Rally Ireland is set to run solely on asphalt next March - a move that could boost its chances of joining the WRC in 2007

Rally organisers have secured a rare road closing order for Northern Ireland that will allow the event to run on closed road asphalt stages on both sides of the border. Only ten such orders are available for major events in the province, and these must be split between rallies and motorbike events.

Sources close the the event suggest that Rally Ireland will adopt an all asphalt format for next season when it will be observed by FIA officials for possible inclusion in the 2007 WRC. However, event officials have said that a final decision is yet to be made.

Clerk of the Course Tom Nolan said: "We're delighted that we've secured a road closing order in the North. It makes it a lot easier to plan next year's event. We're hoping to make a final decision on what surface to run on soon."

Running on closed roads is the natural choice for the event, as Ireland has a strong history of asphalt events, while the FIA recently revealed that it would have no preference of surface typre to add to the calendar.

Committing to an asphalt event could be a problem for Rally Ireland, however. The FIA has introduced the concept of 'twinning' events to save on costs. Rally Ireland is seen as the natural twin for Rally GB, although the gravel format of that event could preclude such a move.

Content: Motorsport News

See highlights of the 2005 Rally Ireland were shown on a Rally programme on Motors TV (I think, either that or Eurosport )