Carrick-on-Suir Halloween Historic Car Stages Rally - 31 Oct 10
Posted: October 30, 2010 6:30 PM - 23460 Hits
Results updates: Carrick on Suir Motor Club
Ford of Europe’s, Motorsport Director Gerard Quinn to attend Halloween Historic Stages Rally
Posted: October 28, 2010 4:08 PM
Carrick on Suir Motor Club are delighted to announce that Ford of Europe’s Motorsport Director, Gerard Quinn will attend this weekend's Halloween Historic Stages Rally.
Mr. Quinn was a guest of the club in January at the press launch of Craig Breen's Ford Fiesta S2000; Gerard has kept in contact in the intervening time as they both watch Craig's exploits in the British Rally Championship and Irish Tarmac Championship.
Gerard will attend first and foremost to take in the historic rally action but will also be involved in the ceremonial start of the rally on Saturday evening and the Rally Forum in the Carraig Hotel, Rally HQ.
Gerard’s reaction on receiving the invitation to the inaugural running of the event,
"It's an honour to be invited to the Halloween Historic Stages Rally. As well as giving me the opportunity to put something back into the sport at grass roots level, I can't wait to get out on the stages and watch some great cars in action."
Gerard went on to say,
"I'm very much looking forward to this weekend. Most of my involvement in rallying now revolves around the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team and the WRC, but my interest in the sport dates back to 1969 when I attended my first rally at the age of just five. I was an active member of Cork Motor Club during the 1980s and I still keep a close eye on the rally scene in my home country.”
Final Instructions / Time and Distance / Rally Programmes
Posted: October 26, 2010 11:20 AM
Seeded Entry List
Posted: October 26, 2010 11:12 AM
Halloween Historic Stage Rally: Event Preview
Posted: October 25, 2010 10:36 PM
The long wait is nearly over for Donagh O’Sullivan, Clerk of the Course for the Halloween Historic Stages. The inaugural running of the new event, organised by the Carrick on Suir Motor Club is now only days away and the South Tipperary town is preparing itself for the host of Motorsport entertainment over the feast of All Saints Day.
The rally will kick off with a ceremonial start on Main Street in Carrick on Suir next Saturday evening at 7.30pm and the club are appealing to rally fans to get there early as a big crowd is expected. The ceremonial start will come to a climax outside the Carraig Hotel, where the top cars will drive onto the start/finish ramp. The voice of Irish motorsport Dougie Hughes will be on hand to get the views and hopes from the drivers and navigators for the weekend ahead. Mick Bracken of On the Limit Sports will again be recording all the action will accompany Dougie. Diane George and RTE’s John Kenny will also be filming the ceremonial start as they are in the process of making a DVD for John Leahy, the man behind “The Andrews Year’s Revival”.
Following the ceremonial start the action moves indoors to the Carraig Hotel for the eagerly awaited questions and answers Rally Forum. The forum is scheduled to get under way at 9pm sharp. Entry to the forum is €5 per ticket. Last weekend event committee member Eamonn Murphy, remarked, “The forum is creating an amazing amount of interest. From the time the club released news we were organising the forum, rally fans were eager to find out the guest speakers. Names like Russell Brookes and Jimmy McRae along will local hero Donnie Keating have had ticket sales do extremely well”.
The rally action gets underway on Sunday morning with the opening Clonea stage beginning at 09.13 hrs. The stage starts at Glennaphuca Cross, on the main Kilmacthomas/Carrick road, and then winds it way towards Clonea village before turning left just before the Castle, from here the stage circles around Croughaun Hill. As it approaches Ashtown Cross Roads it turns square left. On safety grounds the Motor Club have placed a NO SPECTATOR ACCESS point on the crossroads, this will be clearly marked on the official stage map in the event programme. The two best viewing points on the stage are just outside the village of Fews. The first is a square left and has access from Mahon Bridge, while the second is a square right and has access from Fews. The stage then ends just off the main N25 Waterford/Cork road. This stage is repeated as stage four and stage seven.
