Statement from Colin Heppenstall, rally manager:The Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club Ltd and De Lacy Motor Club Ltd are very sad to announce that the 2015 Roger Albert Clark Rally has been cancelled due to the lower than expected level of entries received at the closing date for initial entries.The event is unique in the motor sport calendar and has run for the past 12 years with varying degrees of success. This has been a very difficult decision to make and we have considered all options to try and keep the event running. We realise that this will come as a big blow to competitors, marshals and fans alike, as the event has become a key fixture on the rally calendar for many. We share your disappointment and extend our thanks to all those who had entered and volunteered to marshal this year. However, this is a break and not the end of the Roger Albert Clark Rally.The Club has always prided itself on listening to competitors to hear what they wanted from the event. This is why the current format has been organised; to help reduce the costs of competing on the event. Unfortunately, even though this is what was asked for by competitors, they have not supported the concept in sufficient numbers to make the event viable.A lot of criticism has been levelled at the club for not going into Yorkshire from both competitors and particularly spectators. The reason for this is quite easy to explain; it is the amount of litter that spectators left after the rally’s last two visits to Yorkshire. Even though event officials collected it all up, the Forestry Commission would not let the event back into the Yorkshire forests. I would like to personally thank the hundreds and hundreds of marshals who have volunteered to marshal on the event and to apologise for this very sad but necessary course of action. The main losers due to this cancellation are the many local hotels, guest houses, bars and restaurants around the route, which will lose significant revenue due to the cancellation.I would also like to thank Sunderland City Council for agreeing to support the event in 2015. These types of events are complicated to organise and to work with a Council that wants the event to be in its city does make the process of organising the host city a lot easier.It is obvious that the event’s current format is not working and a full review of what should happen will now be undertaken by the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club. Therefore the Club has decided that the event will also not be organised in 2016, but the club will discuss with competitors during this time if there is still a market for this type of event. Deliberations will consider whether this should include returning to an earlier format of different forest districts over three or four days, making the event a longer and harder experience and running the event every other year instead of annually. The Club will also look into allowing all cars to do the event including modern machinery and the use of subjective route notes. Nothing is off the table during these discussions.Whether the event returns in 2017 or 2018 the one definite positive I can confirm is that the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club is financially sound and looks forward to the continued promotion of the MSA British Historic Rally Championship and the new R.A.C. Historic Asphalt Rally Championship in 2016, as well as the organisation of DMACK Carlisle Stages in June, a round of the BTRDA Rally Series.And finally, if anybody wishes to have a weekend in Sunderland from 27 to 29 November I have a few hotel nights available at very reasonable discounted rates for various styles of accommodation, so please ask for more information.

Colin HeppenstallRally ManagerRoger Albert Clark Rally