Following a constructive meeting at Motor Sports House last week (19th August), the Association of British International Rally Organisers (ABIRO) and International Motor Sports (IMS) have agreed to work together to formulate plans for the relaunch of the MSA British Rally Championship in 2016.
A BRC working group will be created as soon as possible to consider the key issues to be resolved around the revised championship, including vehicles, class structure and the status of events. It is anticipated that further announcements will be made in due course and the group has set a target to resolve all major points before the end of the year to give competitors the earliest possible indications of the future direction of Britain’s premier rally championship.
Ben Taylor, IMS Managing Director, said:
“What should have been an exciting and forward-thinking announcement earlier this summer was affected by a lack of prior communication that left the organisers of current BRC events feeling undermined and unvalued. We have apologised unreservedly for that and last week’s meeting drew a line under those issues.
“It was a very positive discussion about the future of the championship and what is clear is that we all share a desire to see the BRC as the pinnacle of the British rallying scene. We have undertaken to work together in the coming months to achieve as soon as possible a clear idea of what the 2016 championship will look like. With the knowledge and experience around that table, backed by the commitment of IMS and the MSA to make it successful, we can all be excited about the prospects for the BRC.”
Rick Smith, Event Director, Rallye Dorset, said:
“For all parties associated with the BRC, the last few weeks have been challenging; organisers, competitors, teams, sponsors, officials and spectators have all been concerned in different ways for the future of what is - and must be - the best championship in the UK. Our discussions with MSA and IMS have now given us confidence that the voices of those who can contribute most to the exciting plans for the future will be heard in the correct forum."
