2012 Irish Junior 1000 Rally Challenge

Irish juniors get the start they have been waiting for

Posted: June 23, 2011 9:05 AM

2012 will see the introduction of Ireland’s very first, formally structured series for budding rally drivers between the ages of 14 and 16: the Irish Junior Rally Challenge.

Based on the proven and highly successful format of the Junior 1000 Rally Championship currently running in England and Wales, the all-Ireland series will follow the same technical regulations and also feature unmodified cars of no more than 1000cc. It is set to start in 2012 and will see a calendar of six events, all taking place on private land to overcome the issue of the drivers not being old enough to hold a licence for the road.

The inaugural season sees all the rallies take place in the north of the country. However, organisers are anticipating entries from drivers throughout Ireland and are already looking to expand the geographical spread of the series as soon as venues in the south become available.

Series organisers are pleased to report that this new initiative is supported by event organisers and a number of the country’s leading figures in the sport, including Brendan Crealey, founder and owner of SuperDrive rally school:

“Ireland has been producing world-class rally drivers for many years and I am sure that all of us in the sport would like to see that trend continue. There has been a need for a formally structured and professionally run series for youngsters in Ireland for some time and therefore, to be able to spot natural talent at an early age and channel it in the right direction is an exciting prospect.”

The series will be officially launched at the Lurgan Park Rally on 30th July, where organisers intend to issue more details and a set of draft regulations. Further information is expected to be available shortly afterwards, with an induction day scheduled in the Autumn.

The series aims to make sure that the drivers get proper training and advice every step of the way. All of them will be required to attend a series of mandatory induction and development courses and will need to reach a level of competency before they are allowed to compete.

“We want to make this a series where the youngsters get the best possible chance to see if they have what it takes to progress in the sport”, continues Crealey.
“We have been training novice drivers for years at SuperDrive, so we know what needs to be done to nurture and encourage rally stars of the future.”

Championship Rounds

Posted: June 23, 2011 9:02 AM

1. Kirkistown, Co. Down 18th February 2012
2. Bishopscourt, Co. Down 17th March 2012
3. St. Angelo, Co. Fermanagh 7th May 2012
4. Bishopscourt, Co. Down 13th July 2012
5. SuperDrive, Co. Armagh 12th August 2012
6. SuperDrive, Co. Armagh 16th September 2012

Irish Junior Rally Challenge