Statment from Excel
"It is with much regret that the Excel Rally Championship 2009 is being cancelled with immediate effect, but the series may regenerate again in the future. It is a decision that hasnt come easy for championship manager, who has invested a lot of time, money and effort into this years series. It is unfortunate we have no choice but to pull the pin on the 2009 series. I suppose these economically changing times havent helped matters, and maybe the series would have worked better in different years, but even with our offer of free registration we werent getting the numbers necessary to make the whole thing pan out. It was very much a big effort by Excel Rallying, and we are also under pressure with work commitments out foreign.
Despite the lure of extensive On the Limit television coverage, and a relaxing of the control tyre rulings, letting crews use up their own stock of tyres first, only 5 drivers have contested enough events to even qualify for the end of season shoot-out that was to be held in November. Its not something we wanted to do, but we havent totally given up. Maybe in a better year and with a bit of re-thinking it could all work out properly in the future.