Kerry MC Autotest - 6 Oct 02 Posted: October 8, 2002 10:18 AM

Results by Mike Mulcahy
Report by Tim Faulkner

With a sense of déjà vu after the last round nobody seemed to want to win, the final Co. Kerry autotest of 2002 started with the requested bright sunshine.

Don Giles couldn’t be expected to repeat the last-time victory having switched to the family Westfield practicing for next year, but still took a creditable RWD class win after some pylon flying action.

Murphy Construction Cork 20 International Rally - 4-5 Oct 02 Posted: October 8, 2002 10:11 AM

Round 6 - 2002 Toshiba Tarmac Championship
Round 4 - 2002 023 Tiles Southern 4 Championship
Round 6 - 2002 Ford Ka Championship
Round 4 - 2002 Ford Focus Championship

Andrew Nesbitt & James O'Brien take a start to finish Victory to clinch the 2002 Tarmac Championship. Boland takes second after Austin McHale Retires with Peader Hurson Third.

David James/Jim Crowe (Escort 2.0 BDX) win the National Section after Kieran O'Neill retires with a broken bottom arm on Sunday

Aaron McHale & Elva Roe take Group N after Bob Fowden, Dick Curran and Trevor were excluded.
Photos by Seamus Counihan

Ford Focus Championship - MURPHYS TWO IN A ROW. Posted: October 8, 2002 8:45 AM

Round 5 - Murphy Construction Cork 20 Rally

Colm Murphy from Athea, Co. Limerick secured his second consecutive victory of the highly competitive 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship, winning the penultimate round of the series, the Murphy Construction Cork 20 International Rally.

The 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship has developed into one of the most exciting Motorsport classes ever seen on Irish shores. The two day International Rally comprising of 140 tough competitive miles, was marked by a series of punctures, accidents and mechanical problems that conspired to keep changing the leaderboard throughout the two action packed days.

2002 Ford Ka C'Ship - LYONS TEA PARTY Posted: October 8, 2002 8:32 AM

Round 6 - Murphy Construction Cork 20 Rally

David Lyons from Clarina, Co. Limerick scored his best ever result to secure his first victory of the season on the sixth and penultimate round of the highly competitive 2002 Ford Ireland KA Rally Championship, at the Murphy Construction Cork "20" International Rally.

David in the Ryan and Roberts Crane Hire Ford KA decided that the Murphy Construction Cork 20 International Rally would have a "sting in the tail". Tactics were the order of the day and David played himself in gently, settling into a secure third position overall out of seven crews on the opening leg of the two day International Rally.

ALMC Autocross @ Gormanstown - 6 Oct 02 Posted: October 8, 2002 8:24 AM

by Mike Connolly
Results

2002 Triton Showers Southeast Stages Championship Table Posted: October 2, 2002 8:07 AM

by Ann Fitzgerald
Provisional Results after Final round of the Triton Showers South East Stages Championship.
Prizegiving will take place in the Clonmel Arms on Saturday 2nd November, 2002.

OVERALL:
1st o/a Kevin Dalton/Ray Fitzpatrick (Nova) 57
2st o/a David James/Ron Guha (Escort)	    55
3st o/a John Brennan/John Rafter (Escort)   50

Birr Forestry Rally - 29 Sept 02 Posted: September 30, 2002 5:03 PM

Niall Driver and Francis Corrigan take a 2 second win as 14 seconds cover the top 4!

Eugene Donnelly/Paul Nagle retired with a seized gearbox on the second stage.
Francis Corrigan wins the co-driver section of the National Championship

The Overall Drivers section will be decided at the final round in Killarney

Full Results and Stage Times

Beginner's Rally School Starts - Wed 9 Oct 02 for 5 weeks Posted: September 24, 2002 11:01 AM

Thanks to Colin Courtney

Every hardened rally spectator has stood at the side of a stage wondering how to get started in the sport, and if they'd be any good at it. Well, now's your chance to see if you have what it takes to become the next Nicky Grist or Robert Reid. The Newry and District Motor Club, together with the Rathfriland Motor Club are running a beginner's rally school in October, to teach wannabe co-drivers the trick of the trade, and help them on their way to a competition future. They'll also show you that a tulip is not only something that grows in your garden.

The course will run for five weeks on Wednesday nights throught October. The classes will be held in the Old George, Rathfriland, and will start on Wednesday the 9th October. The first three Wednesday nights will explain the different types of Rally navigation involved, including such items as tulips, map trace, grid reference, grid lines and spot heights.

Lynch Hotels Clare Stages Rally 2002 - 22 Sept 02 Posted: September 23, 2002 8:11 AM

Thanks to Liz Farrell
Round 9 - 2002 Dunlop National Rally Championship
Round 4 - 2002 Top Part West Coast Rally Championship
Round 3 - 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship

Niall Maguire & Paul McLoughlin dominate rally. Elliot/Moriarty take second ahead of Denis Cronin & Helen O'Sullivan in the immaculate M3

T&D Rallying - 2002 Lynch Hotels Clare Stages Rally Posted: September 23, 2002 8:04 AM

RANDLES BACK IN THE HUNT AFTER CLARE RALLY SUCCESS

Tom Randles has put himself back in the frame to win Class 14 in the 2002 Dunlop National Rally Championship, following an excellent result on the Clare Rally last Sunday. The Kilgarvan driver needed a good finish to remain in contention for the championship, having been forced out of the previous two rounds in Sligo and Tipperary due to mechanical failures, and the Clare result has provided the required boost to Randles' points tally.

