2020 Tarmac Rally Championship - CANCELLED

2020 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship Cancelled

Posted: April 28, 2020 9:05 AM

The 2020 Irish Tarmac Championship has been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. After considering the present circumstances the board of directors and executive of the Tarmac Rally Organisers' Association reached a unanimous decision to cancel this year’s championship.

The governments of both the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom have understandably implemented measures to restrict public gatherings. As a result five of the championship’s remaining six rounds have either been postponed or cancelled. These decisions have been made to protect the public from the effects of coronavirus.

ITRC organisers would like to thank the representatives of these events for their cooperation in these unprecedented times. Clubs are still welcome to run an event if they wish but it won’t hold championship status.

The championship will now focus its attention on delivering a brilliant 2021 Irish Tarmac Championship. Until then please stay safe and respect the restrictions and guidelines implemented by local authorities.

Colman Hegarty, TROA chairman:
“It was a difficult decision to make but I believe it is in the best interests of everyone involved. I’d like to thank our registered competitors, sponsors, and fans for their understanding and support in these difficult times. We hope to see you all next year for a full championship.”

Donnelly Motorsport and MEM offer Proton R5 prize drive for ITRC R2 Junior champion

Posted: January 30, 2020 10:16 AM

Five-time Irish Tarmac Rally Champion Eugene Donnelly and leading build and preparation experts Mellors Elliot Motorsport (MEM) will collaborate to offer the R2 Junior category winner of the 2020 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship a funded prize drive in a Proton Iriz R5.

MEM is responsible for the manufacture of the fully homologated Proton Iriz, the only example to be ratified by the FIA ( Fédération Internationale de l ‘Automobile) in both right- and left-hand drive, with asphalt ace Donnelly acquiring an example early last season.

Having worked together on development projects with the car which included a string of top- line names sampling the newest R5 on the market, both MEM and Donnelly will offer an outstanding prize to the leading R2 category crew at the end of the season.

The R2 junior champion will receive a funded prize drive behind the wheel of the Proton Iriz R5 with assistance from Donnelly at an asphalt event which is to be confirmed in the coming months. All aspects of the event will be covered, including fuel, tyres, a comprehensive test and entry fee.

The insurance premium will also be covered by another sponsor with the exception of the excess.

Donnelly, who has been using the Proton in selected events over the past year is eager to support young talent, citing the Iriz R5 as the perfect car to develop in.
“The Irish Tarmac Championship has been at the heart of what I’ve been doing for the last god knows how many years and I know what it takes for these youngsters in the R2’s to get a good result,” he says, “they really have to drive them hard and it brings talent to the top”.
“Opportunities to progress are rare thanks to the financial gap and I want to give them a taste of what it’s like to drive a modern-day R5 car, so have worked with MEM to be able to offer them this fantastic prize. It should give them something special to work to during the season and could even provide them with a once in a lifetime opportunity. The Proton really is a superb car and I`m sure they will really settle in quickly”

Chris Mellors, Director of Mellors Elliot Motorsport is delighted to support the initiative.
“Eugene has been working hard for us on the Irish lanes and getting a fantastic set up on the Proton to suit their unique characteristics this season so he is well placed to be able to offer all the advice a young driver would need. It’s a great prize that he has put together and here at MEM we have always backed young talent, you only have to go back to our World Rally Championship campaigns to see that it really can work. We know how talented the ITRC crews are so if the prize can highlight that, then it’s certainly worth supporting”.

Further details will be announced soon.

TROA chairman Frank O’Mahony.
“I am delighted that Eugene Donnelly and MEM are backing this initiative. It is a fantastic opportunity for the for the winner of the R2 class to gain experience in an R5 car, not only to drive it competitively on a rally but get a comprehensive test under the tuition of Eugene”

R2 prize drive for 2020 ITRC Junior champion

Posted: January 30, 2020 8:23 AM

The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship will provide its 2020 Junior champion a fully funded drive in an R2 car on a selected ITRC event in 2021. Drivers under 26 years of age on 1st January 2020 qualify for ITRC’s Junior championship with vehicle regulations complying with Motorsport Ireland’s Class 16.

