Canada accelerates for a WRC round by 2022

And if the WRC crossed the Atlantic to organize one of its winter rounds? The plan to see the World Rally Championship return to Canada (already seen fleetingly in the calendar in the 70s) seems to be taking shape by 2022.

Founded about a year ago, the Rally Promoter Association of Canada provided updates on the progress of work carried out with the FIA ​​on the subject. If the Canadian entity initially hoped for an event launched in 2023, the FIA ​​would like to see the round arrive a year earlier in 2022.

The holding of a “control” race, under the supervision of the international federation, must therefore take place at least two years before integration into the WRC calendar.

“In meetings with the FIA ​​and WRC we developed an understanding of what they would like to see and what we need to focus on to build our event, comments the association.

They clearly expressed their desire to show the world what Canada is about and not focus on replicating existing events. This message is not only positive for us, but also for our potential Canadian partners.

The round would be wintry with reliable snow/ice conditions and organized in an area with a significant number of sites and accommodation availability that can feature stunning scenery and showcase Canadian culture. It would also include a “national” component which would allow non-homologated cars to race in order to expand the peloton. »

Enough to put Canada in opposition to the Rally of Sweden, whose last edition earlier this month, suffered from very poor snow conditions. The promoters believe they have already defined an area to host the event.

“We think there is an obvious location to hold our event and, after meeting with the rally community in the area, they seem to agree. We envision the WRC round as a competitive event mid-February based in Ottawa / Gatineau, who will turn to Quebec and Ontario for the specials.

The super-specials and ceremonies would be held in the capital region. There are still many questions to be answered, plans to be made, and money to be found, but we believe this plan can provide us with the best foundation for success. »