This year’s Island Stages rally has been cancelled due to a lack of entries received, it has been announced.
The rally was due to take place in September, building on last year’s successful single-venue event. A total of 10 stages were due to be held at Duxmore and in Wootton, with a ceremonial start at Premier Motors in Newport the day before.
However, the Isle of Wight Car Club has said that a lack of entries means it is not financially viable to run the event.
Just 21 crews had successfully entered and paid, with a further 10 incomplete or unpaid entries – but at least 40 competitors were needed to proceed.
The cancellation is a sad representation of rallying in the South of England, with the sport almost entirely centered around Northern and Scottish counties now – and across the Irish Sea. Previous events such as the Rally of Kent, the Tempest Stages, Rallye Sunseeker and the Somerset Stages kept the motorsport alive locally, but all of these rallies have been scrapped.
The added dilemma of ferry travel is no doubt a consideration for rally crews too.
That said, the Isle of Wight Car Club is exploring the opportunity of running a tarmac rally sprint in 2024.
Glad to hear that this polluting non-sport will not be happening on the island.
Oh shut up you boring specimen of a human being!! I bet your a thrill to be around
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you sad git! (my opinion obviously!)
Rally car trailer support vehicle Wightlink would have a field Day probably about 400 pound return no wonder not many people have entered ferry companies are killing the lsle of Wight!
Noise, air pollution and damage to the countryside would make this a non-starter for me.
If people want to go rally driving then one must simply drive along any country road on the IoW and flick the steering wheel left and right to avoid the monumental potholes.
For an added dash of authenticity the passenger can wear a crash helmet and shout 50 over crest, 60 flat, 10 love etc.
Agree. Most of them are just cruising around the towns all day anyway with their super loud exhausts.
Sad, but just because it was likely the only way we would ever rid the Island of that odd handshaking, pompous couple of twits from Bembridge in one hit.
The Island countryside could then breath a sigh of relief without the most prolific damaging developer and weedy, but well connected side-kick.
I would suggest that the cost of getting to the Island is the primary reason for the lack of entries
What the hell????
This is terrible for motorsports.
Probably because of the loony’s on the left that don’t appreciate the revenue that this sort of a few days a year brings in
Motor sports! Hardly sport having a faster car is it? You might as well stand next to a motorway watching the traffic if this what gets your excited. Real sport does not require driving a car.
You are just showing your complete ignorance of what skill is involved in driving a race or rally car then aren’t you. Idiot.
We need a Tunnel, then we can attract a lot more sport on the island.
Good we don’t want troglodyte types here Thankyou with their speeding gas guzzling noisy popping monstrosities
Glad to hear this. We don’t want these chavvy cars here, popping & gas guzzling
Air pollution lol, meanwhile Hugo and his massive Tory pension drives his v8 range rover into town every day to pick up his paper and cheese and no one bats an eyelid.