The incentive provides a great opportunity for the winner to gain valuable experience in an homologated R2 car. The front-wheel-drive car has proved to be a vital stepping stone in recent years with previous R2 competitor, Callum Devine, just announcing his plans to compete in the European Rally Championship. Devine’s first ever competitive rally was in the Junior section of an Irish Tarmac event.

ITRC organisers have also revealed rewards provided by M-Sport Poland for successful R2 competitors. This partnership is another example of how the championship is committed to supporting its promising young drivers.

Entries are currently open for the 2020 Irish Tarmac Championship and its opening round, Galway International Rally, which will take place on 2nd February.

ITRC manager, Paddy Flanagan:
I am really pleased that we are able to offer this great prize for the winner of Class 16. We have an abundance of young talented drivers in Ireland and we need to give them as many opportunities as we can.

TROA chairman, Frank O’Mahony:
I am delighted that the ITRC can offer this supported drive for the Class 16 winner. It will give the winner the opportunity to gain some valuable experience in a homologated R2 and hopefully open up some more opportunities for them to progress in the sport.

M-Sport to support ITRC’s R2 drivers with 2020 bonus prizes

Posted: December 26, 2019 5:18 AM

The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is delighted to announce that M-Sport Poland will support the championship’s R2 drivers in 2020 with 3000 EUR available on each event. The prize money comes in the form of parts vouchers and will be allocated after each ITRC event as follows:

1. If the R2 class winner is in a Ford Fiesta, they will receive 2000 EUR of M-Sport parts vouchers;
2. If the R2 class runner-up is in a Ford Fiesta, they will receive 750 EUR of M-Sport parts vouchers;
3. If the R2’s third place finisher is in a Ford Fiesta, they will receive 250 EUR of M-Sport parts vouchers.

The vouchers will be awarded at each Irish Tarmac round and are available for all three homologated variants of the Ford Fiesta R2, representing a huge financial incentive for R2 competitors.

Many of Ireland’s top rally drivers have used M-Sport’s Fiesta R2 during their early careers. Craig Breen and Alastair Fisher both completed WRC Academy campaigns in M-Sport’s first variant of the Fiesta R2. More recently Callum Devine used the Fiesta R2 to compete in the Junior WRC before moving up to the R5 category.

A minimum of six Fiesta R2s must be entered in the rally for the vouchers to be awarded and can only to be used for the purchase of R2 parts in 2020. If a driver swaps to any car other than a Ford Fiesta during the season, any vouchers will become void with the recipient liable to pay the value of vouchers already used.

The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship would like to thank M-Sport Poland for its support of the 2020 championship and looks forward to seeing the rewards benefit its next generation of rally drivers.

TROA chairman, Frank O’Mahony:
“I am pleased to welcome M-Sport Poland’s support to the 2020 championship. Craig Breen and Callum Devine are perfect examples of how the Fiesta R2 can be used to gain a foothold in the rallying ladder. M-Sport’s bonus prizes are a good opportunity to reward and help promote the ability of our talented young drivers.”

M-Sport Poland board member, Maciej Woda:
“The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship R2 category is an exciting and competitive championship. Drivers have to continually push themselves in order to emerge the top R2 category driver thanks to the championship’s demanding stages. We launched the new M-Sport Fiesta R2T at the start of 2019 to offer R2 drivers the best chance at winning their category as they begin to climb M-Sport’s “Ladder of Opportunity”. The latest generation Ecoboost-powered Fiesta R2 also gives young drivers the chance to learn turbo-charged power delivery, similar to the Fiesta R5 Mk II which the Fiesta R2 shares some technology with. The prize package we have put together with ITRC is an extension of that as we are always on the lookout for the next generation of rally talent. Make no mistake about it, this prize is not for the best placed Fiesta. We want to incentivise Fiesta R2 drivers to push for significant results and for those who are successful, we will reward them.”

The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is looking forward to announcing further incentives for its R2 drivers in the near future.

Championship Rounds

Posted: December 19, 2019 2:46 PM

1. Galway International Rally - 2 Feb 20
2. West Cork Rally - 14-15 Mar 20
3. Circuit of Ireland/Easter Stages - 10-11 Apr 20
4. Killarney International Rally of Lakes - 2-3 May 20
5. Donegal International Rally - 19-21 Jun 20
6. Ulster Rally - 21-22 Aug 20
7. Cork 20 International Rally - 26-27 Sep 20

Tarmac Championship Official Site