Killarney International Rally of Lakes - 4-5 May 19

Posted: May 3, 2019 4:52 PM - 26452 Hits

Round 4 - 2019 Tarmac Rally Championship
Round 2 - 2019 Southern 4 Rally Championship

Live Results: results.shannonsportsit.ie (Angus Sealy)
News Updates - Radio Kerry - See Details/Times Below
Event Website: Rally of the Lakes (Killarney)
No Facebook Live Reports from Onthepacenote.com - See Below
SS1 - Sat - 09:10
SS9 - Sun - 08:30

Radio Kerry Live Coverage Times

Posted: May 3, 2019 4:52 PM

Saturday

Sunday

No Facebook Live Reports from Onthepacenote.com this weekend

Posted: May 3, 2019 4:51 PM

Preview Video from Paul Nagle

Posted: May 2, 2019 3:05 PM

Devine Looking To Up The Pace In The Kingdom.

Posted: May 2, 2019 2:17 PM

Former Motorsport Ireland Young Rally Driver of the Year, Callum Devine, who has proved a leading light in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship this season, is aiming to build on his impressive showings over the last 2 rounds, as the series heads south to County Kerry for the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes. Devine, who missed the season opening round in Galway, produced an eye catching drive on the West Cork International Rally to claim 6th overall and followed this up with a 4th place finish in Antrim on the UAC Easter Stages Rally where he and co-driver Brian Hoy claimed 3 fastest times and were in contention for the runner up spot, behind WRC star Craig Breen, until a power steering issue intervened.

The Derry driver has been satisfied with his progress to date, especially as he has had much less time in R5 cars than his rivals. “It’s been a positive start to the year” said Devine ahead of the weekend. “I am really pleased with how I’ve got to grips with the R5 Ford Fiesta this year and I’m enjoying building on my Junior World Rally Championship experience from 2018, I’m only realising now just how much both myself and Brian learned last year. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of the Rally of the Lakes this weekend and have good memories of the event, having taken victory in the R2 class there in 2015 and 2016. The rally includes some of the most challenging stages in Ireland and with some interesting configuration changes this year, it might provide for a few surprises on the results. I was very happy with my pace on day 2 of the Easter Stages but I need to try and maintain that level of speed now. I’m sure the rally organisers are going to lay on a fantastic event for its 40th anniversary and I’m really looking forward to it.”

This year’s Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes gets underway on Friday evening with the traditional ceremonial start in the Fair Hill Car Park in Killarney which will give fans the ideal chance to see Callum’s FYTH/Curran Gate backed Ford Fiesta R5 up close. The rally gets underway in earnest on Saturday morning with a trio of classic Kerry stages, with the traditional Molls Gap test opening the event followed by Ardgroom and Cods Head which will run in the opposite direction to usual. The Healy Pass will also be run in reverse and repeated along with Ardgroom and Cods head before a blast through the Kilmakilloge stage to finish the day. Sunday will see a further 8 tests, including 2 runs over Molls Gap and Gortnagane before the leading cars return to the finish ramp at the Gleneagle Hotel shortly after 5pm.

Giving his final thoughts ahead of the rally, Callum remained hopeful of his chances;
“There is a very high level of competition in the Irish Tarmac Championship this year, especially with the likes of Craig Breen tackling the series. It has given everyone a fantastic benchmark, particularly now that we’re in equal machinery. Competing against a driver of that level means you have to raise your game and hopefully I can build on my performances to date this weekend.”

To keep up to date with Callum throughout the weekend, make sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

No Joy for James in Carlisle But R5 Killarney Adventure Awaits!

Posted: May 2, 2019 2:14 PM

For Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award winner James Wilson and his co-driver Arthur Kierans, round three of the British Rally Championship (BRC), the Pirelli Rally in the Kielder forest complex last weekend was not a lucky one.
On the first stage the crew suffered a time consuming puncture and on stage two the crew retired the Peugeot 208 R2 with persistant oil pressure warnings, and suspected oil pump problems.

