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Irish
Notes 4th Dec 02.
The
Ulster Automobile Club
held a press conference last week in Enniskillen to announce
early details of next year's Tarmac Championship opener, the
Circuit of Ireland. New Clerk of the Course Neil Malcom explained
that there would be at least 20 stages from Easter Saturday
19th April through to Easter Monday. There would be greater
emphasis on the spectator stages at St Angelo and the HQ Hotel
would now be the Killyhevlin.
The Circuit will be open to WRC, GpA, GpN and modified
cars. There will be an historic section, and also the Easter
Stages will run on Easter Monday for NI Championship contenders.
Maurice
Gass,
3rd in this year's Tarmac Championship, had his Impreza WRC on
show at the Circuit of Ireland press conference. The Armagh man
confided that as soon as proceedings finished the engine was
being sent over to Prodrive for an overhaul. With that completed
he is hoping to move up to a 2000 Impreza WRC and intends to
contest the Tarmac series again.
Letterkenny's
Shaun Gallagher
has been awarded this year's Billy Coleman Award, worth more than
£20,000, to further his rally career. 21 year old Shaun finished
2nd on this year's Peugeot 206 Super Cup and won the final 2
rounds demonstrating a lot of potential for the future.
Stephen
Bird
clinched the Top Part West Coast Championship by one point from
Sean Lyons after the recent Kerry Single Stage. John Devine took
the navigators title after a tie-break with Dominic Downey.
Terence
Taggart
will run first on the road on next Sunday's GSMC Single Stage.
John Nolan is at 2 with Trevor Culbert at 3. The top ten is
mainly Mk2 Escorts with the exception of Tomas O'Rouke in his
Astra. The event is based in south Wicklow, with rally HQ at
Germaines Hotel, Baltinglass.
Tracker
vehicle security systems are to sponsor the 2003 ANICC Clubmans
championship, formally known as the NI Beginners championship.
Eligible for 2wd cars only, the eight round championship kicks
off in February with the Mid Antrim MC run Tardree Stages.
19
year old Philip Morrow
has been awarded the NI Junior Rally Driver Scholarship following
the final interviews last weekend. The scholarship includes
driver tuition at the Higgins Rallyschool and an all expenses
paid drive in a Richard Hogg Lancer on the Ahghadowey Stages at
Christmas. Morrow has purchased Shaun Gallagher's Peugeot 206 and
will is planning to contest the 206 Super Cup next year.
Regards: Brian Patterson
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ã 2002 www.rallynews.net
(Patterson Agencies). All rights reserved. Unauthorised
duplication is a violation of applicable laws. 10/01/03 17:35
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