Motor Sport ColumnIt has been officially confirmed that Pirelli Tyres will be the new title sponsor of the Irish Tarmac Rally series, which will now be called the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
In making the announcement Wayne Nickless, Pirelli marketing director, said: "Pirelli is demonstrating its continued commitment to the development of rallying in Ireland from the grassroots through to the very highest echelons of the sport.
"We are thrilled to have clinched the sponsorship of both the premier rally championship in the UK and Ireland - with the Pirelli British Rally Championship and the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship."
"We are very pleased to welcome Pirelli as sponsors of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship," said Tom Walsh, chairman of the Tarmac Rally Organisers Association (TROA). "We look forward to working with Pirelli to build the profile of the championship for the benefit of both the competitors and the events."
There was further good news for Irish rallying as, in addition to continued sponsorship of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, Irish Dunlop is to take a more active and professional role in the promotion of the qualifying rounds, including television coverage.
The Dunlop association with Irish motorsport goes back over 100 years, since the 1903 speed trials in the Phoenix Park. As well as rallying, Dunlop motor sport sponsorship this year includes the Dunlop Supercars Racing Championship and the Dunlop Hillclimb Championship.
Dunlop also supply the tyres to almost all the racing classes, Formula Ireland and Formula Vee, Fiat Punto, Crossles and Strykers.
Meanwhile, International SuperCross comes to Ireland for the first time this weekend. This spectacular motorcycling competition of skill and daring takes place this evening and tomorrow in Dublin's Point Depot, starting at 7.30 p.m..
World championship expert Gordon Crockard will be one of the big attractions. NMC have entered one of Ireland's top motocross riders, Niall Costello (Waterford), to debut the new Gas Gas 250SX.
The NMC team also includes Sheamie Hayes, Southern Irish Endure Champion and Pat Kinallen, Irish Clubman Endure champion. There will be races for 125cc, 250cc, and Open Class machines over the purpose-built indoor track, which is made up of 4,000 tonnes of sand.
Puerile Irish Tarmac Rally Championship 2004 (Run over eight rounds) - February 6th/8th: First Choice Flooring Galway International Rally. April 10th/12th: Buy & Sell Circuit of Ireland. May 1st/2nd: Ordnance Survey Killarney International Rally of The Lakes. June 18th/20th: Shell Donegal International Rally. July 2nd/4th: Jim Clark Memorial International Rally, Scotland. July 29th/31st: Manx International Rally, Isle of Man. September 3rd/4th: Ulster International Rally. October 8th/10th: Cork 20 International Rally.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Friday: International SuperCross, Point Depot, Dublin, 7.30pm. Saturday: International SuperCross, Point Depot, Dublin, 7.30pm; Cork MC, Navigation Trial, starts Coolcower House, Cork, midnight.
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