Andrew Nesbitt added to his silverware collection considerably last week when he won the NI Motorsports Personality award at Monday night’s ANICC annual presentation. He then received his Tarmac Champion’s prizes at the glittering Toshiba Tarmac awards ceremony in the Armagh City Hotel on Saturday night. Nesbitt and co-driver James O’Brien have yet to announce their rally plans for 2003.

As tipped last week, it has been confirmed that the Ulster Rally is moving its base to the Armagh City Hotel. The rally has been centred in Belfast for over 20 years and this is seen as a significant move.

Garry Jennings, along with several motor clubs and organisations, received substantial awards from the Fisher Memorial Trust at the Tarmac prizegiving in Armagh.

The KBB Doors Forestry Championship Forum arranged for Tuesday 4^th February in Cashel’s Kearneys Castle Hotel, will also be utilised as the prize presentation for the 2002 series. New co-ordinator Willie Walsh reports this year’s Championship to be looking very positive and on course.

Killarney’s Kevin O’Donoghue and Ardee’s Tom Taaffe are each building new shape Civic Type R’s, the former with a view to the Get Connected and 023 Tiles Southern 4, the latter the Dunlop National series.

The Mayo Club’s 9^th March Ballina Rally, opening round of the Dunlop National Championship, is moving back to the Downhill Hotel, having been in the West of the County for the last few years. The event is also the opening counter of the popular Border Championship, which is now being backed by the powerful Quinn Group.

Des Moore has put forward an interesting class based £5,500 bonus scheme in conjunction with Ferodo for the Dunlop National series, beginning in Ballina.

Well known co-driver Paul Kiely made the long trip from Sligo to Inverness last week to take delivery of Jack and Grania Ingleby’s Peugeot 206 SuperCup machine. Paul intends to do a few fun events in the car.

Former British Junior Champion Brendan Crealey, better known nowadays for his rally school, is going to contest this year’s ANCRO Championship in an ADR Lancer Evo 7.

Tim Clifford, Clerk of the Course of the recent challenging Killarney Historic Rally, is trying to put together a stage event on Valencia Island, with all the proceeds to go to the Lifeboat Institute.

The Circuit of Ireland ran a stage on Valencia in ’79, when the late Ronnie McCartney’s Chevette broke a half shaft. He persuaded a fisherman to row him to the mainland for a spare. The event was won by Pentti Airikkala in an HSR, while McCartney, not surprisingly, ran out of time!