Delegates from the FIA’s Asia Zone today discussed the possibility of establishing a zone championship at the entry level of rallying. According to FIA Asian Zone Coordinator, Niroshan Pereira, the body is investigating the feasibility of expanding the Tri-Nation Rally series, which currently encompasses Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. “India and Sri Lanka are willing to join in,” he said. “We are now moving toward an Asia Zone championship. “What we are targeting is the entry level, the national level of rallying, not the higher end. Amazingly, all of these countries have a very vibrant national rally championship. “The biggest impediment to a championship is the logistical cost,” he added. “But we are focusing on a part of Asia where freighting is easy. The logistics have been worked out.” Pereira added that the other main
barrier was in regulating the series. “We are also trying to use the national rally regulations of each country, blending them into a new set to have a cross-border set of regulations and thus avoid using the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship regulations, which are very strict and very high level. “The championship’s working group will be meeting soon in Pattaya to discuss the next steps.” The Asia Zone Coordinator added that 2015 had been a successful yearfor the zone, with the launch of a new karting championship using IAME karts, which will be expanded in 2016 to include India, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Macau. He added that the zone had also had success in 2015 with the launch of the TCR Asia saloon car racing series.