World Rally Champs for SA?
10 November 2004
Motorsport South Africa has appointed Topcar Sports Management (TSM) to secure and promote a round of the World Rally Championship in South Africa.
The World Rally Championship (WRC) has developed into the fastest-growing motorsport discipline in terms of spectator attendance and television viewership over the past three years.
Strong desire for round in SA
Motorsport South Africa chairman Roger Pearce and TSM representatives recently attended a meeting in Paris with International Sportsworld Communicators, the commercial rights holder to the World Rally Championship, where it was determined that there is a strong desire for a round of the WRC to be staged in South Africa.
The move by Motorsport South Africa (MSA) to award WRC South African rights to TSM follows a number of failed attempts in recent years to secure a World Rally Championship event for South Africa.
Before a WRC event is granted,
the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile must observe and evaluate at least one rally in the country to determine if the organisers and promoters are capable of hosting a world championship event. The norm is for at least two observed events being held before the granting of a WRC round, but the target date for a South African WRC event is 2006.
Topcar Sports Management is a division of the Topcar Automotive Group, the current holder of the franchise and television broadcast rights for the WRC and the TV rights of the South African National Rally Championship.
'Very exciting'
"It is very exciting that TSM, a local concern with excellent credentials, has the intention of bringing a round of the WRC to South Africa", said Motorsport SA managing director Beaulah Schoeman.
"The recent success of the SA Motocross GP is evidence of South Africa's ability to run world-class international motorsport events", Schoeman added. "There is no
doubt that any obstacles of an observed event can easily be overcome, and that SA will host a round of the WRC in the near future".
'We're confident'
"We believe that bringing international motorsport events to South Africa is crucial for the long-term development of the sport and the country", said TSM managing director Ian Shrosbree. "As such, we are confident that a WRC event will help to uplift rallying in both South Africa and throughout Africa.
"We have a tough and exciting challenge ahead of us to bring the event to our shores, but we are confident of succeeding in this task."
Source: Motorsport SA
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