Cork 20 Rally - 2-3 Oct 10

Statement Re: Ed O'Callaghan Penalty

Posted: October 7, 2010 3:24 PM

"Ed O'Callaghan, Ger Clancy and Brian O'Mahony have had numerous discussions over the last few days on the event surrounding Ed's penalty in the Cork 20 rally.
Ed and Ger would like to state that they are 100% satisified that neither Brian or his dad had anything whatsoever to do with the imposition of this penalty.
Ed, Ger and Brian are very good friends and would like if this matter was put to bed now."

Signed: Ed, Ger and Brian
End of statement

Alastair Secures Podium Place on the Irish Tarmac Championship in Cork

Posted: October 7, 2010 1:23 PM

Starting the 2010 Citroen Irish Tarmac Rally Championship young Co.Tyrone rally driver Alastair Fisher could have hardly believed that he would end the season, third overall in Ireland’s premier motorsport series and lift the Group N title. Along the way there have been some stunning performances, and Alastair and co-driver Rory Kennedy rounded off the season with a fine fourth overall and first in Group N on the weekend’s Cork 20 International Rally.

Alastair, the Team UK driver went into this sixth and final round with an outside chance of the overall Irish Tarmac title, no mean feat in a Group N Mitsubishi Evo 9. The situation however essentially depended on the fortunes of other drivers, and the hot favourite Gareth MacHale ended up winning the rally and the championship. Alastair is one of the first to congratulate the new champion.
“Gareth is a worthy winner of the championship. He’s been the fastest all year and really deserves the championship.”

The Cork 20 started off with very difficult weather conditions, heavy localised rain showers, and many crews including Alastair were caught out on the wrong tyres on the opening loop.
“The stages were difficult for everyone in those conditions. We had a decent run on stage one, lost a few seconds on stage two, and then we surprised ourselves when we took fastest time on stage three.” At all costs a good finish was necessary if trouble by chance was to strike Gareth, so Alastair and Rory needed to employ some caution, but nevertheless they were driving quickly.
“The car was running well, and things were good. Craig Breen however was driving well in the Super 2000 and pulling away from us a bit, so by the start of day two we were really in no-mans land, two minutes behind Craig and over three minutes ahead of the next car.”

A mature drive, netted Alastair, fourth overall behind the WRC cars of Gareth MacHale and Tim McNulty, and Craig Breen’s S2000 Fiesta. With the next best Group N car over four minutes behind it was another fine result, adding the Group N title Alastair secured on the last Ulster Rally round.
“It’s been a great year on the Tarmac Championship. Thanks to the support we’ve received from Revolution Wheels, DMS, G.R White Electrical, Drumhoney Holiday Park, Pirelli and Euro M-Sport for making this all possible and of course to Gerry McGarrity Motorsport for car preparation and on- event servicing.”

Now the focus shifts to the Pirelli shoot-out in Wales in two weeks time were Alastair, having received a yellow jersey for his Trackrod Rally performance will have a chance to compete for a funded drive in the 2011 British Rally Championship.

More Video Clips

Posted: October 7, 2010 11:33 AM

In Car

Posted: October 7, 2010 11:25 AM

Ed O'Callaghan / Ger Clancy (Ford Escort Mk2) Stage 11

Craig Breen Rallying Cork 20 International Rally Event Report

Posted: October 5, 2010 5:12 PM

18 special stages, torrential rain, intercom woes and seven fastest stage times for Breen as “20” servers up a corker in the “Rebel County”. As Craig Breen drives onto the finish ramp outside the Silversprings Hotel headquarters of the Cork 20 International Rally on Sunday afternoon, the Waterford driver claims his third podium of the year, finishes third overall and secures second overall in the Citroen Irish Tarmac Championship. The happiness was easy to be seen as Craig exited the car and his smile underlined the joy as he end the season on a high. “The unreal conditions yesterday with torrential downpours, really tough stages and stiff competition made this one of the hardest event of the year but to finish third overall and claim second in the tarmac championship is great. We had some problem with the intercom in the car yesterday morning but to set six fastest stage times shows we were on the pace and is very pleasing. Today we bedded in over the opening stage and I then had a good run over “Fuhiry”. It’s a great stage and I could remember making gravel notes for Dad when he was competing, after that point we just consolidated our position, I wanted to finish the year in a good way taking second overall in the championship on my first attempt is great.

