Here We Go!
The 2023 season starts this month with two important rallies here in Northern Ireland. First up we have Round 1 of the five-round ANICC McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship.
The eurocables Belfast sponsored Kirkistown Stages will take place on Saturday 18th February. North Armagh Motor Club are the organisers of this traditional season opener. Eurocables owner Shane Braniff is a longtime supporter of NI Motorsport but it has been some years since he has backed this particular event. The North Armagh club are hoping to continue this relationship going forward. Title sponsors McGrady Insurance have now backed the NI Rally Championship for the past 16 years.
Then on the following Saturday (25th) the four-round McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge begins. Samsonas Rally Fivemiletown is based at the Ecclesville Centre in Fintona, Co.Tyrone and promoted by Omagh Motor Club.
South of the border, the 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship gets underway with the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally on Saturday 4th-Sunday 5th February. Based in Loughrea 142 cars are due to start the two-day 15-stage event with Josh Moffett back to defend his title in the same Hyundai i20 R5 as last year. The main opposition will come from Josh’s elder brother Sam in a similar car, Meriron Evans, Jason Mitchell and Callum Devine in Polo’s plus the Citroen’s of NI Champion Jonny Greer and Cathan McCourt. Desi Henry is on the start list in his Fiesta Rally2.
Surprisingly, Alastair Fisher is not on the Galway entry list. Apparently the Tyrone driver, who won the 2022 Circuit of Ireland, does not have the budget to contest the full 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
Meanwhile in Monte Carlo, a big surprise (I don’t think). Sebastien Ogier won for the ninth time. The rally was completely devoid of snow and ice. All 18 stages were in perfect condition for a tarmac rally, dry and smooth. In fact there was only one retirement in the top 10-car Rally1 category.
Although Ogier won the Monte, the real winner was current World Champion Kalle Rovenpera. The young superstar finished second to his Toyota teammate, and with Ogier only competing part time again this year, Rovenpera is odds on to dominate the 2023 WRC. Only his full-time Toyota partner Elfyn Evans, Thierry Neuville at Hyundai and M-Sport’s Ott Tanak can realistically be seen as potential challengers to Kalle the “Flying Finn”.
In the supporting WRC2 category, both Northern Ireland Hyundai i20 drivers had a challenging Monte Carlo Rally. William Creighton finished 45 overall after various problems. Josh McErlean was 57 out of the 67 finishers as he too had an eventful rally, retiring on the Saturday with mechanical problems, but then returning on the final day Sunday to set some competitive times on the last four stages.
Russian-born Nickolay Grayazin had dominated WRC2 in Monte Carlo. His brand new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 led from the start on Thursday night, but as the result of a puncture on Saturday evening he lost 30 seconds, finishing the rally just 4.5 seconds ahead of the Citroen C3 of Frenchman Yohah Rossel. Then a protest by Rossel’s team over a “corner cutting incident” resulted in Grayazin receiving a 5 second penalty dropping him to second place just 0.5 seconds behind Rossel.
In total just 74 competitors started the first round of the World Rally Championship. The next round is Rally Sweden (9-12 February) Hope there is some snow!
Rally Diary
Sat. 18th February.
Eurocables Belfast: Kirkistown Stages
Round 1 of the 2023 McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship. Organised by North Armagh Motor Club and based at the Kirkistown race circuit in Co.Down. The six-stage sealed-surface event is due to start at 09.30 and should finish no later than 17.00. We are providing marshals and other officials on this one. Jonny Greer won the event and the Championship last year. It is unclear if the Carryduff driver will be on the final seeded entry list which is due to be published on Tuesday 14th February. A maximum of 100 cars can start. Marshals and officials can sign-on now via rallyscore.net
Sat. 25th February.
Samsonas Rally Fivemiletown
Round 1 of the 2023 McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge. Organised by Omagh Motor Club and based at the Ecclesville Centre in Fintona. There will be 4 repeated gravel stages in counties Tyrone/Fermanagh to the south of Fivemiletown. We are due to provide timekeepers, rescue crew and radio cover. In fact this event marks 10 years since Strode NI (The radio safety network) began to operate on stage rallies here in Northern Ireland. The first car is due to leave Fintona at 09.30. Last year’s winner was Desi Henry who went on to win the challenge. A maximum of 100 cars are permitted to start. The full entry list will be published after the closing date of Tuesday 14th February. Marshals and officials can now sign-on via. rallyscore.net.
Sat. 11th March.
Race & Rally Stages @ Bishopscourt
Round 2 of the 2023 McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship. Rathfriland Motor Club are the organisers of this single-venue sealed-surface rally based at Bishopscourt race circuit in Co.Down. We will be providing timekeepers and stage marshals for this event. Marshals and officials can sign-on via. rallyscore.net. Jonny Greer won last year. Expect a full entry list for this popular rally. More details next month.
