The Australian Rally Championship (ARC) will stick with a one-make tyre for the next three years, with two brands still in the running.
After months of discussion and pitches from tyre manufacturers, it is believed that current supplier, MRF Tyres, and the American brand, Hoosier, are the two brands which CAMS and the ARC will choose from.
"The decision is nearly there," CAMS' Michael Smith told RallySport Magazine today.
"We have short-listed a couple of options, and have had various meetings with those parties.
"The parties that haven't been selected have been advised that they have missed out."
RallySport Magazine understands that the ARC was chasing five tyre manufacturers to contribute in the vicinity of $30,000 each to run a multi-tyre championship. However, that resulted in a shortfall in funding.
A single supplier is expected to have to contribute $150,000 to the championship.
Many ARC competitors have been pushing for more freedoms in tyres over recent years, as it opens up more sponsorship avenues for the lesser funded teams.
Smith said that it's not as simple as just opening the floodgates to every brand.
"We just couldn't make it work with several brands," Smith added.
"We are clear on our objectives, but a combination of commercial and promotional reasons meant that it wasn't possible."
The decision on which brand will be chosen comes down to a number of things, the top two being the performance of the tyre, and the tyre cost.
It will be a close call on who gets the nod, although Hoosier are believed to have their noses in front.
MRF has been the control tyre supplier for the ARC since 2017.
MRF has been the ARC's control tyre since 2017 and has provided a reliable, well-priced option for competitors across the country.
Although relatively new to Australian rallying, Hoosier has made a big impact in recent months, most recently winning the Victorian Rally Championship with Arron Windus.
CAMS are expecting to make a decision in the coming days, with an announcement possible by the end of this week.
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Many ARC competitors have been pushing for more freedoms in tyres over recent years, as it opens up more sponsorship avenues for the lesser funded teams.
Smith said that it's not as simple as just opening the floodgates to every brand.
