World Rally Championship is on its way to Limerick!
THE WORLD Rally Championship is on its way to Limerick!
It was confirmed at a press conference this Tuesday morning that the global event will be staged in Limerick Racecourse on one of the years between 2025 and 2028, subject to governmental funding.
President of Motorsport Ireland, Aiden Harper confirmed judges could not separate the three bids - the others being from Waterford and Tralee - following inspections at the back end of next week.
So all three venues will stage one year of the internationally renowned event.
It's a major boost for Limerick, with conservative estimates suggesting the tournament could bring €100m into the local economy, as well as up to 250,000 visitors.
Limerick Racecourse is set to be transformed into a 10,000 square metre service park and international media centre as well as the WRC fan zone.
Speaking at Motorsport Ireland's headquarters in Dublin, Mr Harper said expressions of interest on specific years the venues wished to host in would now be invited.
If more than one expression of interest is received for each year, a lottery system will take place.
He praised the presentation from the Limerick Motor Club, Limerick Racecourse and the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau.
Speaking of the Limerick Racecourse, located outside Patrickswell, he said: "We walked the proposed area and viewed the huge area and facilities available with the grandstand. It's a building with so much to offer and there is amazing potential on the outside as well given its use as a racecouse."
"The allied support of all elected representatives present, speaking as one voice was something very special," he added.
Mr Harper described all three presentations as "exceptional", "mindblowing" and "all different in approach."
"We believe all WRC events would be delighted to have any of them as a service park," he added, "We tried many different scoring systems. But no two came out head and shoulders above one location. Each location has so much to give and showcases our country in a slightly different way."
The World Rally Championship returns to Ireland for the first time since 2009.
Limerick is expected to host more than 1,500 volunteers and hundreds of officials, marshals and service crew members from the world’s largest rallying teams, including M-sport Ford, Toyota Gazoo racing and Hyundai shell mobis.
Inaugurated in 1973, it is the second oldest of the FIA's world championships after Formula One. Each season, which lasts one calendar year, separate championship titles are awarded to drivers, co-drivers and manufacturers.