National Forestry Championship in Ireland.
As well as the English-based season opener in the shape of Rallye
Sunseeker (Bournemouth) and finale, the Bulldog Rally (Oswestry), the
Hankook GRC visits Scotland for the Brick and Steel Border Counties
Rally as well as two traditional sorties to Wales with the Severn
Valley Stages Rally and the Swansea Bay National Rally in mid summer.
There’s the annual trip across to the Isle of Man for the RBS
International Manx Rally and included in the vacant September date for
the first time is the Killarney Forest Stages Rally to be held in South
West Ireland.
The addition of a round in Ireland is the latest in a string of
positive developments for the ANCRO-organised Championship which this
year sees a sponsorship deal with global performance tyre manufacturer
Hankook.
Although the Killarney Forest Stages Rally will form part of two
separate championships, Hankook motorsports manager Mike Patterson said
he was delighted that the event would be a focal point for both series.
The Hankook GRC also welcomes back the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution
Challenge after a year’s sabbatical and plans are underway to announce
innovations and prizes to entice two-wheel drive competitors into the
Hankook GRC arena as well as the eagerly awaited 1400cc Championship.
As usual there are categories for both driver and co-driver in most
types of vehicles including Group A, Group B and Group N as well as
Juniors, Ladies, Manufacturers and of course the Subaru Group N Trophy.
This year registered competitors will count their best SIX scores
towards the overall championship, meaning only one round can be dropped
(as opposed to the two rounds allowed in 2006).
Once again, the Hankook GRC is the only UK based National gravel series
to have no tyre restrictions and already entries are flooding in for
the opening round of the series in Bournemouth on February 23/24 with
Rallye Sunseeker.
For a set of championship regulations, please contact Championship
Registrar Val Thompson as follows: Tel: 01530 231446, Email:
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For Rallye Sunseeker Regulations, please contact Rally Secretariat:
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Further Information is available at the Championship Website: www.gravelrally.co.uk
2007 Calendar
23/24 February - Rally Sunseeker (Bournemouth)
24 March - Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally (Jedburgh)
11/12 May - RBS International Manx Rally (Douglas)
2 June - Severn Valley Stages Rally (Builth Wells)
21 July - Swansea Bay National Rally (Swansea)
2 September - Killarney Forest Stages Rally (Killarney)
20 October - Bulldog Rally (Oswestry)
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