Reading, November 28, 2013. The 2014 season will be a whole new ball game for the Pirelli Richard Burns Foundation Rally with the event’s base taking to the terraces with a move to Brunton Park, the home of Carlisle United Football Club. The re-location will not only see a tie-up between the organisers of two of Cumbria’s biggest sporting events, but will also bring the rally much closer to Carlisle city centre, a long-held ambition of the rally organisers, who also have much valued support from Carlisle City Council.
The Pirelli Richard Burns Foundation Rally, which runs over the weekend of 2nd – 4th May next year, has long been at the forefront of British motor sport and 2014 will mark the 22nd year as a round of the prestigious MSA British Rally Championship. The event is also a round of the Mintex British Historic Rally Championship that brings iconic cars from yesteryear to Carlisle, a aspect of the rally much enjoyed by the thousands of spectators that the event attracts every year.
Brunton Park consolidates the event’s footprint within the city centre, which will allow spectators to view both the start and finish as well as servicing within walking distance of each other. Rally HQ, control centre and media centre will be located in the stadium itself. A spokesman for the Pirelli Richard Burns Foundation Rally said, ”As we are part of the premier league of British rallying, a move to Brunton Park is a perfect fit and we look forward to working with the football club to provide a great spectacle in an accessible city centre venue.”
On behalf of Carlisle United, club director, Dick Young, said, ” The football club are delighted to have been approached to host the 2014 Pirelli Richard Burns Foundation Rally at Brunton Park and, in association with H & H Group, one of our principal partners, will hold the scrutineering at Rosehill. The servicing will take place in the main car parks at Brunton Park.”
The Leader of Carlisle City Council, Cllr Colin Glover, said, ” We are delighted that the Pirelli Richard Burns Foundation Rally will be coming in to Carlisle city centre for next year’s event. This is a high profile event and one which will give people the opportunity to see the cars and crews in close proximity. Carlisle has a growing reputation as a city that delivers impressive sporting events and we look forward to working with the Pirelli Rally to make it a memorable and enjoyable event”.
The Pirelli Richard Burns Foundation Rally first ran in 1975, at the time titled The Pirelli Tour of Cumbria Rally. Previous winners of the event include former World Rally Champions Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Ari Vatanen, while local hero Malcolm Wilson has notched up a record four outright victories. The rally brings to Carlisle not only a large number of competitors and crews but also thousands of enthusiastic spectators and it is estimated that the rally contributes £1.93 million to the city’s economy.
As the title of the event suggests, the Pirelli Richard Burns Foundation Rally will see the organising Cumberland Sporting Car Club work closely with the Richard Burns Foundation to raise funds for the charity named after the 2001 World Rally Champion and the 1993 winner of the Carlisle-based event.
