WRC Rally Ireland Could Still Happen
Hopes that a Motorsports Ireland backed Rally Ireland may still be on the cards have been raised following a recent MI press statement. Apparently the Irish Government now state that they are assessing the viability of supporting a 2026 World Rally Championship bid with funding. The Government are currently carrying out an independent assessment of the economic benefits and costs occurring from such an event, plus an analysis on the events sustainability. The news was welcomed by MI President, Aiden Harper, who’s constructive discussion are continuing with Thomas Byrne, (the Irish Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport) and the WRC Promoter who says the possibility of a 2026 WRC in Ireland is still very much alive.
The appetite for rallying in the Island of Ireland is so strong at the present time. Just take the recent Donegal International Rally as an example. This successful and unique event attracted a massive number of competitors, officials and spectators to the county. Consequently the tills in Letterkenny and surrounding towns were ringing loudly for the duration of the event. The economic benefits to the area were massive!
Come on all concerned, it’s a no brainer! Ireland deserves to have a World Championship Rally! It’s over to you Mr Promoter and the Irish Government, just seize the initiative! We await with interest the outcome of those constructive discussions!
Back-to-Back Donegal Wins for Devine
Callum Devine switched from his Killarney Rally of the Lakes winning VW Polo GTI R5 to a latest spec Skoda Fabia Rally2 just days before Round 5 of the 2024 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the Wilton Recycling Donegal International Rally. Devine was concerned that he might need time to adjust to the new machine. In fact it took just three days of flat out competition for the Claudy driver to realise he had made the correct decision. As he had done in Killarney for the past three years, Callum Devine and his Co.Kerry co-driver Noel O’Sullivan won the Donegal International Rally for the second year in succession. A result which puts them right back in contention to retain the ITRC title with two rounds remaining.
For Devine, the Donegal win was far from easy. In fact he was in third place and playing catch up to the flying Ford Fiesta Rally2 cars of Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin and Matt Edwards after the first four stages. When Cronin crashed out of the lead on SS5, Edwards then assumed pole position ahead of Devine. That remained the case until day three. On SS16, (his bogey Atlantic Drive stage where he and his Irish co-driver David Moynihan had a huge accident two years ago) Matt Edwards made a mistake. The Welshman clipped a wall and damaged the Fiesta’s suspension, dropping him back to third.
As a result of Matt’s indiscretion, Callum Devine found himself and the Fabia Rally2 in front for the first time in the rally and with just three tests remaining. Despite a spin on the penultimate stage, the County Derry man held on to win by 17.4 seconds from Welshman Meirion Evans and his Kerry co-driver Ger Conway in their Toyota Yaris Rally2, which was on it’s first Irish International outing.
In third place was the VW Polo GTI R5 of the all-Donegal crew, David Kelly and Dean O’Sullivan. Edwards and Moynihan eventually finished fourth in the Fiesta keeping them still in the ITRC title race. The top 5 were all in different makes of cars. Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes were fifth in their Citroen C3 Rally2. Top 2WD crew were the local pair of Declan Gallagher and John McCarthy who finished eighth in their Toyota Starlet.
Here’s an interesting Donegal Rally fact for you. The last and only other win for a Skoda was in 2008 when Eugene Donnelly and Paul Kiely took victory in their Fabia WRC. Following this year’s success of both the new Fabia and Yaris Rally2 cars, expect to see more of them appear on the Irish stages in the near future.
The 2024 Donegal International Rally, widely considered to be the toughest and most popular event in the ITRC, was three days long and had 160 starters of which 113 finished. 19 of the planned 20 special stages ran. Day 1 (Friday) was wet, very wet! and consisted of three repeated stages on the Innishowen Peninsula including Malin Head at 9 miles long. On Saturday the weather was much better, dry and bright all day. There were four repeated tests on Day 2 the longest being the classic Knockalla which ran at 12.43 miles. The final day, Sunday, was dry and sunny and had three stages Gartan, Atlantic Drive and the last and longest, Fanad Head at 12 miles. Gartan and Fanad ran twice but unfortunately the planned second Atlantic Drive stage was cancelled due to a residential issue. Although there were huge crowds of spectators on all three days of the Letterkenny based event, only one stage had to be halted early due to unruly and totally unacceptable behaviour towards marshals by a minority of “so called” rally fans.
When 30 Seconds is Not Enough!
