Corking Pace from Marty Gallagher/ Dean O’Sullivan In Irish Tarmac Championship Finale!
Posted: October 13, 2016 10:11 AM
There was heart-break for Marty Gallagher and co-driver Dean O’Sullivan as their Peugeot 208 R2 was side-lined on the final stage of the Cork 20 International Rally with a water temperature problem. The young Donegal crew were on their way to clinching second in their category of the Clonakilty Black Pudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, after a storming drive which saw them lead the R2 race for much of the two day event.
“It was a massive disappointment for the whole team” said Marty. “We had a puncture on the penultimate stage, and had settled for second R2, behind Callum Devine, when the temperature light came on. We stopped and waited for the car to cool, but by that time we were too late, and it dropped us to third in the championship. That’s how the sport goes, but up to that our weekend was excellent.” The crew in the Campsie Karting Centre 208 R2 started the event cautiously on what were at times slippery stages on the opening loop on Saturday, stages that claimed championship rival William Creighton who slid into a ditch, re-joining later in the day under Rally 2 rules. “It was tricky in places, and we were cautious. We were second R2, but Callum had pulled almost twenty-five seconds on us, and we wanted to be on his pace.”
The next loop was over different tests, and with conditions drier too, Marty was to put his Manx experience with the 208 to use. On stage five Marty and Dean really got into the groove and took ten seconds off Devine in his Opel Adam, and remarkably almost thirteen on stage six to be just 1.6 seconds behind the championship leader. On the final stage of the day Marty moved into the R2 lead, and a fine tenth overall behind only the R5 and WRC machinery. The race with Callum was truly on, and that lead was just 0.2 of a second! “It was great to race with Callum. He is a deserving champion, and there is always friendly rivalry between us. When we got the puncture at the end of the penultimate test, he helped us to change it before the next stage. Certainly going into Sunday’s stages with 0.2 of a second between us it was exhilarating!”
Sunday was good for the Donegal crew, and after the first loop of three stages, they had a 7.8 second lead over Callum Devine, but Devine reduced that to 1.3 after twelve stages, with just two more to run. However stage thirteen was unlucky-Marty picking up a puncture, and dropping almost twenty seconds. “The race was over then, and we were just cruising to the finish and that second place, but it wasn’t to be. Nevertheless I really enjoyed the rally, and the improvements we have made. Now we are converting the car to gravel trim, and heading to the Limerick Forest Rally and Glens of Antrim rallies, before trying to embark on the trip to the FIA European Rally Trophy (ERT) Shoot out in Austria.”
Certainly with the switch to Peugeot power and a renewed focus from the team, Marty and Dean have been making themselves a force to be reckoned with in the second half of 2016. Donegal, Ulster, Manx and Cork have all shown their increased speed and consistency, and exciting things hopefully are ahead for the Donegal duo.
Devine Pops The Cork!
Posted: October 13, 2016 10:10 AM
Callum Devine and co-driver Keith Moriarty wrapped up the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship R2 title at the weekend with another class win at the Acesigns Cork 20 International Rally, the final round of the 2016 Irish Tarmac Championship. The young Opel Adam driver emerged from the tough 2 day Cork event with the win after a long battle with class rival Marty Gallagher in his Peugeot.
The event began with Devine holding a comfortable class lead after the opening 4 morning stages, but the afternoon stages allowed Gallagher to come back at the Opel driver to take the overnight class lead by just 0.2 of a second. Day 2 began with Gallagher carrying the momentum and stretching his advantage to 7.8 seconds. Some tweaks to setup change in the midday service saw Devine reduce Marty’s lead to 1.3 seconds but stage 13 proved to be unlucky for Gallagher who picked up a puncture near the end of the test and handing the class lead to Devine with 1 stage to go. This allowed Callum and Keith to reduce their pace and get through stage 14 to take the class and championship win.
