2015 Tarmac Rally Championship

T.R.O.A. Manager Resignation

Posted: January 3, 2015 11:41 AM

The T.R.O.A. have announced that Gerard Seaman has tendered his resignation to the Board of T.R.O.A. Directors. Gerard explained that pressure on his business and home time would no longer allow him to commit his best efforts to the Championship. His resignation has been accepted and the Directors wish to thank him for his hard and enthusiastic work during his two year term in the position. The Directors wish him well in his future business endeavours.

Clonakilty Blackpudding to renew sponsorship of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship

Posted: November 6, 2014 4:25 PM

The Directors and manager of the T.R.O.A. are delighted to announce that Clonakilty Blackpudding Company are to extend their sponsorship of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship for a further two seasons. The deal which will see one of Irelands most successful home grown companies remain as title sponsor for the Tarmac Championship for 2015 and 2016 is a huge boost to Irelands premier rally championship, and follows on from a successful partnership in 2014.

Speaking on the announcement, Championship Manager Gerard Seaman said “We are delighted to have the Clonakilty Blackpudding Company on board which secures the Championship as a whole for the next two years, allied to the fact that the Twomey Family have put the faith in us once again and we look forward to continuing our fruitful relationship. We have a lot of work to do between now and February when the Championship takes off with the Galway International Rally.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank both Motorsport Ireland and the M.S.A for their continued help and look forward to seeing the old but very importantly some new faces on the Championship trail. On the Historic side our Championship gets underway in the fantastic Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally the last weekend in November and we look forward to this event immensely”.

David Gray Chairman of T.R.O.A. said today that
“I am thrilled to have Clonakilty Blackpudding Company on board and see the connection with Clonakilty Blackpudding and the Twomey family not so much as just a sponsor but more of a partner who will endeavour as we at T.R.O.A. do, to take the Irish tarmac Rally Championships to even greater heights.

For 2015 the main championship sees the inclusion of the West Cork Rally which increases the number of rounds to seven, with the best five scores to count. The Modified Championship sees the inclusion of the Isle of Man which increases the number of rounds to eight, with the best six scores to count. The Historic Championship which begins on the 29th November with the Historic Rally of the Lakes in Killarney has a total of 9 Rounds with the best 7 to count.

For the 2015 season there are some other changes, with the introduction of a new category for 2 wheel drive cars that are currently homologated which incorporates classes R1, R2 and R3. Another new category for next season sees the addition of a Junior Championship which will have backing from M-Sport and will consist of the same seven rounds as the main championship with five out of seven scores to count.

Rally Isle of Man to be modified!

Posted: September 21, 2014 7:40 PM

The organisers of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Modified Rally Championship (TROA) have confirmed that the 2015 Rally Isle of Man powered by Microgaming will play host to a qualifying round of the Championship, in addition to the Historic Championship crews that attended last weeks’ running.

The news comes as further boost to the event following a hugely successful renewal, with competitors, spectators and media alike praising the three day rally and the challenge it represents.

The crews that compete in the Irish Modified Championship are widely considered to be ‘the entertainers’, mostly running highly developed rear-wheel drive cars such as Darrian’s, Ford Escort’s and Toyota Starlet’s that allow drivers to show off all of their ability in show-stopping style!

“This news follows several months of discussion (Rally Isle of Man is a founder member of TROA), and is tremendous for Rally Isle of Man”, says John Gill, event Chairman. “The potential to have the mix of these great drivers and their cars on the iconic Manx stages such as Druidale, the Curraghs and Cringle, as well as through the streets of Douglas and Castletown is a mouthwatering prospect already!”

The Modified Championship traditionally attracts a high number of registrations and the event organisers are keen to welcome as many visitors from the Emerald isle as possible.

“We have been working with travel operators over the last three years to secure arrangements that will hopefully allow anyone that wants to attend to do so, and at the same time we have been continually working on the cost-base of the event to keep it as cost-effective as possible”, says Gill.

