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Ulster Rally - 2-3 Sep 05Posted: December 1, 2005 8:47 AM - 20607 Hits
Round 7 - 2005 Tarmac Championship
Posted: December 1, 2005 8:47 AM
Ulster National Rally voted best event of the 2005 GPR MSA National Asphalt Championship The Philip White Tyres Ulster National Rally has received a prestigious award within UK rallying. Competitors from the GPR MSA National Asphalt Championship, of which the Ulster was a round for the first time, voted the rally as the best event of the 2005 season. John Price, who won the Ulster National Rally and was Asphalt champion for a record 12th time, presented the trophy to Clerk of the Course, Plunkett Boyle. John said, “The Ulster Rally was the turning point in my championship. I really enjoyed the roads, the organisation and the friendly atmosphere”. John commented that the rally was a 'must do event' especially for those that did not make the trip this year. Plunkett Boyle said, “This is a great achievement for all the team involved with the rally, both behind the scenes and on the stages. The visiting crews had tough opposition from an array of local drivers and the competition provided spectators with an enjoyable weekend battle between the Metro 6R4s, Mark 2 Escorts, and a variety of other cars.” The 2006 Philip White Tyres Ulster National Rally is on the 1st/2nd September and already many of the leading championship and class crews from the Prima Motorsport MSA National Asphalt Championship have indicated that they intend to be back in Armagh. With the British Rally Championship Rallymasters series and the Mitsubishi Evo Cup also joining the Rally for the first time in 2006, plus the strong local entry anticipated, it promises to be an extremely competitive and enjoyable event. Photo: www.ni-motorsport.co.uk O’Mahony Seals Tarmac and BRC Class Wins Corks Brian O’Mahony secured victory in both the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship and the Pirelli British Rally Championship with a maximum score on the Ulster International Rally.  After a problematic event the OM Concrete Products Ford Puma eventually finished the event as winner of the Super 1600 category in 17th place overall. Commenting afterwards Brian said, “I’m very pleased with the result, considering how many problems we had. We had mechanical and driver difficulties over the weekend, so to even finish was an achievement in itself and if it wasn’t for the Team Birkbeck Rallysport mechanics doing a fantastic job at each service we definitely would not of made to the finish ramp!!” Brian also had to deal with a change of co-driver in the shape of fellow Cork man Liam Moynihan. This was the pair’s first event together and proved a resounding success. “It was a difficult event for us, but we accomplished what we set out to do. I’m just glad I could help Brian secure his title”, said Liam at the Finish Ramp. This result has left Brian with an unassailable lead in both Pirelli Championships with one event left in the Irish series and two remaining in the British series. This is Brian’s first major win and hopes are high that it sets a trend for the future. The team’s next outing is the Cork man’s home event, the Cork 20 International Rally, on October 1st – 2nd next. HIGGINS FIGHTS BACK TO SCORE MAXIMUM PBRC POINTS Driving one of the two works Mitsubishi Motors UK Lancer Evolution VIII MRs, David Higgins (from Trefeglwys) and his co-driver, Daniel Barritt (from Burnley), came away from this weekend's Philip White Tyres Ulster Rally, round six of the Kwik-Fit Pirelli British Rally Championship, scoring maximum points in the Production Category. 
