WRC Paris Meeting Set to Decide Rally Bulgaria Fate

The Borovets-based Rally Bulgaria ran in July, but was cancelled after an accident which killed co-driver Flavio Gugelmini. Photo by rallybulgaria.com

The World Rally Championship (WRC) commission meeting in Paris next Monday is set to decide the fate of Rally Bulgaria.

The WRC will decide on the final part of the 2010 season calendar and Rally Bulgaria is one of the races that is in the spotlight.

The Borovets-based event ran in July, but was marred by an accident which killed co-driver Flavio Gugelmini, racer.com reported.

Despite the event ending prematurely following that crash, WRC commission president ,Morrie Chandler, stated that the Rally made a strong case for inclusion next season, and that a decision would be made at next Monday's meeting.

"We'll know immediately after that September 16 meeting," said Chandler, cited by racer.com. "There has been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between us and the organisers of Rally Bulgaria.

"We have been back to them with questions based on the observers' reports. Based on the answers to those questions, we've gone back with more questions and they have then answered those. We met with the World Rally Championship promoter and obtained their point of view.

"At the end of the day, we have got to recognise they [Rally Bulgaria organisers] have gone down the path set by the FIA four years ago. They followed the rules, the application, the candidacy event, they've paid all of the appropriate fees and been through all of the processes. They have followed the FIA requirement, so that puts them in a strong position."

Bulgaria's inclusion would effectively spell the end of the Rally Argentina, Acropolis Rally of Greece and Rally d'Italia's hopes of being included in next year's calendar.

"Argentina was only ever included if Bulgaria failed to measure up," Chandler said. "Greece and Italy also put their hands up to be reserve events. If Bulgaria's not in, then Argentina isn't an immediate replacement - this was never about Argentina or Bulgaria," he concluded.