2:58pm Saturday 6th March 2010
KIRKBY Lonsdale Motor Club drivers join a bumper entry for today’s Malcolm Wilson Rally.
It is the first big event in Cockermouth high street since the terrible floods last year.
The decision to go-ahead with the rally based in the town was seen as a vital vote of confidence to the concerted recovery efforts still going on.
The Malcolm Wilson - named after the rally driver who is now Ford’s World Rally Championship supremo - is the third event of this year’s KLMC www.evoparts.org Stage Rally Championship, which has been running for 22 years.
Using the same format as 2009, the GMP-supported series has awards for the overall championship, a forest section and a non-forest section.
It has been used as a stepping stone to national and international competition by Ian Joel, Phil Burton, Neil Wearden, Wayne Sisson and Darren Atkinson.
KLMC chairman Kevin Savage said: “it takes a lot of work to make a 15-round championship viable, but with registrations coming in even before the 2009 awards presentation, it looks as if we have achieved a competitive and affordable series.”
The best seven scores count towards the overall championship, with at least two necessary from each surface, while the best five count in both the forest and non-forest series.
In a change competitors do not contest the Tour of Mull. But they can nominate one other event to score on, as long as they register it with the organisers beforehand and supply results.
CALENDAR 2010 (t - tarmac; f -forest) 1 North West Stages (February 5-6), Blackpool area (t).
2 Riponian Stages (February 14), Ripon area (f).
3 Malcolm Wilson Rally (March 6), the Lakes, Grizedale, Greystoke (f).
4 Border Counties (Nat B, March 20), Border Forests (f).
5 Lee Holland Mem Stages (April 25), Anglesey (t).
6 Adgespeed (May 2), 3 Sisters Circuit, Wigan (t).
7 Hamsterley Stages (may 9), Hamsterley Forest (f).
8 Keith Frecker Mem Stages (June 8), Weeton Camp, Kirkham.
9 Greystoke Stages (July 25), Greystoke Forest (f).
10 Lion Stages (tba, August), Alnwick Forests.
11 Pendragon Stages (August 29), Warcop and Lowther (t).
12 Merrick Stages (September 4), South West Scotland (f).
13 Keith A Wood Mem Rally (October3), Otterburn Ranges (t).
14 Tour of Mull (Bonus Event), October 8/9/10, Mull (t).
15 Malton Stages (tba November), North Yorkshire forests (f).
16 Glen Howard Mem Stages (November 6/7), Anglesey (t).
17 Grizedale Stages, (December 4), Grizedale forest (f).
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