Stage two Mahon Falls forms the centrepiece of the rally and will be repeated as stage five. The stage is scheduled to start at 10.06 hrs and on the second run at 13.39 hrs. The first spectator viewing point is near the village of Kilrossanty, where the hairpin bend should attract a lot of rally fans to see the sideways action, the junction will be barriered and heavily marshalled. The best viewing points are at the highest point on the stage at “Mahon Falls”. If the weather is kind the falls makes the ideal place to see the cars being pushed to the limit, hairpin bends, uphill and downhill sections with large drops make this one of the toughest tests in the Country but to see the likes of Russell Brookes and Jimmy McRae here you’ll have to be there early. The club would also like to advise that the car parks at the top of the falls, will be closed and there will be a Garda presence in the area.
Stage three Rathgormack gives the largest number of viewing points and is the nearest to the Carrick on Suir, rally base. The first viewing point is at the top of Seskin Hill, where there’s a double hairpin, the second is at mid-point on the stages in Rathgormack village. The second half of the test throws up to viewing areas, the first is a square left with access from the old Carrick on Suir/Clonmel road. The second is a hairpin at “Glen Upper”. The first run of this stage is timed to start at 10.48 hrs. A full time schedule will be placed on the map on the event programme.
With some of the best stages in the Country being used the rally has attracted a top class field and this is reflected in each of the classes. The big names that undoubtedly will attract the most attention include Russell Brookes, driving the “Andrews Heat for Hire” Talbot Sunbeam, Russell is followed my Scottish legend Jimmy McRae, who will be driving the ex Robert Droogmans Mk11 Ford Escort. Behind McRae is local legend Donnie Keating with another Mk11 and making it three Escorts in a row is Kenny McKinstry who will be driving the ex Ari Vatanen RS 1800. Names to keep an eye on in the historic section include new Historic Rally Champion Ray Cunningham, Mark Falvey and Frank Cunningham, who has traveled from Boston in the US to take part in the rally. On the home front, there should be some interesting battles with Club members like reigning competitors club champion Seamus Anderson. Seamus will be debuting his newly rebuilt Ford Anglia, whish is also pictured in the event programme being driven by is father Jim, many moon ago. Keeping up Mk11 honors will be Shay Power and Pascal O’Shea. After having a very successful season in autocross Gemma Kerley will be turning her hand to historic rallying for the first time. Gemma has competed over the last few years in a D and B windows back Honda Civic but is expected to line on Sunday in a Mini Copper. In the modified category Dungarvan man Paul Mulcahy will be sure to put on a show in his new built Toyota Starlet. Paul debuted the car at this years Stonethrowers Rally and after some more testing now looks set to be on the pace next weekend.
Halloween Stages Hits the AirWaves
Posted: October 19, 2010 8:05 PM
COC Donagh O'Sullivan, Club Chairman Terence and Event Main Sponsor James Coleman called into Kevin Casey for a chat about the up coming rally on Waterford Local Radio last Saturday.
Logon to the Club site to hear the lads as the talk about the events lined up on Saturday the 30th and the Rally on Sunday the 31st of October.
Questions and Answers Rally Forum
Posted: October 17, 2010 12:47 AM
The Halloween Historic Stages Rally on the 31st of October forms the centerpiece of a weekends rallying entertainment hosted by the Carrick on Suir Motor Club. The competitors will begin descending on the South Tipperary town on Friday and will carry out their recce of the special stages on Saturday. Scrutiny of the competing rallycars will commence on Saturday afternoon in the Millriver Business Park. Then at 7.30pm on the main street in Carrick the Motor Club will hold a ceremonial start, culminating with selected cars driving on the press ramp located outside the Carraig Hotel. Following the ceremonial start there will be a Questions and Answers Rally Forum in the Carraig Hotel starting at 9pm.
The forum will give the ideal opportunity for rally fans to put the burning questions that they always wanted to ask their rallying heroes. Noted Motorsport historian Graham Robson will host the forum with rally legends Billy Coleman, Jimmy McRae and Russell Brookes taking center stage. They will also be joined by two time Irish Tarmac Champion Kenny McKinstry, local rallying hero form the 1970s and 80s Donnie Keating, 2010 Citroen Irish Tarmac Historic champion Ray Cunningham, Rally Team and Rally School owner Chris Birkbeck, Jason Lepley of Jason Lepley Motosport and rounding off the panel is Lotus Cortina driver Niall Creighton.
