Round two of this year’s British Rally Championship, the Pirelli Carlisle RB Foundation Rally, will be given a radical facelift as the event’s base moves to Brunton Park: the home of Carlisle United Football Club.
The Carlisle-based event will celebrate its 23rd season of Pirelli sponsorship in 2014 and will continue to support the charity named after Richard Burns, who succumbed to a brain tumour just four years after winning the FIA World Rally Championship drivers’ title.
The Pirelli Carlisle RB Foundation Rally, which runs from 2-4 May, has long been at the forefront of British motorsport. The event first ran in 1975 and previous winners include former World Rally Champions Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Ari Vatanen, while local hero Malcolm Wilson has racked up a record four outright victories.
The relocation will see a tie-up between the organisers of two of Cumbria’s biggest sporting events, but will also bring the rally much closer to Carlisle city centre, a long-held ambition of the rally organisers, who also have much valued support from Carlisle City Council.
The Leader of Carlisle City Council, Councillor Colin Glover, explained: "We are delighted that the rally will be coming in to Carlisle city centre this year. This is a high profile event and one which will give people the opportunity to see the cars and crews in close proximity. Carlisle has a growing reputation as a city that delivers impressive sporting events and we look forward to working with the Pirelli Rally to make it a memorable and enjoyable event."
Pirelli UK’s Motorsport Operations Manager, Matthew Corby, concluded: “We’re very proud of our continued association with the Pirelli RBF Rally and it’s great to see the event continually evolving. Brunton Park will allow spectators to view both the start and finish as well as servicing within walking distance of each other. The rally headquarters, control centre and media centre will be located in the stadium itself so it will be a new and exciting hub of activity over the rally weekend."