2002/03 National Navigation Trial Championship Posted: September 17, 2002 9:38 AM

by Fergus N Casey

Following the long enforced lay off due to Foot and Mouth scare, the Motorsport Ireland National Navigation Trial Championship returns for the 2002/03 season

Kerry MC Autotest - 16 Sept 02 Posted: September 17, 2002 8:36 AM

Round 12 - Clark Brothers Munster Autotest Championship
Full Results & Times by Mike Mulcahy
Report by Tim Faulkner

THE ONE NOBODY WANTED TO WIN.
On a day when all the usual contenders failed to perform, Don Giles continued his fine run of form to win a tight autotest in the largest car competing at Tralee on Sunday.

Brendan Kelly Rallying - Disappointment in Ulster but Determination for Clare Posted: September 17, 2002 7:40 AM

The latest round of the Ford of Ireland Focus Challenge was the Ulster Rally on 7th and 8th of September , which saw crews competing in the Toshiba Tarmac Championship meet up again with the Pirelli British Rally Championship regulars over the twisty roads of Co. Down.

Unfortunately it turned out to be a tale of woe for the Midland Crew of Brendan Kelly and Cathal Shanahan when they were forced to retire from the event.

Cork & Munster Autotests - 31 Aug - 1 Sep 02 Posted: September 3, 2002 7:32 AM

Round 1 (CMC) and Round 2 (MMC&CC) of the Hewison National Autotest Championship
Counting Rounds of Clark Brothers Munster Autotest Championship.

Results

Cunningham & Higgins Prestige Cars Galway Summer Rally - 1 Sep 02 Posted: September 2, 2002 3:16 PM

Barrable wins 2nd Rally in a Row after Paul Harris and Patrick Elliot both Crash out.

Ollie O’Donovan to run Hyundai WRC on Clare Stages & Cork 20 Posted: August 27, 2002 1:35 PM

Ollie O’ Donovan has secured a deal with Hyundai Preparation giants Motor Sport Developments (MSD) to bring an Accent WRC to Ireland.

Brendan and Cathal's trip to TIPP Posted: August 26, 2002 2:23 PM

Sunday the 11th of August saw the first round of the new Ford of Ireland Focus Challenge kick off when the Midland crew of Brendan Kelly and Cathal Shanahan made the trip south to compete in the Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally.

KDMC Autotest @ Milltown - 18 Aug 02 Posted: August 19, 2002 3:25 PM

Thanks to Mike Mulcahy
Round 9 - 2002 Clark Brothers (Bandon) Munster Autotest Championship

Full results from this and all previous rounds the Munster Autotest Championship to date

Killarney Autocross Weekend - 3-4 Aug 02 Posted: August 13, 2002 5:27 PM

Round 7 & 8 - 2002 Bio-Tech National Autocross Championship
Round 3 & 4 - 2002 Darby O'Gills Killarney Autocross Championship

Full Results and Times

Some of the closest competition in Autocross was seen at Firies over the August Bank holiday weekend at Killarney And District Motorclub’s 2 day Autocross Meeting. The event counted for Rounds 7 & 8 of the Bio-Tech National Autocross Championship and Rounds 3 & 4 of the Darby O' Gills Killarney Autocross Championship.

Ford Focus Championship - Round 1 - Stonethrowers - 11 Aug 02 Posted: August 12, 2002 5:30 PM

STANLEY ON A KNIFE-EDGE

Oliver Stanley from Durrow, Co. Laois has won the opening round of Irelands Premier One Make Rally Championship, the 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship at the Stonethrowers Rally based in Clonmel.

Oliver has progressed through the ranks of the Ford Ireland "Ladder of Opportunity", having competed in the highly successful Ford Ireland KA Rally Championship for two years prior to taking part in the inaugural Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship.

Colm Murphy (Limerick) in the Kingdom Fastfit/John Guerin Crash Repairs/Garry O’Keeffe Haulage Ford Focus set the early pace revelling in the damp slippery conditions to take an eleven second lead from Hamilton Bell (Hillsborough). Oliver Stanley in the Perry Motors Ford Focus stormed back setting fastest Focus time on stage three and four to take the lead from Murphy by four seconds. On stage five Murphy fought back to record fastest Focus time to reduce Stanley’s advantage to just one second. Oliver replied on stages six and seven to increase his lead to five seconds. However stage eight was cancelled and the battle came down to the wire. On stage nine the last of the day, Murphy threw caution to the wind driving like a demon only to get caught out half was through the stage spinning on some gravel, loosing vital seconds and with it all hopes of victory.