2020 Irish Forest Rally Championship - CANCELLED

MOTORSPORT IRELAND RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS CANCELLED

Posted: May 19, 2020 4:20 PM

Due to the current situation regarding COVID-19, both the National Stages Rally Championship and the National Forestry Rally Championship are cancelled for 2020.

This decision has been taken as a result of several rounds of both championships being cancelled due to the restrictions which we now live under. Even though some events may run later this year, no event will hold National Championship status for 2020.

Motorsport Ireland would like to acknowledge the large amount of work put into both championships by the respective championship sub-commissions and the Rally Commission as a whole. Many of the rounds were fully organised and we thank the clubs for the huge effort that they have put into their events, hopefully some of them may run this year. We would also like to thank the championship sponsors for their continued support over many years, Triton for the National Stages Rally Championship and Valvoline for the National Forestry Rally Championship, along with many other associate sponsors.

Big Incentives For 2020 Valvoline Forestry Season

Posted: February 1, 2020 5:17 AM

As the countdown grows ever closer to the beginning of the 2020 Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, we are delighted to announce a number of exciting prizes and incentives for a variety of Competitors this season. With seven rounds in store this year, capturing the finest Gravel Rally Stages that Ireland has to offer, interest in the Series is at a fever pitch, and these announcements are sure to increase the building excitement.

The first piece of news is the introduction of the 2020 Irish Forestry Competitor Loyalty Scheme, supported by EARS Motorsport. The Mallow based Store is a one stop shop for all things required to compete on the stages, and they have put Four Vouchers, each to the value of a pair of Rally Tyres, into the Loyalty Scheme.

The raffle for these vouchers will be done over two draws, firstly at Round 4 of the Championship, the Sean Conlon Tipperary Forest Rally, and again at Round 7, the Omagh based Bushwacker Rally. The criteria for entry is designed to reward those competitors, both Championship Registered Drivers and Navigators, who have committed to a strong Championship effort with a listing on the Start List for Rounds 1 to 4 gaining entry into Draw 1, while being listed on the Start List of Rounds 5 to 7 gains entry to Draw 2.

While the Loyalty Scheme is open to every Competitor, the Irish Forest Rally Championship are delighted to announce a further number of packages aimed solely at the Junior competitors, the real rising stars of the Sport. 2020 will see massively increased interest in the Junior 1000 Series with a revised set of Regulation in place, and the movement of the Age Limits to 14-18 Years of Age. Guided by experienced Navigators who handle the Road Sections, the 2020 J1000 Competitors will tackle every stage of the Season.

M. O’Brien Group of Companies have come on board once more to provide Financial Backing to an incredible Prize Fund set out for these youngsters, with the 2020 J1000 Champions set to walk away with €1,500! Second and Third Placed drivers will also receive €1,000 and €500 respectively. Added to this, as an ongoing commitment to the development of these Drivers throughout the season, each individual Round will see competition for Reduced Entry Vouchers to the following Round of the 2020 Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, to the value of €200, €125 and €75 for the top three crews.

The final incentive we are delighted to announce is the 2020 Irish Forest Rally Championship Junior Award, an incredible Prize on offer to the winner of the Class 16 Junior section of the Series. Firstly, with the commitment of Motorsport Ireland and the Junior Rally Academy, the 2020 winner will receive a nomination for the Billy Coleman Award, as well as a place in the prestigious Academy programme which is designed to develop the skills needed to equip progress to the highest levels of the sport, both Nationally and Internationally.

On top of this, we are delighted to announce, with the support of PCRS and On The Pacenote, that the 2020 Junior Award Winner will receive a Test Session in an R5 Rally Car. The day will include spending time around the experienced PCRS crew, driver and Navigator tuition from Killian Duffy and then an opportunity to experience the power and speed of a cutting edge 4WD machine for possibly the very first time.

With incentives like these being announced today, as well as plenty more exciting updates coming in the next few days, we are certain that the 2020 Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship is shaping up to being an incredibly exciting battle all year, and ‘The Wood’ is sure to be the place to be for Rally Action this year!

Wilson focused on development with R5 programme

Posted: January 10, 2020 2:56 PM

James Wilson is determined to progress his R5 driving ability in 2020 with an Irish Forestry Championship campaign courtesy of backing from Motorsport Ireland, Michelin, and Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing.

The 2018 Billy Coleman Award winner made his R5 debut last year on Killarney’s Rally of the Lakes before making a further three appearances during the year. 50,000 EUR has been granted to him from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy to compete in the Forestry Championship as well as selected tarmac rallies.

“The main goal this year is to learn the Hyundai R5,” said Wilson. “I want to get to know the suspension, the different differential settings and more things like that.

