For 2010 there will be a new category for BTRDA Rally First cars introduced into the Richard Egger Insurance MSA Asphalt Rally Championship / BTRDA Asphalt Rally Challenge with classes at 1,400cc and 1,000cc.
There will also be a Rally First class in the 2010 MSA English Rally Championship. This is particularly significant because the English Rally Championship is class based, so it is now possible to win a MSA Rally title with a BTRDA Rally First car.
All this in addition to the partnership between BTRDA and the F1000 Rally Club to jointly run the F1000 Forest Rally Championship on BTRDA Rally First events in 2010.
All of the above confirms the long term commitment of the BTRDA in the concept of Rally First as an important category in UK stage rallying. Some of the benefits of Rally First include:-
• The BTRDA Rally First Technical Regulations strictly limit performance enhancements which minimise preparation time / cost and provide a more level playing field.
• BTRDA Rally First cars have proved very reliable with a 90% + finishing rate.
• The much reduced preparation and running costs make BTRDA Rally First an affordable option. Competitors confirm using a minimal number of tyres in a season and a tank of pump fuel per event. This provides the lowest cost opportunity to compete on stage rallies.
• For those who prefer to hire a rally car and leave the preparation to others there are good deals on offer from a number of sources. These deals reflect the lower preparation and running costs of a Rally First car.
• Environmentally less damaging. Rally First cars not only use less fuel and tyres but they do less damage to the stages.
• BTRDA Rally First Championship competitors receive £50 discounts and £20 finishers awards on all Silverstone Tyres BTRDA Rally Series events. There are also free entries worth £3,200 to be won by the Rally First Champions in 2010.
