Irish Notes 20^th Nov. ’06

 

An interesting opportunity has arisen in Irish rallying to sponsor the Tarmac Championship following the withdrawal of Pirelli. The tyre company has backed the series for three years, during which the profile of the sport in Ireland has continued to rise. Pirelli spokesman Martin Pallot stated that the company will continue to support the series.

 

At a glittering prizegiving ceremony in Dublin’s CityWest Hotel last weekend Charlie Donnelly and Paddy Toner were crowned the new Dunlop National Rally Champions. Donnelly, who uniquely shared his brother Eugene’s Tarmac Championship winning Corolla WRC, commented that at the moment he has no plans to defend his title, and that his priority lies with backing Eugene, almost certainly driving a Subaru, on next year’s Tarmac series.

 

Alan Ring collected the GpN Champion’s awards, and he announced that he would almost certainly go for the title again next year, in a new GpN Impreza. His big rival for GpN, Willie Fannin, is leaning more towards campaigning a WRC car on next year’s National series. Ring’s principal co-driver through the year was Adrian Deasy, but it was Fannin’s man on the notes Mick Courtney who came out tops in the points. Both co-drivers received Patterson RallyNews GpN Awards for their efforts.

 

Peter Jenkins, on behalf of Motorsport Ireland, accepted one cheque at the prizegiving for 15,700 euros, collected on the Dunlop National Championship. There were further substantial monies donated at the prizegiving, which will also be forwarded on to the Irish Motorsport Benevolent Fund.

 

Richard Warbrick, MD of Goodyear/Dunlop in Ireland, gave a guarded commitment to renewing the Dunlop backing for next year’s National series, stating that he wants to see a further rise in the Championship profile.

 

Sarah and Amy Moynihan were one of only two all ladies crew to lift awards at the Dunlop Prizegiving. The two sisters from Mallow showed real pace at times, winning their class on the final round in Skibbereen, but a broken half shaft on their Micra, and a collision with a wall in Ballina didn’t do their Championship hopes much good. The girls feel their ideal scenario for next season would be another crack at the class in the Dunlop series, ideally in a Citroen C2R2, but the budget is far from in place. Sarah and Amy finished 3^rd in class, with the only other ladies crew, Sharon Power/Oonagh Roche, 2^nd in the same class with their Ford KA.

 

Brian Armstrong took his Escort to another victory on the eight stage Gullion Rally last weekend, with Frank Kelly finishing 2^nd and Gerry Smyth 3^rd, these two also in Escorts. Norman Armstrong was a close 2^nd early on but his Escort suffered a broken half-shaft, while another previous winner, Martin Teggart slid his example into the scenery.

 

Tarmac Championship winning co-driver Paul Kiely will now sit with

Gwyndaf Evans on the The Rally of the 1000 Entries. Chris Patterson, new Production WRC winning co-driver, was to have co-driven, but  has been called upon for ‘Dakar’ duties.

 

The Enniskillen Motor Club is running the Systems Signs backed Clubmans Stages this weekend, and Stewart Clarke in his fabulous Escort RS1800 is the No.1 seed, withCrumlin’s Rodney White at 2 in his Sunbeam. John Watters is the 3rd of the 61 entries in his Escort.

 

Next year’s West Cork Rally is scheduled for St Patrick’s weekend, 17^th & 18^th March. The organising Cork Motor Club plan a ‘modified challenge’ within the framework of the main Clonakilty based event, to

give the drivers of such cars as Metro 6R4’s and Darrians the opportunity to mix it with the Escort Mk2’s and BMW M3’s.

   

Brian Patterson.