The Carlisle based Pirelli International Rally, voted the top round of the 2007 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, is attracting considerable interest from overseas competitors, with two top names already intent on visiting Cumbria for the April 18-19^th event.

French car giant Citroen have chosen the Pirelli backed rally to give a UK debut to the exciting new C2R2-Max rally car which will be featuring in this years FIA Junior World Rally Championship. The car will be driven by Martinique based driver Simon Jean Joseph, who with co-driver Jack Boyere took the 2007 European rally Championship in a Citroen C2 Super 1600. They will be coming to Cumbria following the cars debut on the Rally Eger in Hungary and, providing they survive the rigours of Kielder Forest, will then embark on a series of European events.

Also scheduled to appear in Carlisle are top Finnish crew, Juho Hanninen and Mikko Markkula who will be piloting a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. Hanninen is no stranger to the British forests, having won his class on  Wales Rally GB, Britain’s World Championship round, in 2006 and finishing second in class last year. He is currently contesting the Production World Rally Championship and got his 2008 season off to a flying start, scoring maximum points on the opening round in Sweden.