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Rally USA postponed

The much-awaited Rally USA has been postponed until at least 2001

The inaugural Colorado-based event was earmarked for the end of June as a round of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.

The delay will be a major setback for the FIA's plan to bring World Championship rallying back to the US for the first time in more than 10 years.

The rally's executive director, Dennis Dean, attributed the postponement to "unforeseen challenges".

He said: "Since the first day of our effort, we have been totally committed to making our event first-class in every aspect, as befits a top-level international rally event.

"We have encountered some obstacles that we feel would prevent us from achieving that goal in the inaugural running of the event.

"Since so many top level teams and competitors have indicated their desire to participate in the event, we felt an obligation to them to make this decision in sufficient time for them to adjust their plans accordingly.

"We want to emphasise that this is a postponement of the event and not a cancellation.

"We have every expectation that the 2001 event will go on as scheduled and we intend to re-apply to the FIA for a suitable calendar date in 2001."

Reports suggest that the organisers were short of sponsorship, despite the fact that Ford, Mitsubishi and Subaru were all planning to send works cars with star drivers, including Richard Burns and Colin McRae.

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