Pirelli-backed British Rally Championship adds extra 2013 event

The British Rally Championship will move to a seven-round format in 2013, with the Scottish Rally returning after a seven-year break and Rally North Wales back as the opening round. Rallye Sunseeker will host the season’s finale in October. Pirelli has been the series’ official tyre supplier since 2007.

The inclusion of the Scottish Rally fills the summer gap in the calendar and helps create an even spread of events from April through to October. A points system will also allow the two worst scores to be dropped towards the overall and class title fights.
 
The NGK Spark Plugs BRC Challenge will increase to the same seven events, but the trip to Northern Ireland will still allow crews to take two sets of maximum points on this double header. The support series will also count the best five scores from its eight rounds, with Rallye Sunseeker having a 50 per cent bonus for both series.
 
Pirelli UK Motorsport Operations manager Matthew Corby said: “The British Rally Championship has grown from strength to strength over the past 12 months with the new-for-2012 regulations helping to create some extremely close rally action. It is excellent to hear that the championship will maintain its good geographical spread by visiting England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland whilst also adding an extra round to the calendar. We look forward to playing an important role in what is shaping up to be another promising season ahead.”
 
2013 MSA British Rally Championship calendar

Round 1: 6-7 April – Rally North Wales, Welshpool, (Gravel)
Round 2: 4-5 May – Pirelli Rally, Carlisle, Cumbria (Gravel)
Round 3: 30 May-1 June – Jim Clark Rally, Duns, Scottish Borders (Asphalt)
Round 4: 29 June – Scottish Rally, Dumfries (Gravel)
Round 5: 23-24 August – Rally NI, Northern Ireland (Asphalt)
Round 6: 28-29 September – Rally Yorkshire, Scarborough, North Yorkshire (Gravel)
Round 7: 19 October – Rallye Sunseeker, Bournemouth/Poole (Gravel)