Albania Hosts 1st Rally Championship

04 January 2008 Tirana _ Albania marked its entrance into the world of motorsports on Friday with the start of the Petrela Grand Prix, the first stage of the 2008 Albanian Rally Championship.

Rally Albania 2008 is the first professional motorsport race to be held in the country, and will include various contests, such as go-cart, motocross and off-road racing.

“This year the rally in Albania comes in the shape of a championship, with five races and a championship title,” race commissioner Edvin Kasimati explained at a news conference.

In a country where only two decades ago private ownership of cars was banned, and a vehicle was the privilege of a few communist party cadres, rally races have generated an incredible media buzz and caught the public’s imagination.

A number sponsors, such as Vodaphone and Birra Tirana, have jumped on the bandwagon to support the event.

“We are surprised by the number of participants this year, it definitely exceeds our expectations,” Kasimati said.

After the Petrela Grand Prix, on the outskirts of Tirana, races will be held in Lezha, Korca, Vlora and Saranda.

The 2008 event has also captivated regional attention with 20 teams coming from Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece and Italy.

BalkanInsight.com - Albania Hosts 1st Rally Championship

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