Day one of the final event of the ITC season was made up of three loops of four stages, all based around the town of Millstreet in North County Cork. As the cars were about to start the opening “Mullaghanish 1” stage the weather turned nasty as the forecasted heavy rain started to fall. Craig slotted in at sixth with a time of 8:58.0, 20.6 seconds down on stage winner Aaron MacHale. At the end of the test the Fiesta S2000 driver reported a half spin and felt that he couldn’t really commit on the wet roads. On stage two Craig suffered from intercom problems and dropped about thirty seconds as Tim McNulty took over the top spot. McNulty then set the pace again on stage three “Mushera 1” but Craig was less than two seconds away and this with his windscreen misting up through the test as the torrential rain continued to fall. As the crews entered first service in Macroom Craig reported, “My only clean run on that loop was on stage four, the weather is just unreal.” Craig did get into the groove on that fourth stage and with that clean run he posted his first fastest time of the weekend. At that point Craig was placed sixth and of the four contenders that could claim the title he was third. The fastest time on stage four lifted Craig’s confidence and two more quickly follow on stages five and six and a hat trick of fastest times on stages eight, nine and ten as Craig ended the day in third overall. Day two was made up of a double loop of three stages with service again in Macroom. Craig pushed over the first run of “Fuhiry” where he collected his seventh fastest stage time of the weekend. In service the twenty year old showed his maturity as he stated during an interview “I enjoyed my run over Fairy, I could remember making gravel notes for my Dad when he was competing and the second half of the stage really flows but from here on my main objective is to consolidate my second place. This is exactly what transpired as over the final stages the Kick Energy Fiesta slotted in at third as Craig left the front two of Gareth MacHale and Tim McNulty fought it out for the win.

Now with this result under his belt Craig will concentrate on the British Pirelli Star Driver Shootout final which is scheduled for the end of the month. The British final will take place in the Sweet Lamb Complex in mid Wales and the drivers in the final will use a Subaru N15. After that Final Craig will travel to Spain for the Pirelli Star Driver Global Final Shootout where the R2 Fiesta will be his mount as he bids for glory.

Barrable/Connolly - 2010 Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland Winners!

Posted: October 5, 2010 5:01 PM

Robert Barrable and co-driver Damien Connolly drove their Citroen C2 R2 Max into onto the finish ramp of the Cork 20 International Rally as winners of the Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland 2010. The Dubliner now adds the Irish Citroen Racing Trophy title to the UK one he secured the previous weekend on the Trackrod Rally.

It was certainly no clear cut victory on the Munster Car Clubs 15 stage closed road event. Difficult weather conditions on the Saturday stages, and the fact that the odds were stacked against Barrable were major factors. Leader of the Trophy before the Cork start was Marty McCormack who had made the decision not to contest Cork, preferring to concentrate on the WRC Rally Alsace, a round of his French Championship campaign.
However due to administration issues, Marty and the team were forced to back-track from France, and put in a last minute entry to Cork, the C2 starting with number 98 on the door but running first C2 on the road. With Marty now entered Robert Barrable’s task changed from merely having to finish in the top five, to having to win and hope that either another Group R crew got in between him and Marty or Marty didn’t finish.

On stage one fastest C2 R2 Max was that of Mark Sheahan, 9th fastest overall in the little car in the wet and slippery conditions. However the glory was short lived firstly when the wipers stopped functioning on stage two, then Mark slid off when following the overtaking Marty McCormack towards the finish of the stage. Co driver Anthony O’Conaill was taken to hospital for a check up on a sore back but was later released ok. After the first loop of three stages, it was Robert Barrable who had the jump on Marty McCormack by 6 seconds. Indeed after the second loop it was more or less the same picture, with Marty just 4 seconds back but on the third and final loop of the day Marty edged in front with a particularly rapid time on the penultimate final test, but Robert replied to a 1.3 second lead over Marty before day two’s six stages.

