Rally Norway poised to kick off WRC 2009

Rally Norway is keenly anticipating a celebration of its nomination as the year’s first WRC round in 2009. If FIA World Motor Sport Council votes according to its recommendation, Rally Norway will start the new season.

Roar Forgaard, President of the Norwegian Automobile Sport Association (NBF), who was present at FIA World Motor Sport Council board meeting 24 October, is confident that Rally Norway will become a new WRC organiser from 2009.

It was expected that FIA World Motor Sport Council 24 October would decide the WRC calendar for the coming years. However, the final decision was postponed until the council’s December meeting.

Even so, Even Wiger, managing director of Rally Norway and the driving force since 2002 behind the Norwegian efforts to join WRC, has a broad smile while remaining fully aware that FIA’s final decision will not be taken until December.

“We have worked extremely hard to achieve this. Now, we are very happy to see Norway so close to being in the future WRC calendar. For us this is an ultimate confirmation of the splendid work we delivered. In 2007 we organised Norway’s WRC round at seven months’ notice without knowing what would happen in the future. That was a tremendous challenge. What happens now should enable us to think and plan for the long term,” says Even Wiger.

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