By Paul McGuirk 

Carlisle is set to once again play host to the Pirelli International Rally, one of the biggest events on the UK motorsports calendar. 

The great border city will be home to the 2nd round of the 2018 Prestone MSA British Rally Championship, marking the 27th year Carlisle has been chosen as a venue for the UK’s premier rally series, a unique achievement in British sporting history. 

This year’s rally will take place over the weekend of the 28 – 29 April. Spectators will not be required to purchase tickets to enjoy the event, with opportunities to view the competition from a variety of vantage points. Maps will be published by the organisers in the run-up to the event, highlighting the best places for keen petrolheads to catch a piece of the action. 

The rally is typically met with fervour and excitement and this response is cited by the organisers as a reason why Carlisle is repeatedly chosen to host the event on an annual basis. 

Pirelli has long held ties with Carlisle, where the tyre maker has a major manufacturing facility which employs over 750 locals. The factory initially opened its doors in 1969 and has witnessed exponential growth in recent years. 

Last year saw a revised format to the rally, which featured two laps of the vast Kielder Forest before an exciting urban finish in Brampton town centre. Spectators lined the streets to witness cars crossing the finish line and winners lifting their trophies, amidst a carnival atmosphere enjoyed by people of all ages. 

This year follows a similar format, albeit with some minor improvements. Two wheel-drive crews from the Rally2 2WD Challenge will be given the opportunity to run first on the smooth surfaces and fast, flowing tracks which guarantee excitement and competitiveness in equal measure. 

Competitors in the Fuchs MSA History Rally Championship and the HRCR Motoscope Northern Historic Championship will follow in what promises to be an action-packed weekend of thrills and spills for motorsports fans. 

The first car will leave Carlisle’s H&H Borderway Auction Mart at 7:30am and make its way through the Kielder Forest, encountering four short and snappy stages of action over 43 miles of prime road before returning to base at 12:30pm, leaving plenty of time for visitors to make their onward journey home. Those who wish to make a day of it are welcome to re-join the event for a further 26 miles of stages, culminating in a ceremonial finish in Brampton town centre. 

Businesses in the area look forward to the increased economic activity the Pirelli International Rally brings, with hundreds of hotel rooms booked up by racing enthusiasts, competing teams and visiting officials every year. Many local hospitality trade operators are booked out months in advance in anticipation of the event. 

Highlighting the esteem that a sporting event of this magnitude brings, a spokesperson for Pirelli International Rally said: “We are absolutely delighted to be chosen once again as a round of Britain’s premier rally series. It requires some serious hard work to produce an event of the standard required by a prestigious series, but we are fortunate in having a dedicated and enthusiastic team who excel at everything they do and make sure the event retains its top-level status.” 

Spectators are considered the heart and soul of the rally, which typically features car displays, a big screen television and a Pirelli Formula 1 simulator. Fans are advised to arrive early to get the best possible viewing experience and to soak up the atmosphere of what promises to be a unique and exciting weekend of motorsports right here in the heart of Cumbria. 

The Pirelli International Rally will run over the weekend of 28 – 29 April. The rally’s headquarters and service area is based at the H&H Borderway Mart complex, easily accessible from the M6. 

 For further information, visit the event website at www.perilliinternationalrally.co.uk. 

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