2009 MSA Gravel Rally Championship

2009 MSA Gravel Rally Championship Website: http://www.gravelrally.co.uk/ Region: National The Association of National Championship Rally Organisers (ANCRO) has announced their dates for the 2009 MSA Gravel Rally Championship as follows: Round 1 27/28th February - Rallye Sunseeker, Bournemouth Round 2 21st March - Border Counties Rally, Jedburgh Round 3 18th April - Pirelli Rally, Carlisle Round 4 8/9th May - RBS International Manx Rally, Douglas Round 5 30th May - Severn Valley Rally, Builth Wells Round 6 18th July - Swansea Bay Rally, Swansea Round 7 5th September - Woodpecker Rally, Ludlow Round 8 26th September - Trackrod Rally, Pickering Two new events have come into the series, those being the Carlisle-based Pirelli Rally and the popular Woodpecker Rally. The traditional season opener will once again be the glitzy Rallye Sunseeker followed by successive visits to Kielder Forest with both the Border Counties and Pirelli events using the northern, central and western tracks of the vast complex. Then it's a trip over the Irish Sea for the unique tarmac of the Manx lanes before the classic forests of mid, central and southern Wales which are incorporated into the Severn Valley, and Swansea Bay. The tests of the Welsh/English borders comprise the Woodpecker Rally and the season finale takes place in the ultra-fast tracks of the Yorkshire forests with the Trackrod Rally. An ANCRO spokesman said: "This represents our most comprehensive package geographically and we are delighted to welcome such prestigious events as the Pirelli and Woodpecker rallies into the series. We believe the championship will provide one of the biggest challenges in British rallying and we hope to welcome many new competitors, as well as our existing ones in what is going to be a truly memorable year." Further details regarding sponsorship, regulations and registration details will be available and distributed in due course and also keep a regular eye on the official website www.gravelrally.co.uk