“This announcement is the fruition of that work, but by no means the end. We have significantly reduced the cost compared to the last time we were part of the full Irish Tarmac Championship, and the message now is, ‘you’ve heard all about it, come and try it for yourselves’! We want to welcome you all in twelve months time."

David Gray, TROA Chairman commented,
"It is great news that that a very significant part of our Championships, the Modifieds, will be joining the Historics in 2015 on a Rally which proved this year to be an outstanding challenge to all the competitors who took part."

Gerard Seaman Championship Manager added,
“It is great to have the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship Modified and Historic sections back on the island. This is due to the ongoing work from the club, working together closely with the Championship and we are all looking forward to starting a new chapter on the Isle of Man, and are very excited to be back in September 2015. The inclusion of Rally Isle of Man is just one more initiative to strengthen an already strong championship.”

The 2015 Rally Isle of Man powered by Microgaming takes place from 17-19th September.

Spectator packages for the event will also be available, with details to follow early in the New Year.

2015 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship Calendar

Posted: September 16, 2014 8:52 PM

Killarney Historic Stages Rally (Historic) - 28th / 29th November 2014
Galway International Rally - 7th & 8th February 2015
West Cork Rally - 14th & 15th March 2015
Circuit of Ireland Rally - 3rd & 4th April 2015
Rally of the Lakes Killarney - 1st - 3rd May 2015
Donegal International Rally - 19th - 21st June 2015
Ulster Rally - 14th & 15th August 2015
Rally Isle of Man (Historic) - 17th - 19th September 2015
Cork 20 International Rally - 2nd - 4th October 2015

West Cork Rally to join the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in 2015

Posted: September 15, 2014 2:33 PM

The Directors and Management of the T.R.O.A. (Tarmac Rally Organizers Association) are today delighted to announce that the 2015 Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally (organized and promoted by Cork Motor Club) will be a full counting round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship for 2015. This follows a successful inclusion for the first time in the 2014 Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Modified Championship, and the Directors felt that the West Cork Rally would be an ideal fit going forward for T.R.O.A. The initial deal between the T.R.O.A. and Cork Motor Club is for the rally to be part of the championship for a three year period.

David Gray, T.R.O.A. Chairman, stated that he and his fellow directors would like to welcome Cork Motor Club on board and he also added that he had seen at first hand the success the inclusion of the West Cork Rally had given the Modified championship in 2014, which created a new dynamic within the Championship as a whole. Indeed the 2014 event was won by regular Irish Tarmac Rally Championship contenders Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan who were full of praise for the event.

 Gerard Seaman, Championship Manager said today that
“we at the T.R.O.A are indeed delighted and excited to have the West Cork Rally on board as a full and counting round”, he also stated that “the West Cork Rally is one of the best kept secrets in Irish Tarmac Rallying and we are sure that with its addition it will give something new to the whole Championship. Cork Motor Club have worked very closely with us over the last few years and now is definitely the time for their inclusion, and we look forward to working with the team in Cork Motor Club for the years ahead”.  

Billy Tobin Chairman of Cork Motor Club commented that
“on behalf of Cork Motor Club we are delighted to be invited to be a full round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and we look forward to welcoming all Championship competitors and hope each and every one of them will enjoy the unique classic stages the West Cork Rally has to offer, and experience the fantastic welcome that Clonakilty town will provide.  

The T.R.O.A would like to also acknowledge the work of the West Cork Rally Fundraising Committee which works tirelessly each year to make sure the event is the success it has come to be. John O’Donovan Chairman West Cork Rally Fundraising Committee stated “the West Cork Rally Fundraising Committee are delighted with the news of the West Rally being part of the Championship next year. We hope that with the inclusion of the championship there will be a further economic boost to the West Cork region at a quiet time of the year in terms of tourism. Clonakilty will open its doors and give a "West Cork welcome" to all concerned. It's a testament to the hard work of this committee, its members, the Cork Motor Club and the town in general for backing the rally for over the past 37 years”.

Championship Website

Posted: September 15, 2014 2:33 PM

Tarmac Championship Official Site