City set to welcome winners of historic car rally

(Date of issue: Monday, 16 November 2009)

Who will win the star studded event?

Today will see the finishers from the Roger Albert Clark Rally arrive in Carlisle. The field of 68 teams is expected to arrive in the city centre at approximately 1.30pm. This year saw the largest competitive field in the event’s history, with teams leaving Pickering, North Yorkshire, on Friday, 13 November; then racing off to complete stages in Kielder and the Scottish Borders over the weekend, before heading for a champagne finish outside the Old Town Hall, Carlisle.

This is the sixth year that the city has hosted the finish of the Roger Albert Clark Rally. To mark this successful association the Mayor of Carlisle Councillor William Graham, will wave the cars over the finish line, outside the Old Town Hall, and will then present the winning team with a Carlisle Crest. At the Rally Awards ceremony being held at Carlisle Racecourse, at 3.30pm this afternoon, Cllr Marilyn Bowman, Carlisle City Council portfolio holder for Economy, will present the inaugural Carlisle City Council trophy, to the team with the fastest overall times through the Kielder Forest Stages.

The question remains who will win the 2009 Roger Albert Clark Rally?

Will one of the local heroes Ian Tullie, from Cockermouth, Andy Irving, from Carlisle, Phil Jobson, from Carlisle, Caroline Lodge, from Brampton, John Millington from Cockermouth, Marcus Noble, from Penrith and Brain Hodgson, from Penrith pull out all the stops to win?

Or will one of the rally stars including former World Rally Champion; Stig Blomqvist, Le Mans 24 Hour Champion; Guy Smith, British Rally Champions; Gwyndaf Evans, Phil Collins and David Stokes and Historic British Rally Champion; Steve Perez take the laurels?

Carlisle City Cllr Marilyn Bowman, portfolio holder for Economy said:

"Over the last six years, the Council has supported the organisers of the Roger Albert Clark Rally. We are extremely pleased to welcome the event back, we are delighted to be chosen as the venue for the finish once more and hope this association will continue well into the future. The Roger Albert Clark helps to raise the profile of the city nationally and internationally with spectators and competitors travelling from all over the world to Carlisle. This type of event helps to showcase what we have to offer and generates tremendous opportunities for local business and tourism."