When Rally Isle of Man returns to the Manx and UK motorsport calendars on Thursday it will mark a statement of intent on behalf of organisers for a renewed future for the event.
Last years well documented cancellation could well have been a death knell, with many assuming that was the case, but instead over 70 crews are set to head into three days of action this week, and the event has a surprising amount of impetus, albeit that this year is in many ways a dry run ahead of the 50th anniversary in 2013.
A new organising team have joined forces with Druidale Motor Club and their Duke Stages event, bought in a new sponsor in the form of Microgaming, completely overhauled the route and initiated a purpose designed spectator stage to announce the return of the rally in the centre of Douglas promenade.
The efforts have not gone unnoticed, as last weeks decision that the event will return to the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship calendar in 2013 indicates.
There are three sections to the rally this year, with Rallee Classicagh the concluding round of the Water End Properties Historic Asphalt Cup and the Duke Stages the penultimate round of the Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship. Both of these events will tackle the full route, around 180 stage miles, the longest event in the British isles aside from the world championship section of RallyGB. On Saturday the Manx Trophy Rally also takes to the roads for those more suited by a single day run.
Omagh’s Ryan Barratt and local co-driver Paul McCann, the 2010 Historic Rally winners, head the high quality entry of period cars in the ubiquitous Ford Escort. Principal opposition will come from our own Connor Corkill, multiple former winner David Stokes and fellow Escort pilots Darren Moon, Will onions and Guy Woodcock.
Adrian Kermode heads the non-Escort’s in the glorious Porsche 911, and a little further down the start list are the twin visiting Japanese Mini Cooper S crews of Shinobu Kitani and Yoshinao Tscuchiya.
The star attraction of the Duke Stages element is undoubtedly Paul Bird in his Ford Focus WRC. He’ll be chased by a stellar line up of local crews, just about all of our leading crews taking up the challenge. Reigning Manx champion Nigel Cannell is joiner by former holders Steve Quine and George Collister as well as Andrew Leece, Steve Colley and Sean Kelly, all in Mitsubishi’s.
There are four stages on Thursday night, with two runs of the Promenade test the feature. Crews will tackle the stage in pairs, going head to head, with the Villa arcade and War Memorial areas available to spectators.
Friday is a 12-stage day, headlined by extended Castletown stages in the evening, finishing at the Southern 100 start/finish line and the Shore Hotel, Gansey respectively. Before that the 12 hour day starts with Tholt-e-Will down as a wake-up call! At lunchtime there’s a new side by side start line for two separate stages at St Marks, with one also featuring roads used more than once on a loop. The same stages complete the day, heading into darkness.
Saturday also has revisions, notably a Ronague stage that avoids the Round Table and Shoulder Road and instead has a double loop at Cringle, while both the Curraghs and Druidale feature twice. The rally concludes with the now traditional Classic stage, joining the TT course at Cronk-ny-mona and heading to the finish line to complete the gruelling event.
As ever, the action can’t happen unless the stages are sufficiently marshaled. If you can help, even for only a few hours please head along to the Rally HQ at the TT Grandstand (Monday 9am to 5pm/Tuesday & Wednesday 5pm to 7pm).
The Grandstand is also the sole service area throughout the event, and will host scrutineering throughout the day on Thursday. There is no shakedown stage this year, so it’s all geared up for the opening stage on the prom that evening.
Rally Isle of Man is back and organisers are determined it’s here to stay!