“Both Arthur and myself were pretty gutted. On Wednesday we had tested the car and combined with a good recce, everything was in place for a real challenge for Junior victory at the rally. Not far off the start of stage one however we got the first oil light flicker and on an early corner the car actually cut out, putting us off line slightly and we must had touched something to pick up a puncture. We made it to stage two after losing over a minute on the first test, but with the oil pressure dropping we had to make the decision to retire and save the engine. My focus now more than ever for the remaining BRC campaign is to go for it on each rally, really strive for victories, focus on our speed rather than consistency. The next round on the smooth tarmac in Belgium for the Ypres Rally on 28th-29th June is one that I am very much looking forward to, after gaining valuable experience last year, so all is not lost.”

Instead of the team dwelling on the disappointment, there is now mega-excitement, as thanks to the development programme in the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, James and Arthur will line up for this weekend’s Killarney International Rally in a Philip Case Rally Sport (PCRS) Hyundai i20 R5.
“We will be lining up at number nineteen in the car that Tom Cave took to victory in Carlisle. It’s a proven car, a big step up from the R2 machine and it’s the fortieth anniversary of the Cartell.ie Killarney Rally of the Lakes. With over 230 kilometres of competitive driving on those epic roads in store I simply cannot wait! The challenging Cods Head and Ardgroom tests are ones that I enjoyed on previous visits, and of course the Tim Healy Pass, Molls Gap and Gortnagane are included in the classic stage menu, so it promises to be a fantastic rally. Our main aim is to get the finish, and get in all of the valuable miles in the R5 car. We need to bed ourselves in on the first day, with the plan to up the pace on Sunday, but as we know anything can happen in rallying!”

Thanks to Motorsport Ireland, Sport Ireland and support from Rigual SA, Road Tankers Armagh, the Michelin shod Hyundai i20 R5 will cross the Friday evening ceremonial start in Killarney, before setting of on Saturday morning for eight of the sixteen stages to be traversed in this two day rally adventure. “Doing a two day event is a real bonus for gaining extra experience with the car. After the brief runs in the Hyundai on the Motorsport Academy development days, and today’s test with the PCRS team, we are feeling happy and excited about the rally ahead.”

It’s a significant weekend ahead for the young engineer, as he will will have to adapt to four-wheel drive and turbo-charging, against a line up of vastly experienced and rapid R5 driver’s. It’s an important weekend in the Armagh driver’s rallying career as the R5 car is next step up from the front wheel drive R2 machine, and thousands of avid fans will be lining the hedge-rows to witness the team’s progress.

Breen heads to Killarney in a strong championship position

Posted: May 2, 2019 2:13 PM

Craig Breen and Paul Nagle (Ford Fiesta R5) will be looking to take a step closer to winning the 2019 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship when they tackle this weekend’s Cartell.ie International Rally of the Lakes in Killarney. This popular event is the fourth of a seven round series that has seen Breen win all the rounds to date and hold a fifteen-point advantage in the championship. For co-driver Paul Nagle who is a KDMC member it would be a dream come through to win his home international rally for the first time with this year also being the 40th running of the event.

As usual there will be a strong line up of drivers looking to topple Breen, something that hasn’t happened to date, but hasn’t been for the want of trying from his rivals. Alastair Fisher & Gordon Noble is second in the championship following two second places and a fifth place on the recent UAC Easter Stages Rally. Alastair has provided the biggest threat to Breen this season and if he can get ahead it should make for a fascinating tussle. Josh Moffett in third place has found Killarney somewhat of a challenge in recent years with an accident three years ago and persistent mechanical problems last year putting out of the running on each occasion. He has still to reach the form of last year when he won the Tarmac title, but don’t rule out a spirited defence of his crown for the remainder of the season.

Sam Moffett is a previous winner of the event and always enjoys the Killarney stages and after a subdued year by his standards to date will be looking to lay down a marker here. Robert Barrable and Desi Henry were perhaps the stars of the 2018 rally, with Barrable leading overnight before he was overhauled on the quick Sunday stages. Henry showed good form on the recent UAC Easter Stages with a fine second place and will be looking to build on that in Kerry. Callum Devine has also impressed on his two outings to date with only mechanical problems dropping him out of second place on the last round. Jonny Greer & Daniel Cronin have some experience of the Killarney stages with Greer lying in join third in the championship, while Cronin will be doing his local international and will be hoping for better luck than in West Cork when an overheating engine put him out.

Last years winner Manus Kelly is in a Hyundai i20 R5 this year and has found the switch to LHD a challenging one. Nonetheless the Donegal driver is nothing if not determined and last year’s winner will be keen to get more miles in his new car before his home international in June. Young Welsh driver Meirion Evans attempts Killarney in his Hyundai having shown flashes of pace so far this season and with more consistent times can muscle his way into the reckoning. Billy Coleman Award winner James Wilson will also be R5 mounted over the weekend as he makes the step up into a Hyundai and should be a great experience for the Armagh driver. Willie Mavitty and Andy Davies will be resuming their rivalry in Group N with 2017 & 18 champion Mavitty being strongly tested by Davies this year as the Welsh driver has proved impressive on Irish Tarmac. William Creighton who leads the ITRC 3 category is the top seeded driver ahead of Ronan Denning, Johnnie Mulholland and Eamonn Kelly.

The Modified Championship leader Damian Toner is giving this round a miss and with a comfortable lead of 24 points over second placed Gerard McQuaid will still be leading going into the next round. McQuaid and third placed Damian Tourish are not entered either so David Condell, Conor McCrossan and Kevin O’Donoghue (on his home event) are lying fourth, fifth and seventh respectively and will be looking to move into second place after the weekends action. In contrast all of the main historic challengers are present apart from Owen Murphy. Championship leader Ray Cunningham skipped the last round but still holds a lead of 3.5 points from Craig MacWilliam who took maximum points on the last round. Duncan Williams and George Cullen are no strangers to Killarney either and will also be in contention to close in if Cunningham hits problems. Declan Jackson makes the trip from the Isle of Man as does Adrian Kermode with both drivers scoring well in this year’s series. The Junior championship is very tight as Shane Norris and Aaron Browne share the lead and will be going head to head in Killarney. Cian Walsh in third place will be looking to make up for the disappointment of retiring in West Cork while John Joe Williams and Cathal Nolan will be looking to build on steady championship start

There are sixteen stages over two days in Killarney this coming weekend. The first day will see the crews tackle Molls Gap before doing two laps of the fabulous Beara stages. The Sunday stages are to the south and east of Killarney and will be every bit as testing for crews and cars alike.

Seeded Entry Lists

Posted: April 24, 2019 3:29 AM

No Driver/Navigator (Car) [Class]
1 Craig Breen/Paul Nagle (Ford Fiesta R5) [RC2]
2 Manus Kelly/TBA (Hyundai i20 R5) [RC2]
4 Alastair Fisher/Gordon Noble (Ford Fiesta R5) [RC2]
5 Josh Moffett/Keith Moriarty (Ford Fiesta R5) [RC2]
6 Robert Barrable/Damien Connolly (Skoda Fabia R5) [RC2]
7 Sam Moffett/James Fulton (Ford Fiesta R5) [RC2]
8 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5) [RC2]
9 Daniel Cronin/JJ Cremin (Ford Fiesta R5) [RC2]
10 Callum Devine/Brian Hoy (Ford Fiesta R5) [RC2]
11 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Ford Fiesta R5) [RC2]
12 Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson (Hyundai i20 R5) [RC2]
14 Robert Duggan/Mikie Galvin (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
15 Gary Kiernan/Ryan Moore (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
16 Chris Armstrong/Gavin Doherty (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
17 David Guest/Johnathan McGrath (Skoda Fabia S2000) [RC2]
18 Vincent McSweeney/Michael Kearney (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) [20]
19 James Wilson/Arthur Kierans (Hyundai i20 R5) [RC2]
20 Keith Lyons/Brian Doherty (Ford Fiesta R5) [RC2]
21 Conor McCrossan/Chris Melly (Skoda Fabia S2000) [20]
22 Sacha Kakad/James Aldridge (Ford Fiesta R5) [22]
24 Cal McCarthy/Eammon Dullea (Citroen DS3 R5) [RC2]
25 Enda O'Brien/John Butler (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
26 Phil Collins/Gwynfor Davies (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
27 Kevin O'Donoghue/Timmy Kelly (BMW M3) [14]
28 Colin Byrne/Eric Calnan (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
29 Colin O'Donoghue/Eddie Doherty (Ford Escort Mk2) [11R]
30 David Condell/Paul Kelly (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
31 Michael Hamilton/Stephen Joyce (Honda Civic) [11F]
32 Raymond Conlon/Damien Fleming (Toyota Corolla Twincam) [13]
34 Jason O'Mahony/Andrew Mahon (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
35 Dave Slattery/Ger Somers (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
36 Charlie Hickey/Johnny Hickey (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
37 Tadhg O'Sullivan/John McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
38 JR McDaid/Liam McIntyre (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
39 Jer O'Donovan/Derek Tobin (Skoda Fabia S2000) [RC2]
40 Brian O'Keeffe/Sean Hayde (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [RC2]
41 Denis Moynihan/Martin O'Brien (Ford Fiesta R5) [RC2]
42 Joe Connolly/Richard Connolly (Hyundai i20 R5) [RC2]
44 Aidan Buckley/Shane Buckley (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
45 Mark Dolphin/Colin Fitzgerald (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
46 Andrew Duggan/Tara Duggan (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
47 Ken Lyons/Paddy McDonnell (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
48 Liam Howlett/John McGrath (Toyota Corolla RWD) [13]
49 William Niall Creighton/Liam Regan (Peugeot 208 R2) [RC4]
50 Shane McCarthy/Alistair Wyllie (Honda EG6) [11F]
51 Jeremiah O'Flynn/Neil Flynn (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
52 Simon Reid/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
54 Kevin O'Sullivan/Sean Nolan (Ford Escort Mk2) [11R]
56 William Mavitty/Des Sherlock (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [RC2]
57 Andy Davies/Michael Gilbey (Subaru Impreza N12B) [RC2]
58 Tommy McDonagh/Paul Hickey (Ford Escort Mk2) [12]
59 Sean Hickey/Noel Fleming (Toyota Starlet RWD) [12]
60 Con Lucey/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [12]
61 Darren Young/Sean Walsh (Honda Civic) [11F]
62 Conor Moore/Gavin Sheehan (Honda Civic) [11F]
64 Steven O'Connor/John Christy Nagle (Honda EG6) [11F]
65 Liam Egan/Patrick Brides (Ford Fiesta R5) [24]
66 Eamonn Kelly/Conor Mohan (Ford Fiesta R2) [RC4]
67 Jonathan Mulholland/Charles Gallagher (Ford Fiesta R2) [RC4]
68 Ronan Denning/Karl Egan (Peugeot 208 R2) [RC4]
69 Richard Felgate/Mark Mason (BMW M3) [14]
70 Raymond Spence/Denis Coffey (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
71 Pat Price/Andy Curran (Subaru Impreza N12B) [RC2]
72 Patrick O'Connor/Tommy Moynihan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [20]
74 Richie Dalton/Majella Wickham (Subaru Impreza N11) [22]
75 Ray Cunningham/Jared Gill (Morris Cooper S) [B2]
76 Duncan Williams/Llion Tractor Williams (Ford Escort) [D5]
77 Ray Hilliard/Conor Walsh (Ford Escort RS1600) [C5]
78 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Ford Escort RS1800) [D5]
79 Adrian Kermode/Paula Swinscoe (Porsche 911) [K]
80 Declan Jackson/J Barry McCarney (Ford Escort Mk2) [D3]
81 George Cullen/Pat Cashman (Ford Escort Mk2) [D5]
82 Roland Doherty/Eric Deane (Vauxhall Nova) [9]
84 Denis Nagle/John Falvey (Nissan Micra) [9]
85 Noel O'Sullivan/Nicholas Burke (Ford Escort Mk2) [9]
86 Charles O'Neill/Tony McCarthy (Honda Civic) [9]
87 Alan Watkins/Iarla McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2) [D3]
88 Craig Macwilliam/Trevor Hamilton (Ford Escort RS1600) [C5]
89 John O'Reilly/Nick Sparks (Ford Escort Mk1) [C5]
90 PJ O'Dowd/John Young (Talbot Sunbeam) [D2]
91 John Bagge/Ron Mackey (Honda Civic) [22]
92 Pat Sheehan/Denny O'Riordan (Renault Clio) [22]
94 Dermot O'Hagan/Pierce Jnr. Doheny (Honda Civic) [11F]
95 Danny Macbride/Emmett McNulty (Honda Civic Vtec) [11F]
96 Keith Naughton/Alison Naughton (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
97 Fergal Kelly/Tim Maher (Ford Escort G4) [13]
98 Conan O'Riordan/Kevin Healy (Peugeot 205 GTi) [10]
99 Alan Moroney/Gavin O'Grady (Ford Escort Mk1) [10]
100 John Quill/Patricia Hogan (Citroen C2 R2) [RC2]
101 James Boland/David Manley (Ford Fiesta R2) [RC4]
102 Ian Hynes/Martin Mahon (Honda FN2) [RC4]
104 Seamus O'Grady/Edward Roche (Peugeot 205 GTi) [12]
105 Donal Flynn/Niall Myers (Toyota Corolla Twin Cam) [11R]
106 Dean Slattery/Kevin Doherty (Honda Civic) [11F]
107 Shane Doyle/William Kelliher (BMW E30) [11R]
108 Shane Curry/Sharon Nolan (Citroen C2 R2) [22]
109 Sean Kenny/Simon Duggan (Honda Civic EK4) [22]
110 Michael Ormond/Paddy King (Honda FN2) [13]
111 Michael Dowling/Declan Casey (Ford Escort Mk1) [13]
112 David Duggan/Mark Donovan (Honda Civic) [11F]
114 Donal Dinneen/Bryan Giles (Honda) [11F]
115 Aidan Long/Anthoney O'Sullivan (Subaru Impreza) [15]
116 Philip McKibbin/Tommy Commane (Ford Escort Mk1) [C3]
117 Donal O'Connor/TBA (Ford Escort Mk1) [C3]
118 Peadar Walsh/Grace Walsh (Ford Escort Mk1) [C3]
119 Jack O'Shea/Karol O'Mahony (Austin Mini) [9]
120 Mike Doody/Alex Doody (Morris Mini) [9]
121 Richard Hickey/Padraig Walsh (Honda Civic) [11F]
122 Anthony Sheehan/Yamann Creedon (Honda Civic) [11F]
124 Justin McCauley/TBA (Toyota Corolla Twin Cam) [11R]

Junior
No Driver/Navigator (Car) [Class]
J1 Peter Falvey/Andrew Cronin (Toyota Starlet) [16A]
J2 Conor Murphy/Keith McCarthy (Honda Civic Vtec) [16]
J3 Aaron Browne/Daniel Hanratty (Honda Civic) [16A]
J4 Kieran Reen/TBA (Honda Civic EK4) [16]
J5 Donagh Crowley/TBA (Toyota Starlet) [16A]
J6 Brian Moore/Dylan Doonan (Honda Civic) [16A]
J7 Jason Farrell/Dylan Donoghue (Honda Civic) [16]
J8 Chris Brady/Jenny Warren (Honda Civic Vtec) [16]
J9 Michael Cunniffe/Barry Talt (Peugeot 106 GTi) [16]
J10 John Joe Williams/Meg Brady (Ford Escort Mk2) [16A]
J11 Shane Norris/TBA (Honda Civic EK4) [16]
J12 Cian Walsh/Derry Long (Toyota Corolla RWD) [16A]
J14 Ian Horgan/Denny Greaney (Vauxhall Nova) [16]
J15 Jake Lennon/Lennon Aaron (Honda Civic eg6) [16]
J16 Conor Mullen/Michael Breen (Ford Fiesta) [16A]
J17 Brian O'Donoghue/Cliff Desmond (Honda Civic) [16A]
J18 Damien Nagle/David Gleeson (Honda Civic) [16]
J19 Ronan Creagh/Peter O'Sullivan (Honda Civic) [16]
J20 Darragh Walsh/Kieran Rafter (Ford Fiesta R2) [16A]
J21 Nigel Roche/Gavin J Downey (Honda Civic) [16A]
J22 Jamie O'Rourke/David Kane (Suzuki Swift GTI) [16]
J23 Anthony Driscoll/Eoin Corcran (Honda Civic) [16]
J24 Brian Rowan/Pat Knox (Honda Civic EK4) [16]
J25 Robert Regan/Shauna Small (Honda Civic Vtec) [16]

Demonstration Rally
No Driver/Navigator (Car) [Class]
D1 Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (BMW M3) [XD]
D2 Conor Falvey/TBA (Porsche 911) [XD]
D3 Mike Dunnion/Dave Stone (Vauxhall Chevette HSR) [XD]
D4 Frank O'Mahony/TBA (MG Metro 6R4) [XD]
D5 Michael Fassbender/Barry Goodman (Ford Escort Mk2) [XD]
D6 Michael Buckley/Michael Buckley (Audi Sport Auattro SWB) [XD]
D7 Paul Ahern/Kieran Murphy (Subaru Impreza) [XD]
D8 Pat Horan/Noelle Horan (Audi Quattro) [XD]
D9 Dan Kelleher/Eoghan McCarthy (Ford Escort RS1800) [XD]
D10 Dan Mulcahy/Sean Moran (Ford Escort RS Cosworth) [XD]
D11 Bernard Daly/John O'Brien (Ford Escort Mk1) [XD]
D12 Brendan Brosnan/Eilish Dunne (Peugeot 205 RWD) [XD]
D14 David Cremin/Johnny O'Shea (Ford Escort Mk1) [XD]
D15 Don Moynihan/Sean Collins (Ford Escort Mk1) [XD]
D16 Pat Brosnan/Mark O'Shaughnessy (Ford Escort Mk1) [XD]
D17 Harry Nunan/Sean Egan (Austin Mini Cooper S) [XD]
D18 Mike Smith/TBA (Hillman Avenger) [XD]

Video: Launch Night

Posted: April 18, 2019 9:07 AM

Rally Launch - 14 Apr

Posted: April 13, 2019 10:35 AM

2019 Rally of the Lakes Launch
From 6pm - Sunday 14th of April at the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney
All Welcome

On Line Entry / Regulations

Posted: April 3, 2019 2:21 PM

Shannon Sports IT (EVO On line Entry)

Regulations at:

Rally of the Lakes (Killarney)

Video: Promotional Day

Posted: April 2, 2019 8:20 AM

CORKING NEWS FOR WILSON WITH R5 DRIVE IN KILLARNEY!

Posted: March 11, 2019 10:40 AM

What an amazing time it is for Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award winner James Wilson, as he now looks forward to defending his Junior British Rally Championship lead on this weekends West Cork Rally with co-driver Arthur Kierans in the Peugeot 208 R2. The other exciting news is a fabulous opportunity to drive an R5 Hyundai on the legendary stages of the Killarney Rally of the Lakes in May has now fallen into place. It’s a busy time for James and this development could have a wider significance for the James’s progression towards the top in rallying.

“It’s been a sensational time for me since being declared the winner of the Billy Coleman Award, and following the exciting announcement of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy it’s become even more exciting for me also! Thanks to the new programme I will be lining up to tackle the awesome Killarney Rally of the Lakes in May in a PCRS RallySport prepared Hyundai i20R5!

This is the first part of an expanded programme of Irish events that I will contest this year as part of the development programme in the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. It’s all been made possible thanks to funding from former Irish Tarmac Champion- John Coyne through the Team Ireland Foundation, and it really is a dream come true” said James.

It’s an ideal opportunity for the County Armagh driver to learn the techniques of the four wheel drive R5 weapon, as this is very much the next step up from the R2 class in rallying. Indeed the R5 category is currently the most competitive in Irish rallying with former Billy Coleman Award winner and factory Citroen WRC driver- Craig Breen even contesting Irish events in a Fiesta R5 this season.

“We are already trying to make plans for 2020 and of course the R5 path is the one to take, so any extra experience we can gain this season will be invaluable. I can’t get carried away totally with the excitement about Killarney however, as the main focus for now is on the West Cork Rally. It’s another classic event, and I contested it two years ago. In fact it was the first time out in the 208 R2 and I loved the stages then.

From memory it’s quite a fast rally with high commitment needed, but yet there are two days to get around so you have to get to the finish also. With so many four-wheel drive crews ahead of us there could potentially be a lot of mud pulled out so I think everyone will need to assess the conditions on the first loop of stages. It’s great to be home rallying and for West Cork to be a round of both the British Championship and Irish Tarmac Championship is a big coup. I certainly cant wait to get onto the opening stages on Saturday.”

Competition is going to be fierce and James following his opening BRC win on the Cambrian is seeded first in a very strong field of the little 1600cc R2 machines. “The first round was so close it proves how great a class R2 is, and again there are at least six or eight crews who are really capable of winning the category. We are hoping to get a test in the car before-hand as it was Ypres last summer that we were last on tarmac with the 208. We just need to get re-acquainted with the grip levels of the tarmac tyres. The car itself has been re-prepared meticulously by the PCRS team. It required routine maintainence and the tarmac set up put on after the Cambrian which was good.”

In addition to the 50,000 euro funding from the Billy Coleman Award thanks to Motorsport Ireland, Sport Ireland and the individual motor clubs, James’s BRC campaign is also supported by Road Tankers Armagh, Rigual, TEC Industrial, James Wilson Garage Services and Philip White Tyres. Also James will be aiming to win the generous £2500 first prize from Peugeot Sport UK/Ireland for the first 208 R2 home.

With James also tenth overall in the BRC drivers standings there is a lot to play for on West Cork’s flowing roads, and a lot to think about for the future in rallying for the young engineer!

Fassbender to tackle Molls Gap

Posted: February 27, 2019 6:17 AM

Photo: KDMC The Cartell.ie International Rally of the Lakes received a major boost this week with the announcement that Michael Fassbender will participate on the May Bank Holiday event. The Killarney native will be suited and booted competing with an eagerly expected field of 160 rally cars.

No stranger to motorsport, Michael successfully competed in two seasons of the North American 488 Challenge and currently is competing with Porsche in the Porsche Cup series.

The Killarney native has also taken up the role of event ambassador, fully committed to increasing the profile of this exciting event and motorsport in general. An avid motorsport fan and a regular competitor on the racing circuits, Fassbender is looking forward to the Rally Ambassador role and supporting his home event and added,
“Since its inception in 1979, the Rally of the Lakes, epitomises the essence of Road Racing. It is both an honour and a pleasure to be this year’s Rally of the Lakes ambassador.”

Clerk of the Course, Dermot Healy and his team are celebrating this milestone in style with many support events to the main event with a family friendly theme at the core.
“We are absolutely delighted that Michael has offered his support to this year’s event” Dermot continued, “His contribution in helping us promote the event will be far reaching.”

Classic Stages with A Twist

Posted: February 27, 2019 6:15 AM

The 2019 Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes is getting into gear for the upcoming 40th Anniversary event taking place over the May Bank holiday weekend (3rd, 4th & 5th May). The event is hosted by the Killarney and District Motor Club and is run this year by appointed Clerk of the Course is Dermot Healy.

Dermot, a prominent figure in Irish Motorsport and an experienced Clerk of the Course has introduced a challenging twist to this year’s 16 stage event. Three of the Saturday’s classic stages, Ardgroom, Cods Head and the Healy Pass stages are run in reverse. Classic stages that you may have never seen before.

An event could be forgiven for taking the easy option by running the same stages year in year out, however Dermot and his crew have introduced a twist on some of the classic Rally of the Lakes stages, offering drivers a new challenge that has been absent in recent years.

“Where the Saturday route is familiar to most, running them in reverse order offers crews a new challenge and levels the competition for all” Dermot added, “The response from crews has been very positive and welcome the challenge ahead.”

Sunday’s stages stay close to home with four loops of two. Centralised service in Liebherr carpark and a short road section to the finish ramp make the Sunday stages very compact for both spectators and crews alike.

“We are very mindful of the challenging Saturday route for crews so keeping Sunday’s route as compact as possible while offering great challenging stages was our goal” Dermot went on to add, “Finding suitable routes is a constant challenge and this year we have pushed the boundaries in ensuring the event is challenging, safe and fun for all participating.”

Dermot and his team understand the importance of promoting the sport at every turn,
“We want to use this year’s 40th Anniversary occasion to broaden the appeal of the event and sport to a wider audience.” However, Dermot remained tight lipped on the details at this early stage but shared one last comment, “We can learn a lot from the Golden Years of Rallying.” Is that a hint of things to come…?

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