This result was achieved following an exciting battle in the event's closing stages when Higgins battled back having lost over two minutes after a leaking seal in a brake caliper caused loss of fluid, loss of brakes and consequently an off road excursion on stage 11. Team mates, Rory Galligan (from Oldcastle) and co-driver, Greg Shinnors (from Limerick), were sidelined from the event on the first day when they spectacularly rolled their Mitsubishi on stage four whilst holding the Class lead. The Ulster Rally is the BRC's third and final all asphalt event of the season, the rally consisting of eight stages on Friday and a further two on Saturday, all held on closed public roads in the vicinity of the host town of Armagh. Having scored four outright Production Class victories this season, Galligan was intent on keeping up the impressive pace he has shown all year, but mindful that he still needed to score points in order to maintain his Production Championship lead and keep title hopes firmly within his grasp. Higgins, on the other hand, was determined to shake off his run of bad luck and wanted to prove what he can do in the works Mitsubishi. However, his concentration was distracted when, just minutes before the start he heard that his three year of daughter had been taken to hospital suffering from a virus. Starting at 3.30 pm on Friday, the rally's 45 competitors embarked on he first of the event's 18 stages and straight away the two works Mitsubishi assumed control of the Production Category field, Galligan just ahead of Higgins and in tenth place overall. All was going according to plan for the Mitsubishi team until the second run through the Armagh City spectator stage, a 2.83 mile run which had attracted 1000s of onlookers. As Galligan exited a 90 degree right hander about a mile from the start the car momentarily went off-line, clipped a tree and before he and Shinnors knew it they were upside-down in the middle of the road! Thankfully unhurt, the crew emerged from the inverted Lancer surprised at their predicament and not sure how it happened, Galligan reporting that he thought that gravel had accumulated at the side of the road following the first run through the stage which had caused the car to slide a few inches wide. This incident left Higgins and Barritt out on their own at the front of the Group N field and when they returned to Armagh for the overnight halt they were pleased to have pulled out a 40 second lead over their closest Class rivals. With such a comfortable margin and in tenth place overall, it was a case of more of the same on Saturday. Then again, the best laid plans were scuppered when a seal in one of Higgin's brake calipers overheated and proceeded to allow fluid to escape. Realising before starting SS11 that pressing the brake pedal was going to little to retard the car, Higgins used the handbrake, but after a long downhill section it was not quite enough and the car spun backwards through a fence and into a field. Although there was little damage to the car, the end of the exhaust pipe had been bent, reducing the power of the engine enough to see Higgins lose nearly two minutes and drop to sixth in Group N. At the service halt the problem was rectified and with the car restored to full fettle the reigning British Champion set off in pursuit. With so much time to make up on the Class leaders the team now focussed its attentions on hauling the maximum amount of PBRC points, which meant catching Barry Clark who was now 40 seconds ahead. At the next service halt, the last of the event and with four stages to go, there was still 23 seconds in it and the team made adjustments tot he car to optimise its performance. After a stunning drive to the finish, setting the fastest Group N times on the final six stages, Higgins crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of Clark to take maximum PBRC points, finish 12th overall and fourth in Group N, the three cars ahead of him all Irish Tarmac Championship contenders. The result moves Higgins up to sixth in the Production Championship and fifth overall, whilst Galligan's non-finish drops him to second in the Class standings, although he maintains his overall position of 3rd. In addition, Mitsubishi extends its lead in the Teams Championship to 20 points. Following the event Higgins was also pleased to learn that his daughter had been discharged from hospital and was well on the way to recovery. The seventh round of the Kwik-Fit Pirelli British Rally Championship sees the surface return to gravel, when the series visits the forests of Yorkshire for the Trackrod Rally on 8th & 9th October. The two Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MRs are prepared by ADR Motorsport of Chesterfield on behalf of Cirencester based Mitsubishi Motors UK. The team is supported by: Pirelli, Shell Racing Fuels, Rampage Performance Motorparts, Speedline Corse, PIAA and ADR Motorsport. Team Quotes David Higgins - Driver "Rallying certainly has its ups and downs. After a solid start for the team it was a shame