The "White" Support for County Armagh Rally Star James Wilson!
Posted: April 25, 2017 5:22 PM
For twenty-two year old rally driver James Wilson from Keady, County Armagh, the 2017 season is an incredibly exciting one, with a new car the 1600cc rocket-ship Peugeot 208 R2, and now a new sponsor in Philip White Tyres, to give him added support in his Irish Tarmac Championship campaign. “It’s fantastic to have Philip White Tyres on board for the rest of the season, and I am particularly proud to have the name on the car, as they supported my grand-father Jimmy, Uncle Glen, and my dad Trevor in rallying through the year’s. I am trying to carry on the families rallying history, and I would like to emulate my father’s achievement’s in winning the hotly contested 1600cc category in the Irish Tarmac Championship and then see where we could go from there” said the young engineer.
The Keady driver won the Junior category in the 2016 ANICC Northern Ireland Rally Championship, using a Peugeot 106, before the family team invested in a brand new left hand drive Peugeot 208 R2 from Peugeot Sport in France, and entered the R2 category, considered to be an important stepping stone for young driver’s in Ireland’s premier rallying series. “We had to miss the Galway International in February as the new car hadn’t arrived, but we got a good third in category on our debut with the car on the West Cork International in March. Since then we have contested some smaller one day events with class success, which has helped me to acclimatise to the car and the change to left hand drive before this weekend’s Killarney Rally of the Lakes. I feel much happier in the car, and with the setup also and I am very much looking forward to the rally now, especially over the classic Killarney stages like the legendary Molls Gap!”
After Killarney, James and co-driver Gavin Doherty will tackle the Donegal International in June, the Ulster International in August and the Cork 20 International Rally in September. For Philip White Senior the association with rallying goes back a long way. Philip White Tyres was the title sponsor of the Ulster Rally in the past and of course supported the career of Armagh ace and twice Irish Tarmac Rally Champion; Andrew Nesbitt. “It’s great to be involved now with a young local driver like James, especially with his families rallying history and we all wish him the best of luck for the season ahead” said Philip. “Rallying is a great sport and the Irish Tarmac Championship, like our tyre business takes place all round the country. Hopefully James will have some great experiences, and meet some great people like we have over the year’s at the rallies.”
With its base in Armagh, Philip White Tyres, founded in 1982, has expanded over the years, with retail depots also now in Belfast, Campsie, Dungannon, Castleblayney and Dublin. Coupled to this a successful wholesale business which delivers daily to customers all over Ireland, the UK and even further afield, and a passion for all types of tyres from a wheel-barrow to an Earthmover, it’s a winning team in tyres!
The ITRC in association with Campsie Karting http://www.campsiekartingcentre.co.uk and Rally
Condroz http://www.condrozrally.be/ are delighted to announce details of the prize on offer
for this years ITRC R2 winner.
COC Etienne Massillon has confirmed a free entry and insurance will be available for Rally
Condroz whilst the ITRC will provide ?1000.00 towards shipping and accommodation.
In addition a reduction of ?200.00 on the entry fee will be available to any other ITRC registered
competitor's who might wish to enter the rally.
TROA Chairman David Gray commented;
"We are delighted to be able to offer this prize to the R2 champion. The R2 category is an extremely
important and integral part of the championship and provides an opportunity for young
drivers to showcase their talent in a homologated car".
Campsie Karting's Eamon Gallagher said;
"I am delighted to be involved with this initiative. The new generation R2 cars are quite technical
and give young drivers the opportunity to experience more advanced machinery without the
costs involved, for example, running an R5 car. I think its vitally important we support our young
drivers and give them opportunity in whatever way we can."
Rally Condroz is an all tarmac event and takes place from 3rd to 5th November 2017.
PIRELLI ANNOUNCE PRIZE FUND FOR IRISH TARMAC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Posted: February 3, 2017 7:05 AM
Pirelli and S.W Adair Tyres are pleased to announce their associate sponsorship of the Clonakilty Black Pudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship with a prize fund of STG15,000.
There will be STG3000.00 up for grabs on each round (Galway, West Cork, Killarney, Donegal and Cork 20) with a separate prize fund available on the Ulster Rally as this is also a counting round of the BRC.
The prize fund will be awarded to the top three R5/S2000 cars who are registered for the Tarmac Championship, run on Pirelli tyres supplied by the official Pirelli distributor and who carry the Pirelli logo on their cars.
Official Pirelli supplier Bill Adair said:
"We are delighted to be associated with the Clonakilty Black Pudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. It is great to be able to promote our business and the Pirelli brand name on such a prestigious championship".
MICHELIN ANNOUNCE PRIZE STRUCTURE FOR #ITRC
Posted: February 3, 2017 7:03 AM
Michelin, in conjunction with the Clonakilty Black Pudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
today announced their continued support for the 2017 series.
The prizes on offer for each event are as follows;
Class 5 Winner - 4 Michelin Tyres
Class 5 Second - 2 Michelin Tyres
Class 7 Winner - 4 Michelin Tyres
Class 7 Second - 2 Michelin Tyres
Junior Winner - 2 Michelin Tyres
To be eligible for the prizes competitors must run on Michelin Tyres purchased through
the official supplier Bill Adair and carry the Michelin logo.
Tim Hoare Motorsport Manage for UK/Ireland said:
"Michelin have a long association with the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and are delighted
to offer prizes and support to the winning drivers and teams in 2017. We are
very happy to be associated with the series and to take the opportunity to promote the
Michelin brand on Ireland's premier rally series"
KUMHO TO SPONSOR ALASTAIR FISHER'S ASSAULT ON THE 2017 IRISH TARMAC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Posted: February 3, 2017 7:00 AM
Last season, 28-year old construction engineer Alastair Fisher finished a fighting fourth in the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, driving a Ford Fiesta R5. This year he will again be doing his best to lift the series trophy that his uncle, the late great Bertie Fisher, won no less than four times. Equally hopeful of his success are his new sponsor Kumho Tyre and the company's Irish distributor, Modern Tyre Service of Enniskillen, under whose colours the car will be running.
Alastair began his rally career in 2005 and in 2010 annexed the Irish Tarmac Group N Championship with a Mitsubishi Lancer. He then enjoyed a spell contesting the Academy and Junior categories of the World Rally Championship (WRC), in which he achieved a number of victories and podiums, before making a welcome return to his home championship last year. He will be at the wheel of a Fiesta R5 again this season, in which he will be partnered by his regular co-driver, the hugely experienced Gordon Noble.
Kumho will keep the pair supplied with ample stocks of its highly-rated FIA-homologated TM02 tarmac rally tyre. Commenting on the arrangement, Kumho Motorsport's Steve Thompson said: "We are very excited to be backing Alastair's latest title aspirations. He is without question one of the quickest of the current crop of home-grown drivers, and we are looking forward to a very exciting season."
The team's first outing in the six-round championship is on this weekend's (February 4/5) Corrib Oil Galway International Rally, for which Alastair is the leading R5 seed. Kumho will also be providing their usual support for the WRC Subaru of Garry Jennings, who is the top seed for this event.
DMACK PRIZE STRUCTURE REVEALED FOR ITRC FIESTA SPORT TROPHY
Posted: December 23, 2016 1:47 PM
Together with M-Sport, it was announced that organisers of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship (ITRC) would next year launch a one-make series for the newly-released, regional specification Ford Fiesta R2.
M-Sport are now pleased to confirm that DMACK Tyres will provide the control tyre for the ITRC Fiesta Sport Trophy as well as offering a generous prize structure.
This prize structure has been developed to incorporate incentives on each round of the season which consists of six events - the four best scoring rounds counting towards each competitor's championship points.
Continuing their support of young drivers, DMACK will offer three free tyres for the winner, two free tyres for second place and one free tyre for the third-placed competitor on each of the six rounds - subject to a minimum of five entries.
The overall prize will see the winner given a wild card entry to contest the FST Shootout at M-Sport's Dovenby Hall base on the edge of the English Lake District National Park.
Prize winners from all regional series will be invited to M-Sport where they will be tested on their driving skills, media savvy and physical fitness before being interviewed by M-Sport management.
The Shootout winner will then be given an opportunity to drive a round of the FIA World Rally Championship with the international-specification Ford Fiesta R2 as part of the official M-Sport team.
The regional specification Fiesta will be on display at the Autosport International Show at Birmingham's NEC in January and M-Sport staff will be on hand to answer any questions.
Fiesta R2 conversion kits are available now from M-Sport's base in Krakow, Poland and anybody interested in this vehicle should contact Krzysztof Zuchowicz by telephone on +48 125 686 2005 or by e-mail on kzuchowicz@m-sport.co.uk
Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport Managing Director, said:
"It is great to be back in the Irish Tarmac Championship and the Ford Fiesta R2 is the ideal way for drivers to find their level - pitching themselves head-to-head in equal cars which are quick and reliable without being difficult to build or maintain.
"Courtesy of DMACK Tyres, we now also have a fantastic prize structure in place. DMACK's commitment to the project is great to see and, together, our two companies continue to support up-and-coming young drivers around the world.
"The top prize offers the overall winner a chance to compete for a Fiesta R2 drive on a round of the FIA World Rally Championship - competing alongside our world-class drivers at rallying's highest level."
Dick Cormack, DMACK Managing Director, said:
"It's great to be able to continue our support of young drivers. Through the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy, we have a history of supporting up-and-coming new talent and it's fantastic to be able to expand that initiative into national series like the Irish Tarmac Championship.
"We have a new range of asphalt tyres launching in January which have been built in the UK and feature a number of significant performance improvements. Following Elfyn Evans' victory at the Ulster Rally earlier this year, we're confident that our tyres will be well suited to the Irish roads and look forward to seeing some exciting new talent come to the fore."
M-SPORT TO LAUNCH FIESTA SPORT TROPHY SERIES IN ITRC
Posted: December 1, 2016 4:04 PM
M-Sport, in collaboration with the organisers of the Irish Tarmac Championship, will next year launch a one-make series in Ireland for the newly released regional specification Ford Fiesta R2.
Following on from the launch of the French Junior Rally Championship as well as a similar series in Belgium and further regions soon to follow, the concept is to offer drivers in Ireland a chance to pitch their driving skills head-to-head in identical cars over the course of the Clonakilty Blackpudding supported series.
The series will consist of six rounds of which the four best scorings will count towards championship points which are allocated as follows: 17 / 14 / 12 / 10 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3. As the car is homologated, points can also be scored in class 2 of the ITRC 1 in accordance with regulations.
The technical specification of the car will be set by M-Sport and this will follow the newly launched Ford Fiesta R2 built specifically for regional championships.
The car kit ? which is marketed under the name ?R2 National? ? is based on the one-litre Ecoboost Ford Fiesta R2, but with standard engine and simpler Bilstein suspension.
The regional specification Fiesta produces 155hp with 230Nm of torque. The kit uses the same chassis modification, Sadev sequential gearbox and Alcon brakes front and rear as the international specification, but is Eur9,000 cheaper at just Eur20,998 + VAT (?24,475 EUR at today?s exchange rate).
The regional kit is homologated into the R2 class and can easily be updated to full international specification at a cost of approximately Eur10,000 should it be required at a later date.
The ITRC Fiesta Sport Trophy will use a control tyre and the tyre specification and number of tyres available for each round will be determined by bulletin prior to the first round of the series.
M-Sport is in the process of developing the prize structure which will incorporate incentives for each round of the series. Including a mixture of products and vouchers, further details will also be confirmed via bulletin.
M-Sport will be supporting each round and have a parts truck with essential spares and technical support available for both R2 and R5 customers to ensure each team achieves the best possible result from each event.
The overall prize will see the winner given a wild card entry to contest the FST Shootout at M-Sport. Prize winners from all regional series will be invited to come to M-Sport where they will be tested on their driving skills, media savvy and physical fitness before being interviewed by M-Sport management. The winner will then be given an opportunity to drive a round of the FIA World Rally Championship in the Ford Fiesta R2 as part of the M-Sport team.
Fiesta R2 conversion kits are available now from M-Sport's base in Krakow, Poland and anybody interested in this vehicle should contact Krzysztof Zuchowicz by telephone on +48 125 686 2005 or by e-mail on kzuchowicz@m-sport.co.uk
M-Sport will also be at Autosport International in January where the Ford Fiesta R2 will be on display and we look forward to the opening round at the Galway Rally to enjoy more closely-fought competition.
Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport Managing Director, said:
"It is great to be back in the Irish Tarmac series with a one-make series. The Ford Fiesta R2 is the ideal way for drivers to pitch themselves head-to-head in an equal car that is quick and reliable without being difficult to build or maintain.
"With series planned in France, Belgium and other locations to be confirmed, we are confident that this will be a popular option as we move forward.
"In conjunction with our support for the Junior series in Ireland - and the offer of an R5 drive in a round of the British Rally Championship if the winner of the ITRC series is in a Fiesta R5 ? we look forward to seeing the series grow even further."
David Gray, Chairman of the Championship Organisers, commented;
"I am delighted that M-Sport have chosen to come to the ITRC with this brave new concept. This announcement will undoubtedly set the standard for competitors seeking to register for the championship at entry level''
2017 Tarmac Rally Championship Dates Poster
Posted: November 28, 2016 6:04 AM
Championship Rounds
Posted: November 28, 2016 6:02 AM
Galway International Rally - 4-5 Feb 17
West Cork Rally - 18-19 Mar 17
Killarney International Rally of Lakes - 29-30 Apr 17
Saturday 12th November saw a large crowd of competitors, sponsors, media, TROA representatives and fans gather at Mondello Park for the 2017 ITRC launch. Special guest for the day was Andrew Wheatley, Business Development Manager for M-Sport who had some exciting announcements, more later on this one.
Several of the competitors brought along their cars to entertain the crowd and bring sponsors, family and fans for the thrill of a lifetime spin around the circuit. First on track was Sam Moffett, R5 Fiesta? No, Sam decided to forsake everything he had ever learned around the stages in Ireland and further afield to let his hair down, he appeared in the monster Escort 6R4, while his cousin David brought along his RWD Starlet.
Stephen Wright and Joe McGonigle did stick to protocol and brought along their R5 cars, Joe as well as entertaining his sponsors was also getting a little more seat time in his new car. Another in attendance was James Hall in his beautiful sounding historic specification Audi Quattro. Jenna McCann kept the female flag flying, and turned up with her R2 Fiesta and certainly showcased the talented driver she is. Sarah Whelan made the long trip from Galway to shore up the female competitor attendance.
2016 Junior Champion Kevin Horgan fresh from his test day at M-Sport entertained some of the guests in the Chadwick R2 Skoda Fabia. Also there with their respective rally cars were Cork 20 sponsor and Ace Signs owner Neil Phelan, Sean Moynihan with his MK2 Escort and Mark Nangle with his Subaru. Eugene Meegan, Brian Brogan and John O'Sullivan also attended, all be it without their cars as they were being rebuilt for the 2017 season.
Half way through the morning proceedings on the track were temporarily suspended as there were some short speeches and announcements to be made. First up was ITRC Manager Paddy Flanagan, M.C. for the day and introduced TROA Chairman David Gray to speak. Having thanked all who attended David spoke about one important change to the main championship.
He announced the rebranding of the different sections to ITRC 1 (R5 Cars), ITRC 2 (R4, NR4 and S2000) and ITRC 3 (R1, R2 and R3). He stressed that all classes would remain as 2016 and points would be awarded in each class as would the awarding of overall points.
Paddy Flanagan then introduced M-Sports Andrew Wheatley. Andrew spoke of the importance of the ITRC to M-Sport and vice versa. He then announced:
1. The prize for the 2017 overall champion would be a fully funded drive on a round of the BRC as long as the championship was won in a R5 Fiesta.
2. The introduction of a one-make series based on a detuned version of the R2T Fiesta. Full details of prizes to be released Tuesday 15th November by M-Sport.
3. The prize for the 2017 Junior Champion would be a test at M-Sport in a full R2T Fiesta.
Paddy Flanagan then invited Ed Twomey from Clonakilty Blackpudding to speak. Ed thanked all who attended reiterated their commitment to the #ITRC in 2017. Once these formalities were over, it was back to the track to resume the entertainment and an enjoyable day was had by all.
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