The format for the forum is that Graham will introduce each of the personalities in turn and have a brief conversion with them, they will then take their seats on stage and from this point the floor will be opened for questions. Rally fans can join the discussion as it develops between the panel in this informal setting. Tickets will be on sale at a price of €5, please contact 086 2783180 / +353 86 2783180 and logon to the club website for up todate information on the full weekend event schedule
Early Entry Incentive Package Draw Winners
Posted: October 17, 2010 12:44 AM
1st = Full Entry Refund.
Winner: Johnny Murphy, Clone Road, Ferns, Co. Wexford
2nd = Free Entry to any one Carrick MC event in 2011
Winner: Tom lawlor, Eagle lodge, Ballybetagh, Kilternan, Co. Dublin
3rd = 50% Entry Reduction on any one Carrick MC Event in 2011
Winner: Edward Flahavan, Fews, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford
4th = €150.00 refund on the entry.
Winner: Seamus doyle, Duckettsgrove, Carlow
5th = €100.00 refund on the entry.
Winner: Seamus Power, Slatequaries,
6th = B&B for two people on the Saturday night of the rally.
Winner: Frank Cunningham, Boston.Mass.USA
7th = Free Carrick-on-Suir Club membership for two people for 2011.
Winner: Brian Lawlor, Granilee lodge, Ballybetagh, Kilternan, Co. Dublin
Special draw for the competitors whom have filled out their entry forms fully; i.e. both signatures etc, Prize – Mountain Bike: The Draw for this prize will take place during the Questions and Answers Rally Forum on Saturday night the 30th at the Carraig Hotel
EVENT WILL RUN AS SCHEDULED
Posted: October 13, 2010 9:30 AM
The Carrick on Suir Motor Club and the Event Committee of the Halloween Historic Stages Rally would now like to announce that after holding a very successful press launch on Friday night last and they are now entering the last three weeks before the 31 October event start date and the EVENT WILL RUN AS SCHEDULED.
The Clerk of the Course Donagh O'Sullivan also announced that the entry is filling up but like all events at this time it is slow. He would now like to call on all perspective competitors to get their entry in as soon as possible.
Launch Night Photos
Posted: October 10, 2010 2:28 PM
Photo: Trevor McGrath
Halloween Historic Stages Rally Launch - Friday 8th October
Posted: September 28, 2010 12:34 PM
The Carrick on Suir Motor Club are delighted to announce they will hold the launch of their new event the Halloween Historic Stage Rally on Friday the 8th of October. The launch will be held in the Carraig Hotel Headquarter of the event in Carrick on Suir, starting at 7.30pm.
A wine reception on the evening plus a host of Rally Cars on display outside the Hotel will greet rally fans. The new event to the Irish Motorsport Calendar will be officially launched by the legendary rally driver and Ex British Rally Champion Russell Brookes. Also on display will be Russell's Andrews Heat for Hire, Talbot Sunbeam that he will drive on the event. Clerk of the Course Donagh O'Sullivan will outline the event and introduce the event sponsors Suirway Forklifts, Great Stuff Catering and the Carraig Hotel. There will be historic rally DVD's on in the hotel to whet your appetite of old and young rally fans before the action gets under on October 31st.
Halloween Stages Rally Early Entry Incentive Package
Posted: September 10, 2010 11:35 PM
Carrick on Suir Motor Club is delighted to announce their Halloween Stages Rally Early Entry Incentive Package.
As a follow on from our successful running of the Willie Loughman Forest Rally and our Ravens Rock Tarmac Rally On The Limit Sports will once again be with us to cover this inaugural Historic Stages Rally for TV.
All entries received and paid by the closing date which is Friday the 15th of October will be entered into the draw for the following prizes;
1st = Full Entry Refund.
2nd = Free Entry to any one Carrick MC event in 2011
3rd = 50% entry reduction on any one Carrick MC event in 2011
4th = €150.00 refund on the entry.
5th = €100.00 refund on the entry.
6th = B&B for two people on the Saturday night of the rally.
7th = Free Carrick-on-Suir Club membership for two people for 2011.
Special draw for the competitors whom filled out their forms fully; i.e. both signatures etc etc, Prize – Mountain Bike (open to all entries)
Please note; to avail of any of the above prizes you must start the event.
Prizes are non transferable.
Whilst the closing date is 15-10-2010, We will however accept entries after this date but they will not be entered in the above draw.
Count Down Starts Here……!!!!
