Pirelli to sponsor Irish series
Pirelli Marketing Director, Wayne Nickolas, said: "Pirelli is demonstrating its continued commitment to the development of rallying in Ireland from the grassroots through to the very highest echelons.
We are thrilled to have clinched the sponsorship of the premier rally championships in the UK and Ireland with the Pirelli British Rally Championship and the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship."
Tom Walsh, the Chairman of the Tarmac Rally Organisers Association (TROA) said: "We are delighted to form an association with such a prestigious company, who have a long history of success in motorsport. We look forward to working with them to build the profile of the championship."
The counting rounds are: The First Choice Flooring Galway International Rally (February 6/8); Buy And Sell Circuit Of Ireland Rally (April 10/12); Ordnance Survey International Rally Of The Lakes (April30/May 2); Shell Donegal International Rally (June 18/20); Jim Clark Memorial International Rally (July 2/4); Manx International Rally (July 29/31); Ulster International Rally (September 3/4); Cork '20' International Rally (October 2/3).
The championship will be launched at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham today. The show is expected to attract close on 100,000 spectators at the National Exhibition Centre before it concludes on Sunday evening. World Rally champion, Petter Solberg makes an appearance on Sunday; he is the latest to join the list of top names that will attend the show.
The list includes Formula 1 aces, Jenson Button and Justin Wilson, IRL stars Dan Wheldon and Darren Manning, Le Mans winner Guy Smith, European Touring Car Championship ace Andy Priaulx, former BTCC champion James Thompson and DTM star Gary Paffett.
Citroen will showcase the new C2 Super 1600 Junior World Rally Championship challenger. The 225 bhp car will replace Citroen's ultra-successful Saxo model in the Junior WRC this season. Also on view is the WRC manufacturers' title-winning Citroen Xsara.
BTCC driver, Matt Neal will put a Caterham through its paces at a specially designed slalom course that can accommodate 70,000 spectators. The live action arena will feature a fully restored works Metro 6R4 in the Computervision colours, Bernard Darniche's Ford RS2000, Russell Brookes Irish Tarmac Championship winning Sierra Cosworth and the Nissan 240 RS driven by Tony Walker in the Middle East championship.
This weekend's Cork 1000 Shakes Navigation Trial is the fourth round of the National Navigation Trial Championship and also a counting round of the Munster series. In the national context, Derek Coleman/Conor Maguire have a four point lead over Cork born duo, Ray and Stephen O'Neill with both Eamonn McKenna/Daniel McKenna and Andy Mackarel/Liam Higgins, a further ten points in arrears.
With the fifth round also taking place in the county (The Skibbereen 100 Isles), the O'Neill brothers will be hoping to narrow the deficit prior to the final rounds. The series will be decided on the best five scores from seven events.
In the various navigators' categories, Conor Maguire heads the Experts, Gary Hall leads the Semi-Experts and Daniel McKenna is the top Novice. Beginning from Coolcower House, Macroom at 11.45pm tomorrow night, the 150 mile route will traverse sections of Discovery Sheets 79, 85 and 86.
Heading the local challenge are Pete Willoughby/Greg Shinnors and Diarmuid French/Jason O'Mahony, both crews are capable of victory.
Finland's Janne Tuohino has been nominated by Ford as their second points-scoring driver for next month's Swedish International Rally (February 5/8) alongside team leader Markko Martin. Tuohino (28) will drive a privately entered Focus RS WRC'03 on the event, the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
Tuohino will become the first non-works driver to compete in a 2003-specification Focus RS. Belgian, Francois Duval, Ford's regular second driver, will be entered by Ford BP Rallye Sport to enable them to maintain their quest for points in the drivers' series.
Tuohino was seventh in Sweden in 2002 and equalled that result in Finland last season.
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