RALLY’S RETURN IS A ROARING SUCCESS 

The Pirelli International Rally made a triumphant return to Carlisle last weekend with the organisers, competitors and thousands of enthusiastic spectators all in agreement that the two day rally, the second round of the Kwik Fit/ Pirelli British Rally Championship, was a runaway success with the famous old Border city providing the perfect backdrop to a colourful and spectacular sporting event.

Speaking on behalf of the rally organisers, the rally’s Media Manager, Ed Graham, said, “It’s great to bring the rally back to Carlisle again, after all, Pirelli are a major employer in the city, and it’s an ideal opportunity to fly the flag on home turf. Everyone has pulled together to make this a really high profile event for the area, we are extremely grateful to the City Council and Kingmoor Business Park for their invaluable support, the Manager and staff at the Sands Leisure Centre who were wonderfully helpful and looked after us well, the proprietor of Hadrian’s Camp, a venue which made an absolutely superb Service Area for the crews looking after the competing cars and WA Developments for providing the most brilliant spectator stage ever”

Spectators turned out in their thousands to welcome the rally back and see the top British stars in action, particularly at the P-Zero Spectator Stage where a huge crowd defied some fairly heavy downpours, plus the counter attraction of the FA Cup Final, to watch the cars scorch round the specially constructed 1.4 mile stage, they were well entertained, especially when M-Sport Supremo, Malcolm Wilson and former World Rally Champion Colin McRae turned out to entertain their many fans.

There was a local flavour to the results with the Eddie Stobart backed Ford Focus’s of Mark Higgins and Langwathby based Paul Bird finishing a superb 1-2,the cars built by Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport concern in Cockermouth, both cars running on Pirelli tyres, as was the winner of the Production Cup class, Tapio Laukannen driving a Subaru Impreza.