EXCITEMENT is already building as a popular rally is returning to Kielder Forest.
With the action described as being held in ‘short, sharp format’ and in ‘super stages’, the new look Kielder Forest Rally will be held on Saturday, April 25.
The rally promises to add extra interest to thrill seeking rally enthusiasts with the super sprint with six stages totalling 45 miles and a minimal road mileage packed into just six hours, making it one of the most compact events in the rally calendar.
Starting in front of the imposing facade of Kielder Castle, an 18th century hunting lodge for the dukes of Northumberland, it is a very short hop of under a mile to the start of the first stage.
This format continues throughout the event with the service area, the well-known Greenside venue, located just yards from the stages.
The rally will break new ground by venturing to the north of Kielder Water to use parts of the giant Kielder Forest complex that the event has not used for a number of years.
These stages tend to be more complex than some further south and the organisers hope that this move will vastly reduce the number of chicanes which have been necessary on stages using the faster roads in Wark Forest.
The Kielder Forest Rally is a round of several national championships including the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship, the Motorsport UK English Rally Championship with Seacon UK, the Motoscope Northern Historic Stage Championship, the SG.Petch/ ANECCC Stage Championship, the Race and Rally2 Series and the newly announced Crew25 Series, which gives younger drivers an opportunity to drive the legendary Kielder stages.
Scrutineering and documentation will also be located at Kielder Castle with a choice of Friday evening or Saturday morning scrutineering sessions meaning competitors can cut down on hotel expenses if running on a budget.
The same venue will host the rally finish to give crews the opportunity to head for home without a time-consuming run in from the final stages.
Further information can be obtained from the event website at www.kielderforestrally.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here