Posted: March 28, 2005 11:45 PM
2004-2005 Championship Points (After Final Round)
Pos. Name Total
Irish 205 Challenge Top 10:
1. Graeme Colfer 83
2. Seamus O'Grady 76
3. Adrian McBride 67
4. Adrian McElhinney 55
5. Emma Britton 53
6. Tommie Rafferty 49
7. Niall O'Connell 34
8. Martin Ewing 28
9. William Mavitty 25
10. Stephen McGee 20
2004-2005 Championship
- Old Castle HellFire Single Stage - 12 Sep 04
- GMSC Single Stage - 17 Oct 04
- Carlow MC Rallycross at Mondello - 28 Nov 04
- Connacht Restricted Single Stage Rally - 30 Jan 05
- Sweet Lamb - 27 Feb 05
- Tipperary Forestry Stages Rally - 27 Mar 05
06/09/04Championship Preview
Irelands first and only one-make championship for the clubman is now in its final stages of preparation and will kick off on the 12th September at the Castle Hellfire Single Stage Rally.
The Irish 205 Challenge is the first of its kind in Ireland and opens up a new area of competition to drivers young and old. The concept is simple, pitting a mixture of Irelands drivers against each other in almost identical Peugeot 205s. The championship, sponsored by Rory Galligan Rally, aims to control four main areas of the car; the engine, gearbox and differential, shock absorbers and springs, and the chassis build. By controlling the cars, under the supervision of the championships own technical scrutineer, it makes the competition more about the talent of the driver rather than the spec of the car or how much money has been spent.
The organisers have chosen events that will give each competitor different conditions on all six rounds of the series. It kicks off with two tarmac single stage rallies, the Castle Single Stage and the GSMC Rally on the 17th October.
The third round of the series presents the crews with their biggest test of the year. Not only does the surface switch to gravel but also moves outside of the country to Wales for the Sweet Lamb Stages on the 20th November. This event is a favourite of Rory Galligan’s and he feels it can be done for roughly the same price as a forestry rally here and offers a chance to experience gravel stages that are second to none.
In January the Irish 205 Challenge will run its own private rally in Northern Ireland. This event not only provides a chance for competitors to take along sponsors and team members who have helped them throughout the year but also provides crews with the rare opportunity to win a rally outright.
February brings a switch back to gravel with the Willie Loughman Forestry Rally and for the final event of the championship in March its off to the Midland Stages Rally.
Along with six rallies, on tarmac and gravel in Ireland and Wales, competitors will benefit from training weekends offered by the championship organisers. These weekends will cover all sides of rallying, from driving and co-driving to car setup and media training.
The championship will also be split into two different categories, junior and senior. Although the overall winner can emerge from either category, it is hoped that the winner of the junior category would be in a very good position to go forward for the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award.
Of course no championship can run without sponsors or prizes and with the backing of RGR (Rory Galligan Rally), Matador Tyres, Fountain Trailers and others, there are a wide variety of prizes available to entrants at each event and at the end of the season. Prizes range from parts and tyres to fuel sponsored by Irish Racing Fuels. The Championship will also offer numerous cash prizes.
The Irish 205 Challenge has had a great response and already has fourteen registered competitors with ten more expected at the opening round.
24/06/04
Article by Austin Shinnors
- taken for the 2004 Rally of the Lakes Programme
A New Rally Championship For
Drivers Of Peugeot 205s Has
Been Launched In Ireland. The
Series Which Is Known As The
“Irish 205 Challenge” Is
Organised By Rory Galligan, And
Will Consist Of Eight Events
Below National Level. While The
Majority Of The Rallies Will Be
Held On Tarmac, The Balance
Will Be Forestry Rallies. Much Of
The Programme Will Be Based In
The South, And A Number Of Visits
To Northern Ireland Are
Envisaged. The Championship
Starts In September 2004 And
Goes Right Through The Winter
Finishing In May 2005.
Championship organiser Rory
Galligan has been hugely
successful at the wheel of
various Peugeot rally cars. The
first ever winner of the inaugral
Billy Coleman Award in
2000,Galligan won the Peugeot
106 Super Cup in the UK in 2001
and he drove a works Peugeot
206 in the British Rally
Championship the following
year. Last year the Oldcastle
driver took a sabbatical but his
many fans are delighted that he
is back again competing in the
Mitsubishi EVO Challenge in the
U.K. At the time of writing he is
leading that series after two
rounds with a win and a second
place. Clearly Galligan has a
huge experience of rallying
Peugeots and has an intimate
knowledge of one make
championships.
So why does a busy rally driver
getting involved in organising a
one make championship in
Ireland of all places?
Galligan contends ‘that the
Peugeot 205 Championship is
very popular now in England
and it is only right that someone
sets up something similar for
the Irish club driver. I really
enjoyed my days rallying a 205-I
must say they were the most
enjoyable years of my career. I
found that the more money I
spent the less I enjoyment there
was. Yes you can call this
championship cheap and
cheerful, but I think it is the
best rallying. Afterall the
clubman has no hope of a
victory in any Irish rally with all
the WRC cars, indeed the 205
driver has little chance of class
honours with the speed of the
Civics. With this series the 205
driver can win something and
learn a bit as he goes along’
What are the rules governing
the 205 championship like?
‘Basically they will be very
similar to the U.K. 205
championship. It will be
confined to 1600cc 205s and
there will be two classes: a
junior class for under 27 year
olds and an open class for older
drivers. It will be a mixed
surface championship with four
tarmac rallies in the South. In
the interest of keeping costs
down and to ease the job of
securing entries I will be aiming
at rallies below national level
such as single stage and mini
rallies. The forestry quota will be
filled by two smooth rallies, one
North and one South of the
border. And the last forestry
event would be the Sweet Lamb
Rally in Wales’
Surely a rally in Wales too
expensive for a clubman?
‘No, it can be done for the price
of a forest rally here, and it is a
great driving experience. As it
will be held in the winter time
the ferries are cheaper. There
are other good reasons for
going with an
a u t u m n / w i n t e r / s p r i n g
programme: Fellas are free to
work more during the summer
and have the some cash spared
for rallying. And they won’t be
competing for space in the
papers with the G.A.A.’
And what kind of prize is for the
winner? ‘In keeping with the
cheap and cheerful policy there
wont be any cars or works
drives. Something more modest
like a car trailer or a selection of
tyres. However I think that the
winner of the junior category
would be in a very good position
to go forward and win the Billy
Coleman award.
For further information on the
Irish 205 Challenge on
or
ring Rory Galligan at 086-
8263015.