Birr Stages Rally - 26 Feb 12

Top Part West Coast Rally Championship 2012 Round 1 Review

Posted: March 1, 2012 11:58 AM

Kerry’s Thomas Fitzmaurice and co driver Fionn Foley take the early lead in the 2012 Top Part West Coast Rally Championship after their superb victory on the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Stages Rally. The duo who were on only their second outing in their recently acquired Subaru S11 WRC lead from start to finish on the 9 stage event clocking in fastest stages times on SS 1,2,4 & 9 along with been joint fastest on Stages 7 & 8 and second fastest on SS 3,5 & 6. A gamble on tyre choice for the final loop of 3 stages paid dividends for the crew as they turned their 5 second advantage entering the final stage into a 17 second victory. Monaghan’s Niall Maguire and co driver Enda Sherry (Subaru S11 WRC) hold 2nd place ahead of Dublin’s Robert Barrable/Dermot O’Gorman (Skoda Fabia S2000) in 3rd overall and leaders of the Group N category. Limerick’s Colm Murphy (Subaru N12B) and his Co Cork co driver Don Montgomery are in 4th place, with Kildare’s Kevin Barrett (Subaru S11 WRC) and Limerick co driver Sean Mullally in 5th spot. Leading the 2 wheel drive category and 6th place overall are Tyrone’s Frank Kelly (Ford Escort MK11) and Cork co driver Liam Brennan. The crew put in a killing performance in Abbeyleix to finish 7th overall and winners of the 2 wheel drive award. In 7th place are 2011 Top Part West Coast Champions Mike Quinn & Grainne McEnery followed in 8th by 2010 champion Monaghan’s Shane Maguire and Fermanagh co driver Martin McGarrity. Limerick’s Frank Sweeney and Clare co driver Jane Cogan (Ford Escort MK11) hold 9th position as Monaghan’s Jim McKenna/Thomas Treanor round off the top 10 in their newly built Ford Escort MK11.

Junior Championship
Galway crew Damien and Joseph Boyle (Honda Civic) lead the Junior category from fellow Galwegians Dean Raftery/Ollie Ward (Honda Civic) in 2nd place. Cork’s Derek Butler/Aaron O Regan (Honda Civic) are in 3rd place ahead of Limerick crew John O’Connor/Ger Conway (Citroen C2R2) as the Honda Civic of Cork crew Padraig McCarty/Eoghan McCarty round off the top 5.

Historic Championship
Having switched from the co drivers seat to the drivers seat Kerry’s PJ O Dowd made a terrific start to his 2012 championship campaign with co driver John Young. The crew took their 1st overall victory together in their Talbot Sunbeam with a winning margin of 1 minute 20 seconds from 2011 Historic champions Denis Collins and Tommy Commane (Ford Escort MK1). In third place are Co Louth’s Philip McKibbin and Kerry co driver Padraig Brick in their pristine Ford Cortina followed in 4th place by Limerick’s David and Rita Dee (Mini Cooper)

Jennings - The highs & lows of rallying in one weekend!

Posted: February 29, 2012 2:32 PM

Garry Jennings experienced the true highs and lows of rallying over the weekend. It started on Saturday with overall victory at Fivemiletown Gravel Rally but ended with first stage retirement on Sunday’s opening round of the Dunlop Rally Championship in Birr.

Garry, who has had a phenomenal run of success over recent months started the Fivemiletown event as number one seed, often a severe disadvantage on gravel rallies as the leading car is forced to clear the loose gravel off the surface and create a cleaner line for the following cars. However, in his usual ‘hyper’ form Garry headed to stage one with the single focus of a day’s fun. Fastest time over the opening stage went to Colin Britton, with Garry a close two seconds in arrears. Stage two was a different story with the Subaru driver stamping his authority over the six mile test taking the lead from Britton and it was a lead he held till service despite a scare on SS4 when Garry, co-driven again on this occasion by Enniskillen’s Barry McNulty clipped a gate post and put the steering of the Mckinstry Motorsport prepared car out of line. Service followed and after a thorough check of the car Garry went on to consolidate his lead with a further three fastest stage times in the afternoon and take a 16 second win and the victory spoils.

It wasn’t a victory Garry could relax and enjoy however as he had to jump straight into his borrowed car and head south to Abbeyleix for the opening round of the Irish National Championship. This championship has brought the Kesh oil company owner success in the past with many GPN victories and some overall victories too. On the Thursday Garry received the call from Herbie Blackburn & McGeehan Motorsport offering the opportunity to drive one of the ex Eugene Donnelly championship winning Corolla WRC’s. There were however many obstacles to overcome. Firstly Garry had committed to the Fivemiletown event and would not retract his entry. The Corolla on offer was a left hand drive model and it had been nine years since the Irish GPN Champion tried his hand at driving from the opposite side. A few quick calls and everything was underway. The Birr club kindly accommodated the crew to complete their reconnaissance on Friday to allow Garry compete in Fivemiletown. Eugene Donnelly who last drove the famous Corolla to victory offered his left hand drive roadcar to allow Garry to familarise himself with the change and the McGeehan Motorsport team set about getting the Corolla ready.

Due to the time restraints there was no opportunity to test the car, in fact Garry and co-driver Herbie Blackburn’s first sighting of the car in the Jennings Fuels & Lubricants livery was when they crossed the start ramp and headed to the opening stage. The stage started well and Garry was getting acclimatised to the new machine when without warning they lost all front brakes. Thinking it was a burst pipe Garry pulled the car over to have a closer look but no leak could be found. With substantial time already lost and no sign of the offending problem Garry was forced to pull out of the event to avoid any risk of damaging the car. Later the car returned to service and it transpired that a seal in the brake cylinder had failed, most likely due to the lengthy period the car was idle. Normally these issues would have been ironed out with a pre-event test but that was not possible given the circumstances. It was a disappointing way to finish the weekend but hopefully we will get to see Garry in a WRC car before the season is out. Speaking from his Donegal Bay Fuels office on Monday morning Garry was upbeat
“I had a good weekend despite the disappointment of Birr. The stages in Fivemiletown were excellent, the car ran faultlessly and I was shocked at the strength of the Subaru. After clipping the gatepost I was sure the event was over for us. I am really enjoying being back on the gravel and still getting used to the car and trying to find the limits of it and the Kumho Tyres. I am hoping to contest the Carrick-On-Suir forest event this weekend. It has an exciting format with an afternoon loop of 3 stages totaling 34km followed by a repeat of the 3 stages under the cover of darkness. I must thank those around me for all their help last week, To be provided with the opportunity to drive a car, the caliber of the Corolla WRC is mind-blowing and I am very gracious to both Herbie Blackburn & McGeehan Motorsport of Draperstown for that. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be at the weekend but hopefully we can put something together to get out in the multiple championship winning car again in the near future. Also to Eugene Donnelly for kindly offering the lend of his left hand drive roadcar to acclimatise myself again.”

FITZMAURICE/FOLEY NET FIRST VICTORY IN THRILLING FINISH - Courtesy of Dunlop proud sponsors of the National Rally Championship

Posted: February 29, 2012 11:41 AM

THE opening round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally, was won by the Kerry crew of Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru WRC). In an absorbing tussle through all nine stages, they finished 17 seconds ahead of the Cork/Mayo combination of Brian O'Mahony/John Higgins, also in a Subaru WRC. Monaghan's, Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru WRC) were third ' 44 seconds further adrift.

The Group N category was won by Robert Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Skoda Fabia S2000) and Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Ford Escort) took victory in the Modified section.

Fitzmaurice (Subaru WRC) made a great start and punched in the best time on the opening stage ' three seconds ahead of both Brian O'Mahony (Subaru WRC) and Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC), who tied for second. Robert Barrable (Skoda Fabia S2000) was fourth ' eight seconds further behind and two ahead of the MG S2000 of Roy White. Colm Murphy (Subaru) held sixth overall. Late entry, Garry Jennings lost front brakes and then stalled the ex-Donnelly Toyota Corolla WRC and became the first major retirement when it wouldn't re-start.

Fitzmaurice also set the pace on the second stage while O'Mahony dominated the time sheets on the final stage of the loop. At the Rathdowney service halt, Fitzmaurice held a seven second advantage, like all the other drivers he remarked on the extremely slippery nature of the stages. A spin on the third stage illustrated the slippery conditions. O'Mahony took sole occupancy of second place with Barrable moving into third ' nine seconds further behind. Maguire stalled his Subaru on the final junction of the third stage, nevertheless, he held fourth ' a mere second behind Barrable. Murphy slotted into fifth from the Mitsubishi of Sam Moffett, who was 27 seconds behind the Limerick driver.

Top seed, Kevin Barrett struggled in the conditions, a hard slick was certainly not the correct tyre choice. Frank Kelly, who led the Mk. Escort brigade despite an overshoot and a full 360 degree spin on the third stage, was eighth overall. The Group N cars of Josh Moffett and Shane Maguire completed the top ten.

Meanwhile, Roy White crashed his MG S2000 out of the rally on the second test, a stage later, overseas driver, Steve Simpson, who had an altercation on the opening stage, went off the road and out of the rally.

The battle between Fitzmaurice and O'Mahony was intense over the second loop. The Kerry driver increased his lead to eight seconds after Stage four even though he had a major moment. O'Mahony was quickest through the remaining two stages to trim the deficit to five seconds. Maguire lost time with a puncture on the fifth stage but remained in third, albeit 27 seconds behind O'Mahony. Barrable retained fourth from Colm Murphy, who was probably the only driver looking for wet conditions.

Barrett was pleased with his performance through the second loop, he was sixth. Sam Moffett was another driver happy with his performance, he admitted to being off the pace on the opening loop.

Meanwhile, Kelly continued to set a cracking pace in the Modified category as he held a 31 second lead over Mike Quinn. The final place in the top ten was annexed by Josh Moffett (Mitsubishi). Declan Boyle (Escort) and Jonathan Pringle were just outside the top ten, the latter, seeded at 44 was worried about his Escort's head gasket.

On Stage 7, Fitzmaurice and O'Mahony shared the same time but the Cork driver lost around eight seconds when his Subaru drifted against a bank as he exited an intricate junction. Remarkably, the top three set identical time on the penultimate stage leaving Fitzmaurice with a five second advantage entering the final stage.

In a thrilling finish, tyre choice proved crucial as Fitzmaurice took victory by a margin of 17 seconds. The 38 year old, who netted his first win said,
'I enjoyed the first loop, then I had a big moment on the fourth stage. I really nailed it on the last stage, I gambled on tyres and it paid off. This win didn't come easy, Brian (O'Mahony) really pushed me to the limit, I was race fit from Galway.'

Obviously disappointed, O'Mahony was still delighted to have got 18 Dunlop championship points.
'I drove hard on S.S. 7 but then the tyres went off on the final stages, especially on the final stage.'

Former triple champion, Niall Maguire was third and Barrable, who admitted the fast stages didn't suit his Skoda S200, was fourth. Colm Murphy (Subaru) finished fifth. Meanwhile, Kevin Barrett took the Dunlop 'Drive of the Day' award, he made the most improvement on his opening stage loop times.

Driving a 2.5 Vauxhall engine Escort, Frank Kelly dominated the Modified section. The top ten was completed by Sam Moffett (Mitsubishi) and the Escorts of Declan Boyle and Mike Quinn.

Kerry's, PJ O'Dowd/John Young (Sunbeam) won the Historic category and victory in the Junior section went to Richard Moore/Richard Cleary (Honda Civic).

O‘Connor Motorsport Abbeyleix Adventures

Posted: February 29, 2012 11:01 AM

Both Kevin and Johnny O’Connor went to last weekend’s Abbeyleix stages as a learning exercise and it defiantly was that!

Kevin carried out 00 duties for the junior rally in his C2 MAX, and never really got into a good rhythm from the word go. On the first stage a problem with Kevin’s safety harness, forced them to stop and rectify them before it was safe to carry on. Stage two they started to settle back in and got into a good flow.
“We had a few small problems, but that’s the reason we went to this rally, to try and iron out all them small things before West Cork. It was Shane’s first time co-driving for me and we worked well together so it’s all systems go for West Cork now!”

Johnny too had an eventful day in the junior rally,
”It was an exciting day, the stages were crazy slippery so it was hard to get a feel for the new car and we didn’t want to risk anything on the first day out, we had a few small spins and overshoots but got one clean run and had a reasonable time on it”.

Johnny and Gerard have now registered for the Dunlop National Junior Championship so it is looking more likely that they will contest this instead of the Citroen Racing Trophy “We were in two minds what championship to do, but after seeing the publicity this championship can offer and the close competition between juniors this weekend, I think we will carry on with the National Junior Championship. Kerry is the next round and it is Gerard’s home rally so we will aim for that, and hopefully improve my stage times and get more consistent”.

O’Connor Motorsport would like to extend a big thank you to all the service crew, family, friends, SVS productions, The Windscreen Company, DM Motor Factors and RX Racing for all their help in preparation for this event.

Kevin’s next event will be the West Cork Rally. 17th &18th March

Johnny’s next event will be the Circuit Of Kerry Stages Rally. 1st April

Photos

Posted: February 28, 2012 11:21 AM

Linda Benson Motorsport Photography
James Burke Motorsport Photography
crspics.com - Counihan Rallysport Pictures

Results

Posted: February 28, 2012 11:05 AM

1 Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru Impreza WRC) 75m 59s,
2 Brian O’Mahony/John Higgins (Subaru Impreza WRC) 76m 16s,
3 Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru Impreza WRC) 77m 00s,
4 Robert Barrable/Dermot O’Gorman (Skoda Fabia S2000) 77m 16s,
5 Colm Murphy/Don Montgomery (Subaru Impreza N12B Gp N) 77m 34s,
6 Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Subaru Impreza WRC) 78m 36s,
7 Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Ford Escort MkII) 78m 47s,
8 Sam Moffett/James O’Reilly (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 79m 01s,
9 Declan Boyle/Brian Boyle (Ford Escort MkII) 79m 18s,
10 Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery (Ford Escort MkII) 79m 31s.

Motorsport Safety Team Group N Production class:
1 Robert Barrable/Dermot O’Gorman,
2 Colm Murphy/Don Montgomery,
3 Sam Moffett/James O’Reilly.

rally.ie Two wheel drive class:
1 Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan,
2 Declan Boyle/Brian Boyle,
3 Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery.

Historics:
1 P J O’Dowd/John Young (Sunbeam) 52m 35s, 2 Denis Collins/Tommy Commane (Escort) 53m 55s,
3 Philip McKibbin/Padraig Brick (Cortina) 55m 30s.

Juniors:
1 Richard Moore/Richard Cleary (Civic) 58m 26s,
2 Christopher Snow/Sean Brunton (Civic) 58m 37s,
3 Damien Boyle/Joseph Boyle (Civic) 58m 42s.

Leaders:
SS1-9 Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru Impreza WRC)

Stage Winners:
SS1 Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS2 Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS3 Brian O’Mahony/John Higgins (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS4 Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS5 Brian O’Mahony/John Higgins (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS6 Brian O’Mahony/John Higgins (Subaru Impreza WRC)
SS7 Bogey Time Beaten
SS8 Bogey Time Beaten
SS9 Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru Impreza WRC)

Full Results: results.shannonsportsit.ie (Angus Sealy)

Barrable Returns to Competitive Action on Weekends Birr Stages Rally

Posted: February 25, 2012 10:59 PM

Robert Barrable 2010 winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman award returns to competitive stages this weekend on the first round of the 2012 Dunlop National Rally Championship the Birr District Motor Clubs stages rally. The event with headquarters at the Manor Hotel in Abbeyleix will see Robert take to the wheel of his Skoda backed Fabia S2000 for the first time competitively since last season with the young Dubliner using the event as preparation for the forth coming Circuit of Ireland, which this year is a counting round of the IRC. Dermot O'Gorman will take up the co-driver’s seat in the Fabia alongside Robert; Dermot who formally called the notes for Robert's father Michael brings with him a wealth of experience and will work closely with Robert as he prepares for the IRC event in April this year.

In preparation for this Sunday's rally Robert and Dermot completed a day’s testing earlier this week, where they focused on car setup and tyre options for tarmac events.
"We completed over 120km of testing on Tuesday and I made some changes to the car setup which I am really happy with and feel should make a bit of a difference this weekend and for the season ahead. I am looking forward to getting back on the competitive stages IRC Scotland was my last real outing in the car and that was a gravel rally so it will be good to get back on tarmac and see how competitive we can be against the WRC machines" commented Robert.

The format for the rally will see Robert and Dermot compete on over 150km of stages in a traditional loop of three stages completed three times with centralised servicing based in the outlet centre in Rathdowney. The Skoda Fabia S2000 will be run this season by the CA1 Motorsport team owned and run by ex M-Sport mechanic and engineer Martin Wilkinson who is based in the UK.
"Martin has a lot of experience working with Skoda's having run John Stones Fabia in the UK Asphalt championship for a couple of seasons, I am looking forward to working with him and seeing what setup advice he can give me" mentioned Robert following the test. Following the Birr Stages Robert will continue his preparations for the Circuit of Ireland, and possibly an outing on the Kerry Stages rally in March.

Follow Roberts’s progress via his website www.robertbarrable.com or get news and updates as they happen by following him on twitter @RBarrableRally.

DUNLOP HEADS TO THE MANOR WITH FULL HOUSE - Courtesy of Dunlop proud sponsors of the National Rally Championship

Posted: February 25, 2012 10:56 PM

THE first of the eight round Dunlop National Rally Championship events blasts into action in Abbeyleix on Sunday next with the nine stage Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally. A cracking entry list is the perfect platform for the season opener with five WRC’s and an S2000 car amongst the top eight. The organisers, the Birr and District Motor Club, have attracted 130 entries along with 21 Junior crews and five crews in the Historic category.

Commenting prior to the series opener, Dunlop supremo, Richard Warbrick remarked,
“We welcome the new format, it brings value to the competitor. The inclusion of the National Mark 2 Escort Champions Trophy within the Dunlop series is a very important element of the series, the Mk. 2 Escort remains hugely popular, both with competitors and spectators and we are very conscious of the contribution that they make to Irish rallying. The quality of the entry in Abbeyleix is remarkable, it’s a fabulous start to the series.”

For top seed, Maynooth’s, Kevin Barrett (Subaru WRC), the season ahead offers another opportunity to secure his inaugural Dunlop title. A Dunlop regular for several seasons, Barrett gained his first Dunlop event victory in the 2010 Galway Summer Rally, however, since then, the top step of the Dunlop podium has eluded him.

Former triple champion, Monaghan’s, Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC), who won in 1999, 2002 and 2004, is finding that unprecedented fourth title quite difficult even though he has finished runner-up on numerous occasions.

Cork’s, Brian O’Mahony in a McKinstry run Subaru WRC is set to make a bid for the national title. A former karter, the Carrigaline driver, who is seeded at number three in Abbeyleix, won Class 6 in the Dunlop series a few seasons ago when he campaigned a Renault Clio S1600. He had his first ever experience of a Subaru WRC on last year’s Cork “20” and actually led the event for a short time, he retired early in the second day.

Former Billy Coleman award winner, Robert Barrable (Skoda Fabia S2000) is also competing in Abbeyleix. Last season, the young Dubliner made a great impression in Carlow and Cavan – finishing runner-up to Dunlop champion, Tim McNulty. Barrable actually won the Sligo round of the series.

Meanwhile, Garry Jennings is a dramatic late entry and will drive the ex-Donnelly Toyota Corolla WRC that should make for an even more fascinating encounter, he will be co-driven by the car’s owner, Herbie Blackburn.

After several years competing in a Mitsubishi, Kerry’s, Thomas Fitzmaurice has switched to a Subaru WRC and is set to compete in the full Dunlop series. He utilised the recent Galway International as a shakedown for the Dunlop campaign.
“I want to do the national series and get on top of my game. I’m really looking forward to it and I think it is going to be a good year. I don’t know where to pitch my pace but I want to work it up as the events go along. It is important not to get over confident with the car.”

Limerick’s, Colm Murphy took his Group N Subaru to third overall in last year’s event in Abbeyleix. There’s no doubt that he is capable of a similar result this time around.

Another late entry is that of Billy Coleman award winner, Sam Moffett, who won the Motorsport Safety Team Group N award in last year’s Dunlop series.

Wexford’s, James Stafford in his nimble Darrian will also be seeking a strong result on the nine stage encounter where he should be amongst the pacesetters in the two-wheel drive category, he led the category for a time last year but retired after the opening loop.

British driver, Steve Simpson (Subaru WRC) returns to Abbeyleix following his fourth place finish last year. He will be co-driven by 2010 Dunlop championship winning co-driver, Patrick Walsh.

Clonmel’s, Roy White (MG S2000), who had a number of outings in last year’s Dunlop campaign is seeded at number nine, his car has been fitted with a 2.4 Mountune engine for the 2012 season. Monaghan’s, Shane Maguire (Subaru) will make another bid to win the Motorsport Safety Team National Group N award. Opposition in the category in Abbeyleix also includes the promising Josh Moffett (Mitsubishi Evo IX) and Eugene Meegan in a Mitsubishi Evo IX, who is seeded directly behind Maguire.

One of the new awards for this year is the Dunlop National Mark 2 Escort Champions Trophy. On this opening round, Kerry’s, Mike Quinn is the top seeded Mk. 2 Escort driver. The opposition is fascinating with former rally.ie champion, Declan Boyle, last year’s rally.ie runner up, Frank Kelly, Camillus Bradley, Pat Donegan, Trevor Mulligan, Michael Conlon, Michael Curran, Neil Williams, Russell Woods, James Coleman and Aidan Walsh. The battle for supremacy should be intense throughout the nine stages.

Elsewhere, there are entries from the Citroen C2R2 trio of Peter Barrable, Kieran Daly and Graeme Colfer; Jason McSweeney (Honda Civic) and Joe Connolly (Ford Escort).

The top seeds in the Junior category are Meath’s, Christopher Snow, Kerry’s, David Fleming, Galway’s, Dean Raftery, Clare’s, Patrick Horan, Wexford’s, Leon Galvin and Cork’s, Derek Butler. Denis Collins and Whitby Moynan head the Historic entries.

Meanwhile, Richard Talbot, Chairman of the Dunlop National Rally Championship sub-committee remarked,
“We are delighted with the way the season is shaping up with over 130 cars entered for the opening round in terms of quality and quantity. The reduction in the number of events (from ten to eight, with the best six to count) has made the championship a more realistic goal for competitors. The Mk2 Dunlop Champions Trophy seems to have caught the imagination of Ireland's leading competitors and together with the rally.ie two-wheel drive award, we now have a championship that is even more attractive to a wider range of competitors in terms of classes and budgets.”

Garry Jennings to drive Toyota Corolla WRC

Posted: February 24, 2012 1:55 PM

Garry Jennings will drive a Toyota Corolla WRC at the Birr Stages Rally this Sunday

National Rally Championship takes off in Birr

Posted: February 24, 2012 1:54 PM

The first round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship takes place this weekend with all roads leading to Laois for the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally, which takes place across nine stages on Sunday. The event, which is being run by the Birr & District Motor Club, will see a capacity entry take to the roads around Rathdowney in a bid to get their National Rally Championship bids off to a perfect start.

Top seed for the event is Kevin Barrett alongside co-driver Sean Mullay in the Subaru WRC with Niall Maguire and Enda Sherry also expected to be competing for top spot as second seeds. With last year’s winner and reigning National Rally Champion Tim McNulty not entered the field is wide open. Kerry native Barrett will have his focus on taking this year’s title after finishing third last year so a good start in Abbeyleix is vital.

Maguire will also have his eyes on a title tilt after finishing just behind Barrett in fourth in last year’s championship standings. Also in the mix is Robert Barrable who will be the first driver to tackle the Birr event in a Super 2000 car when he joins the start line on Sunday in his Skoda Fabia. Barrable was victorious in Sligo in the Championship last year and will be hoping to make an early impression in this year’s battle for the Vard Memorial Trophy.

The Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally begins at 9am on Sunday morning as the cars leave the Manor Hotel car park with the Special Stage at Oldtown starting at 10am.

Entry List Update:

Posted: February 23, 2012 10:43 AM

Withdrawls
7 James Stafford Amy Ryan (Darrian T90 GTR
28 Aidan Walsh Jim Casey (Peugeot 205
33 Barry Ryan Cathal McGrath (Ford Escort
35 Peter Barrable Paddy Robinson (Citroen C2R2
35 Anthony Hand Emmet Sherry (Ford Escort
77Johnny Curran Mikey Walsh (Ford Escort
83 John Hade Sharon Nolan (Ford Escort
84 Brian Kirwan TBA (Peugeot 206
89 John Coughlan Mark Parsons (Ford Escort MK I
113 Pat Faughnan Amy Faughnan (Ford Escort
124 Con Mulcahy Johnathan Keane (Vauxhall Nova
127 Francis Kelly TBA (Honda Civic

J11 Stephen Faughnan Longford Brian Brady (Honda Civic

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES RECIEVED
145 Gary Jennings TBA (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9)
146 Ivan Byrne Leonard Ramsbottom (Ford Escort)
147 Mike Dolan Carey Moroney (Honda Civic)
148 Fergus Kelly TBA (Peugeot 205)
149 Michael Carbin TBA (Peugeot 205)
150 Denis Dineen Donal Dineen (Ford Escort)
151 Dan McCanny Martin Golliaghy (Ford Escort)
152 Ciaran O'Connell Gerard Buckley (Honda Civic)
153 Eamon Tuohy Fergus Queally (Ford Escort)
154 Gerard Dineen Anthony Madigan (Toyota Starlet)
155 Paddy O'Reilly TBA (Ford Escort G5)
156 Sam Moffett James Reilly (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9)
157 Ned Kelly Paul Kelly (Peugeot 106)
158 Thomas Lynch Stephen Delaney (Honda Civic)
159 John Lynch TBA (Citroen C2R2)

Programme Outlets

Posted: February 23, 2012 10:38 AM

All Roads Lead to Abbeyleix This Weekend

Posted: February 22, 2012 10:50 AM

All roads are leading too Abbeyleix for this weekend’s Birr & District Motor clubs annual tarmac stages rally. The Abbeyleix Manor Hotel sponsored event kicks off the first round of the Dunlop National, Loughran signs Midlands East and Top Part West Coast Rally Championships on Sunday morning.

There is a cracking entry list which consists of 5 World Rally cars and two Super 2000 cars in the top ten.

Blasting away at the front of the pack this weekend will be number 1 seed Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullay (Subaru WRC). Monaghan crew Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru WRC) are at number 2 with Carragaline’s Brian O Mahony/John Higgins making their 3rd appearance in a Mc Kinstry run (Subaru Impreza WRC )at number 3. Robert Barrable/Dermot O Gorman will make history this weekend being the first crew to tackle a Birr event in a Super 2000 rally car in their Skoda Fabia S2000 at 4. Colm Murphy/Don Montgomery will lead the first of the Group N production cars in a Subaru Impreza at no 5. The crew finished 3rd overall at last year’s event. Kerry crew of Thomas Fitzmorris/Fionn Foley will make their second outing in their newly acquired Subaru WRC S11 seeded no6. James Strafford/Amy Ryan will lead the 2wd cars in the class 14 battle at no 7 while English crew Steve Simpson/Patrick Walsh (Subaru wrc) are the 8th car away. Clonmel’s Roy White (no9) has just fitted a 2.4 Montune engine to his Rover MG super 2000 while Shane Maguire (Subaru Impreza) completes the top ten.

This nine stage event kicks off Sunday morning with the cars leaving the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel car park from 9am with special stage one (Oldtown) starting at 10am. After completing stages 2 (Clough) and 3 (Harristown) the cars will return to the Rathdowney shopping outlet from 11am for the service halt.

Mechanical Scrutiny takes place at Oliver Stanleys garage Durrow from 2pm Saturday. Trailer Park will be opposite scrutiny with Parce Ferme in the car park beside the hotel.

There is a strong local contingent part taking in this event with Templemore crew Paul O Brien/John Kinihan (no38) competing in a newly built class 11 Honda Civic followed closely by Nenaghs Andrew Slattery/Shaun Forde (Subaru Impreza).

The class 13 battle continues with William Cavanagh/Oliva Cowen,Eoin Woods/TBA , John Cavanagh/John Nolan and Kieran Guinan/Alan Higgins all driving Ford Escort Mk2s. Durrows Oliver Stanley/Edward Thompson will be out in their newly built Ford Focus, followed by Mark Kane also in a new car a Mk2 Escort. Nenaghs Davey Forde/Cecil Doak will be out in their class 15 Subaru Impreza. Ballacollas Mark Kirwin will be co-driving for Joey Carroll in a Citroen C2R2,while brother Brian will be driving his Peugeot 206. Borris-on-ossarys Frank Dwyer is swapping the passenger seat for the driver’s seat for this year’s rally driving his Ford Ka with Barry Foyle doing an opposite swap and Navigating for Tommy Kelly in a Honda Civic. Keith Murray will navigate David Fitzsimons in a class 13 escort with Robert Lewis returning to the stages after a two year absence. Athlone crew Aidan Cuniffe/Jason Walker are also making a return this year closely followed by Mike Garahy/Nial Keane in their Escort. Whitby Moynan is tackling the Historic category again this year with a new co-driver Pat Gubbins from Nenagh with Birr Crew Ray O Brien/Nicky Egan also competing in a Mini.

Finally help is also required and anyone intending on marshalling or helping out in any way is asked to contact (087-2156419 / +353 87-2156419).

Rally programmes will also be available in Rathdowney, Durrow and Abbeyleix from Friday. The club would also like to wish Clerk of The course Bill Ryan and his team the very best of luck in the running of the rally this weekend.

Remember safety first, Keep The Race In Its Place and please obey all Rally Marshalls.

Final Instructions / Scrutiny Slot Times

Posted: February 22, 2012 10:47 AM

Birr Stages Rally - 26 Feb 12 - FINAL INSTRUCTIONS No 1
Birr Stages Rally - 26 Feb 12 - Scrutiny Slot Times

Birr Motor Club

Marshall's Meeting Points

Posted: February 21, 2012 1:50 PM

SS1 Corcorans Bar, Rathdowney, 7.30 AM
SS2 SuperValu Car Park, Rathdowney, 8.00AM
SS3 Corcorans Bar, Rathdowney, 8.30AM

For more info contact 087-2156419 / +353 87-2156419

O'Connor Motorsport Pre Birr Press Release

Posted: February 21, 2012 1:37 PM

Limerick brothers Kevin and Johnny O’Connor are both planning on the making the trip to the Abbeyleix Manor Stages rally this weekend as a warm up for the forthcoming West Cork rally & round one of the Citroen Racing Trophy. Kevin will be performing 00 duties in his ex Marty Mc Cormack C2 Max while Johnny will be competing in the junior section driving the older version R2 that Kevin used to great effect in 2011.

Speaking on Monday Kevin said:
“This rally is purely a brief test for West Cork, I only drove this car once before in competition, so I still have a lot of learning to do, and it will also give Shane and I a chance to work together before the championship starts”. Kevin has 2009 winning CRT co-driver Shane Buckley co-driving for this season.

Older brother Johnny is also taking a learning approach:
“It’s my first time competing in a front wheel drive car and left hand drive, so we are in at the deep end! We have a bit of testing done and I am definitely getting more confident with it but no doubt it will take time” Johnny has his regular co-driver Gerard Conway in the hot seat this year.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: February 19, 2012 2:07 PM

Car No. Driver /Navigator (Car) [Class]
1 Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
2 Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
3 Brian O'Mahony/John Higgins (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
4 Robert Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Skoda Fabia S2000) [4]
5 Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
6 Colm Murphy/Don Montgomery (Subaru Impreza N12) [4]
7 James Stafford/Amy Ryan (Darrian T90 GTR) [14]
8 Steve Simpson/Patrick Walsh (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
9 Roy White/James O'Brien (MG ZR) [15]
10 Shane Maguire/Martin McGarrity (Subaru Impreza N11) [4]
11 Eugene Meegan/Brian Sharkey (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) [4]
12 Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery (Ford Escort Mk II) [14]
14 Declan Boyle/Brian Boyle (Ford Escort Mk II) [14]
15 Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Ford Escort Mk II) [14]
16 Camillus Bradley/Crawford Henderson (Ford Escort Mk II) [14]
17 Pat Donegan/Andrew Donoghue (Ford Escort Mk II) [14]
18 Josh Moffett/Domhnall Lennon (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [4]
19 Trevor Mulligan/Declan Smith (Ford Escort Mk II) [14]
20 Michael Conlon/TBA (Ford Escort Mk II) [13]
21 Michael Curran/Sean Hayde (Ford Escort Mk II) [14]
22 Neil Williams/Eurig Davies (Ford Escort Mk II) [13]
23 Russell Woods/Gary Gallagher (Ford Escort Mk II) [13]
24 Padraic Cummins/Graham Kelly (Ford Escort Mk II) [13]
25 Conor Watters/Patrick McHugh (Ford Escort Mk II) [14]
26 Jim McKenna/Thomas Treanor (Ford Escort Mk II) [14]
27 James Coleman/Kaye Shanahan (Ford Escort Mk II) [13]
28 Aidan Walsh/Jim Casey (Peugeot 205) [13]
29 Sean Moran/TBA (Toyota Corolla) [13]
30 Peter Cummins/Donal Balfe (Darrian T90) [13]
31 Jason McSweeney/Denis O'Mahony (Honda Civic) [11]
32 Kieran Daly/Keith Moriarty (Citroen C2R2) [6]
33 Barry Ryan/Cathal McGrath (Ford Escort) [11]
34 Graeme Colfer/Brian Ward (Citroen C2R2) [6]
35 Peter Barrable/Paddy Robinson (Citroen C2R2) [6]
36 Anthony Hand/Emmet Sherry (Ford Escort) [11]
37 Neil Pierce/Enda O'Leary (Honda Civic) [11]
38 Paul O'Brien/John Kinahan (Honda Civic) [11]
39 Moss Fitzgerald/Alistair Wyllie (Toyota Corolla) [11]
40 Andrew Slattery/Shaun Forde (Subaru Impreza) [4]
41 Frank Sweeney/Jane Cogan (Ford Escort) [13]
42 Eamon Dervan/Keith Gardiner (Ford Escort) [13]
43 William Cavanagh/Olivia Coen (Ford Escort) [12]
44 Jonathan Pringle/Martin Byrne (Ford Escort) [13]
45 Patrick Kiernan/Darren O'Brien (Ford Escort) [10]
46 Joe Connolly/TBA (Ford Escort) [14]
47 Tommy Mason/Damien Fleming (Ford Escort) [13]
48 Pat Barry/Stephen O'Connell (Ford Escort) [14]
49 Larry Brady/Ann Brady (Ford Escort) [14]
50 Andrew Fanning/Derek Gibbs (Ford Puma) [6]
51 Gene Callan/Sean Brunton (Ford Escort) [12]
52 Eoin Woods/TBA (Ford Escort) [13]
53 Kieran Guinan/Alan Higgins (Ford Escort) [12]
54 John Cavanagh/John Nolan (Ford Escort) [13]
55 Paddy O'Rourke/Tony Healy (Ford Escort) [13]
56 Liam Bowhan/Ged Kennedy (Toyota Starlet) [13]
57 Oliver Stanley/Edward Thompson (Ford Focus) [13]
58 Mark Kane/Colin Fitzgerald (Ford Escort) [13]
59 David Forde/Cecil Doak (Subaru Impreza) [15]
60 Paddy McVeigh/Stephen O'Hanlon (Subaru Impreza N12B) [4]
61 Liam Higgins/Mike Ward (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7) [4]
62 Neil Tohill/Gerard Tohill (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [4]
63 Willie Lawrence/Donal Ryan (Ford Escort) [13]
64 Joey Carroll/Mark Kirwan (Citreon C2) [11]
65 David Geraghty/Lisa O'Dowd (Ford Escort) [11]
66 Stephen Carey/Breda O'Driscoll (Honda Civic) [3]
67 David Donoghue/Andrew Browne (Citreon C2) [11]
68 Alan Gibbons/David Gibbons (Honda Civic) [11]
69 Pa Bellew/Andres Reid (Ford Escort MkII) [9]
70 Colin Byrne/Brian Quinlan (Ford Puma) [9]
71 Roger Donnan/Pierce Doheny (Ford Puma) [6]
72 Alan Fair/Jarlath Conneely (Honda Civic) [6]
73 Billy Hayes/Pat Knox (Honda Civic) [3]
74 Paul Browne/Margaret Browne (Honda Civic) [11]
75 Anthony Tuttle/Sean Kiernan (Ford Escort) [13]
76 Ryan Loughran/James McCarville (Ford Escort) [11]
77 Johnny Curran/Mikey Walsh (Ford Escort) [13]
78 Stephen McCann/James McCann (EVO 7) [15]
79 Tommy Kelly/Barry Foyle (Ford Escort) [10]
80 Eddie Kennelly/Ciara O'Connell (Ford Escort) [10]
81 Dan Gorman/Luke McRedmond (Ford Escort) [13]
82 David Fitzsimons/Keith Murray (Ford Escort) [13]
83 John Hade/Sharon Nolan (Ford Escort) [13]
84 Brian Kirwan/TBA (Peugeot 206) [13]
85 Gerard Hodgins/Adian Kelly (Opel Manta) [13]
86 John Kenny/Peter Leahy (Ford Escort) [13]
87 Paul Lacey/Arthur Walshe (Ford Escort G3) [13]
88 Michael Dowling/David Dowling (Ford Escort) [12]
89 John Coughlan/Mark Parsons (Ford Escort MK I) [12]
90 Adrian Cannon/Pauric Keeney (Honda Civic) [2]
91 Justin Comer/Shane Reidy (Honda Civic) [6]
92 Jason Roycroft/Nicole O'Shea (Honda Civic) [2]
93 Rob Lewis/TBA () [2]
94 Michael Ormond/Paddy King (Honda Civic) [3]
95 Stephen O'Connor/Mark O'Connor (Toyota Corolla) [15]
96 John Collins/Jason O'Brien (Honda Civic) [7]
97 John O'Donnell/Philip McDonald (Peugeot 205 RWD) [10]
98 Fergal O'Connell/Mark Deery (Toyota Starlet) [10]
99 Aidan Cunniffe/Jason Walker (Peugeot 205) [10]
100 Frank Dwyer/Michelle Stafford (Ford KA) [5]
101 George Whelan/Noel McMahon (Honda Civic) [11]
102 Trevor Hutton/Tristen Hutton (Ford KA) [9]
103 Mike Garahy/Niall Keane (Ford Escort) [10]
104 Kieran Feeney/Stephen Greaney (Honda Civic) [6]
105 Sean O'Carroll/Ian Stanley (Ford Escort) [13]
106 Mike Costello/Paddy Costello (Ford Escort) [11]
107 Martin McLaughlin/Danny McLaughlin (Ford Escort) [11]
108 Michael Conneely/Aisling Grimes (Honda Civic) [2]
109 David Cleary/Padraig Denton (Honda Civic) [2]
110 Paul McMahon/Cathal Quil (Peugeot 106) [6]
111 Brendan Dunne/Brendan Murphy (Honda Civic) [2]
112 Paul Horan/Ross Forde (Peugeot 106) [6]
113 Pat Faughnan/Amy Faughnan (Ford Escort) [11]
114 Anthony Breen/James Kelly (Subaru WRC) [8]
115 Paul Rowley/Gerard Rowley (Honda Civic) [2]
116 Michael McNamara/Graham Amond (Ford Escort) [11]
117 Shane Moriarty/Ella Ryan (Toyota Corolla) [11]
118 Paul Murphy/Fergal Heney (Toyota Corolla) [11]
119 Paul O'Connell/Bernard Geoghegan (Honda Civic) [11]
120 Stephen Healy/Enda Fallon (Toyota Corolla) [11]
121 John Feeney/Ann-Marie Carroll (Honda Civic) [11]
122 Kevin Bourke/James Lowry (Honda Civic) [11]
123 Matt Behan/David O'Brien (Peugeot 205 GTI) [10]
124 Con Mulcahy/Johnathan Keane (Vauxhall Nova) [10]
125 Richie Dalton/Gary Yeates (Honda Civic) [2]
126 John O'Keeffe/TBA (Ford Escort) [12]
127 Francis Kelly/TBA (Honda Civic) [2]
128 Ronan Lally/Brian Forde (Subaru Impreza) [11]
129 Albert Dalton/Anita Furlong (Peugeot 106) [9]
130 Sean Loftus/Stephanie Loftus (Honda Civic) [11]
131 Raymond O'Brien/Nicky Egan (Austin Mini) [9]
132 Denis Collins/Tommy Commane (Ford Escort) [17]
133 Whitby Moynan/Pat Gubbins (Austin Mini) [17]
134 David Dee/Rita Dee (Austin Mini) [17]
135 Philip McKibbin/Padraig Brick (Ford Cortina) [17]
136 PJ Dowd/John Young (Talbot Sumbeam) [17]
137 Patrick Coyle/Sean McCullagh () [11]
139 Michael Britton/Kevin Lamart (Ford Escort) [10]
141 Joe Moffett/Fintan Burke () [2]
142 Timmy Ahern/Conor Galvin (Peugeot 205) [10]
143 Liam Graham/Shane Kenny () [11]
144 Ben Denny/Larry Power () [10]

Juniors
Car No. Driver /Navigator (Car) [Class]
J1 Christopher Snow/Sean Brunton (Honda Civic) [16]
J2 David Fleming/Kieran Doherty (Honda Civic) [16]
J3 Dean Raftery/Ollie Ward (Honda Civic) [16]
J4 Patrick Horan/Patrick Baker (Vauxhall Nova) [16]
J5 Leon Galvin/Ger Foley (Ford Escort) [16]
J6 Derek Butler/Aaron O'Regan (Honda Civic) [16]
J7 Richard Moore/Richard Cleary (Honda Civic) [16]
J8 John O'Connor/Ger Conway (C2R2) [16]
J9 David Carmody/Mark O'Sullivan (Honda Civic) [16]
J10 Darren Noonan/Niamh Ryan (Honda Civic) [16]
J11 Stephen Faughnan/Brian Brady (Honda Civic) [16]
J12 Bernard Foley/Paul Towmey (Honda Civic) [16]
J14 Damien Boyle/Joseph Boyle (Honda Civic) [16]
J15 Barry Brady/Sean Brady (Honda Civic) [16]
J16 Colin Roche/Sarah Whelan (Toyota Starlet) [16]
J17 Anthony Keating/Kevin Enright (Ford Escort) [16]
J18 Padraig McCarthy/Eoghan McCarthy (Honda Civic) [16]
J19 Colin Duffy/Sam Johnston (Peugeot 205) [16]
J20 Jill White/Grace O'Brien (Honda Civic) [16]
J21 Bobby Hennessy/Sarah Jane Stamp (Honda Civic) [16]
J22 Michael Fitzgibbon/Tom Ryan (Honda Civic) [16]

Time and Distance

Posted: February 19, 2012 2:06 PM

Birr Stages Rally - 26 Feb 12 - Time and Distance Schedule

Entries Received

Posted: February 13, 2012 3:21 PM

Driver /Navigator [Class]
Adrian Cannon/Pauric Keeney [2]
David Cleary/Padraig Denton [2]
Michael Conneely/Aisling Grimes [2]
Paul Rowley/Gerard Rowley [2]
Richie Dalton/Gary Yeates [2]
Rob Lewis/TBA [2]
Michael Ormond/Paddy King [3]
Andrew Slattery/Shaun Forde [4]
Liam Higgins/Mike Ward [4]
Neil Tohill/Gerard Tohill [4]
Paddy McVeigh/Stephen O'Hanlon [4]
Colm Murphy/Don Montgomery [4]
Eugene Meegan/Brian Sharkey [4]
Frank Dwyer/Michelle Stafford [5]
Graeme Colfer/Brian Ward [6]
Justin Comer/Shane Reidy [6]
Kieran Daly/Keith Moriarty [6]
Paul McMahon/Cathal Quil [6]
Roger Donnan/Pierce Doheny [6]
Anthony Breen/James Kelly [8]
Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley [8]
Pa Bellew/Andres Reid [9]
Trevor Hutton/Tristen Hutton [9]
Aidan Cunniffe/Jason Walker [10]
Fergal O'Connell/Mark Deery [10]
John O'Donnell/Philip McDonald [10]
Alan Gibbons/David Gibbons [11]
Anthony Hand/Emmet Sherry [11]
David Donoghue/Andrew Browne [11]
George Whelan/Noel McMahon [11]
Jason McSweeney/Denis O'Mahony [11]
Martin McLaughlin/Danny McLaughlin [11]
Michael McNamara/Graham Amond [11]
Mike Costello/Paddy Costello [11]
Moss Fitzgerald/Alistair Wyllie [11]
Paul Browne/Margaret Browne [11]
Paul Murphy/Fergal Heney [11]
Paul O'Connell/Bernard Geoghegan [11]
Shane Moriarty/Ella Ryan [11]
Stephen Healy/Enda Fallon [11]
Edward Kennedy/TBA [11]
John Feeney/Ann-Marie Carroll [11]
Joey Carroll/Mark Kirwan [11]
Gene Callan/Sean Brunton [12]
John Coughlan/Mark Parsons [12]
Michael Dowling/David Dowling [12]
William Cavanagh/Olivia Coen [12]
Dan Gorman/Luke McRedmond [13]
David Fitzsimons/Keith Murray [13]
Eamon Dervan/Keith Gardiner [13]
Eoin Woods/TBA [13]
Frank Sweeney/Jane Cogan [13]
Ger Hodgins/TBA [13]
James Coleman/Kaye Shanahan [13]
John Hade/Sharon Nolan [13]
John Kenny/TBA [13]
Johnny Curran/Mikey Walsh [13]
Jonathan Pringle/Martin Byrne [13]
Neil Williams/Eurig Davies [13]
Oliver Stanley/Edward Thompson [13]
Paddraic Cummins/Graham Kelly [13]
Paul Lacey/Arthur Walshe [13]
Peter Cummins/Donal Balfe [13]
Sean O'Carroll/Ian Stanley [13]
Tommy Mason/Damien Fleming [13]
Willie Lawrence/Donal Ryan [13]
Russell Woods/Gary Gallagher [13]
Sean Moran/TBA [13]
Camillus Bradley/Crawford Henderson [14]
Michael Curran/Sean Hayde [14]
Pat Barry/Stephen O'Connell [14]
Pat Donegan/Andrew Donoghue [14]
Trevor Mulligan/Declan Smith [14]
Joe Connolly/TBA [14]
David Forde/Cecil Dwoak [15]
Stephen O'Connor/Mark O'Connor [15]
Anthony Keating/Kevin Enright [16]
Bernard Foley/Paul Towmey [16]
Colin Duffy/Sam Johnston [16]
Colin Roche/Sarah Whelan [16]
Darren Noonan/Niamh Ryan [16]
David Carmody/Mark O'Sullivan [16]
Dean Raftery/Ollie Ward [16]
Derek Butler/Aaron O'Regan [16]
Jill White/Grace O'Brien [16]
Padraig McCarthy/Eoghan McCarthy [16]
Patrick Horan/Patrick Baker [16]
Richard Moore/Richard Cleary [16]
Denis Collins/Tommy Commane [17]
Philip McKibbin/Padraig Brick [17]
Whitby Moynan/Pat Gubbins [17]
Billy Hayes/Pat Knox [TBA]

Press Release

Posted: January 13, 2012 11:08 PM

Sunday 26th of February 2012 is a date for your diary. Its sees the return of the Birr & District Motor clubs annual tarmac stages rally to Abbeyleix. Clerk of the course Bill Ryan and his hard working team are putting the finishing touches to months of preparations into this ever so popular event.

The club are delighted to welcome the Manor Hotel Abbeyleix back on board as main title sponsors of this event and we thank them for their support since we moved the rally to the town of Abbeyleix back in 2010.

Again this year were are privileged to be hosting the first round of the Dunlop National Rally championship, which this year has introduced a new section into their championship consisting of a MK 2 championship for all their counting rounds. We will also be round one of the ever so popular Loughran signs Midlands East and Top Part West Coast Rally championships.

This year’s event is almost similar to that of last years. There will be 3 Special stages, all of which will be competed on 3 times, two 20km stages and a 17km stage. Rally Headquarters will be the Manor Hotel in Abbeyleix with parce ferme in the hotel car park.
Mechanical scrutiny will be held on Saturday 26th of February in Durrow beside Oliver Stanley’s garage on the Cork rd, with trailer park across the road. On Sunday morning the crews will be servicing in the car park of the Brand Central Shopping Outlet in Rathdowney.
Entry fee for the main field is €495(9 stages), Juniors+Historics €250(6) stages with a total of 150km approx road miles.

The Regulations for this event can be downloaded below.

The 26th of February is fast approaching so get those entries in. For more information log onto www.birrmotorclub.com or contact 087-6931369 / +353 87-6931369

Regulations / Entry Form

Posted: January 13, 2012 10:51 PM

Birr Stages Rally - 26 Feb 12 - REGULATIONS
Birr Stages Rally - 26 Feb 12 - ENTRY FORM

Flyer / Details

Posted: December 21, 2011 12:16 AM

Club Website

Posted: December 21, 2011 12:11 AM

Birr Motor Club