to see Rory retire. With our car going so well and with a comfortable lead I was hoping that my luck was on the change for day two, but the loss of brakes put pay to that." "Once the car was fixed we could get back to the job and the lads set the car up superbly for the last section of the rally. Even though we couldn't win Group N on the event It was a great battle to the finish to collect the all-important maximum Production Championship points." Rory Galligan - Driver "This wasn't the weekend I was looking for. Everything was going perfectly at the start: The car felt excellent, Greg and I were leading the Class and in the top ten overall and then all of a sudden we were upside-down!" "I am still not sure what happened. We were actually pulling away from the corner when it happened. I can only assume that the level of grip had changed following the first run through and we hit a tree on the outside of the road with such impact it just flipped us over. It couldn't have happened a worse pace as it was right in front of the TV cameras and 100s of spectators. I shall never live this one down!" Paul Brigden - General Manager, Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart "I'm delighted to see David and Daniel back at the top of the BRC Production field. Their pace on this event, especially over the closing stages, just goes to prove how quick they are. Having set 12 out of 18 fastest Group N stage times they deserved to win. We will now be looking into what caused the car's brake caliper seal to leak." "I am disappointed for Rory and Greg and just thankful they are both okay following their accident. It's their first big one of the year and I'm sure they will put the record straight next time out." BRAKES BREAK JENNINGS’ CHARGE The penultimate round of the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship took crews north of the Border to Armagh for the Philip White Tyres Ulster International Rally this weekend, where 124 miles of stages beckoned the protagonists in this ultra competitive series. Fermanagh born Garry Jennings was re-joined by Letterkenny’s Rory Kennedy for what could be considered their local international rally. The target was simple; take top points in the Group N4 category and with it the championship class win. The mathematics were easy, the reality was to prove a little more difficult. From the very first stage the venerable Mitsubishi Evo 6 began to show signs of weakness, “We tried the handbrake before the first stage,” explained Jennings, “and something broke,” he continued, “but we couldn’t tell what it was until the stage started.” The problem became clear after the next stage when a broken rear disc was discovered but the time loss had left the pair fifth with all the wrong people in front of them. The mechanics from KG Motorsport quickly fixed the problem at service and Garry set off in pursuit of the pack with renewed vigour. Stages three and four were short blasts round the Armagh City spectator stage where the pair managed to claw back a little of the deficit. Stage five, however, saw an almighty overshoot fluster the pair, but with the demise of Colm Murphy from the head of the Irish group N4 runners, they moved up a place nonetheless. At the final service of the evening Garry was bemused, “The last few stages felt really good,” he explained, “but we’ve seen the times and Seamus (Leonard) and Alan (Nesbitt) have taken great chunks of time off us. The only thing I can think is that the Kumhos are a bit soft for the hot weather; I think we’ll go for a harder compound tomorrow.” The tyre choice paid dividends and after the first stage of Saturday morning Garry and Rory were a tenth of a second behind championship rival Aaron MacHale. “We lost the rear bumper in there,” he said,” but we didn’t lose any time, it was jus a wee scrape on a bank.” The following stage put them in front of MacHale by 2.2 seconds but with nearly fifteen seconds to second placed Nesbitt, there was still all to play for. The next stage saw the positions reversed after Jennings had a huge understeer moment and lost all confidence with the car, “I think we’d pushed a bit too hard early in the stage and it cost a lot of time in the second half.” he explained. The see-saw continued on stage twelve when Garry and Rory passed MacHale to re-take third place and at the final service before the final six stages, the pair were confident, “The old girl’s getting a bit weary,” shrugged Jennings, “but we’ll nurse her ‘round and wheel out the Evo 8 for Cork. This is all about the championship now.” By the finish in the Mall in Armagh Garry’s promise to take the championship seriously had been honoured. They crossed the ramp in third place, having kept the gap to second place around twenty seconds but eking out a comfortable margin to MacHale in fourth. “We took the decision to keep it steady towards the finish and pick up the points for third,” explained Garry at the finish, “it would have been nice to seal the win here, but the double points in Cork mean we’ve just got to