Revised Entry Form
Posted: September 2, 2010 9:45 PM
Entry Form Notice: 2-9-2010
"As today the Event Entry Form has been updated. If you were given an entry form by hand from a club member, received an entry form by post or downloaded the entry prior to this date please DOWNLOAD the new version now from the Club website."
(The Event Entry Form (pdf) Contains Interactive Fields and can be filled out on your PC/Laptop and then please sign your signature in the required fields after printing)
Facebook and Twitter Pages
Posted: August 29, 2010 4:59 PM
Regulations / Entry Form available
Posted: August 23, 2010 12:02 PM
Regulations / Entry Form available from the club website:
Rallying Returns to Waterford
Posted: August 23, 2010 12:01 PM
During the golden ago of rallying in the early 1980's, Waterford City and County would come a live at Easter time, when the most famous event in the Irish Motorsport calendar, the Circuit of Ireland would roll in to town. Crowds of enthusiastic rally fans would line the stages to get a glimpse of drivers like Coleman, Brookes, McRae and MacHale. Now three decades later the Carrick on Suir Motor club are about to bring rallying back to Co. Waterford.
On Sunday October 31st, the Carrick Motor Club will hold the inaugural running of the Halloween Historic Stages Rally. Cars and stars from a bygone age will return to the Co. Waterford countryside as the Carrick on Suir Motor Club introduce a new event to the Irish Motorsport calendar.
The Halloween Historic Stages Rally is the realization of a dream for club member Donagh O'Sullivan. Donagh, who lives just outside the Village of Faugheen, Co.Tipperary and is a Carrick Motor Club member for over twenty five years, takes the helm as clerk of the course. It’s Donagh’s ambition which was the driving force to organise and run an Historic Tarmac Rally of this type for the first time. Now with almost twelve months of preparation work gone in to the organising of the event we are only weeks away from the rally.
The rally will be based in the club's home town of Carrick on Suir, with the Carraig Hotel as headquarters. Eight special stages covering 130 Kms all of which are located in Co. Waterford and are steeped in Circuit of Ireland history from the 1980's. Classes for the event include Historic, Post Historic, Classic and Modified Classic ensuring plenty of sideways action.
Over the last year the event committee (Donagh O'Sullivan, Eamonn Murphy, Connie Delaney and James Coleman) have canvassed support from similar events in Ireland and cross channel. To date the response has been enthusiastic. The rally base in Carrick on Suir and it's prominence to ferry ports in Dublin, Rosslare and Cork, plus the new motorway network from Belfast amount to the perfect location for both Irish, UK and European competitors and spectators.
The committee has also used available networks to entice three former greats of the sport to take part in the event. Billy Coleman, Russell Brookes and Jimmy McRae will take the start line on Sunday morning October 31st and the clocks will be turned back to a bygone era. These drivers all ex Irish and UK rally champions are synonymous with the glorious years of Irish Tarmac Rallying. It's a testament to the commitment of Carrick on Suir Motor Club that they are able to attract these competitors to compete on the same event. The three drivers named are just the tip of the iceberg as many more former greats have expressed an interest and as we get closer to the event news on these entries will be made available. On the event weekend the competitors will carry out there recce of the stages during Saturday the 30th, then that evening there will be a ceremonial start in the main street in Carrick on Suir, culminating with a parade of the cars and interviews with the crews.
On the Saturday night after the ceremonial start, there will be a "Rally Forum". The Rally forum will take place in the Carraig Hotel headquarters and be hosted by Graham Robson. The Forum will give the opportunity to spectators to see the star being interview in an informal setting and will also give rally fans the opportunity to ask questions to their rallying heroes.
Event Flyers
Posted: July 6, 2010 4:35 PM
Coleman, McRae and Brookes back on the stages in Co. Waterford
Posted: July 6, 2010 4:29 PM
Halloween will be different this year as the Carrick on Suir Motor Club introduces a new event to the Irish Rally Calendar. The Halloween Historic Stages Rally will turn back the clock to the 1970’s and 80’s when the Circuit of Ireland rolled in to town.
• Three Ex British and Irish Tarmac Champions ALREADY SIGNED UP.
• Rally Base: Carrick on Suir, Co.Tipperary.
• 80 Miles/130 Kms Covering 8 Special Stages.
