Rallying in Ireland

Solberg2005

Just wondering how many people on this forum either follow the rallying in ireland or the world championship?

nanook

i follow the iriish circuit rally championship.

My brother used to be a co-pilot with Sean Gallagher, they used to have a Escort Cosworth (i think it was a WRC) and he is no on an Impreza.

My other brother and is now driving a group 14 Impreza.

Was watching the RPM on saturday and he was shown at the later part with the incar camera, was doing alright.

I have to say i am a bit biased.

aidan_dunne

Yeah, I follow rallying here too, in all it's forms. Love it. Been following it since the days of Austin McHale in the black Opel Manta in the mid-80s. Great sport.

nanook

i see Mchale is thinking about hanging up the jump leads this year.

Have to say McHale is a good driver and talanted an all that but in real life he is an absolute w*&^*r in person.

Bertie fisher, now there was a good driver both on the road and to the fans.
Always stopped to talk to anyman, if he wasnt competeing, he would stand in the background and enjoy the sport, didnt seek any limelight or attention.

aidan_dunne

Don't know much about Austin McHale as a person as I never had any dealings with him, but he was/is a great driver, all the same. Even if he does hang up his helmet at the end of this year, his sons Gareth and Aaron will be around to continue the McHale dynasty in rallying, it seems.

Was a big fan of Bertie Fisher too, nanook. Went up to him at one of the service areas of the 1996 Circuit Of Ireland Rally and was only too happy to sign an autograph for me. Was standing around chatting with anyone and everyone, as well. Great guy and such a sad loss to the sport, as was his son Mark.

dcr22B

Well, good old Daddy McHale won the first round of the British Rally Championship yesterday and Oldcastle's Rory Galligan also won GroupN so it seems we might start dominating the Brits on their own patch as well as demolishing them here as well.

aidan_dunne

There was an article in last weeks 'Motorsport News' that Ireland is going to bid for a round of the World Rally Championship. The government have pledged money towards it as well. The plan is for a rally based in Sligo, with stages both north and south of the border and to be run possibly on both tarmac and gravel. Can't see it happening myself, as they are up against some stiff competition (Portugal, Jordan, South Africa, amongst others), but it would be fantastic if it did. Besides, there's more WRC cars running in this country than any other.

As I said, it'll be tough for Ireland to win this. I remember years ago (late 80's/early 90's) there was talk of trying to get the Circuit Of Ireland rally to count as a round of the World Championship and nothing came of that either. And that would have been ideal and at the right time as well, as the Circuit was still the "proper" Circuit and was attracting top class drivers from England and further afield (Colin McRae in the Rothmans Subaru Legacy, for example). If it didn't work then, I can't see it working now much either. But, we can live in hope, I guess.

De Hipster

Definitely a steadfast Irish rally fan, hardly know what to do with myself when theres no petrol guzzling about! I've been marshalling for years, took up the old night navigation as a navigator...not doing to badly. Started co-driving last year. Am still stiff & wrecked from my first Monaghan stages over the weekend, mk2 escort...mental craic!

aidan_dunne

Ah sure, ya can't beat the auld MKII Escort for a bit of tail-happy entertainment!

As me and some of my friends used to shout years ago when we'd be hanging over a wall or a ditch somewhere watching a rally and a MKII would come along......... "G'WAN D'ESCORTS!"

De Hipster

aidan_dunne wrote:

Ah sure, ya can't beat the auld MKII Escort for a bit of tail-happy entertainment!

As me and some of my friends used to shout years ago when we'd be hanging over a wall or a ditch somewhere watching a rally and a MKII would come along......... "G'WAN D'ESCORTS!"

Tail out & sideways all the way! Best spectator rallying there is...

Magown3

I heard in Mondello over the weekend that there might be a WRC round in Ireland next year....

Don't know how much truth there is in it but I'd deffo be there.

De Hipster

Magown3 wrote:

I heard in Mondello over the weekend that there might be a WRC round in Ireland next year....

Don't know how much truth there is in it but I'd deffo be there.

I'm still in doubt about that one but there's a good detailed report on www.irish-rallying.com

aidan_dunne

As I said above, there was a report about it in last weeks 'Motorsport News' (was the front-page story, in fact). Minister For Sport John O' Donoghue has pledged £450,000 Sterling towards it and a new company called Rally Ireland Management has been established to check the viability of such an event and control the running of it, I believe. Plans are for a rally based in Sligo this October, with stages on both tarmac and gravel and possibly with stages on both sides of the border. This is to see if such an event can be run and run smoothly. Then, next year, the event will be held with FIA observers in place to see for themselves if the rally would be suitable for inclusion in the World Championship. The plan is that, if the FIA deem it suitable, it's hoped that the rally will become a round of the World Championship in 2007, not next year as you may have heard, Magown3.

Seems like a bit of a pipe dream to me (see my post above) but, if it happens, all the better. I know I'll be doing my damndest to try and get to see it if it does happen.

De Hipster

The format they're talking about at the mo' is mixed tarmac & forestry/gravel...WRC events are one or the other...nice idea but I wouldn't recommend any breath holding just yet!

In previous years the CoI, Donegal Int & Killarney have been named as possible WRC contestants but implementing the FIA’s WRC format (including the support structures a WRC event requires) has proved difficult.