Rallying Round Up

Phelan Gets the Third Billy Coleman Award Nomination

24 year old Cormac Phelan has become the third nominee for the 2014 Billy Coleman Award. The Roscommon driver has been setting the stages alight this year with a hat-trick of junior class wins on the Circuit of Kerry, Carlow and Circuit of Munster Rallies and he now lies second in the Dunlop National Junior Championship. Cormac began his motorsport career in 2012, tackling three rallies, and increased this to five events last year, so this is his first full season of competition. He has been driving a Honda Civic until recently, but has now changed to a Citroen C2R2 Max which he drove to second place in class in Sligo last weekend on his first outing in a left hand drive car. Cormac joins Josh Moffett and Keven Eves on the list of nominations for the Billy Coleman Award.


Wright takes 208 podium in Luxembourg

Photo Cred: Conor Maguire

Stephen and Suzanne Wright traveled abroad last weekend to attack Rally Luxembourg in their Peugeot 208 R2 and the Monaghan pair had a successful event. The Wrights finished a fantastic 13th overall and 5th in the R2 class. They also netted 2nd in the 208 class. There was a few hiccups along the way however. A difference in the local rules to Irish regulations resulted in Stephen suffering a big time loss after a stage cancellation. The pair also lost 10 seconds having to stop at an accident on Day 2. Apart from that it was a good run for the pair. The next outing for Stephen will be the Ulster Rally next month. The pair will return to the Belgian Rally Championship at the Tour of Flanders on the 5th of September.


Imokilly Single Stage This Weekend!

All roads lead to Cork this Sunday as Imokilly hosts round 4 of the Southern 4 Rally Championship with the Imokilly Single Stage. The event is the only single stage event in the country at the moment and it hosts an entry list of 120 crews. Last year's winner Roy White will lead the field off the start line along with entries such as Frank Kelly, Darragh O'Riordan and Wesley Patterson. The event consists of a 20 Km stage repeated three times.

Entries to close soon for the Ulster Rally

With the final closing date for the Ulster Rally only a week away excitement is building for one of the biggest events of the year and this year's rally will be no different The organisers received an entry from three times Ulster Rally winner Jimmy McRae. The Scottish Rally legend is competing in the British Historic Rally Championship in a Vauxhall Firenza and his many Irish Rally fans will be cheering him on during the event. The event will also host an interesting point in the British Rally Championship. With the final round of the BRC canceled the Ulster Rally is now the penultimate round of the championship which will make it an exciting contest between championship leader Daniel McKenna and last year's winner of BRC section of the Ulster Rally, Osian Pryce. In the Clonikilty Blackpudding Irish Championship, Donegal’s Donagh Kelly has already secured his place on the start list and is expected to be joined by a large contingent of rapid WRC pilots including Irish Championship leader Declan Boyle, Monaghan’s Sam Moffitt in his Fiesta WRC and last year’s winner Garry Jennings. 

Moffett to Attack Rally Germany

It was announced on Tuesday that Sam Moffett and James O'Reilly are to make their World Rally Championship debut at Rallye Deutschland next month. The pair will compete in round 9 of the WRC in their Combilift Rallying Fiesta WRC. The team have had a successful year so far in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and the National Rally Championship winning three events so far for Sam and James. Craig Breen will also contest the event as well as Rally Finland next week.  Rallye Deutschland is famed for its testing conditions, from tight bumpy lanes through vineyards to wide, open roads through military ranges. . ADAC Rallye Deutschland runs from August 21st to 24th and is based in the town of Trier.