Torrential localized down-pours had made tyre choice very difficult, and one crew who had felt they had made a few wrong choices was Desi Henry and John Rowan. Nevertheless they finished the day third C2, over a minute ahead of fourth placed 2009 Irish Citroen champion Adrian McElhinney. The Donegal driver who got married just a week before the event suffered three spins on one stage; the C2 also needed a replacement front bumper for day two. David Carney had made rapid improvements in his pace to lie 17th overall overnight, despite also having a few scares in the slippery conditions.

Day two started with the technical Kilnamartyra stage, and on this test it wasn’t the battling Barrable or McCormack who was fastest but third placed Desi Henry who was ten seconds up on the second fastest McCormack. Desi commented.
“We had a few wrong tyre choices on Saturday, but otherwise things were going good. I am learning to drive the car on this set up more and more with each stage, and we are getting quicker and quicker. We had a good clean run through the first test, and it was nice to set fastest C2 time.”
Marty McCormack had taken a gamble on this loop of fitting a slick tyre on the front and cut slick on the rear, although the roads were still damp.
“On the first stage it took quite a while to get the tyres to work in. It was difficult, but it wasn’t just as bad over the next two stages Fuhiry and Lough Allua. We are happy enough. It is tricky out there, some places there is good grip, then under the trees there is nothing. We just have to stay first or second now really.” Nevertheless Marty had edged ahead of Barrable by three seconds at the mid day service, and for Robert there was no option but to attack the final three stages.
“We really just have to go flat out now over these final three. All we can do is try to win the Citroen’s here this weekend, and see what happens to Marty.”

However high drama was about to hit the Citroen Racing Trophy on the very next stage, as after landing from a jump, a drive-shaft broke on McCormack’s C2. Four minutes and a position were lost as he limped out of the test, but that was to be the end of the road for the Draperstown driver, Barrable was in the clear. It promoted Desi Henry to a fine second, and tenth place overall, by far his best result in a Citroen round, with Adrian McElhinney eleventh overall and third C2 Max. David Carney too clocked his best result of the season with fourteenth overall and fourth C2 Max. However it was Robert Barrable’s day as emerged the Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland winner.
“I am absolutely delighted. To take the two Citroen Trophies is really special, as everyone in the team has worked so hard. It was unfortunate for Marty to retire, but that’s the way it goes. For us it’s been a great year and it’s been a great little car to compete in.”

CITROEN RACING TROPHY IRELAND ROUND SIX RESULTS-

1 Robert Barrable/ Damien Connelly 2hr 31m 48.9s
2 Desi Henry/ John Rowan +3m13.0s
3 Adrian McElhinney/ Shane Buckley +4m26.7s
4 David Carney/ Ray Fitzpatrick +9m52.7s

Gareth MacHale and Brian Murphy - 2010 Citroën Irish Tarmac Rally Champions!

Posted: October 5, 2010 4:58 PM

Gareth MacHale sealed his maiden Citroën Irish Tarmac Rally Championship trophy with victory at last weekend's Cork '20' International Rally!

In what transpired to be a thrilling finale, the Dubliner followed in his father's footsteps by securing the prestigious title with victory at the Cork event alongside navigator Brian Murphy.

It was in 1983 that Gareth's father, Austin, claimed his maiden Irish Tarmac Championship trophy by winning the Cork '20' International Rally. 27 years later, Gareth has managed to achieve the same feat and bring the 2010 Citroën ITC crown back home to the MacHale dynasty.

Gareth only needed to finish third to secure the title, so he was relatively happy to let Tim McNulty and Paul Kiely lead from the start in their Impreza WRC. Then disaster struck the McNulty crew, as an altercation with a bank just a few stages from home resulted in McNulty losing almost 30 seconds to his pursuers.

Sniffing potential victory, MacHale capitalised on his rival's misfortune. He entered the final stage 5.8 seconds adrift of the leaders, but he was determined to win the Championship in style and he finished the test 1.9 seconds in front to win the event!