• Old Circuit of Ireland Special Stages located in Co. Waterford.
• Classes Include: Historic, Post Historic, Classics and Modified Classics.
• TV Coverage.
• Early Entry Incentive Package.
• Centralized Scrutiny and Service.
• Special Hotel and Ferry Rates Available.
Russell Brookes, Billy Coleman, Jimmy McRae to compete again in Ireland on the Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club, Halloween Historic Stages Rally 2010. Dream on, dream on. No, it’s not a dream, it’s a fact. It’s the best ever historic entry to a ‘new to the calendar’ tarmac historic rally event.
There are those among us who have a dream or a vision. They see a need or an opening for an event that may be worth running. So they throw out a feeler to elicit a response or reaction, and so it transpired for Donagh O’Sullivan (Clerk of the Course). When the glorious years of rallying are epitomised in the cars of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s running an event for them may be regarded by some as regression but by others as a tribute to the rallying historic past.
So Donagh’s dream, as a result of hard work, research and team building has now come to fruition. The event a first for the club will be known as The Halloween Historic Stages Rally 2010 promoted by the Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club.
Members of the event organising team have canvassed support at similar rallies in Ireland and cross channel. To date the response received has been very enthusiastic. It’s prominence to the Rosslare ferry port, plus the Motorway network from Belfast are added attractions with the special stage locations in the Co. Waterford.
The highways and byways of Co. Waterford are no strangers to motorsport over the years. Some of the first events promoted by the Carrick-0n-Suir Motor Club since its inception in 1958 have taken place in Co. Waterford, hillclimbs, test trials, stages rallies, navigation rallies and the enduring all day navigation events that predated the current stages rallies. These events consisted of navigation, regularity and test trials over routes that often exceeded 150 miles. Not too many around now to recall them.
The committee have also used all the available networks to entice some former greats of rallying to the Carrick-on-Suir Halloween Historic Stages Rally 2010 namely Billy Coleman, Jimmy McRae and Russell Brookes.
These names are synonymous with the glorious years of Irish Tarmac Rallies. Each of these competitors is the stuff of legends even beyond these shores. It’s a testament to the commitment of the team behind the Carrick-on-Suir Halloween Historic Stages Rally 2010 that they were able to attract these competitors to compete on the same event.
This is the reality of the dream and as yet the hard work is really only starting. An event and entry of this stature doesn’t come cheap. Whilst they are semi retired, these are still professional sportsmen and the cost of staging such an event will never be reasonable, the sponsorship potential is enormous.
There will be further press releases from the Carrick-on-Suir Halloween Historic Stages Rally 2010 as the events nears. It will certainly bring out the competitors who will now have the opportunity to share the entry list with such superstars. Those who don’t compete but are among the most knowledgeable spectators on the ditches who have read and listened to the stories of the antics and abilities are also in for a treat.
More Details:
Historic Stages Rally set for South Tipperary next Autumn.
Posted: February 22, 2010 10:40 PM
Carrick on Suir Motor Club now in its 52nd year in existence will turn back the clock next autumn by holding an Historic Stages Rally.
The Halloween Historic Stages Rally will take place on Sunday the 31st of October.
The Rally will be based in the club’s home town of Carrick on Suir, with the headquarters in the Carraig Hotel.
Centralized Scrutiny and Service will be in the Mill River Business Park.
The Rally will be open to Historic, Post Historic and Modified Rally Cars and will have an 8 stage format giving 130 Km of Tarmac Action.
The stages are all located in the neighbouring County of Waterford. The stages being used are old Circuit of Ireland tests that made up the Sunday Stages of the famous rally during its heyday of the early 1980s.
Taking the helm as Clerk of the Course is Club Member Donagh O’Sullivan.
“It gives me great pleasure to publicly announce and welcome all to Carrick on Suir next Autumn for the first running of The Halloween Historic Stages Rally by the club. Running this kind of rally has been a goal of mine for a number of years and with the help of fellow club members it will now come true. Carrick on Suir and the surrounding locality offers some of the best of tarmac rallying in the Country. Now with a Motorway link to Dublin, Cork and Rosslare, Carrick on Suir is within a short travelling distance to both Irish and over seas Crews.”
Event Poster
Posted: February 22, 2010 10:38 PM
Event Website / Details
Posted: January 1, 2010 12:01 AM
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