Speaking before at the finish ramp a delighted Callum said; “I’m thrilled to take the championship here in Cork, this has been a great event for us over the years, taking my first win here in the juniors 3 years ago. We’ve had a great year with some nervous moments along the way but we have always kept going and never given up. With class wins in 6 of rounds it has been a great year with some great competition from the other guys in the class to keep us on our toes. After winning a Billy Coleman nomination earlier in the year, to win the Irish Tarmac Championship R2 class this year is another major milestone for me and I’m now looking forward to 2017. With a number of options now on the table we will need to sit down and see what is going to be the best option for me, but until then I have to thank everyone who has supported me from the start.”
Keep up to date on Callum’s plans for 2017 on Twitter (@CallumDevine27) and Facebook (callum devine rallying) or at www.callumdevine.com. Callum is competing this season with the support of Fyth.co.uk, Premier Car Parts, Springhill Springs and A. Daly Groundworks.
Video Clips
Posted: October 13, 2016 9:32 AM
In Car
Posted: October 13, 2016 9:24 AM
James Fitzgerald & Mossie O'Connell (Honda Civic) SS12
Duncan Williams & Jonathan Carroll (Ford Escort) SS4
Report
Posted: October 13, 2016 9:23 AM
History was made on the AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally today when Josh Moffett & Jason McKenna in a Ford Fiesta
R5 took their first international win. At the end of the 14 stage event they had just 4.6 seconds to spare over Sam Moffett &
Karl Atkinson in a similar car. Roy White & James O’Brien were just 1.7 seconds further back in their Fiesta WRC making it
one of the closest top three finishes to an Irish International event. Overnight leaders Keith Cronin & Mikie Galvin survived a
late scare when he punctured with just two stages to go, but fourth place was enough to secure the 2016 Clonakilty
Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship for the pair.
Alastair Fisher & Gordon Noble had led early on, but crashed out on the fourth stage with Cronin inheriting the lead, and
looking in control. However from fourth place overnight Josh Moffett put on a charge to lead by stage 11, and despite coming
under pressure was able to hold on for his maiden international victory. Other notable retirements over the weekend included
Cork drivers Owen Murphy (Skoda Fabia S2000) & David Guest (Mitsubishi Lancer).
The National Rally was won by Donegal’s Brian Brogan & Damien McGettigan in their Escort while Tommy Doyle & Liam
Moynihan in a Renault Clio. Eugene Meegan & Sarah Whelan led for much of the opening day in their BMW 1M, but a
gearbox problem put them out after the final stage of the day. Calum Duffy & Emmet Sherry took third place in their Skoda
Fabia S2500. The Historic Rally was won by Ray Cunningham & Ross Forde in their unusual LHD Escort MK2 by a massive
six minutes from English driver Duncan Williams with Cork co-driver Jonathan Carroll alongside. There was a dramatic end
to the Junior Rally when Eric Calnan & Aileen Kelly overcame a 12 second deficit in their Peugeot 106 to beat Fergus Hurley
& Eric Deane’s Escort by just 1.6 seconds. Third place for Kevin & Stephen Horgan was enough to give them the Clonakilty
Blackpudding Junior Rally Championship for 2016.
It was an extremely successful event well run by Clerk of the Course Colman Hegarty and his hardworking team at Munster
Car Club with the rally running on time all weekend and being very well received by the competitors. It was a fitting end to
one of the most exciting and dramatic Tarmac Championship title races in many years
Cronin & Galvin are 2016 Irish Tarmac Champions
Posted: October 13, 2016 9:19 AM
Keith Cronin & Mikie Galvin in a Citroen DS3 R5 are the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Champions for 2016 following their fourth place overall on the AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally. Despite leading overnight they soon dropped back to second behind a hard charging Josh Moffett and everything was still very much in control. However a Stage 12 puncture dropped them to fourth and it was a tense last couple of stages as Jonny Greer closed in to just a few seconds, where any subsequent drop in place would have damaged his title chances. Eventually fourth was enough to secure their first tarmac championship title.
Josh Moffett & Jason McKenna made history by winning their first ever tarmac championship round and also by taking the first victory for an R5 car on an international rally in the Republic of Ireland. Sam Moffett & Karl Atkinson finished in second overall just ahead of Roy White & James O’Brien with the eventual top three only separated by 6.3 seconds. Callum Devine & Keith Moriarty were the winners of the International 2WD category while Ross Marshall & Dave Robson took the Modified Championship after edging out Davy Armstrong & Martin McGarrity. The Junior Championship was won by Kevin & Shane Horgan in their Honda Civic ahead of Justin Ryan & Stephen Monaghan both crews in Honda Civics.
