2004-2005 Irish 205 Challenge

Posted: March 28, 2005 11:45 PM

2004-2005 Championship Points (After Final Round)
Pos. Name Total
Irish 205 Challenge Top 10:
1. Graeme Colfer 83
2. Seamus O'Grady 76
3. Adrian McBride 67
4. Adrian McElhinney 55
5. Emma Britton 53
6. Tommie Rafferty 49
7. Niall O'Connell 34
8. Martin Ewing 28
9. William Mavitty 25
10. Stephen McGee 20

Now that the first championship is over ->
• 2005 Irish 205 Challenge

2004-2005 Championship
1. Old Castle HellFire Single Stage - 12 Sep 04
2. GMSC Single Stage - 17 Oct 04
3. Carlow MC Rallycross at Mondello - 28 Nov 04
4. Connacht Restricted Single Stage Rally - 30 Jan 05
5. Sweet Lamb - 27 Feb 05
6. Tipperary Forestry Stages Rally - 27 Mar 05

www.irish205challenge.com

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06/09/04
Championship Preview
Irelands first and only one-make championship for the clubman is now in its final stages of preparation and will kick off on the 12th September at the Castle Hellfire Single Stage Rally.

The Irish 205 Challenge is the first of its kind in Ireland and opens up a new area of competition to drivers young and old. The concept is simple, pitting a mixture of Irelands drivers against each other in almost identical Peugeot 205s. The championship, sponsored by Rory Galligan Rally, aims to control four main areas of the car; the engine, gearbox and differential, shock absorbers and springs, and the chassis build. By controlling the cars, under the supervision of the championships own technical scrutineer, it makes the competition more about the talent of the driver rather than the spec of the car or how much money has been spent.

The organisers have chosen events that will give each competitor different conditions on all six rounds of the series. It kicks off with two tarmac single stage rallies, the Castle Single Stage and the GSMC Rally on the 17th October.

The third round of the series presents the crews with their biggest test of the year. Not only does the surface switch to gravel but also moves outside of the country to Wales for the Sweet Lamb Stages on the 20th November. This event is a favourite of Rory Galligan’s and he feels it can be done for roughly the same price as a forestry rally here and offers a chance to experience gravel stages that are second to none.

In January the Irish 205 Challenge will run its own private rally in Northern Ireland. This event not only provides a chance for competitors to take along sponsors and team members who have helped them throughout the year but also provides crews with the rare opportunity to win a rally outright.

February brings a switch back to gravel with the Willie Loughman Forestry Rally and for the final event of the championship in March its off to the Midland Stages Rally.

Along with six rallies, on tarmac and gravel in Ireland and Wales, competitors will benefit from training weekends offered by the championship organisers. These weekends will cover all sides of rallying, from driving and co-driving to car setup and media training.

The championship will also be split into two different categories, junior and senior. Although the overall winner can emerge from either category, it is hoped that the winner of the junior category would be in a very good position to go forward for the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award.

Of course no championship can run without sponsors or prizes and with the backing of RGR (Rory Galligan Rally), Matador Tyres, Fountain Trailers and others, there are a wide variety of prizes available to entrants at each event and at the end of the season. Prizes range from parts and tyres to fuel sponsored by Irish Racing Fuels. The Championship will also offer numerous cash prizes.

The Irish 205 Challenge has had a great response and already has fourteen registered competitors with ten more expected at the opening round.

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24/06/04
Article by Austin Shinnors
- taken for the 2004 Rally of the Lakes Programme

A New Rally Championship For Drivers Of Peugeot 205s Has Been Launched In Ireland. The Series Which Is Known As The “Irish 205 Challenge” Is Organised By Rory Galligan, And Will Consist Of Eight Events Below National Level. While The Majority Of The Rallies Will Be Held On Tarmac, The Balance Will Be Forestry Rallies. Much Of The Programme Will Be Based In The South, And A Number Of Visits To Northern Ireland Are Envisaged. The Championship Starts In September 2004 And Goes Right Through The Winter Finishing In May 2005.

Championship organiser Rory Galligan has been hugely successful at the wheel of various Peugeot rally cars. The first ever winner of the inaugral Billy Coleman Award in 2000,Galligan won the Peugeot 106 Super Cup in the UK in 2001 and he drove a works Peugeot 206 in the British Rally Championship the following year. Last year the Oldcastle driver took a sabbatical but his many fans are delighted that he is back again competing in the Mitsubishi EVO Challenge in the U.K. At the time of writing he is leading that series after two rounds with a win and a second place. Clearly Galligan has a huge experience of rallying Peugeots and has an intimate knowledge of one make championships.

So why does a busy rally driver getting involved in organising a one make championship in Ireland of all places? Galligan contends ‘that the Peugeot 205 Championship is very popular now in England and it is only right that someone sets up something similar for the Irish club driver. I really enjoyed my days rallying a 205-I must say they were the most enjoyable years of my career. I found that the more money I spent the less I enjoyment there was. Yes you can call this championship cheap and cheerful, but I think it is the best rallying. Afterall the clubman has no hope of a victory in any Irish rally with all the WRC cars, indeed the 205 driver has little chance of class honours with the speed of the Civics. With this series the 205 driver can win something and learn a bit as he goes along’ What are the rules governing the 205 championship like?

‘Basically they will be very similar to the U.K. 205 championship. It will be confined to 1600cc 205s and there will be two classes: a junior class for under 27 year olds and an open class for older drivers. It will be a mixed surface championship with four tarmac rallies in the South. In the interest of keeping costs down and to ease the job of securing entries I will be aiming at rallies below national level such as single stage and mini rallies. The forestry quota will be filled by two smooth rallies, one North and one South of the border. And the last forestry event would be the Sweet Lamb Rally in Wales’

Surely a rally in Wales too expensive for a clubman? ‘No, it can be done for the price of a forest rally here, and it is a great driving experience. As it will be held in the winter time the ferries are cheaper. There are other good reasons for going with an a u t u m n / w i n t e r / s p r i n g programme: Fellas are free to work more during the summer and have the some cash spared for rallying. And they won’t be competing for space in the papers with the G.A.A.’ And what kind of prize is for the winner? ‘In keeping with the cheap and cheerful policy there wont be any cars or works drives. Something more modest like a car trailer or a selection of tyres. However I think that the winner of the junior category would be in a very good position to go forward and win the Billy Coleman award.

For further information on the Irish 205 Challenge on

www.irish205challenge.com

or ring Rory Galligan at 086- 8263015.