THE Welsh Association of Motor Clubs has unveiled plans for a new low cost rally championship.
The Association already runs both gravel and tarmac championships but has now applied to the MSA for a permit to run a mixed surface series to be known as the Restruct Ltd Welsh Mixed Surface Championship incorporating the S P Challenge
Restruct Ltd is the Bridgend based structural repair company owned by regular rally competitor Ron Morgan. He was approached by fellow competitor Justin Fowler-Bishop, who came up with the idea and floated it with the Association.
Proposed series secretary Jimmy Jones explained: "Justin’s ambition was to establish a series that provides affordable rallying, based in Wales. He envisaged a mixture of loose surface and Tarmac events on which entry fees are lower than most forest events.
"We believe that the planned championship will provide an ideal opportunity for those who wish to step up to stage rallying but are not certain if they would prefer sealed surface events or loose surface events. It’s an opportunity to compete on both types of surface to see where their future lies within the sport. Justin would attend each event to support championship competitors, helping them with any queries they may have."
It is intended that the series will be open to two wheel drive standard production cars with normally aspirated petrol engines or diesel engines, including turbo diesel with a total of nine classes catering for cars up to 1000cc, 1001 – 1400cc, 1401 – 1600cc and over 1600cc in the SP category along with an Open category for cars up to 1400cc, 1401- 1600cc, 1601- 2000cc, over 2000cc, up to 1600cc 8 Valve, over 1600cc 8 Valve . The draft regulations allow only limited modifications within the SP classes for safety or durability purposes.
A provisional calendar of eight events is evenly split between loose and sealed surface events with competitors counting their six best results.