Chris Kelly Memorial is back with a bang for 2012 (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Chris Kelly Memorial is back with a bang for 2012

9:08am Thursday 5th January 2012 in Motor sport By Chris Flanagan, Sports reporter

EAST Lancashire rally crews will get their first chance to hit the famous Manx stages in 2012 – at the MANN Construction sponsored Chris Kelly Memorial Stages on February 17 & 18.

Entries open this week with the publication of regulations by the organisers, Manx Auto Sport, for whom it also starts their 50th Anniversary celebrations.

They confirm that their event forms a qualifying round of two championships – the Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship, and the AWNCC Stage Rally Championship.

In addition to championship contenders from on and off the island, many UK crews use the event as an extended test given its multiple use of stages, including last year winner Dave Patterson in his Mitsubishi Evo 9 and Blackburn’s John Stone in the fearsome Skoda WRC.

The event retains its traditional Friday night and Saturday daytime schedule, making for a real challenge.

The opening evening is set to feature six tests, two runs over each of three stages. Saturday has a further eight, three runs on two tests and two attempts on another.

In total, the rally features over 105 stage miles on just six separate stages.