Irish Notes 11 January 2006. 

Galway Motor Club announced last week that their February 4/5^th International Rally will adopt a WRC style Designated Refuelling Area. As the opening round of the Pirelli Tarmac Championship, the organisers have taken the decision following an safety audit of rally service areas. The event will use the system used on the inaugural Rally Ireland last October, operated by Donegal Oil. At least 4 grades of Shell Racing fuel will be available through 7 pumps operated by professional refuelling personnel. First Chioce Flooring have been confirmed as rally sponsor once again, with the rally based at Galways Radisson SAS Hotel. 

Yesterday (Tuesday 10^th) saw the launch of the 2006 NI Rally Championship at the Superdrive Motorsports Center in Portadown with several new initiatives put into place by new championship co-ordinator Kieran ONiell. A new website has been created at www.nirally.com where it is intended to provide a much more up to date pre-event information service, results and a commitment to publishing championship points within one week of a rally finishing. Well known as a competitor, ONiell commented There are quite a few changes this year, and I feel it is time to raise the profile of the Championship, Superdrive have agreed to support the 2wd championship with £125, £90 and £45 awarded to the top three finishers, and we are close to putting a deal together for the GpN drivers, it all helps. The newly created Down Rally based in Newcastle has been confirmed as a full counting round on 21^st October and that the Tour of the Sperrins will for the first time be a closed road asphalt event. 

Gareth McHale leads a strong Irish entry on the forthcoming Monte Carlo Rally in his new 05 Focus WRC. The reigning Irish forestry champion and Billy Coleman award winner along with co-driver Paul Nagle will make their debut on  the Alpine event. McHale will have little time to acclimatise to his new WRC mount with what is likely to be only a short test this week. Following the Monte, the pair plan to contest Rally Ireland and almost certainly Catalonia leaving no time to defend their Irish Forestry title. Gareths father and Former Tarmac Champion Austin McHale with Brian Murphy are just couple cars behind in their 03 Focus while Eamonn Boland and Francis Regan will start their 04 Focus directly after McHale, this crew making their now regular trip to the principality. 

Details of the McAuley Trailers Southern Forestry championship has recently been released for this popular series. Following a similar format to last year, eight events are planned, starting with the Willie Loughman in February, with the best seven scores from eight to count with bonus points awarded for starting all events. The two day Cork Forestry rally has still to confirm its final date, but provisionally the event will run on either the July 22/23^rd or October 14/15^th.  The Championship Open Forum will take place this Sunday (15^th) at Kearneys Castle Hotel in Cashel, Tipperary at 2.00pm. The Forest Committee have negotiated a new three year deal with Coilte and 2006 entry fees have been set to 490 Euros for the main field and 390 Euro for juniors.Leading competitors already showing interest this year include John McCarthy (Corolla WRC), Pat Norris (Impreza) and Kevin OKane(Impreza WRC). 

Charles Reynolds has been appointed as the FIA Sporting Adviser to the forthcoming Rally Ireland. The former FIA WRC co-ordinators duties will include visiting the rally in March and ensuring that all elements of the event are up to the relevant FIA and World Rally Championship standards. 

The opening Irish rally for 2006, the Castle Restricted Single Stage scheduled for Sunday 29^th, has extended its entry closing date to the 15^th January. COC Michelle Deveraux reports a healthy entry already but feels that following the festive season, a weeks extension would allow competitors some breathing space.

Michael Patterson.