“I want to learn as much as I can but mainly I want to enjoy it.”

The move to an R5 means Wilson will move away from the British Rally Championship after two seasons in the JBRC. His campaign got off to the perfect start in 2019, taking the Junior win on the opening round, the Cambrian Rally. Wilson continued in the championship before switching to R5 competition.

“Things went downhill after the Cambrian as far as my JBRC campaign was concerned. Engine troubles in West Cork meant I finished fourth and then the car suffered engine failure on the Pirelli International Rally.

“Then Killarney in the Hyundai R5 was an amazing experience. The build-up, the excitement. Basically the first ever fully funded drive from Motorsport Ireland. We suffered from some mechanical issues at the beginning of the event but when we got it sorted we had some encouraging times towards the end.

“Cork Forestry Rally was just a dream come true. The weekend couldn’t have gone any better really, I clicked with the Hyundai in the initial gravel test. Finishing third overall and swapping seconds with the best of them which was fantastic.”

Killarney now has a place in Wilson’s heart. He is aiming to go back to the Rally of the Lakes this year and build on his previous experience there.

Wilson’s announcement was one of three made by Motorsport Ireland at its state-of-the-art stand at Autosport International. The governing body is breaking new ground as along with Wilson it is supporting R5 campaigns for Callum Devine and Josh McErlean.

“The value of Motorsport Ireland support speaks for itself. As more and more young drivers take notice of the new academy it’s clear to see it’s an obvious path to follow.

“For me, it has opened up more doors in terms of seeking sponsorship.

“Today at the Autosport Show, Hyundai Motorsport Team Director, Andrea Adamo, came along for our programme launch. He knows exactly what is going on here and that says a lot about the academy.”

On Line Registration

Posted: January 6, 2020 3:00 PM

On Line Entry System by RallyScore

Countdown Begins to 2020 Valvoline Forestry Season

Posted: December 27, 2019 5:27 PM

2020 is looking set to be an incredibly exciting year for Irish Rallying on the whole, but none more so than in The Woods as the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship looks forward to a bumper new season, a hugely competitor friendly format, a return of some of Irelands best Gravel events as well as a raft of changes to the J1000 category, the ultimate starter Championship for younger drivers.

The Forestry Family has gone from strength to strength over the past number of years, and now the Irish Forestry Championship boasts an unparalleled media and online presence within the sport. Social Media Channels provide live Interviews and Updates at service of every event and gain massive viewership figures, while for 2020 the Irish Forestry Championship will be broadcast worldwide to over 1.3 Million viewers through On The Limit Sports.

Behind the scenes, the Championship has seen a sizeable reshuffle. After years of incredible work and dedication, Ray Fitzpatrick and Ita Doonan have stepped away from the Championship. With the unenviable task of filling the massive boots are Paul Casey and Deirdre Burke. Both have expressed their excitement at the prospect of taking the reins, but also acknowledged the incredibly long-lasting impact that their predecessors have had in shaping the success of Irish Gravel Rallying!

The competitor friendly nature of the championship is clear to see, with a huge incentive for each and every entrant to enjoy the most cost-effective Championship in Ireland. Each event involves no Recce, instead all notes are refined from DVD, has a minimum competitive stage distance of 45 Miles and a set Single Day Entry Fee will be applied right throughout the season.

A massive draw for overseas visitors to the Valvoline Irish Forestry Rally Championship is the proximity of events to Irelands main ports of Dublin and Rosslare, with every Rally HQ accessible with relative ease from the UK and further afield.

The Irish Forestry Championship runs a Reverse Order Seeding policy for 2WD crews that run first on the road, offering the absolute peak conditions to the Clubman and Junior Competitors, while the following 4WD section run in normal seeding order. Of the Seven Championship Rounds, the best Five count towards the Championship Crown, with the two-day Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally offering a brace of scoring rounds in July.

A huge piece of news for 2020 is the introduction of new regulations in the J1000 Championship which sees the Irish Forest Rally Championship align its Regs with that of the MSA in the UK. As well as that, 2020 will see a movement of age limits, with the Championship becoming available to drivers between 14-18 years of age. The J1000 formula has been an incredible launch pad for some of the brightest talent that Rallying has to offer. Jon Armstrong, from Northern Ireland, began in J1000 in a Nissan Micra, and within six years was competing in the World Rally Championship at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta R5, as well as becoming the 2018 WRC E-Sports World Champion.

