Thursday 27 August 2020

Rally - Coast 2 Coast 2021

There's a been a bit of shoogling about these past few weeks with rallying calendars for next year, and no doubt the shoogling will continue depending on viruses and vaccines. Worst hit are the forest rallies. Despite last weekend's successful running of the 'M-Sport Return to Rally Stages', multi-forest events still face an uncertain future and are subject to the whims and advice of the great, the good and the ungodly!

On the other hand, there is more than a glimmer of hope for closed road rallies. With fewer trees to hide behind, spectator numbers can be observed and assessed making the job of exercising a degree of control over them somewhat easier. At least that's the theory. Again, much will depend on Government advice.

Admittedly, and through no real fault of their own, this Government advice is about as changeable and unpredictable as the Scottish weather, but all sports and gatherings are suffering in similar fashion. On that basis it's just something that we will all have to put up with until such times as we've overcome the virus - or it has done for us!

Anyway, with all this in mind the Machars Car Club organisers of the inaugural Donnan Construction SVM Coast to Coast Rally have plumped for the 8th of May 2021 as their scheduled date for the running of this new closed road event. Starting, finishing and servicing in Stranraer, the route has been simplified in light of current restrictions to two loops of three stages. So stick the date in your Diary now.

Coming three weeks before the Jim Clark Rally, this might just provide an attractive option for a bit of testing as well as offering up a unique new competitive event in its own right.

Admittedly the May date was not the club's first choice, but they also have to be mindful of the Northern Irish rally calendar as interest has already been expressed from across the water. Not surprising really when you consider that Belfast is closer to Stranraer than Glasgow, Edinburgh or Carlisle!

So May the 8th it is - God willing and virus permitting!

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