Promotion boost for Irish WRC event

MOTORSPORT Ireland have stepped up their involvement in Rally Ireland and will actually promote the 2009 event that will kick start the World Rally Championship in late January. However, funding for the event has yet to be put in place.

According to the Department of Tourism and Sport: “Discussions are continuing.” Meanwhile, the situation with regard to its northern counterpart, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DECAL) is somewhat more complex as they have taken over from subsidiaries — Sport Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Events Company.

Funding issues are not helped by the fact that the 2009 rally date is some eight months ahead of what was initially anticipated. However, given the value to the economy of the north-west region and the political strongholds involved, the funding, particularly that of Fáilte Ireland, is likely to be sorted within days.

Meanwhile, Ronan Morgan and Sean O’Connor, who were instrumental in securing the event in 2007 and were involved in its promotion, will now act as consultants.

The Super Special in the grounds of Stormont Castle will be used to launch the WRC a week prior to Rally Ireland while a street stage in Donegal town is being planned as the final stage of the rally itself. The stage at Mullaghmore, that brought the curtain down on the 2007 rally, will not be part of the 2009 event — whilst there are safety issues, it wasn’t the deciding factor in being dropped.

In 2007, Fáilte Ireland jointly sponsored the event with Sport Northern Ireland, both organisations invested €1,350,000 plus relevant VAT in the event. An Economic Impact Study commissioned by both organisations found that the direct economic impact to the eight counties where the event took place was €9,162,024. The all-Ireland total economic impact taking into account displaced spending from other regions in the country, was €5,555,496.

Following a two-month break, the Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship resumes tomorrow with the sixth round Limavady-based Dogleap Rally.

Event favourite Kevin Lynch heads the entry. Although he is listed to drive a Ford Focus WRC, it is more likely that the Dungiven businessman will drive a Subaru WRC.

Northern Ireland champion, Glenn Allen (Toyota Corolla WRC) makes a return to the forests, he is third in the current series — 11 points adrift of leader, Sean Devine, who occupies the number three berth in his Subaru WRC. The top six is rounded off by Connor McCloskey (Subaru WRC); local ace, Richard Hogg (Octavia WRC) and Enniskillen’s Raymond Johnston (Subaru WRC).

Cathal Rodgers, Alan Carmichael, Johnny McKenna and Martin McCormack, all in Mitsubishis are amongst the Group N contenders. Meanwhile, the two-wheel-drive category features the Escorts of Trevor Moore, Seamus O’Connell, James Kennedy, Frank Kelly, Alistair Cochrane and Brian Lawlor.

Based at Limavady Recreation Club, the first car away is at 10am. The rally consists of 10 stages with servicing at Roemill after stages four and eight.

Irish interest in Rally Finland that starts in earnest today includes co-drivers, Michael Orr and David Moynihan. Bangor man, Orr co-drives for Khalid Al Qassimi (Ford Focus) while Mallow’s Moynihan continues his new association with British ace, Guy Wilks (Honda Type R). Both Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala seek their maiden victory in their home event.

Donegal’s Shaun Gallagher (Citroen C2) will be co-driven by Irish Tarmac Championship winning co-driver, Paul Kiely. Third in the JWRC, the former Billy Coleman Award winner is eight points adrift of series leader, Sebastien Ogier, who has opted not to score points on this round.

Said Gallagher: “I’ve got good memories from my participation on this event, and I’m feeling confident. After the good results we obtained at the start of the year, I hope to continue on the same track and I hope to finish in the top three. I’m also looking forward to the rallies that are still to come, because I probably feel a little more confident on asphalt.”

The Donnelly brothers, Eugene (Skoda WRC) and Charlie (Toyota Corolla WRC) will both compete in next week’s, Turkington Holdings sponsored Lurgan Park Rally where four-time winner Kevin Lynch (Subaru WRC), Kenny McKinstry (Subaru WRC), Mark Higgins (Mitsubishi) and Peadar Hurson (Subaru WRC) are the other principal entries.

Kildare’s, Ronayne O’Mahony (23) is the latest driver to be selected as the “Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Month” following his achievements in the Dunlop Supercars.