Bid to attract WRC to NE (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Bid to attract WRC to NE

12:32pm Friday 26th February 2010

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A DRIVE to bring the World Rally Championship to the North-East and Yorkshire has been unveiled.

The ambitions plans, which would give a multi-million pound boost to the region’s economy if successful, were revealed at the North East Economic Forum last week.

It is hoped to hold the first event in 2011.

Neil Duncanson, from North One Sport, which promotes WRA, told delegates he had been in discussion with business and council leaders over the plans for the last five months.

The British leg of the WRA season is currently held in Wales, however rally chiefs fear that if a new venue is not found it could be replaced with an event elsewhere in the world.

Mr Duncanson said: “We’re hoping to create a world class sporting event which this region can be proud of.

“We’re looking to bring WRC 2011 and beyond to the North- East. We’ve already got a lot of support from the public bodies.

To make it happen we now need investment from the private sector.”

He said potential venues were still to be decided, however he said they would be between Yorkshire and Hadrian’s Wall.

He said he envisaged stages on the coast, Kielder Forest, some of the region’s historic places and also, potentially, around a North-East town.

“Sunderland is keen to be the hub,” he added.

Mr Duncanson said WRC was up with Formula One as a event and could attract more than a million spectators along the routes.

WRC has an annual television audience of 500 million people in 180 countries, he added.

He said existing venues had calculated that hosting a WRC stage brought in up to 50 million euros.

According to the promoter, the WRC series would in the future move from being carbon neutral, to using hybrids and cars which emitted no emissions.

He envisaged up to 120 cars taking part, as well as a classic car event and spin off exhibitions.

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