Raftery, McKenna going for gold

Galway’s Dean Raftery and Monaghan’s Daniel McKenna and Stephen Wright have been shortlisted for the 2012 Billy Coleman Award with a top prize of €50,000.

All eight nominees were interviewed on Tuesday and the winner will be announced at the Champions of Irish Motorsport luncheon in Dublin on December 11 next.

McKenna is the best known of the trio even though he had only sporadic appearances this season. He was the first bimonthly winner and was nominated for his performance in the Galway International Rally. Later, he went on to win the Monaghan Rally in his Mk. 2 Ford Escort.

Wright, one of four nominees from Monaghan, campaigned a Mitsubishi EvoIX to a class victory and fourth overall in the Valvoline Irish Forest Championship.

Raftery, on board a Honda Civic, gave some impressive displays during the season that earned him the top spot in the Irish Junior Forest Championship in what is only his second season in rallying, he was the wildcard selection.

The Billy Coleman Award is the most prestigious award in Irish rallying. However, concerns remain about the selection process. Although it has improved in recent years and despite the best endeavours of all concerned, it is still difficult for an interviewing panel to select the best driver given that few, if any of the contenders, campaign the same type of car or compete in the same class.

A suggestion to alternate the Coleman award and its racing equivalent on a biennial basis with a €100,000 financial package would allow for a more meaningful campaign in both codes with greater exposure for Motorsport Ireland and the Irish Sports Council.

The three finalists for Motorsport Ireland’s Young Racing Driver of the Year are Jake Byrne, Stephen Daly and Kevin O’Hara.

A full attendance is likely at next Wednesday’s CAC meeting in Portlaoise. The meeting, is expected to be brief but will be followed by a discussion on a document entitled “Protection of the Sport”. The chairperson and secretary of all Motorsport Ireland affiliated clubs that hold rally events are being invited to the meeting.

The Irish Examiner has learned that an earlier version of the document, Version 3, has already led to a resignation from within the Rallies Committee. It appears that document was leaked to another body that led to the member tendering his resignation. Although it was only a verbal resignation, it was accepted and, according to Rallies Committee chairman James Coleman, has been rubber stamped by the Motorsport Commission.

The document, which will be presented on Wednesday night next is Version 8 and Coleman stated speculation on its contents is inaccurate.

Indeed, it appears that leaked document led to the current inaccuracies as, at the time, it was very much a work in progress. Some of the points in the current document relate to start and finish time of rallies. In summer months, it is recommended that events will not start before 10am and finish (first car on final stage) no later than 5pm. The corresponding winter times are 9am and 4pm. Prizegivings can take place at the finish ramp or an alternative venue and no later than 7.30pm.

Meanwhile, time frames for the submission of draft regulations and the turnaround of same by Motorsport Ireland are also under review. Coleman added that it is imperative that all organising clubs will have a complete event management plan in place. The presentation of awards for the Dunlop National Rally Championship takes place tomorrow night at the Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone. Cork’s Brian O’Mahony and his Mayo co-driver, John Higgins, will be presented with the main awards. Tyrone’s Frank Kelly and his Cork co-driver Liam Brennan will be awarded the inaugural Dunlop Mk. 2 Champions Trophy along with the rally.ie two-wheel drive award. The other principal award winners are Limerick’s Colm Murphy and Cork’s Don Montgomery – Motorsport Safety Group N Champions; Cork’s Bernard Foley and Paul Twomey — the Dunlop National Junior Champions and Limerick’s Denis Collins and Kerry’s Tommy Commane — the Dunlop National Historic Champions.

The Munster Autocross Championship continues on Sunday with the Birr Autocross at Glasshouse, County Offaly at 11.30am; the Cork 4x4 Trial at Rockgrove near Coachford begins at 11am and the Hewison Autotest series continues at Mondello Park at 11am.