For experienced navigator Brian Murphy, it is his third Irish Tarmac Championship success, having sealed the 1997 and 1998 titles alongside Austin MacHale.

A disappointed Tim McNulty had to settle for second in the event, while third overall for Craig Breen in his Super 2000 Ford Fiesta propelled him to second in the championship standings ahead of Alastair Fisher.

Fisher finished fourth on the event and an excellent third in the Championship standings, having already secured the 2010 Group N title at the Ulster Rally.

In the Modified Trophy, fifth overall in the Cork '20' National Rally was enough for Mervyn Wedlock and Damien McCabe to seal the championship win in their superbly prepared Ford Escort.

And in the historic category, Ray Cunningham had already wrapped up the historic title in his Mini Cooper ahead of the Cork event while Aidan O'Connor secured both the Classic and Post Historic Titles with a very fine drive.

The final chapter of the 2010 Citroën Irish Tarmac Rally Championship has been written after a thrilling year long battle which was only concluded on the final round, and a new name has been etched on the series trophy.

It has been another exciting year, and the Tarmac Rally Organisers Association is already looking forward to more success in 2011!

Video Clips

Posted: October 5, 2010 3:08 PM

Historic Winners

Posted: October 5, 2010 3:01 PM

Mark Falvey/Colin Moynihan

Photos

Posted: October 5, 2010 2:48 PM

myrally.ie Sport Photography
rally.ie Photos on flickr
crspics.com - Counihan Rallysport Pictures
dbpics
M. Schayer Rally Photography (rallyphoto.biz)

Results

Posted: October 5, 2010 10:29 AM

1 Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) 2h 19m 11s,
2 Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 19m 13s,
3 Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts (Ford Fiesta S2000) 2h 20m 24s,
4 Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 22m 55s,
5 Darren Gass/Sean Mullally (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 26m 34s,
6 Sebastian Ling/Aled Rees (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 27m 28s,
7 Owen Murphy/James O’Brien (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 28m 29s,
8 Aaron MacHale/Eugene O’Donnell (Ford Focus WRC) 2h 30m 36s,
9 Robert Barrable/Damien Connolly (Citroen C2R2 Max) 2h 31m 49s,
10 Desi Henry/Jonathan Rowan (Citroen C2R2 Max) 2h 35m 02s.

Group N:
1 Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy,
2 Sebastian Ling/Aled Rees,
3 Owen Murphy/James O’Brien.

NATIONAL EVENT:
1 Washington James/Llinos Jones (Darrian) 2h 33m 55s,
2 Ed O’Callaghan/Gerard Clancy (Ford Escort) 2h 35m 58s,
3 Geoffrey Dolan/Conor Murphy (Sunbeam) 2h 37m 13s.

HISTORIC/POST-HISTORIC EVENT:
1 Mark Falvey/Colin Moynihan (Ford Escort) 2h 08m 52s,
2 Todd Falvey/Pat Duggan (Porsche 911) 2h 12m 06s,
3 Alan Courtney/Jim Hill (Porsche 928) 2h 21m 47s.
JUNIOR EVENT:
1 Jack Newman/J P McAree (Honda Civic) 58m 51s,
2 Michael McKennedy/Andrew Mahon (Toyota Corolla) 59m 03s,
3 Cal McCarthy/Eamonn Dullea (Honda Civic) 59m 33s.

Leaders After: SS1 Aaron MacHale/Eugene O’Donnell (Ford Focus WRC)
SS2-17 Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS18 Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC)

Stage Winners:
SS1 Aaron MacHale/Eugene O’Donnell (Ford Focus WRC)
SS2 Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC)
SS3 Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N)
SS3a Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts (Ford Fiesta S2000)
SS4 Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC)
& Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts (Ford Fiesta S2000)
SS5 Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts (Ford Fiesta S2000)
SS6 Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS6a Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts (Ford Fiesta S2000)
SS7 Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts (Ford Fiesta S2000)
SS8 Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS9 Darren Gass/Sean Mullally (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS9a Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts (Ford Fiesta S2000)
SS10 Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS11 Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts (Ford Fiesta S2000)
SS12 Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS13 Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC)
SS14 Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC)
SS15 Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC)

Full Results: results.shannonsportsit.ie (Angus Sealy)
Rallynews (by Brian & Liz Patterson)
Munster Car Club
SS1 - 9:13am (Saturday)

Three…Two…One…….GO!