Class winners: Callum Devine/Keith Moriarty,
Kevin Dolphin/Martin O'Brien (Renault Clio S1600),
Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin,
Kevin Kelleher/Ray Fitzpatrick.
NATIONAL RALLY:
1 Brian Brogan/Damien McGettigan (Ford Escort MkII) 1h 47m 24s,
2 Tommy Doyle/Liam Moynihan (Renault Clio R3+) 1h 49m 01s,
3 Calum Duffy/Emmet Sherry (Skoda Fabia S2500) 1h 49m 21s,
4 Martin Doherty/Raymond Scott (Ford Escort MkII) 1h 52m 13s,
5 Barry McKenna/Leon Jordan (Ford Escort MkII) 1h 52m 14s,
6 Mark Dolphin/Colin Fitzgerald (Ford Escort MkII) 1h 52m 29s.
Winner to take all in final championship round - Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship
Posted: September 30, 2016 9:10 AM
The Final Round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship is fast approaching with the AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally taking place this coming weekend. Alastair Fisher & Gordon Noble have had an excellent year taking maximum points on the Ulster Rally and the Circuit of Ireland with his only retirement coming in West Cork. If Fisher finishes above his closest rival Keith Cronin then the title will be his. For Cronin who had maximum scores in Galway, West Cork & Donegal a finish in front of Fisher will do, but it will be no easy task despite more recent experience on the Cork 20 Rally.
Sam & Josh Moffett are third and fourth in the series and both still have an outside chance of the title if the leading pair were to slip up, while Josh’s task is harder as he needs to take top points without any of his rivals increasing their scores. Sam Moffett has only score on four of the five rounds to date so any finish will increase his score.
Group N has already been won by David Guest & Paddy Robinson in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 and the Clonakilty driver will be looking to cap a fine year with another top score. Gus & Pat Kearney from Clonmel are currently second and third in Group N and will be battling for the runner up spot in the championship overall.
The International 2 Wheel drive category is being led by Callum Devine in his Opel Adam and is looking good to take the award. William Creighton has been his closest challenger all year in a Peugeot 208 and is poised to take full advantage of any slip up by Devine. Marty Gallagher in third place is another driver who has moved to a Peugeot and if the leading pair were to falter he could take advantage and win the series.
The Modified Championship is being led by Scottish crew Ross Marshall & Dave Robson in their Escort Mk2 but they are being chased hard by Davy Armstrong & Martin McGarrity in a similar car. Last year’s Junior champion John O’Sullivan is currently in third place in his recently acquired Fiesta R2. Eugene Meegan, Brian Brogan & Jason McSweeney can also move up the rankings with a good result in Cork.
Frank Cunningham has already won the Historic Championship, but there should still be a good battle between the other championship crews taking part such as James O’Mahony whose change from a Volvo to an Escort hasn’t been all plain sailing, but he is still undeniably quick. Other registered Historic crews include Brendan McAree (Porsche 911), Donal O’Connor, Philip McKibbin, Duncan Williams (all Escorts) and Niall Creighton (Cortina).
The Junior Championship goes right down to the wire with honours even between Justin Ryan & Kevin Horgan at the top with both on 58 points. Noel Murphy is further back on 44 points in third place but can win the title if the leading two hit trouble. The battle to win the coveted Frank Meagher trophy will certainly be one to watch this weekend.
The action gets underway at 9am on Saturday 1st and eight stages will be run south of Fermoy before the cars head to Parc Ferme just after 6pm. The second day has six more stages with the opening test scheduled to take place at 10:51am and first car is due at the finish ramp at 4:15pm on Sunday afternoon.
AceSigns Cork 20 International Tally 2016 Press Release 6
Posted: September 30, 2016 8:58 AM
The wait is almost over, and the AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally is about to rev into action with over 100 cars set to tackle the final round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship. Four drivers are in the hunt to take the title for the first time, Alastair Fisher, Keith Cronin, Sam Moffett & Josh Moffett, and they will be pressed hard by the WRCs of Kevin Kelleher & Roy White in what promises to be a very exciting weekends rallying. There is an abundance of talent right throughout the entry list which is a testament to the hard work put in by Munster Car Club.
