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2001 British Rally Championship

7 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

The dates for next year's British Rally Championship have been agreed. The seven-round series kicks off as usual with the Rally of Wales in March, and ends on mainland UK in September. Several organisers have agreed to move from traditional dates to permit a much better spread of events and to avoid clashes with the FIA World Rally Championship.

MSA Chief Executive John Quenby commented: "I am delighted that we have been able to publish our calendar so early. This also makes it possible for all the other UK-based national and regional championships to establish their own schedules and avoid date clashes.

"It was particularly important for us to avoid the dates of next year's World Championship, because the British series is, of course, open to World Rally Cars for the first time in many years and we want to do everything we can to help all manufacturers wishing to support our UK events."

The main changes in 2001 are the return of the Pirelli Rally to April (creating a five-week break before the Scottish); a much earlier date for the Manx International; the MSA Rally moving to September; and the brand new final round, taking British Championship competitors into the North Yorkshire forests for the first time since 1991.

Text provided by Colin Wilson

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