go there for another sensible finish. It’s a shame because KG Motorsport will have the new car ready and I’d like to push really hard for a good overall position, but the best reward for the team would be the Irish Group N4 title.” There isn’t long to wait as the Cork 20 International Rally starts on Friday 30th September and runs until the 2nd October, surely a ‘must see’ event in the tarmac calendar. Results 1 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Toyota Corolla WRC) 1:54:59.5 2 Tim McNulty/Anthony Nester (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:55:07.4 3 Derek McGarrity/Dermott O'Gorman (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:55:37.9 4 Eamon Boland/Francis Regan (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:55:46.5 5 Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) 1:56:23.4 6 Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin Ford Focus WRC) 1:56:31.4 7 Peadar Hurson/Damien Connolly (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:56:44.3 8 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) 2:00:46.4 9 Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8.5) GpN 2:02:27.0 10 Alan Nesbitt/Enda Sherry (Subaru Impreza N11) GpN 2:03:01.6 Leaders After: SS1-2 Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS3-12 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS13-18 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Toyota Corolla WRC) Stage Winners: SS1 Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS2 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS3 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS4 Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS5 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS6 Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Subaru Impreza WRC) & Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS7 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS8 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS9 Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS10 Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS11 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS12 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS13 Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS14 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Toyota Corolla WRC) SS15 Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin (Ford Focus WRC) SS16 Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS17 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC) SS18 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford Focus WRC)
Sperrins Photography - John O'Neill Eymard Brennan Photography jsa-media - Video & Photos - www.jsa-media.co.uk NG Motorsport Images crspics.com - Counihan Rallysport Pictures RMS - www.reallymeansounds.com Motorsport Photography by Anthony Hunter Roy Dempster Photos SD Rally Photographs Jon44w.com Photos British Rally Championship Galligan's car after SS4 
Photos: SD Rally Photographs PRE EVENT NEWS
29/08/05 MITSUBISHI TEAM LOOK FORWARD TO ULSTER ENCOUNTER Galligan considers fifth Production Class victory The next challenge for the Mitsubishi Motors UK rally team is the Philip White Tyres Ulster Rally, round six of the Kwik-Fit Pirelli British Rally Championship, which takes place on 2nd & 3rd September and provides the third all-asphalt event in the calendar. Driving one of the two works Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MRs, Rory Galligan, from Oldcastle and his co-driver, Greg Shinnors from Limerick, have scored four Production Class wins so far this season, two of which have been on tarmac. They subsequently lead the PBRC category for Group N cars and hold an impressive 3rd place in the overall championship standings. Galligan goes to the Ulster Rally in high spirits, but history has told him that a cautious approach is perhaps the best course of action for this particular event: "The year has been going great for us and to win in Ireland would be fantastic, but with four class victories under my belt I now have to focus on the Championship. The Ulster Rally has not been kind to me in the past, so I am going to approach it with all things considered, but if the team continue to provide me with a car that performs so well, it's going to be difficult not to drive it flat out!" Reigning British Rally Champion, David Higgins, from Trefeglwys and his co-driver, Daniel Barritt, from Burnley, have had a contrasting season to that of their team mates, luck certainly not being on their side. Having set a string of fastest Group N stage times on the previous round in the Isle of Man, Higgins was once again denied a top result when his car's engine expired after suffering a leaky radiator and he had no choice but to endure his third retirement of the season. Higgins currently lies an uncharacteristic eighth in both the Production Class and overall standings, a position which does not reflect his true calibre, a situation he has every intention of addressing next weekend: "So far it's been one of those