The event which also has The Radisson Blu Hotel Little Island (Rally HQ) & Delaney’s Petronas Oil as associate sponsors will start at 8am with Service in Fermoy before the first stage. The first stage begins at 9:23am with eight stages in total over the first day and service after every two stages. The first car is due back at Parc Ferme just after 6pm on Saturday.
The second day’s action has six tests with three stages to be tackled twice and the first stage of the day, Badgers Hill near Glenville, commencing at 10:51am. The first car is due at the finish ramp at approximately 4:15pm where a new name will be inscribed on the Cork 20 perpetual tray and the identity of this year’s Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Champion will be known.
AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally 2016 Press Release 5
Posted: September 20, 2016 4:09 AM
With just under two weeks to go until the AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally, the scene is set for a tremendous battle on the stages of County Cork. There are no former winners of the event on the seeded list, so unless there is a dramatic late entry there will be a new name inscribed on the Cork 20 Perpetual Tray in 2016.
Top seeds are Alastair Fisher & Gordon Noble in their Ford Fiesta R5 who are currently leading the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship as it heads into the final round. Fisher hasn’t competed on the event since 2010, while his closest rivals and number 2 seeds Keith Cronin & Mike Galvin have more recent experience of the rally. Cronin has finished in the runner up spot in Cork for the past two years in his Citroen DS3 R5. Newly crowned national champions Roy White & James O’Brien are the only WRC car amongst the entry and they are at three in a Fiesta. The Moffett siblings Sam & Josh are at four and five in their respective Fiesta R5s and are set to give the leading pair a serious challenge in Cork.
Jonny Greer & Kirsty Riddick at six have increased their speed as the year has gone on and their Citroen will certainly be in the overall shakeup by the end of the event. Stephen Wright will be hoping to put his Ulster Rally retirement behind him while following him at 8 is Aaron McHale who also retired on the Ulster as a result of an accident. The top ten is rounded off by Brendan Cumiskey (Fiesta R5) and Owen Murphy (Skoda Fabia S2000). Outside of the top 10 are drivers such as David Guest, Callum Devine and William Creighton while Meirion Evans has put a deal together to contest the event in a Citroen DS3 R5.
The modified, historic and junior categories are also well represented with Phil Collins, Ross Marshall, Jason McSweeney and Eugene Meegan amongst the forerunners in the national rally. James O’Mahony & Frank Cunningham are set to do battle for the first time since Killarney in the Historic Rally while there are sixteen entered for the Junior Rally with Fergus Hurley one of the favourites in his beautiful Escort Mk2.
Seeded at 67 is Motorsport Ireland Sport Development Officer Art McCarrick who will be tackling his first Cork 20, and he is using the event to raise awareness about platelet donation. McCarrick, a platelet donor himself is entered in a Honda Civic and will contest the national section of the event with co-driver John McCay. Speaking ahead of the event Art said; "Being fortunate enough to work for Motorsport Ireland, I always make an effort to contest a few rallies a year. There is no stronger endorsement of our sport than competing yourself. I'm looking forward to working with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service over the weekend in Cork to try and raise awareness about platelet donation and if we can get a finish I'll be delighted."
For more information in the lead up to the AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally, go to the events website at www.munstercarclub.com, Twitter @MunsterCarClub and Facebook page Munster Car Club / Cork 20 International Rally.
Entries Received - 8/9/16
Posted: September 9, 2016 9:17 AM
Press Release 4
Posted: September 9, 2016 7:03 AM
Entries are continuing to flow in for the AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally with just under four weeks to go, and some notable entries have been received by Munster Car Club. Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship contenders Alastair Fisher, Sam Moffett & Josh Moffett have all entered their Ford Fiesta R5’s for the championships grand finale. The trio are currently first, third and fourth in the series and with Keith Cronin also due to start it promises to be a very exciting event.
