Forest 'RAC' rally to honour Roger Clark

The classic era of the RAC Rally will be re-created in November 2004 with a three-day forest rally aimed at crews of historic, post-historic and classic cars. Pre-75 rally cars are expected to make up a large element of the entry for the Roger Albert Clark Rally, named in honour of the British ace who won the event in 1972 and 1976.

Unveiled in October after more than a year of planning, the 2004 RAC Rally will be based at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, and includes forest stages in Cumbria, Yorkshire, Scotland and the Kielder complex, and will have two overnight halts in Carlisle.

The event, which will be run on November 20-24, is expected to attract crews from all over Europe in the 180-car field. Modern two-wheel drive cars will also be allowed to enter.

Heading the organising team is former works Ford driver John Taylor. “This really is the sort of event that the sport has been waiting for,” he said. “Whilst taking its cue from recent history, this venture is all about revitalising the future of British rallying.”