Circuit of Ireland regains international status

International status has been restored to the Circuit of Ireland Rally after a lapse of 13 years.

The rally will take place from April 10 to 12 next with the support of Buy & Sell.

The Easter Classic will undergo a few changes.

The Easter Stages Rally, which took place on Easter Monday for the last few years, will now take place on the opening day of the rally action, Easter Saturday.

Cars in the National and Historic events will start on Easter Sunday.

With rally headquarters at the Killyhevlin, Enniskillen, will take place at St Angelo Airfield on the outskirts of the Co Fermanagh town on Good Friday.

The Airfield is also the location for the opening stage of the event - a spectator stage that has a number of changes from last year.

The rest of Saturday’s action features four stages in the Rosslea/Clogher area.

Five stages run twice in the Castlederg/Castlefinn/Sion Mills form Sunday’s leg and the event finishes on Monday with a loop of three stages that will be run twice in the Fintona/Ballinamallard area.

The final stage is the spectator stage at St Angelo Airfield from where the competitors will proceed to the finish arch.

The Buy & Sell Circuit of Ireland Rally is the second round of the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship.