The 2017 Modified Championship looks like being one of the most keenly contested in many years with a fantastic entry in this weekend?s Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally. With the top five overall in the championship all competing plus some familiar faces returning it promises to be a spectacular two days action. Gary Kiernan took top points in Galway and has two top ten finishes in his two previous appearances in Clonakilty and will be one of those to watch. By contrast second and third placed Damien Tourish and Kevin Eves have never competed on West Cork before so it will be interesting to see how they approach the event. Patrick McHugh & Eugene Meegan are fourth and fifth respectively having retired last year and will hoping for better luck this time around. Jason McSweeney will be on home ground on this round but it recent years in hasn?t been a lucky rally for him with a couple of opening stage retirements and will be looking for a change of fortune.
2016 champion Ross Marshall makes the trip from Scotland while others to watch out for include Brian Brogan who won the National rally in Clonakilty last year after a tremendous drive. Frank Kelly, Wesley Patterson and John Bonner are among the others making the long trip to Clonakilty with each of the three having had very good results here in the past. One thing is for sure, the opening stage at Ring will determine who was woken up early and will set the pace for the weekend.
The Historic Championship is into its third round with the top three all in action. Keith McIvor currently holds a narrow lead and will be making his first trip to West Cork while second placed Ernie Graham was here two years ago and performed very well. The man to watch though will be Owen Murphy on his home rally having decided to try his luck with the Historic Sunbeam as opposed to his S2000 Skoda. Owen has a lot of experience on the rally having first competed in 2004 and finishing second overall in 2013. If the car proves to be reliable he will be very hard to stop. Barry Jones and Shawn Rayner are making their first appearance in West Cork as well while other championship regulars taking part include Philip McKibbin, Duncan Williams and James Hall. The Historic Rally begins on Stage 5 with the classic Ardfield test on Saturday afternoon.
TARMAC CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR WEST CORK
Posted: March 16, 2017 10:17 AM
The #ITRC rolls into Clonakilty on St Patricks weekend for the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally and what a weekend it promises to be. With entries for the main field passing the 130 mark, 20 Juniors and 18 Historics, this promises to be one massive weekends rallying.
Alistair Fisher goes into West Cork leading the Championship after his victory In Galway, however he will need to be at his best to take the spoils on St Patricks weekend. Following the Saturday stages in Galway Sam Moffett was biting at his heels and after his dominant display in Birr he will go to West Cork full of confidence. Younger Moffett Josh will want to prove his pace after a difficult Galway rally and he will certainly be one all the rest must keep an eye on. Rob Barrable and Stephen Wright had a rally long battle in Galway finishing third and fourth respectively and from Stephen, expect him to be fighting for the top places.
Barrable must be pleased with his performance in Galway after almost two years away from rallying. With the new Hyundai R5 under him in West Cork for the first time, it could be too much to expect a win however if he gets a clean run he will be there or thereabouts.
Joe McGonigle might feel a little disappointed with his overall pace in Galway but some of his individual stage times were very competitive and this was his first International in the R5 Fabia. After a dominant win in Mayo at the weekend Joe in his Maxol backed Fabia will head to West Cork full of confidence.
Aaron McHale debuted his new DS3 R5 in Galway and right away his times were much closer to the leaders compared to 2016. Unfortunately for Aaron he didn't finish due to an off-road excursion but his pace before the off must have encouraged him and will certainly give him confidence going to West Cork.
With no less than fourteen Class 5 cars encompassing six different manufacturers going to the start ramp in West Cork, it promises to be a prolific scramble for overall #ITRC points.
VIDEO: RTE: Robert Barrable pre West Cork Test and World Rally Championship ambitions
Posted: March 16, 2017 4:28 AM
Entries Update 13/3/17
Posted: March 14, 2017 5:46 AM
Withdrawals
38 Fergus O'Meara
83 Mal Stuart
H12 Ian Davies
In
144 Damien McCarthy
145 Jason Roche
146 Adrian Cannon
147 Fergal Kelly
Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally 2017 Press Release 4
Posted: March 14, 2017 5:42 AM
The Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally 2017 is just days away and the excitement is building with a competitive weekends action in store. Although top seeds Donagh Kelly & Conor Foley will be strong favourites to win again this year, they can?t afford any slip ups with the calibre of the drivers lining up behind them. Alastair Fisher & Gordon Noble lead the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship in their Fiesta R5 and are seeded at number 2, followed by the Moffett siblings Sam and Josh at three and four in similar cars. Robert Barrable and Damien Connolly at five will be ones to watch as they debut the new Hyundai i20 R5 and it will be interesting to see how this car performs as it makes its Irish debut.
Stephen Wright & Arthur Kierans are at six in a Fiesta R5 while local driver Kevin Kelleher has Welshman Gwynfor Jones on the notes at seven in a Subaru Impreza WRC. The top ten is rounded off by the Skoda Fabia R5s of Joe McGonigle fresh from his win in Mayo, and Brendan Cumiskey while Aaron MacHale will be competing in his Citroen DS3 R5.
The National Rally entry is also extremely impressive with drivers such as Adrian Hetherington, Brian Brogan, Wesley Patterson, Damien Tourish and Gary Kiernan just a few of the names that are competing in Clonakilty next weekend. The Historic Rally has a strong entry of seventeen cars and they will start on the fifth stage of the event at Ardfield. The Junior Rally is currently oversubscribed with 22 entrants and they will get all of Sundays six stages.
The first car leaves the start ramp on Saturday 18th March at 11am with the opening stage taking place at 11:45am. There will be nine stages on the first day with the final stage of the day Sams Cross to be tackled in darkness. Sunday will have six more stages before the first car arrives back at the finish ramp just after 3:30pm.
You can keep up to date with more information by checking into www.westcorkrally.com and also the Facebook Page West Cork Rally and the Twitter page @westcorkrally. We are delighted to have C103 Radio Station as our Official Media Partners for the rally and for regular updates tune into C103 over the weekend.
Barrable "can't wait" to give Hyundai Motorsport's i20 R5 its Irish debut on his all-time favourite rally.
Posted: March 10, 2017 9:10 AM
Robert Barrable says that he "can't wait" to give the New Generation i20 R5 its Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship debut, when he makes his maiden appearance in the car at his all-time favourite event, the Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally (18-19 March).
Barrable will be supported by Co. Kildare-based Patch Tyre Equipment (Ireland's leading supplier of tyre and garage equipment), Michelin tyres and Swords-based Hyundai Ireland dealer Michael Barrable Motors.
The 29-year old will test the Hyundai i20 R5 when it arrives in Ireland before making the journey south from his home near Dublin for the recce and final preparations. The Cork Motor Club organised rally is close to Barrable's heart, as victory in West Cork on his first attempt in 2011 (in a ?KODA Fabia S2000) equalled his father's win there in 2007 (Ford Fiesta WRC). Michael will, as always, be by his son's side to lead the family support this year ? as will Robert's mother Linda, wife Olivia and the newest member of the Barrable family, Robert's son Bobby; who, despite only being a few months old, will be attending his second Irish Tarmac Championship event!
Despite a rallying sabbatical lasting almost two years, during which time he raced a Ginetta G55 GT4 in the British GT Championship and a Golf GTI in the Volkswagen Racing Cup, Robert and co-driver Damien Connolly finished fifth overall and third in the Irish Tarmac Championship standings on their return at the recent Galway International Rally. The i20 R5 might be completely new to him and pre-event testing will be limited, but Robert is aiming to show the potential of the new car with another solid run and a championship podium finish.
Robert said: "West Cork is my all-time favourite rally. I love the stages, I love the atmosphere and the first time I did the event in 2011 I won. That was a great battle, as we finished just 1.3 seconds ahead of Darragh O'Riordan/Tony McDaid in their Subaru Impreza WRC S12. That was a very special victory, especially because I was very proud to follow in my father's footsteps and win the West Cork. There aren't many rallies in the world where a father and son have both won, and it's very special to have achieved that in Ireland.
"I did the West Cork again in 2014 in a Fiesta R5, but we retired on the opening stage with a misfire. Whilst that was disappointing at the time, the good thing now is that I've done the recce twice and have a good feel for the stages. They suit my driving style, so I'm looking forward to going back ? for me there is no better way to enjoy St Patrick's weekend than competing on the West Cork Rally!
"Next week's event is going to be extra special, as we'll be giving the Hyundai i20 R5 its Irish Tarmac Championship debut. I can't wait to get behind the steering wheel and drive those classic stages such as Ring, Glandore and Ardfield in the car. I might still be a little rusty when it comes to rallying, with just one rally in two years under my belt, but I'm confident we can put on a good show for the spectators and make it a debut to remember."
This year's West Cork Rally is a high-speed two-day affair, and to celebrate 40 years since the event first ran in 1977 there will be a new twist to the end of the first day. After four stages have been tackled twice on the Saturday, a ninth stage will run in darkness, giving drivers an additional challenge. The second day on Sunday will have six more stages, three run twice, making 15 stages in total. Over 120 cars have entered this year's rally.
Seeded Entry List
Posted: March 9, 2017 7:45 AM
2017 Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally Main Field Seeded List
1 Donagh Kelly/Conor Foley (Ford Focus WRC) [7]
2 Alastair Fisher/Gordon Noble (Ford Fiesta R5) [5]
3 Sam Moffett/Karl Atkinson (Ford Fiesta R5) [5]
4 Josh Moffett/James Fulton (Ford Fiesta R5) [5]
5 Robert Barrable/Damien Connolly (Hyundai i20 R5) [5]
6 Stephen Wright/Arthur Kierans (Ford Fiesta R5) [5]
7 Kevin Kelleher/Gywnfor Jones (Subaru Impreza WRC S14 ) [7]
8 Joseph McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney (Skoda Fabia R5) [5]
9 Aaron McHale/Darragh Kelly (Citroen DS3 R5) [5]
10 Brendan Cumiskey/Ronan O'Kane (Skoda Fabia R5) [5]
11 Brian Brogan/Damien McGettigan (Ford Escort MkII) [14]
12 Gary Kiernan/Ryan Moore (Ford Escort MkII) [14]
14 Adrian Hetherington/Ronan O'Neill (Ford Escort MkII) [14]
15 Damien Tourish/Domhnall McAlaney (Ford Escort MkII) [13]
16 Wesley Patterson/Johnny Baird (Ford Escort MkII) [14]
17 Andrew Mahon/Eamon Hayes (Ford Escort MkII) [14]
18 Eugene Meegan/Sarah Whelan (BMW M1) [14]
19 David Guest/Paddy Robinson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [4]
20 Kevin Eves/William Lynch (Toyota Corolla) [14]
21 Frank Kelly/Mick Coady (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
22 Pat Donegan/Alan Kenna (Ford Escort MkII) [14]
23 Tomas Davies/Evrig Davies (Ford Fiesta R5) [5]
24 Pauric Duffy/Kevin Glynn (Ford Fiesta R5) [5]
25 Patrick McHugh/Pauric O'Donnell (Ford Escort MkII) [14]
26 Vivian Hamill/Ann Other (Ford Escort MkII) [14]
27 Vincent McSweeney/Michael Kearney (Honda Civic) [13]
28 Robert Duggan/Ger Conway (Ford Fiesta R2T) [2]
29 John Bonner/Leon Jordan (Ford Escort Mk 2) [13]
30 Jason McSweeney/Shane Buckley (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [20]
31 John Cope/Clive Molyneux (Subaru Impreza WRC) [15]
32 Brian O'Keeffe/Sean Hayde (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [4]
33 Jer O'Donovan/Derek Tobin (Subaru Impreza R4) [5]
34 William Mavitty/Brian Daniels (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) [4]
35 Donal O'Brien/Liam Brennan (Ford Escort Mk 2) [14]
36 Mike Quinn/Donal Balfe (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
37 Martin Doherty/Paul Sheridan (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
38 Fergus O'Meara/Brian Doherty (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
39 Maurice Moffett/Martin Connolly (Toyota Starlet) [14]
40 Cal Mc Carthy/Eamonn Dullea (Citroen C2 R2) [2]
41 Kyle McGettigan/Dale McGettigan (Ford Escort) [13]
42 Ross Marshall/Denver Rafferty (Ford Escort) [13]
43 Jason O'Mahony/Breda O'Driscoll (Ford Escort) [13]
44 Fintan Canty/Denis O'Mahony (Ford Escort Mk 2) [13]
45 Colin Byrne/Brian Quinlan (Ford Escort Mk 2) [14]
46 Leonard Downey/Mark Murphy (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
47 Kevin Gallagher/Brendan McElhinney (Darrian T90 GTR) [14]
48 Sean Liston/Kathrina Walsh Liston (BMW E30) [13]
49 Kevin O'Donoghue/David Randles (BMW M3) [14]
50 Jason Ryan/Sac O'Spuds (Honda Civic) [11F]
51 Mark Dolphin/Colin Fitzgerald (Ford Escort) [14]
52 Stephen Carey/Ella Ryan (Ford Fiesta R2) [2]
53 Andrew Hockridge/Aled Edwards (Citroen DS3 R3) [22]
54 Ken O'Neill/Ronald Riordan (Ford Puma S1600) [11F]
55 Mark Nangle/Pat Cashman (Subaru Impreza) [20]
56 Eoghan Calnan/Conor Calnan (Ford Escort Mk 2) [13]
57 Tom Flaherty/Martin Flynn (Ford Escort) [14]
58 Andrew Fanning/Derek Gibbs (Ford Fiesta Evo) [20]
59 John Hendy/Maul Aprati (Honda Civic) [11F]
60 Ray O'Sullivan/Gavin Sheehan (Ford Escort) [13]
61 Tadgh O'Sullivan/Eoin O'Leary (Ford Escort) [13]
62 James Bradley/Garry Bradley (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
63 Wayne Evans/John Smithwick (Ford Escort) [13]
64 John Hickey/Ian Creedon (Fabaru) [20]
65 Andrew Burke/Colin Keegan (Citroen DS3) [3]
66 Adrian Evans/Martin Henry (Ford Escort Mk 2) [12]
67 Rob Jones/Gary Kinghorn (Ford Escort) [14]
68 Joe Connolly/Richard Connolly (Ford Fiesta R5) [5]
69 John Mulholland/Jeff Case (Skoda S2000) [5]
70 Richard Moore/Liam McIntyre (Ford Escort) [14]
71 Paul Fitzgerald/Pierce Doheny Jnr (Ford Escort Mk 2) [11R]
72 Eoin Duffin/Mike Cleary (Ford Escort) [14]
73 Kevin Dolphin/Martin O'Brien (Renault Clio S1600) [3]
74 Sean O'Donovan/Sinead O'Donovan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) [20]
75 Aled Davies/Jason Davies (Ford Escort) [13]
76 Barry McKenna/Emmett Sherry (Ford Escort) [14]
77 John Devlin/John McCarthy (Talbot Sunbeam) [13]
78 Colin Moynihan/Sean Collins (Honda Civic) [11F]
79 Adrian Levis/Alison Levis (Honda Civic) [11F]
80 Ed Twomey/Sean Hassett (Abarth Punto S2000) [5]
81 Cathal McCarthy/Dylan Coffey (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [20]
82 Kevin Horgan/Matt Damon (Subaru Impreza N12) [4]
83 Mal Stuart/Ashley Trimble (BMW E30 Compact) [14]
84 Paul Browne/Daniel Hanratty (Honda Civic) [11F]
85 Sean Moynihan/Sean Nolan (Ford Escort) [12]
86 James McCarville/Ann Other (Ford Escort Mk2) [11R]
87 Mark Kenneally/Martin Godfrey (Ford Escort) [11R]
88 Paul Casey/Vincent Goggin (Ford Escort) [12]
89 Steve Roberts/Jack Carroll (Ford Escort) [12]
90 Jonathan O'Mahony/Conor McCarthy (Ford Escort) [12]
91 John Reddington/Paddy McRudden (Ford Escort Mk 2) [14]
92 Michael Canny/Sinead Canny (Ford Fiesta) [13]
93 William Kenneally/Finbarr Fogarty (Ford Escort Mk 2) [13]
94 Denis O'Brien/Ryan O'Brien (Opel Corsa) [10]
95 Victor Beamish/Susan Beamish (Vauxhall Nova) [10]
96 Michael P Kelleher/Iarla McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk 2) [10]
97 Andy Nash/Niamh Holland (Honda Civic) [11f]
98 Martin O'Flynn/Nell Flynn (Ford Escort) [13]
99 James Wilson/Gavin Doherty (Peugeot 208 R2) [2]
100 Carl Gower/Anthony O'Sullivan (Ford Escort Mk 2) [13]
101 Joe Nacey/Shay Byrne (Toyota Twin Cam) [11R]
102 Sean O'Carroll/Niall O'Sullivan (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
103 Patrick Calnan/Trevor McCarthy (Peugeot 106) [22]
104 Roland Doherty/PJ O'Dowd (Opel Corsa) [9]
105 Tommy McDonagh/Paul Hickey (Ford Escort) [12]
106 Jerry O'Mahony/Willie Buchanan (Ford Escort) [10]
107 Shane Stanley/Adam Power (Honda Civic) [11F]
108 Michael O'Sullivan/Mairead Duane (Ford Escort) [12]
109 Dan Kelleher/Gavin Downey (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
110 Sean Hickey/Noel Fleming (Toyota Starlet) [12]
111 Anthony Maybury/Maul Aprati (Ford Escort) [14]
112 Brian O'Mahony/Michelle Gallwey (Honda Civic) [22]
113 Gavin Rogers/Georgina Clark (Ford Escort) [13]
114 Art McCarrick/John McCay (Honda Civic) [22]
115 Andrew Leacy/Joe O'Brien (Toyota Corolla) [11R]
116 Michael Walsh/Michael Lonergan (Ford Escort G3) [12]
117 Nick Barnett/Martin Brady (Honda Civic) [22]
118 Eitienne O'Sullivan/Derek O'Brien (Honda Civic) [11F]
119 Anthony Sheehan/Eamonn Creedon (Honda Civic) [11F]
120 Francis Kelly/Bernard McSweeney (Honda Civic) [13]
121 Tiernach Maguire/Nicky Hegarty (Ford Escort Mk 2) [10]
122 Colm Forde/David O'Donoghue (Honda Civic) [13]
123 Kenneth Fuller/Jamie Walsh (Honda Civic) [11F]
124 Hazel O'Callaghan/Paddy Nash (Ford Escort) [13]
125 Noel McCarthy/John Caverley (Ford Escort Mk2) [9]
126 Peter Keohane/Mark McCarthy (Peugeot 106GTI) [11F]
127 Mark Donovan/David Duggan (Ford Escort Mk 2) [11R]
128 John Murphy/Eoghan McCarthy (Subaru Impreza GC8) [20]
129 Donal Dineen/Sac O'Spuds (Citroen C2) [11]
130 Jill White/Anthony Breen (Honda Civic) [11F]
131 Denis Buckley/Declan Casey (Ford Escort Mk 2) [10]
132 Pat Sheehan/Liam Dennehy (Renault Clio ) [22]
133 Michael Dineen/Darren Cremin (Toyota Corolla Twin Cam) [11R]
134 Pat McDonagh/Mark Hurley (Ford Cortina) [10]
135 John Hackett/Michael Hackett (Marcos Mini) [9]
136 Frank Hurley/Kevin Hurley (Ford Escort) [13]
137 JJ Harrington/Christine O'Leary (Honda Civic) [11F]
138 Robert Beamish/Orla Beamish (Opel Corsa) [9]
139 Daniel O'Donovan/Paul Harrington (Peugeot 205) [10]
140 Jamie McCarthy/Donagh Hurley (Peugeot 106) [11F]
141 Eoin Crowley/Adrian Phelan (Ford Escort) [10]
142 Cormac Smiddy/Christopher Robinson (Honda EG Civic) [11F]
143 Mossy Gannon/Cathal Gannon (Ford Escort) [11R]
2017 Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally Historic Seeded List
H1 Alan Hughes/David Davies (Ford Escort Mk2) [D5]
H2 Ernie Graham/Will Graham (Ford Escort RS) [K]
H3 John Coyne/Christy Farrell (Talbot Sunbeam) [K]
H4 Todd Falvey/Peter Falvey (Porsche 911) [C4]
H5 Owen Murphy/Anthony Nestor (Hillman Avenger) [C3]
H6 Shawn Rayner/Declan Dear (Ford Escort MK 2) [D3]
H7 Paul McDevitt/John Young (Toyota Corolla) [E2]
H8 Declan Jackson/Barry McCarney (Ford Escort Mk2) [D3]
H9 Barry Jones/Iwan Griffith (Ford Escort Mk 2) [D5]
H10 Keith McIvor/David Burns (Porsche 911) [K]
H11 Duncan Williams/Guy Weaver (Ford Escort MK 2) [D3]
H12 Ian Davies/Sion Jones (BMW M3) [E4]
H14 Philip McKibbin/Maul Aprati (Ford Escort MK 1) [C3]
H15 Tim Lenihan/Kieran Crowley (Ford Escort MK1) [C2]
H16 George Swanton/Labhaoise Hyland (Ford Escort MK 1) [C2]
H17 Maurice Whelton/Ivan Bennett (Austin Mini) [D2]
H18 James Hall/Ann Other (Audi Coupe) [K]
H19 Harry Brown/Martin McGrath (Hillman Avenger) [C2]
2017 Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally Junior Seeded List
J1 Eric Calnan/Aileen Kelly (Peugeot 106) [J2]
J2 Aaron O'Regan/Derek Butler (Honda Civic) [J2]
J3 John McCabe/Stephen Doogan (Honda Civic) [J2]
J4 Mark O'Leary/Colm Lenihan (Toyota Starlet) [J1]
J5 Brian Moore/Lorcan Moore (Honda Civic) [J2]
J6 Justin Ryan/Sac o Spuds (Honda Civic) [J2]
J7 Noel Murphy/John Burke (Honda Civic) [J2]
J8 Eamonn McCarthy/Declan Buttimer (Honda Civic) [J2]
J9 Patrick Murphy/Derek Flynn (Honda Civic) [J2]
J10 Denis Nagle/Donagh Crowley (Nissan Micra) [J1]
J11 Jenna McCann/Sean O'Crowley (Ford Fiesta R2) [J2]
J12 Sean Brogan/Daniel Callaghan (Honda Civic) [J2]
J14 Killian O'Sullivan/Conal O'Sullivan (Honda Civic) [J2]
J15 Aaron McEvoy/John Joe Williams (Honda Civic) [J1]
J16 Padraig Cronin/Timmy Kelly (Honda Civic) [J2]
J17 Killian O'Brien/Kegan O'Farrell (Honda Civic) [J2]
J18 Patrick Walsh/Michael O'Halloran (Toyota Corolla) [J2]
J19 Diarmuid Hallahan/Ann Other (Honda Civic) [J2]
J20 Aaron Healy/John Fleming (Honda Civic) [J2]
J21 Kieran Reen/Andrew Cronin (Honda Civic) [J2]
2017 Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally Programme Outlets
Posted: March 9, 2017 6:09 AM
Whites Texaco Station - Clonakilty
Maxol Service station - Bypass, Clonakilty
Cahalanes Garage - Bandon
Kevin O'Leary's Garages - Bandon
Clonakilty Service Station - Western Road, Clonakilty
Glenview Motors - Macroom
Hartes Spar - Clonakilty
Donovans - Ballinascarthy
Londis - Bypass, Bandon
Bandon Motors now O'Reillys - Bandon
Spar Filling station - Skibbereen
Foley's Texaco Service Station - Timoleague
Amber Station William O'Brien's - Bandon Rd Roundabout Cork
Coleman Carcare - Wilton, Cork
Scallys Supervalue - Clonakilty
Paddy Meade's Newsagent - Clonakilty
Dave McCarthy Newsagent - Clonakilty
Cronins EMO - Ballylickey
Peter Walsh Londis - Bantry Rd Dunmanway
Walsh's Londis - Clonakilty
Quality Hotel - Clonakilty
Jerry Murphy R + R Tyres - Ballincollig
Clonakilty Car Centre - By Pass Clonakilty
Roar of support from Lyons of Limerick to help Duggan take on the world
Posted: March 8, 2017 10:44 AM
Renowned Ford, Volvo, Jaguar & Land Rover dealers Lyons Of Limerick have come on board to help support Rob Duggan in his quest for Junior World Rally Championship glory. Duggan, a former Motorsport Ireland Young Rally Driver of the Year and reigning British Junior Rally Champion, will start his season in less than a fortnight's time as he tackles the West Cork Rally.
Rob will use Lyons' own R2 Turbo Ford Fiesta on the famous Irish event as an extended shakedown for Rally Corsica, the opening round of the Junior World Rally Championship. As well as refining car set up, Duggan hopes to use the latest DMACK tyres, getting valuable miles in an identical car to the one he'll use on his World Rally Championship journey. With the Junior World Rally Championship moving back to R2 machinery, Duggan is confident he can deliver on his astonishing progress to date.
Rob said; "I am very grateful to Lyons of Limerick for this opportunity of a two day test to build up competitive miles in an R2T Ford Fiesta. It'll be a very beneficial exercise and having driven both turbo cars and R2 cars in the past, I'm looking forward to building on my experience in an exciting car. My previous showings in the World Rally Championship have given me the confidence and belief that I can compete at this level and with another year as part of the Team Ireland Foundation I am looking forward to the season ahead, it's a very exciting time for myself and the team."
Ken Lyons, Managing Director and his son Keith, Sales Director, are also excited for Duggan. "We are delighted to help support Rob. He is such a promising talent and is clearly going in the right direction. We are pleased to be in a position to help Rob to try and give him the best chance in his World Rally Championship quest."
Open to drivers born after 1 January 1988, the 2017 Junior World Rally Championship will follow an arrive-and-drive format and competitors will drive identical one-litre Ford Fiesta R2Ts.
The Junior WRC will be contested over six WRC rounds, ? starting in Corsica, then Italy, Poland, Finland and Germany before finishing in Spain. Points will be awarded to the top-ten finishers according to the usual WRC points system and an additional point will be awarded for each fastest stage time.
PRESS RELEASE 5
Posted: March 4, 2017 4:13 AM
There are just two weeks to go to the Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally, and the number of entries across all categories has passed the 150 mark. Cork Motor Club will be extending the closing date for entries, but anybody who wants to be on the published seeded list are advised to get their entry in by next Wednesday 8th March. The entry list will be published by lunchtime on Thursday 9th March.
Donagh Kelly will be the man to catch as he bids to become the first driver to win the rally four times and having won on all three of his previous attempts will be the pre event favourite. In terms of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship of which West Cork is the second round, Ford, Skoda, Hyundai and Citroen should all be represented in their R5 form which will make interesting viewing for spectators.
The National entry is also very strong with drivers such as Wesley Patterson, Brian Brogan, Eugene Meegan, Gary Kiernan, Frank Kelly and Damien Tourish to name but a few, all in with a chance of a very good result. The junior entry is close to being oversubscribed while the Historic to date has a healthy entry of 17 cars. As always there is a lot of interest from overseas with 27 entries coming from drivers in the U.K. and U.S.
You can keep up to date with more information by checking into www.westcorkrally.com and also the Facebook Page West Cork Rally and the Twitter page @westcorkrally.
Barrable to give Hyundai Motorsport's i20 R5 its Irish Tarmac Championship debut on the West Cork Rally
Posted: February 22, 2017 6:27 AM
Robert Barrable will give the Hyundai i20 R5 its Irish Tarmac Championship debut on next month's West Cork Rally (18-19 March).
The 29-year old is no stranger to the Hyundai brand, as the Michael Barrable Motors family business, located in Airside Motor Park in Swords, has been one of the top three best performing Hyundai Ireland dealerships since it opened almost two years ago.
Robert was invited by Hyundai Motorsport to a customer test day in France last year, where he was very impressed with the power and handling of the New Generation i20 R5. The Dublin driver returned to rallying on the recent Galway International Rally, where he and co-driver Damien Connolly finished fifth overall and third in the Irish Tarmac Championship standings.
The pair will be aiming for a similar result when they take Hyundai Motorsport's first customer offering to the second round of the series. The i20 R5 made its competitive debut at the 2016 Tour de Corse, following rigorous testing on a wide range of surfaces. Running on Michelin tyres, Robert will be hoping to take advantage of the same pace the car showed in taking WRC2 stage wins on both Wales Rally GB's gravel stages and the tarmac of the Monte Carlo Rally.
The Barrable family have a great connection with the West Cork Rally. Robert won it at his first attempt in 2011 (driving a SKODA Fabia S2000), repeating his father Michael's victory there in 2007 (Ford Fiesta WRC) ? making them the only father and son pairing to have won the famous Clonakilty-based event.
Robert said: "I'm really looking forward to giving the Hyundai i20 R5 its Irish Tarmac Championship debut in West Cork. As a Hyundai dealer, I've been following the development of the New Generation i20 R5 very closely indeed and it has always been my intention to bring the car to Ireland ? and I'm absolutely delighted that it's going to happen on one of my all-time favourite events.
"I've driven the i20 R5 once and was very impressed with it. I'm hoping to have a small private pre-event test after the car arrives in Ireland, just to become a little bit more familiar with it and set it up for the Irish lanes. I'll be giving it a good go in West Cork, but as it will only be my second rally in almost two years, I'll be out to enjoy myself first and foremost. That said, the competitive side of me will be aiming for another championship podium finish."
Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally 2017 Press Release 2
Posted: February 19, 2017 1:38 PM
With entries open less than a week a week to date Cork Motor Club are delighted to have over 50 entries received to date for the Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally which takes place on the 18th & 19th March. Some of the early entries received to date include three time winner Donagh Kelly in his Focus WRC who will be bidding to be the first driver to win the event four times. Alastair Fisher & Gordon Noble who are currently leading the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship in their Fiesta R5 have also entered and will be hoping for better luck than in 2016.
Following the trends of previous years several overseas crews have entered early with John Cope, Wayne Evans, Adrian Evans, Ross Marshall and Colin Rowe among the main field and John Coyne, Shawn Rayner and Duncan Williams representing the Historic section. As the rally being the second round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship there is sure to be a lot of interest across all of the categories while the event is also the opening round of the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship and will attract a strong representation from clubmen.
Cork Motor club are also pleased to announce that Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce will be giving every Main Field and Historic crew a Eur75 voucher that can be used in participating outlets in the town of Clonakilty. Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the West Cork Rally Fundraising Committee are also offering a further Eur100 voucher to the first 20 overseas crews to enter the rally.
Potential crews wishing to put in an entry are reminded that Cork Motor Club also have the facility to accept payment by credit cards. Further news will be available in the coming week on www.westcorkrally.com and www.corkmotorclub.com
Quality Hotels West Cork Rally Launch - (Fri) 17 Feb 17
Posted: February 9, 2017 3:25 AM
Quality Hotels West Cork Rally Launch
& Press Reception
FRI 17TH FEBRUARY 2017, AT 8PM
IN THE CARBERY SUITE, QUALITY HOTEL, CLONAKILTY
Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce we would like to invite you to the Launch and Press Reception of the West Cork Rally on Friday, 17th February 2017 at 8 p.m. in the Quality Hotel, Clonakilty.
2017 marks the 40th year of the West Cork Rally which has been run by Cork Motor Club in Clonakilty since its inception.
The Rally will take place on the 18th and 19th March 2017 and it is expected to bring in excess of 5000 persons to Clonakilty. As you can imagine this is a major event for the town. The Rally has been growing over recent years and this year it will run under an International permit.
The Rally has always been associated with St. Patrick?s weekend, and the Bank Holiday falls kindly on the weekend this year.
After a successful and popular 2016 event, the rally is once again the second round of the Clonakilty Black Pudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship for the coming season. The West Cork Rally has again been included as a round of the inaugural FIA Celtic Rally Trophy, which is an International Championship. We are proud to be retained as a counting round of this Championship again this year.
We are looking forward to see you on Friday the 17th.
Night Stage for Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally 2017
Posted: January 17, 2017 9:20 AM
The 39th running of the Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally will take place on 18th & 19th March 2017 with Greg McCarthy as Clerk of the Course for a third year. The club are delighted to have the Quality Hotel back once again as title sponsors and is once again also the Rally Headquarters. Once again we will have support from the West Cork rally fundraising committee and additional support from Jim Davis & Co, Cork County Council, and Failte Ireland.
The Rally is a round of the following championships;
- Round 2 of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
- Round 1 of the FIA Celtic Trophy
- Round 1 of the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship
- Round 2 of the Cork Motor Club Championship
It will be 40 years since the rally first ran in 1977, and to celebrate this Greg has decided to introduce a new feature for this year's event, the final stage of the first day will run in darkness. The format will see four stages tackled twice on the first day as usual, but a ninth stage will run in the dark to round off the first day providing drivers with an exciting challenge over some classic roads.
The second day will have six more stages, three stages to be run twice with a service after the first three stages. The Entry fee is being held at Eur 725, but unfortunately due to the unavoidable increase in insurance a levy of Eur 375 has to be added to the fee for a two day event.
Regulations will be available to download shortly from both www.westcorkrally.com and www.corkmotorclub.com.
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