For many of the drivers, the J1000 series marks the beginning of their Stage Rally careers. As such, a huge helping hand is extended by the Forestry Family, with plenty of help and guidance along the way. Key to this, and the biggest mentor of all, is the Navigator. While usually a busy role at the best of times inside a car, the Co-Driver in a J1000 car is vital. For the youngest drivers who do not hold a Driving License, the Navigator handles the non-competitive sections of the event that will see the cars on the Public road, such as between stages & on the way to Service Halts. As well as logistical support, Navi’s provide a helping hand in understanding stage timing, technical support and guidance on the various rules of the sport. Each navigator, as a means of offering maximum help, must be reasonably experienced and have completed several events beforehand.

The 2020 Valvoline Irish Forestry Rally Championship Calendar

Round 1: Willie Loughman Memorial Forest Rally - February 16th - Carrick-On-Suir
The traditional Season Opener for quite a while now, the Willie Loughman has a history of technical stages, tight battles and a certain element of playing with the weather gods soo early in the year. Fog, Ice and Sunshine could describe the last three Willie Loughman duels, but that most certainly didn’t slow the pace on the stages. Ten seconds separated the leading pair come the end in 2019, and it could be even tighter in 2020!
This year the event, run by Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club, runs out of a new base within the town, with stages straddling the nearby borders of Kilkenny and Waterford.

Round 2: Limerick Forest Rally - March 1st – Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick.
The 2019 Limerick Forest Rally was brought to a premature end due to what can only be described as a freak Blizzard that engulfed the stages and gave the organisers no option but to call a halt to proceedings with Keith Power being declared as winner. This was a real shame, as the stages laid on by Limerick Motor Club looked like some of the best prepared in the country, and the compact route was designed with the crews firmly in mind.
For 2020, the have moved the event base to Abbeyfeale and are promising an incredibly fast, compact and smooth route that should be a real favourite amongst crews.

Round 3: Moonraker Forest Rally - March 28th – Ballyvourney, Co. Cork.
Late March sees the action shift towards the Cork/Kerry Border with the Munster Car Club’s Moonraker Forest Rally, a mainstay of the Irish Forest Rally Championship for quite a long time now. Running earlier in 2020 than its traditional April date, the incredibly fast and flowing stages are a driver favourite, and a real challenge once mixed conditions are thrown into the mix. Cathan McCourt scored his very first victory at the 2019 Moonraker, a huge step on his route to the Championship crown.

Round 4: Sean Conlon Memorial Rally - May 17th – Clonmel, Co.Tipperary
Returning after a five-year absence from the Calendar, the Sean Conlon Memorial Tipperary Forest rally is a real diamond ready to be discovered by a completely new generation of competitors. Steeped in history, the event is ready to once again stand rightfully amongst the best Gravel rallies in Ireland. Based out of Clonmel, the mountainous terrain of South Tipperary will play host to an intriguing duel, with the majority of the leading contenders having never tackled the route before. Located close to the main M8 Motorway from Dublin and the N24 from Rosslare, this is an incredibly easy event to travel to for any overseas crew!

Rounds 5 & 6: Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally - July 25th/26th - Mallow, Co. Cork
Ireland only Two-Day Gravel Rally, the Jim Walsh Cork Forest rally is certainly set to be a real highlight of the 2020 calendar. Based once more out of Mallow, the tight and compact route belies the incredibly fast, flowing and perfectly surfaced stages that lie within easy reach of the Rally base. With both days counting as Scoring Rounds, this is the real deal for anyone with Championship aspirations.
2019 saw the Cork Motor Club stages lit up by the titanic duel between former winners Sam Moffett and Barry McKenna. Over stage ranging up to 18.5 KM long, only a handful of seconds split the pair at the end of two days, with Moffett claiming the spoils.

Round 7: Bushwhacker Rally – September 26th – Omagh, Co. Tyrone
An ever-present of the Northern Irish rally scene, the Omagh Car Clubs’ Bushwhacker Rally returns to the Valvoline Forest Championship in 2020 after a break of year. The spectacular stages laid on often include plenty of high speed, big-air and spectacular thrills. 2019 saw the arrival of Martynas Samsonas who made quite a memorable impression on the event, although in the end he was quite able to catch Desi Henry. Will Martynas be back in 2020?

Championship Rounds

Posted: December 14, 2019 12:32 PM

1 Carrick-on-Suir Wm Loughman Forestry Rally - 16 Feb 20
2 Limerick Forestry Rally - 1 Mar 20
3 Munster CC Moonraker Forestry Rally - DATE CHANGE 28 Mar 20
4 Tipperary Sean Conlon Memorial Forestry Rally - 17 May 20
5 & 6 Cork Jim Walsh Forestry Rally - 25-26 Jul 20
7 Bushwhacker Rally - (Sat) 26 Sep 20

Reserve: EMC Lakeland Stages - (Sat) 5 Sep 20

National Forestry Rally Championship Awards - (Sat) 28 Nov 20

Forest Championship Website