One of the reasons why I didn’t attend the Donegal International Rally this year was the fact that Motorsport Ireland still insist in running cars at 30 second intervals on all their stages. This is why they can afford to run 160 cars and also placate the local residents by keeping road-closure times to a minimum. Although, luckily, this year the rally was very successful and there were no major accidents, I would argue that while many of the stages maybe shorter, it’s just not safe to have competitors running on twelve-mile-plus fast tarmac stages like Knockalla or Fanad Head with a gap of just 30 seconds between each one. I have been timekeeping for 40 years on the Donegal Rally and while most of those years have been very enjoyable, there was always the concern that a serious accident could occur as a result of the 30 second interval rule. Apart from that, stage timekeepers are under intense pressure to record the correct times and consequently there is always a greater possibility of mistakes occurring. Motorsport UK run their tarmac stage rallies with one minute intervals between competitors (unless the stages are under 8 miles in length) much safer for officials and competitors. WRC events are run with 2 minute intervals between the top Rally1 cars.
Looking Back
30 Years Ago
We were marshalling at the Irish round of the 1994 European Rallycross Championship. Held at Mondello, Frenchman Jean Luc Pallier won in his Citroen Xantia from Kenneth Hansen’s Citroen ZX. Norwegian superstar Martin Schanche was third in his Escort RS2000. This was the last time the European Championship (which then became the World Championship) visited Ireland. Money was the problem, Mondello couldn’t afford it!
20 Years Ago
Eight of us were timekeeping on the three-day 2004 Donegal International Rally. We covered six stages including the famous Knockalla (12.5 miles) and Atlantic Drive which ran at 7 miles. Eugene Donnelly won in a Toyota Corolla WRC after long-time leader Andrew Nesbitt crashed his Subaru S9 out on the final day. Derek McGarrity was second in his S9 while NI Championship leader Kevin Lynch (also in a Subaru S9) finished third in only his second Donegal Rally. A young Matthew Wilson crashed his Ford Focus WRC onto rocks fifth feet below the road on Knockalla, thankfully the crew were unhurt.
10 Years Ago
June 2014 was fairly busy for BMMC/BRMC marshals. At the beginning of the month we were timekeeping on the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally. There were 13 tarmac stages, all held in the Slieve Gullion and Camlough Forest Parks. Derek McGarrity/James McKee won in their Mitsubishi Evo.10, extending their NI Rally Championship lead to 20 points over Alan Carmichael, whose Mini WRC was fourth on the Newry MC organised event.
While some club members helped on the Donegal International Rally in mid-June, my next event in 2014 was the Lurgan Park Rally on Saturday 28th. As had been the case for the past number of years, we covered the numerous fire points dotted around the eight special stages in the second largest public park in Ireland. As well as this club members were covering rescue and manning some of the various radio points. 2013 winners Garry Jennings and Michael Moran were in the same Subaru S12B. They were fastest on every one of the eight stages and won the rally by 13.1 seconds from Derek McGarrity/James McKee in their new lightweight Mini WRC (the last works Mini to be built by Prodrive). Derek McGeehan/Laurie Smith were third in their Mini WRC. Wesley Patterson was the top 2WD finisher and he won the Escort Mk.2 Challenge, just 3 seconds ahead of Frank Kelly. Simon Gordon/Billy Regan had a big accident when their Vauxhall Astra hit a tree. They were taken to hospital for observation and later released.
Rally Diary
Sat. 8th July
Loughgall Stages Rally
Organised by North Armagh Motor Club, this annual Inter Club non-championship stage rally is similar to last year’s event. As was the case in 2023, a 6-mile closed-road stage (Kinnegoe) will be run three times and there are four tarmac tests in Loughgall Country Park as well, giving a total of over 31 stage-miles. Sponsored once more by PRM/RPM Motorsport. 80 competitors have entered the rally, including Aaron McLaughlin winner for the past two years. Sign-on for marshals and officials is available now on rallyscore.net or alternatively from 7am on the day on the event at Loughgall Football Club. We are providing rescue and radio cover plus stage marshals.
Sat. 20th July
Tyrone Stages Rally @ Benone
The fifth and final round of the 2024 Motorsport UK McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship. Organised by Cookstown Motor Club and sponsored by EuroAuto Commercials. There are 14 special stages totalling 40 stage miles and run on the private MOD roads at Magilligan Point in County Derry. Previously the rally used these short rough-tarmac stages in 2018. The tests are very narrow, bumpy and quite challenging. Based at the nearby Benone Tourist Complex, we are providing radio cover plus rescue and stage marshals. Sign-on via rallyscore.net.
Sat.17th August
Modern Tyres Ulster Rally
The 6th and penultimate round of the 2024 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Callum Devine’s win on the previous two rounds insures a battle royal between himself, Keith Cronin and Matt Edwards for the title. Organised by the Northern Ireland Motor Club, marshals and Officials can now sign-on for the Ulster Rally at rallyscore.net. As I said last month, the Newry-based-8-stage-event is restricted to just one day this year. We are providing timekeepers, rescue and radio cover plus stage and refuelling marshals. Final details next month.