season's where things just don't go the way you want them to. I'm therefore looking forward to this event and getting back to where we should be - at the front of the field. I've competed on the Ulster Rally a number of times and really enjoy the stages, the bumps and changing road surfaces make it really demanding. To add to the challenge, the organisers seem to change the route from year to year, so previous experience of this event it not necessarily an advantage." For the Mitsubishi team as a whole, the season is already looking good, as it has led the Teams Cup since the first round and currently holds an 18 point advantage. The Ulster Rally is based in Armagh and gets underway from the city centre at 3.30 pm on Friday. Competitors will contest eight timed special stages that evening on a series of closed public roads in Co. Armagh and restart at 7.00 am on Saturday morning to contest a further 10 in both Co. Armagh and Co. Tyrone. After driving a total of 124 competitive miles, the event concludes back in Armagh City Centre at 5.30 pm. The two Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MRs are prepared by ADR Motorsport of Chesterfield on behalf of Cirencester based Mitsubishi Motors UK. The team is supported by: Pirelli, Shell Racing Fuels, Rampage Performance Motorparts, Speedline Corse, PIAA and ADR Motorsport. 26/08/05 Entry List available International 1 MARK HIGGINS/BRYAN THOMAS (FORD FOCUS WRC) [A8] 2 ANDREW NESBITT/JAMES O'BRIEN (SUBARU IMPREZA WRC) [A8] 3 EUGENE DONNELLY/PAUL KIELY (TOYOTA COROLLA WRC) [A8] 4 DEREK MCGARRITY/DERMOT O'GORMAN (SUBARU IMPREZA S10) [A8] 5 TIM MCNULTY/EUGENE O'DONNELL (SUBARU IMPREZA) [A8] 6 AUSTIN MACHALE/BRIAN MURPHY (FORD FOCUS WRC) [A8] 7 PEADAR HURSON/DAMIEN CONNOLLY (SUBARU IMPREZA P2000) [A8] 8 MATTHEW WILSON/SCOTT MARTIN (FORD FOCUS WRC) [A8] 9 EAMONN BOLAND/FRANCIS REGAN (SUBARU IMPREZA) [A8] 10 DAVID HIGGINS/DANIEL BARRITT (MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO 8 MR) [N4] 11 RORY GALLIGAN/GREG SHINNORS (MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO 8 MR) [N4] 12 SEAN DEVINE/ (SUBARU IMPREZA WRC) [A8] 14 JUSTIN DALE/ANDREW BARGERY (FORD FIESTA SUPER 1600) [S16] 15 MAURICE GASS/ANDREW CULLEN (SKODA FABIA WRC) [A8] 16 GARRY JENNINGS/RORY KENNEDY (MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO VI) [N4] 17 COLM MURPHY/GER LOUGHREY (SUBARU IMPREZA N10) [N4] 18 SEAMUS LEONARD/GERRY MCVEIGH (MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO 8 MR) [N4] 19 AARON MACHALE/GERARD MCMONAGLE (MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO 8.5) [N4] 20 ALAN NESBITT/ (SUBARU IMPREZA) [N4] 21 GLENN WILSON/PADDY ROBINSON (MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO VIII) [N4] National 101 CAMILLUS BRADLEY/DANNY O'NEIL (FORD ESCORT MK11) [B11] 102 STEVE FLECK/MARK ASPINWALL (SUBARU IMPREZA WRC) [A8] 103 JOHN PRICE/CAROLINE PRICE (MG METRO 6R4) [B13] 104 TONY DAVIES/PATRICK WALSH (SUBARU IMPREZA WRC) [A8] 105 STEVE HENDY/ALED DAVIS (FORD ESCORT WRC) [A8] 106 GEORGE ROBINSON/TOMMY SPEERS (FORD ESCORT WRC) [B13] 107 JOHN BOGIE/DAVID PATERSON (MG METRO 6R4) [B13] 108 MARK JASPER/DON WATT (MG METRO 6R4) [B13] 109 CHRIS DAVIS/BRANDON PARKER (DARRIAN T90) [B12] 110 JOHN STONE/LEE CARTER (MG METRO 6R4) [B13] Full Entry lists on: 08/07/05 Regulations available for the National & International Rally Ferry deal with Stena Line The Supplementary Regulations for the Philip White Tyres Ulster Rally are now available and contain details of the very special ferry deal with Stena Line. The 2 day event on 2nd and 3rd September will again be based in Armagh with all stages within a 40 mile radius of the city. There will be a central service area in Armagh, with a spectator stage located a few miles from the city. On 2nd and 3rd September, the Philip White Tyres Ulster National Rally will give local competitors the opportunity to take part in an event with a difference. Crews from the top national championships in the UK and Ireland, both North and South, will have a chance to do battle to become the undisputed masters of tarmac! For the first time, the Ulster National Rally will host a round of the GPR MSA National Asphalt Rally Championship. This will bring competitors like John Price who has dominated the asphalt series for many years in his immaculate MG Metro 6R4. Indeed, the championship boasts several more MG Metro 6R4s, as well as Darrian T90s and the impressive Audi A3 Quattro of David Kynaston. Steve Fleck has a narrow lead in the GPR series in his Subaru Impreza, but he will have tough opposition from the other WRC drivers and the MG Metro 6R4s who will relish in the demanding Ulster stages. But crews from each of the Northern Ireland, Irish National and Border Championships will be able to take up a new challenge where all the national championships meet head to head. Each will want to establish a reputation and assert their authority on what promises to be a very hotly contested event. Right throughout the classes there will be new drivers and new cars to compete against. So, if