Roy White & James O’Brien who have just secured the Triton National Championship for 2016 are also entered in their Fiesta WRC while Owen Murphy & Anthony Nestor have made only sporadic appearances this season in their Skoda Fabia S2000, but will be a crew to watch. One of the most popular drivers on the Irish Rallying scene is Phil Collins in his distinctive red Escort Mk2, and he has entered what will be his first Irish event this year. Speaking over the weekend he said “I’ve been ill over the past few months which is why I’ve not competed in Ireland this year. However I think rallying on Irish Tarmac will certainly help my recovery as I love competing over here and I can’t wait to get out onto the stages”.
The Irish Tarmac Junior Championship also goes to the wire and the three drivers who can still win the title are all entered in their respective Honda Civics. Kevin Horgan & Justin Ryan are tied for points at the top while Noel Murphy can overtake both if they encounter any problems and fail to finish. Frank Cunningham has made many trips from the U.S.A. this year and it has certainly been worthwhile as he has a commanding lead in the Historic Tarmac Championship in his LHD Ford Escort MK2.
For more information in the lead up to the AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally, go to the events website at www.munstercarclub.com, Twitter @MunsterCarClub and Facebook page Munster Car Club / Cork 20 International Rally.
Acesigns Cork 20 International Rally Program outlets
Colman Hegarty, Clerk of the Course for the 2016 AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally, and his team are delighted to announce Sean Delaney Oils Glanmire have come on board as main service park sponsors for this year’s event. Sean Delaney Oils are the main agents for Petronas Lubricants and Delaney Oil brands. Speaking today, Colman Hegarty said “we are thrilled to have a company such as Delaney Oils on board and we hope that this deal will prove successful in building up the Petronas Lubricants and Delaney Oils brands. It is great to see the Delaney family who have such a history of motorsport themselves, and who have supported our event over the years coming on board."
The AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally will have a centralised service park in the busy town of Fermoy, just off the Cork-Dublin Motorway. Plans are well advanced for the event and more details will be released in due course. The rally which is the final round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship promises to have the most exciting conclusion to the championship in quite a number of years. Five drivers are currently separated by only six points and with bonus points on offer in Cork it is certain that the championship will come right down to the wire.
As well as being a counting round of the Tarmac Championship, it’s also a counting round of both the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship and the Munster Car Club Championship. Be sure to mark the dates 1st & 2nd October in your calendar!
Event Poster
Posted: June 23, 2016 4:21 PM
AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally 2016 Press Release 1
Posted: June 11, 2016 4:26 AM
The directors of Munster Car Club are pleased to announce some details for the final round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the AceSigns Cork 20 International Rally. The event takes place on the 1st & 2nd of October and Colman Hegarty is once again Clerk of the Course and brings vast experience to the role having run the event on a number of occasions to date. AceSigns are once again title sponsors, for the third year in a row, to continue a very successful partnership with the rally.
As with 2015, the Rally Headquarters will be the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Little Island, with the competitive action taking place around the Fermoy area. There will be fourteen stages in total with Saturday’s eight stages to the south of Fermoy and the six remaining stages on Sunday to the north of the town. Speaking earlier today Colman Hegarty was predicting an exciting conclusion to the Tarmac Championship saying “this has been the most open and competitive Tarmac Championship in many years and with the bonus championship points on offer in Cork there is a good chance that the battle will go right down to the wire. If this happens the spectators will be in for a treat having the country’s top drivers fighting to get their name on the Tarmac Championship trophy”.
As well as being the final round of the Tarmac Championship, the rally is also a counting round of the popular clubman PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship. The Cork 20 Rally is one of the oldest events in Europe having been initially a 20 hour endurance rally. It became an International Rally in 1977 and over the years has seen some of the best drivers in the world compete on it. Drivers such as Sebastian Loeb and Ari Vatanen won the event while Mikko Hirvonen, Dani Sordo and Markko Martin also competed here. Top Irish drivers such as Billy Coleman, Frank Meagher, Bertie Fisher, Austin McHale and Andrew Nesbitt are just some of the top Irish names to have had their names inscribed on the winner’s trophy. Whoever wins this year’s rally will be adding their name to a very prestigious list.
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