Greenerways Rally date announced
The Greenerways Rally, the project crucial to evaluating the benefits of a closed pattern gravel tyre, will be run by the Cumberland Sporting Car Club in the Kielder forest complex on Sunday June 14th 2009.

Having listened to competitors and teams supportive of the project, a mid-season date has been found, with additional budget to further reduce the cost of the Eco Tyre initiative event to just £195 per crew. This includes the use of four Pirelli Eco Tyres, a recce of the stage and a shakedown session so drivers can adjust their cars to suit the new rubber.

Part of an initiative to assist in securing the longer term use of forest roads for stage rallying, the aim of the Greenerways Rally is still to evaluate the use of a loose surface, closed-pattern-construction Pirelli Eco Tyre in a competitive environment and against the clock, with the Forestry Commission and MSA on hand to witness the outcome.

The organisers of the MSA British Rally Championship brought Pirelli UK and Forestry Commission together at the end of 2007, running a test with Kris Meeke to see what affect tyre design would have on reducing erosion of forestry tracks. The test was hailed a huge success with Forestry Commission asking the sport to organise a rally where all of the cars would run an Eco Tyre in true competition.

Because the newly designed tyre comes straight from the Pirelli factory in a single size (to fit 6x15” rim), the Greenerways Rally will be for four wheel drive production-based cars including Super 2000 only. Any car from Group N Sapphire Cosworth to Subaru N14 or Super 2000 is eligible, basically anything that has been homologated in Group N4 and still conforms to the spirit of the class.

Open to any competitor holding an MSA issued rally licence, the format is compact to assist in cost saving by holding the event over just one day. More akin to a rally time trial, competitors (driver and co-driver) who enter the event will get to recce the track before tackling five timed runs over a five mile stage in the Kielder Forest complex.

BRC Manager & Project Co-ordinator Mark Taylor said, “Having seen the results of the original test for myself, I still believe that the Eco Tyre is the way forward, it ticks so many boxes. I'm appealing to everyone involved in the sport to support the event, whether you're competitors, marshals or organisers, this is so important to the future of forest stage rallying.”

“Greenerways and the evaluation of an Eco Tyre, together with our environmental responsibility and relationship with the Forestry Commission, are so important to the future of forest stage rallying. The decision to postpone the event in 2008 was a difficult one, but we didn't want to go off half cocked and I think in the current economic climate, it was the right choice. This project is as important as ever to the future of the sport, so the event must now go ahead with the full support of any driver with an eligible car. I must thank the organising Cumberland Sporting Car Club, partners Pirelli UK, the Forestry Commission, Motorsport News and the MSA for their continued support.”

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