After being one of the many racing series worldwide to be put on hold in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the New Zealand Rally Championship has confirmed that its 2020 season will be cancelled for the year.
While it was a tough decision to make, series coordinator Blair Bartels says that the decision had the future of the series in mind.
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“It was a really difficult call to make but one we know is best for the long-term health of our sport,” he said. “We love rallying; it is something we are super passionate about and it is really hard to make a call that means there will be less of it this year but we have to be pragmatic through these unprecedented times.
“The economic fallout will be significant, and it is just not practical to think entry numbers will be strong enough this season to make events sustainable at a national championship level, especially with so many of our competitors being small business owners.
“There will still be club events and there may be an appetite for a couple of one-off events and that opens up some exciting possibilities.
“The securing of Brian Green Property Group as title sponsor for an 11th season gives the championship some certainty and we greatly appreciate the unconditional support Brian and his team has shown to the championship and it gives us a strong platform to begin work planning next season.”
The long-standing championship's primary sponsor, Brian Green Property Group, has confirmed that it will return for a 2021 season.
The Kiwi series becomes one of the first racing categories in the world to commit to a 2020 plan, with most other categories still waiting in hope of resuming their respective championships. Categories like the Supercars Championship and Formula 1 hope to kick back into gear this year, but expect to run without spectators present at events.