Posted: October 1, 2010 8:43 PM

As cars roll though scrutiny and into Parc Feirme at the Silversprings Moran Hotel the stage is set for a fascinating battle on tough but classic stages to decide the 2010 Citroen Irish Tarmac Championship. Gareth McHale will be first to tackle stage one Mullaghanish tomorrow morning in pursuit of his first tarmac title.

While the top twenty has remained largely intact a notable late entry is Marty McCormack. After firstly intending to compete on the WRC Rally Alsace in France Marty found himself turning his attention to the final round of the Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland in Cork this weekend after administrative problems with the French event officals.

Over 100 crews completed a successful recce over the last couple days on stages which hold memories of tough battles from the past, stage names such as Mullaghanish, Mushera, Fuhiry and Lough Allua.

Gareth’s brother Aaron along with 2005 Cork ‘20’ winner Tim McNulty will both be doing their best to deny Gareth his second win in a row in Cork while Darren Gass, Craig Breen, Alaistar Fisher and local man Daragh O’Riordan cannot be overlooked either for a podium finish.

The slowly sideways club will precede the main field with their GrpB cars while top historic seed is Todd Falvey is the Porsche 911 RS. Historics will join the rally on stage four while the juniors start on the first stage on Sunday morning led by Jonathan O’Callaghan in a Peugeot 106.

Information on when and where to view the action on the stages over the weekend is available in the official Cork ‘20’ Rally programme available from associate sponsor Orchard Motorsport at the service park in Macroom both days as well as various service stations in the area.

Late Entries

Posted: October 1, 2010 8:38 PM

• Munster Car Club

Time and Distance Schedule - Rev 3

Posted: September 30, 2010 9:46 PM

Revised Time and Distance Schedule available - this incorporates fuel stops.

• Munster Car Club

Marshals Required

Posted: September 29, 2010 5:14 PM

Marshalls required urgently for this weekends Cork ’20
Contact: 087 0679223 or 087 9362840 / +353 87 0679223 or +353 87 9362840

• Munster Car Club

Thrilling Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland Finale- Sure to be a Corker!

Posted: September 29, 2010 1:57 PM

The Cork 20 International Rally this weekend will stage the final round of the Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland series. The Cork event is also the final round of the Citroen Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, and it’s shaping up to be a superb finale. It initially seemed that series leader Marty McCormack would not be present in Cork to try to clinch the title, as he set off earlier this week to contest the WRC Rally Alsace in France, part of his Citroen Racing Trophy France campaign.

However now Marty and his team are on their way back from France, and heading for the final Irish round in Cork following a logistical problem. “Basically David, my co-driver had to attend a funeral at home. It left the time scale tight and when he h arrived at recce sign on with all the documents they needed the organizers simply would not accept the late sign on. There simply was no talking to them, but it puts a big dent in our French Championship hopes.” Hurriedly plans have been made to transport the C2 Max back home and at the time of writing, Marty was stuck at a French airport due to a strike! However the CRT Ireland is still very much on the cards and Marty can afford to finish second to title rival Robert Barrable this weekend. “After the dramas we have just had, we just want to get through this weekend in Cork. The plan really is to be consistent and try and drive around with-out taking too many risks. In some ways it’s a comfortable position but we need to keep an eye in case any would get between us to take away points.”

Robert Barrable is the title threat, and the Dubliner with Monaghan co-driver celebrated last weekend after winning the CRT UK series on the Trackrod Rally in Yorkshire, but what are his plans now for this weekend’s showdown in Cork?
“My plans have changed now that Marty is going! Originally I just had to finish in the top 5, but now I really have to win and hope that someone can get between me and Marty. It’s going to be flat out from the start really! I like Cork though, and we had a good run on the stages last year in the Fiesta, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Making a return to the series after his last outing in Donegal, Adrian McElhinney is heading to try and retain his third place in the Trophy.
”As far as we can work out there are two, possibly three drivers who could take that third place away from us, so we are going down to see what we can do!”

But congratulations are very much in order for Adrian already, having married his fiancé Grainne last weekend. But what about the honeymoon?
“We’ve had to put that back a week now, so we leave next week after Cork.” Luckily Grainne understands being a rally driver and enthusiast herself and will be in Cork very much to support her new husband.

Limerick’s Mark Sheahan is another to watch this weekend. He had a good Ulster Rally ending up 12th overall and third in class R2, and after fixing a throttle problem was close to the front running pace. Another crew getting closer to the pace were Desi Henry and John Rowan who ended up in 17th place overall on the Ulster, whilst Mayo’s David Carney is hoping for a clean run after a mechanical failure on the Ulster. Young Omagh charger 19 year old Mark Donnelly, was in with a shout of the CRT UK series, but a stage three drive-shaft failure meant retirement, and is unsure whether he will be in Cork. However with a recently rebuilt engine, Mark was keen to show his tarmac pace in Cork.

It’s set to be a thrilling finale on this sixth and final Cork round which takes place over two days starting from the South West city on Saturday morning.

Revised Time and Distance Schedule now available

Posted: September 28, 2010 4:21 PM

Note: A revised Time and Distance is now available on:

• Munster Car Club

Citroën Irish Tarmac Rally Championship Finale!

Posted: September 28, 2010 4:03 PM

The Citroën Irish Tarmac Rally Championship finale takes place this weekend when the final round of the 2010 series gets underway with the Cork '20' International Rally!

Four crews are in with a chance of lifting Ireland's most prestigious rally crown, with Gareth MacHale, Aaron MacHale, Alastair Fisher and Craig Breen all capable of etching their names on to the championship trophy.

The leading four crews are separated by 13 points in championship terms, and with 50 percent bonus points up for grabs, there are 24 points for a victory this weekend.

Gareth MacHale holds the upper hand with his four point advantage over second placed Alastair Fisher. MacHale also has a dropped score, due to his non-finish in Killarney, so his position is even stronger than it first appears.

With the best five of six scores counting towards the final points tally, newly crowned Group N champion Fisher, who holds second in the overall championship tables, has a mountain to climb.

Providing he scores highly in his production category Mitsubishi Lancer this weekend, his lowest score of seven points will be deducted from his tally, which could have a major impact on his battle for glory.

The same can be said for third placed Aaron MacHale, but fourth placed Craig Breen does not have to worry as much. He already has two non-finishes to his name, and if the men in front falter, he is perfectly positioned to capitalise.

There are also plenty of battles to be settled in the Modified Trophy category. Mervyn Wedlock heads the standings by six points from Geoffrey Dolan, while Barry Meade and John Mulholland are not too far adrift in third and fourth.

The Cork '20 International Rally has received more than 100 entries, with Gareth MacHale and Brian Murphy topping the order in their Focus WRC. Tim McNulty and Paul Kiely are also making a return in their Impreza WRC, while Darren Gass and Sean Mullally will add some spice to the mix in a similar car.

Aaron MacHale starts at number four ahead of Denis Cronin, while Craig Breen and Gareth Roberts will start at number six in their Ford Fiesta S2000. Daragh O'Riordan and Tony McDaid are next in line, with Alastair Fisher and Rory Kennedy completing the top eight seeds.

The event headquarters will be based at Cork's Silver Springs Moran Hotel, while centralised service will be located in an industrial complex in Macroom. Stages will be based in the west of the county, and the winner of the 2010 Citroën Irish Tarmac Rally Championship will be crowned on Sunday evening!

Marshall Meeting Locations – Cork ’20?

Posted: September 28, 2010 4:03 PM

• Munster Car Club

Cork 20 - Official Programmes Available

Posted: September 28, 2010 4:00 PM

Details on:

• Munster Car Club

Seeded Entry List available

Posted: September 23, 2010 9:50 AM

• Munster Car Club

Gareth Eyes First Tarmac Title

Posted: September 23, 2010 9:47 AM

With just a week to go before the 2010 Cork ‘20’ International Rally the list of competitors has been taking shape. Up to 150 cars will leave the start ramp at the Silversprings Moran Hotel on Saturday morning and with such a variety of machinery on show the fans are in for a treat on the classic and testing stages.

Leading the cars away on Saturday morning will be the Ford Focus WRC of Gareth MacHale and Brian Murphy. Gareth will be hoping for a repeat of his success on last years event and to secure his first Tarmac title.

Tim McNulty and Paul Kiely, fresh from their win on last weekends Clare Stages Rally, fill the number two slot in their Subaru Impreza WRC ahead of Darren Gass who will have Sean Mullaly on the notes.

Denis Cronin, third on last years event slots in at number five between another two title contenders Aaron McHale at four and Craig Breen at six. Craig has been setting some impressive times this year in the new generation Ford Fiesta S2000.

Local ace Darragh O’Riordan could be a likely contender for a podium finish in another Subaru Impreza WRC while the fourth Tarmac title contender Alastair Fisher will head the Group N category with four time Tarmac title winning co-driver Rory Kennedy in their Mitsubishi Evo 9. Owen Murphy and James O’Brien round off the top 10 entries in another Mitsubishi Evo 9.

Cork’s Barry Meade in his Ford Escort will lead the National event onto the first on Saturday morning. Also well positioned among the top twenty are fellow two wheel drive contenders Brian O’Mahony in a Renault Clio and Washington James in the Darrian.

Robert Barrable heads the Citroen Racing Trophy contenders and will be hoping to wrap up the series in Cork ahead of Marty McCormack who has instead elected to enter Rallye de France on the same weekend.

In the Historic category Todd Falvey tops the field in his Porsche 911 ahead of Mark Falvey in a Ford Escort.

Jonathan O’Callaghan and Gavin Sheehan in a Peugeot lead the Junior chargers ahead of Billy McCarthy in a Nissan Micra.

The 2010 Cork ‘20’ International Rally kicks off from the Silversprings Moran Hotel on Saturday morning 2nd October at 07:30 hrs with the crews returning to centralised service in Macroom Industrial Estate throughout the weekend.

Four stages will be repeated three times on the Saturday while another three stages will be repeated twice on Sunday.

The 2010 Citroen Irish Tarmac Rally Champion will be known when the first car is due back at the Silversprings Moran Hotel at 15:44 hrs on Sunday 3rd October.

Time & Distance Schedule / Final Instructions

Posted: September 22, 2010 2:39 PM

• Munster Car Club

Classic Stages Await Tarmac Battle

Posted: September 6, 2010 2:49 PM

The 2010 Cork ‘20’ International Rally was officially launched at the rally headquarters the Silver Spring Moran Hotel in Cork on last Friday evening. The large crowd in attendance included both Gareth and Aaron McHale and Craig Breen who are all committed to battling for this years tarmac crown in Cork on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd October.

On welcoming the rally to the area Deputy Mayor of County Cork Councillor Gerry Kelly said it was worth in the region of 4 – 5 million euro. Norina O’Callaghan of associate sponsor the Silver Springs Moran Hotel said they are delighted to have the rally based there for the first time in 12 years. And Brian Stinson of associate sponsor Orchard Motorsport made the long journey down from Armagh with his immaculate Ford Escort Mark II in tow for the launch.

Clerk of the Course Colman Hegarty is promising a tough test for competitors on the compact route which includes some classic stages on the western side of the county. A reminder that entries close on Friday next 10th September.
Regulations are available to download at

• Munster Car Club

Four Way Battle For Cork ‘20’

Posted: August 29, 2010 5:20 PM

Plans are now in full swing with the news that the organisers have now released the Supplementary Regulations and Entry Forms for the 2010 Cork ‘20’ International Rally to be held on 1st, 2nd and 3rd October. These can be downloaded from the event website along with other details needed for competitors and spectators alike to plan their trip to Cork.

This years event will boast no less than six different rallies, namely the Cork ‘20’ International Rally, the Cork ‘20’ National Rally, the Cork ‘20’ Historic Rally, the Cork ‘20’ Junior Rally, the Fiesta Sport Trophy and the Citroen Racing Trophy. The weekend will count towards seven individual championships, the Citroen Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the Citroen Irish Tarmac Historic Rally Championship, the Citroen Irish Tarmac Modified Championship, the Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland, the Ford Fiesta Sport Trophy Ireland, the Southern 4 Rally Championship and the Munster Car Club Championship.

The 2010 event which is jointly sponsored by Orchard Motorsport and Silversprings Moran Hotel Cork encompasses 160 competitive miles consisting of 15 stages over 2 legs and includes a number of old and “classic” Cork ‘20’ stages, keeping the tradition of this event which dates back to 1911 when the Cork ‘20’ was a 20 hour trial. (Hence the name Cork 20). Announcing rally details Clerk of the Course Colman Hegarty said “we have endeavoured to select a very competitive and testing route on this years event”.

Welcoming on board the joint associate sponsors, Colman also said “we are delighted to have Orchard Motorsport on board this year and it’s great to be able to return to the Silversprings Moran Hotel for the first time since 1998. This will also be rally headquarters while a centralised service park will be based in Macroom”.

With rallying now the 4th most watched sport in Ireland and attracting up to 20,000 visitors to Cork, this prestigious event will attract huge media and public interest to the region. Coming at a time when the traditional tourist season is coming to a close it is estimated that the Cork ‘20’ Rally is worth in the region of 4-5 million euro over the rally week.

The nail-biting finish in Ulster last weekend throws the Citroen Irish Tarmac Rally Championship wide open. No less than four drivers, Gareth McHale (56 pts), Alastair Fisher (52 pts), Aaron McHale (49 pts) and Craig Breen (43 pts) are now in contention for tarmac honours and with 24 points up for grabs for a win in Cork we are promised the most exciting finale in years in the battle for the overall championship title.

The 2010 Cork ‘20’ International Rally gets underway with a ceremonial start on the Saturday morning 2nd October before the action proper on the stages in the mid-Cork area.

The closing date for entries is fast approaching on 10th September so download your documentation now from the club website

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Promotional opportunities & Hotel Rate for Cork 20 Rally 2010

Posted: August 27, 2010 9:30 AM

Details on:

• Munster Car Club

Event Flyer/Poster

Posted: August 20, 2010 11:09 AM

Regulations available

Posted: August 20, 2010 11:03 AM

• Munster Car Club

Rally Launch - Friday 27th August

Posted: July 14, 2010 3:00 PM

Official launch of the 2010 Cork ‘20’ International Rally
Silver Springs Moran Hotel Cork at 8pm on Friday 27th August.

Cllr Gerry Kelly Deputy Mayor of Cork County, Kevin O’Riordan Deputy Clerk of the Course,
Colman Hegarty Clerk of the Course, Norina O’Callaghan Silversprings Moran Hotel Cork (Associate Sponsor),
Brian Stinson Orchard Motorsport (Associate Sponsor), Kathlyne Hegarty Event Secretary,
Carol O’Keeffe Press Launch
Photo: Michal Paruch (www.myrally.ie)

Cork ‘20’ Returns West

Posted: July 14, 2010 2:59 PM

Munster Car Club welcomes round 6 of the 2010 Citroen Irish Tarmac Rally Championship when it hosts the Cork ‘20’ International Rally on 2nd – 3rd October next.

We have endeavoured to select a very competitive and testing route on this years event including a number of old and “classic” Cork ‘20’ stages, keeping the tradition of this event which dates back to 1911 when the Cork ‘20’ was a 20 hour trial. (Hence the name Cork 20)

This year we are delighted to welcome on board our new associate sponsors Orchard Motorsport & The Silver Springs Moran Hotel which will be the HQ for this years event.

Once again the October weekend will be the final round of the Citroen Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and 50% bonus points will be awarded. Last years overall winner Gareth McHale is expected to lead a high class field in this years rally which will also be a counting round of the Historic Tarmac Rally Championship, Fiesta Sporting Trophy, Citroen Trophy and the Southern 4 Rally Championship.

Event Website / Details

Posted: January 1, 2010 12:01 AM

• Munster Car Club