LAST weekend's Statoil Galway International Rally marked the start of the serious rally season, and for Austin McHale it was an ideal start to the Tarmac Rally Championship. Round Two of the tarmac series will be the AA Circuit of Ireland at Easter, which carries a prize fund of £10,000 and will be based in Tallaght, Co Dublin, on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.
Sunday's Willie Loughman Memorial Rally run out of Carrick on Suir by the local club is the fifth and final round of the RIAC National Forest Stages Rally Championship. Noel Driver leads on 48 points from Peter McCullagh 43, John McGaffin 38, Kevin O'Kane 28, Michael McMenamin 27 and George Robinson 26. Class leaders are: Damien Hagan, Eamonn Tarrant, Michael Nevin, Ray Benskin, Peter McCullagh and Michael McMenamin.
Coras, the office furniture manufacturers of Ardee, will sponsor the RIAC/Coras National Rally Championship for a third successive year, and for which the premier award is the Vard Trophy, in memory of the late Cecil Vard. The series gets under way with the Ballina Motor Club's Downhill Hotel Mayo Stages on March 9th.
The 14 rounds are: March 9th, Ballina; April 13th, Circuit of Kerry, April 20th, Monaghan, May 11th, Carlow; May 25th, Cavan; June 1st, Circuit of Munster; June 29th, Carrick on Suir; July 13th, Sligo; July 27th, Clare; August 10th, Tipperary; August 24th, ALMC/Portlaoise; September 7th, Galway; October 11th, Donegal; October 25th, Skibbereen.
The Cork Motor Club's West Cork Rally will be run out of Clonakilty on March 15/16th, and as round two of the (British) EARS/Motoring News Rally Championship, this popular event always attracts a large English Welsh entry. This year's rally is again being sponsored by Keohane Readymix.
After 15 out of 17 rounds, Eamonn Byrne now leads the RIAC Hewison Trophy Autotest Championship. The Delgany driver has 12 wins out of 12 events, and although he may miss Sunday's event at Tallaght (due to rallycross commitments with Dermot Carnegie) he is virtually certain to win a sixth Hewison.
The points standings are: 1, Eamonn Byrne 300; 2, Christopher Evans 295; 3, Dermot Carnegie 293; 4, J J Farrell 290; 5, Paddy Power 257; 6, Clive Peterson 255; 7, Chris Grimes 248; 8, Andrew O'Donohoe 233; 9, Paul Phelan 225, 10, Liam Cashman 212.
Irish drivers took the first three places in round one of the BTRDA Autotest Championship at Telford last Sunday, in the order: Peter Grimes, Eamonn Bryne and Chris Grimes. Peter Grimes is the reigning British Champion. Two more Irish drivers, Trevor Hamilton and Frank Lenehan scored class wins.
Tomorrow's President's Trophy Trial, at Ballyduff, Carnmoney, Belfast, is round three of the MCUI Irish Motorcycle Trials Championship. Reigning champion Andrew Perry (Belfast) won the two opening rounds to lead the championship by 13 points from Brian McLoughlin (Greystones). Another Co Wicklow rider, Stuart Martin (Ashford) leads Grade B by 17 points over Ciaran Rice of Belfast.
Motorcycle racing at Mondello Park starts on March 23rd and runs through to October 12th, seven meetings in total.
A motorcycle racing training school will take place at Mondello Park on Saturday, March 8th. Details from Michael Colohan on (01) 8414280 (evenings) or fax (01) 8415023. Colohan will act as co ordinator for the seven Mondello "short circuit" race meetings during the March October season.
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