Connect with us

Motoring

Motorsport weekly roundup

Published

on

0208263_24109601319810321620540202689068010755521242n.jpg

Killarney Historic Rally

Killarney and District Motor Club is expected to announce details of this year’s Rentokil-Initial Killarney Historic Rally in the coming days.
Rallying has been given the green light to return by Motorsport Ireland and Sport Ireland. Already, the Tralee-based Kerry Motor Club has revealed details of its November 7, Banna Beach Resort Kerry Winter Rally. The Historic Rally is scheduled to run two weeks after the Kerry event and an announcement to this effect is expected to be made early next week.

World Rally Championship

Craig Breen and Paul Nagle have been selected to tackle Rally Finland next month by the Hyundai Motorsport World Rally team.
It will be their fifth World Championship start this year, but more importantly, it presents another chance for the Irish crew to impress team bosses before the 2022 team lineups are fully announced.
Breen and Nagle are chasing a full-time seat in the WRC, their current arrangement with Hyundai means they share a car with Spaniard Dani Sordo and he has been given the nod for the Acropolis Rally Greece this month.

Belgian Rallying

Dublin-based Kilcummin co-driver Damian Fleming is contesting this weekend’s Tour of Flanders in Belgium alongside Stephen McCann. Considered one of the classic events of Belgian rallying the ‘Omloop’ gets underway tomorrow night (Friday). The Cavan/Kerry crew, former winners of the Kerry Winter Rally, will use their usual Ford Fiesta R5 for the two-day, 19-stage rally.

Sidecar racing

Killarney sidecar racer Siobhan Ardener only managed to finish one of her three races at last weekend’s Dunlop Masters Irish Superbike Championship meeting at Mondello Park.
Hampered by a pre-event hand injury, her weekend went from bad to worse. A suspension issue forced retirement in race one, a small crash ended race two.
Despite all the trials and tribulations she and her driver Fergus Woodlock finished the third race of the weekend and left the County Kildare venue in fourth place in the championship standings. Two rounds remain, one each in September and October.

Motorcycle racing volunteer

Killarney man, Mike Kissane, better known for his role as a racer and coach within the ranks of Killarney Cycling, has become a member of the highly respected ‘Orange Army’ at Mondello Park.
The ‘Orange Army’ are a group of motorcycle racing fans who volunteer to keep events going.
Last weekend marked the third Dunlop Irish Masters Superbike Championship meeting of the year and it was Mike’s third time helping out behind the scenes.

UK Motorcycle racing

Kevin Coyne is returning to the British Superbike Championship (BSB) this weekend after an injury-enforced lay-off.
Coyne hurt his shoulder during a crash at Brands Hatch on July 24.
He did not race in August as a result of his injuries.
He is entered in the National Superstock 600cc class in this weekend’s BSB round at Snetterton.
Depending on how this weekend goes in terms of fitness, Coyne hopes to contest the remaining four rounds of the BSB.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

News

Johnny Hickey to be remembered at the Rally of the Lakes

The late Johnny Hickey will be remembered by his motor club colleagues at his beloved Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes this weekend. The hugely popular Killarney and District Motor […]

Published

on

0256369_113937a4-702b-44c9-a14d-f9856973806c.jpg

The late Johnny Hickey will be remembered by his motor club colleagues at his beloved Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes this weekend.

The hugely popular Killarney and District Motor Club (KDMC) member passed away two years ago.

He was one of the hardest-working volunteers within the ranks of KDMC and his contribution to the Rally of the Lakes is sorely missed in the two rallies that have run since his passing.

The accomplished rally navigator will be forever remembered by his family and friends within the sport after his daughter Alyson unveiled a new trophy in his name at the official launch of the 2023 event on Saturday night.

The Johnny Hickey Memorial Trophy will be presented annually to the highest-placed co-driver in a two-wheel drive car in the modified class – a category close to his heart.

Alyson (13), bravely spoke in front of a packed audience at the launch event, about her late father and what motorsport meant to him.

“My dad loved rallying from a very young age and his passion only grew stronger as he got older. He joined my granddad, Charlie Hickey, in the co-driver’s position when he was 16-year-old,” Alyson told those in attendance.

“For him, it was never just about the rally – it was about the people who shared his love for it. He believed that the spirit and friendship that comes with rallying was just as important as the thrill of the race.”

Alyson was accompanied by her granddad, rally driver Charlie, his grandmother Joan and his aunt Charlene when she unveiled the cup in the Gleneagle Hotel on Saturday.

She received a standing ovation for her powerful and tearful speech that remembered her late dad and rally legend Johnny.

Continue Reading

News

Three local competitors to watch in this weekend’s Rally of the Lakes

Three local competitors will start the 2023 Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes in state-of-the-art rally cars capable of winning the event. Defending champion Callum Devine will start at number […]

Published

on

0256370_image0061.jpg

Three local competitors will start the 2023 Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes in state-of-the-art rally cars capable of winning the event.

Defending champion Callum Devine will start at number one and he will have Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan in a Volkswagen Polo Rally2 alongside.

They dramatically won the rally last year after chief rival Alistair Fisher crashed out in the final stage.

Two more local Volkswagens will start the rally in the hands of Rob Duggan and Alan Ring.

“It is an honour to carry number one on the doors,” said O’Sullivan. “The club have put on an incredible route, and it is great to see the two boys out in Polos. There is a very strong entry, and we will do our best to get a good result.”

Duggan is the defending modified category champion but has made a surprise step up to the top class.

“It has always been a dream since I was four or five-years-old to go up The Gap in a top machine,” he said.

“I have no idea what to expect, I will only see the car on Thursday morning, I have only done the rally in a modified car, so I guess this car won’t be as tail happy.”

He will be co-driven, as usual, by Ger Conway.

Duggan’s car will be run by Welsh outfit, Melvyn Evans Motorsport, the same team that will run Alan Ring who makes a welcome return to top-flight rallying after a few years contesting events in the historic category.

“The weekend should be good,” he said. “Myself and Rob will be teammates and it will be nice to have a proper car for the event.”

The rally gets underway with a ceremonial start in Killarney town centre on Friday evening before two action-packed days across 16 stages.

The Saturday run returns to the challenging Beara Peninsula while Sunday morning’s action takes place in South Kerry ahead of the grand finale on East Kerry roads on Sunday evening.

Continue Reading

Trending