Welcome to Rally Telemark 2011

NAF Motorsport and the local clubs NAF Notodden/NAF Asker & Bærum held a press-conference on November 25th 2010 where they revealed several details concerning the NM-Rally Rally Telemark.

After Erik Tandberg at NAF Motorsport Asker & Bærum launched the idea to host a rally in the picturesque surroundings in Telemark, they have worked to create an exciting rally. The practical work on the rally started in the autumn of 2009, and in July 2010 they applied to the Norwegian Motorsport Association (NBF) to get Norwegian Championship (NM) status. The stages are certified by the Swede Bruno Berglund, now the safety controller in FIA. Berglund is impressed by the stages and states that the rally will be very challenging, especially for the co-drivers.

NAF Motorsport native Mads Østberg is one of a few Norwegians to race internationally and has gathered a number of points in this year’s WRC. Will he start in Rally Telemark? September 3rd at 08.00 the first car will roll of the staringt line in Notodden. Lying in front of them are 200km’s of 100km’s are Special Stages. 10 Special Stages will be driven in and around Notodden before they are back in the Parc Ferme around 8pm. Three times they will pass through the Service Area at Nesøya. Nesøya is a good place for spectators to get close to the cars and drivers. A Speaker-service will be provided to help the spectators with results and splits.

Deals have been made, and contracts signed with approx. 100 landowners to ready the roads. The landowner attache John Erik Nilsen says:”we have never gotten feedback this positive and enthusiastic from the landowners we have talked to in the past. We have spent 4 months on this, but it has been some of the best work I have done in my 40 years in Norwegian motorsport”.

Arild Antonsen, the President of NBF wishes new rallies welcome to the NM level. It is especially positive to get a summer rally in a region which normally does not see much action. Antonsen looks forward to this particular rally as he knows the area and many of the great roads it will be driven on.

As hosts of Rally Telemark, we are proud to offer the participants a special photoservice. Notodden Photoclub will have two photographers on every Special Stage. The photographers will change their location when the participants come through the stages for the second time, meaning that they will take at least 13 different pictures of all of them. Of course this is under the provision that the participants do not have to withdraw during the rally. The teams can pre-order a CD with pictures of all the stages they drive. This CD will be edited to a finished collection of photos after the rally. If the teams wish to use the photos for commercial purposes we would like the photographer to be properly credited. This CD will cost NOK500.