you want to compete in something different and make your mark, then this event will appeal to you. Regulations and Entry Forms available on the event website: 21/06/05 Although we are not running a round of this year's BRC Stars of the Future series, the Organisers of the Ulster Rally would like to invite you to compete on our National event. This would allow you to gain valuable experience of the event, should you decide to progress to the MSA Asphalt Championship or the British Rally championship. The National B status event is over 2-days, with 82 stage miles and is a round of the GPR MSA Asphalt Rally Championship. The rally is based in Armagh City with centralised servicing close to Rally HQ. All stages are located within a 40 mile radius of Armagh and include a Spectator stage close to the city. You can choose to recce from 9am to 9pm on the day before the event (Thursday), or on the preceding weekend, with Scrutiny and Administrative Checks on Friday morning. We are offering a package to registered Stars of the Future crews of £550 for an entry and a return ferry crossing for a service vehicle and trailer. Accommodation can be arranged through Armagh City & District Council. In addition, if we receive at least six entries from registered Stars of the Future crews we will enter the names into a draw for a refunded entry fee (£395) to one of the crews. You are guaranteed a warm welcome by the organisers and you will have the opportunity to avail of the legendary atmosphere at Irish tarmac rallies. 12/06/05 2005 Ulster Rally Launched On Wednesday 1st of June 2005, Philip White Tyres were officially announced as the headline sponsor for this year's Ulster Rally. The Rally will again be based in Armagh City. Clerk of the Course, Gary Milligan, announced that the two-day event stages will run within a 40 mile radius of the Armagh base. Philip White, Managing Director of Philip White Tyres, commented that he was delighted to be the headline sponsor for such a prestigious event that forms art of both the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and the Kwik-Fit Pirelli British Rally Championship. The Mayor, John Campbell, said: "The economic value of the Philip White Tyres Ulster Rally brings to Armagh City and surrounding community is outstanding". The Mayor then welcomed and wished the event organisers and all competitors a safe and successful rally". The PWT Ulster Rally runs over the 2nd and 3rd of September 2005 with the first car leaving the Mall in Armagh on Friday 2nd September afternoon. 
Provisional Timetable Rally HQ, The Armagh City Hotel, Leg 1 - Friday 2nd Start Armagh - 15:30 hours. 8 stages in Co Armagh - 47 stage miles (2 stages, each run twice, plus a spectator stage run four times). Central Service in Armagh. Finish Armagh - 22:00 hours. Leg 2 - Saturday Restart Armagh - 07:00 hours. 10 stages in Co Tyrone and Armagh - 77 stage miles (5 stages, each run twice - including a spectator stage). Central Service in Armagh. Finish Armagh - Approx. 17:30 hours. 18/01/05 Ulster Rally welcomes new sponsor The Northern Ireland Motor Club is pleased to announce that it has secured sponsorship for the 2005 Ulster Rally from Philip White Tyres Ltd, Armagh. Philip White is no stranger to the world of rallying. He has been associated, for a number of years, with former Irish Tarmac Champion Andrew Nesbitt. Since the event came to Armagh he has been hosting hospitality events at his spacious Armagh premises. Philip is looking forward to a closer working relationship with the event organisers and also to ensuring that Armagh becomes the 'centre stage' for Irish rallying. The format for the September 2005 event will see competitors cover approximately 50 special stage miles on Friday 2nd and approximately 80 special stage miles on Saturday 3rd all within a twenty-five mile radius of Armagh City. The City Special Spectator Stage used last year will be extended and used on both days of this year's event. Competitors will benefit from centralised servicing in Armagh throughout the event. The National Rally, which is a round of the MSA Asphalt Championship, is expected to attract a number of new competitors thus providing more competition for local crews. 01/01/05 Ulster National Rally will host a round of the 2005 GPR MSA National Asphalt Rally Championship As the MSA's proposed structure for the future of rallying in the UK begins to take effect, 2005 sees the former National Tarmacadam Championship take on the mantle of the MSA National Asphalt Rally Championship. Following the success of the inclusion of the Jim Clark National Rally in the Championship's 2004 calendar for the first time - it was voted 'Best Event' by the panel of judges - a similar outing to the Ulster National Rally will take place over the first weekend in September. It is the first time that an event in Northern Ireland has been included in the Asphalt Championship and the prospect is already creating a great deal of interest amongst competitors.
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