The R.A.C. Rally Championship will evolve into a dedicated asphalt championship for all categories of historic stage rally cars in 2016.The R.A.C. Historic Asphalt Rally Championship, organised by the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club, will run in parallel to the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship. The BHRC will continue to include gravel and asphalt events in 2016.Subject to MSA approval, the championship will include an event in Belgium, the Isle of Man Classicagh and the Harry Flatters Rally on Epynt in a five-event schedule. The calendar will not include any airfield events.The revised championship will replace the current R.A.C Championship and has been partly devised to offer Category 1 cars a place to continue rallying. Recent changes to event running orders due to the MSA safety review have encouraged many crews to re-consider running Category 1 cars on gravel events. The move also takes account of the growing demand for asphalt rallies for all categories of historic cars. The recent Isle of Man Classicagh attracted a superb field of 60 historic cars.“It is a natural progression for the club to move into asphalt events,” said championship manager Colin Heppenstall. “It is an opportunity for the Category 1 cars as well as those who don’t normally compete on gravel to contest a properly structured championship purely centred on historic cars.”

More details, including a full calendar, TV coverage and title sponsorship are due by the end of October.