The official launch of the 2016 Hotel Ballina – Kennedy Motors Mayo Stages Rally takes place next Thursday, February 18th in Hotel Ballina at 8pm. There will be a display of rally cars on show outside the hotel and photographs will be taken with sponsors, rally championship representatives and the organising committee, along with guest speakers on the evening. The launch is open to the public and everybody is invited to come along to get into the Rally mood, ahead of the event which takes place on Sunday 6th of March.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Mayo & District Motorsport Club are unable to run the following classes at our Harrington’s Quarry venue for the upcoming 2016 Autocross season.
Class 6. Car Engined Specials
Class 7. Motorcycle Engined Specials including Buggies
We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause competitors, and we appreciate your understanding.
Further details regarding National Championship Round on July 24th to follow.
Our Loose Surface dates for 2016 are;
May 8th – June 12th – July 24th – August 21st
FORECAST GOOD FOR TRITON SHOWERS NATIONAL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
A new season of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship was unveiled in Maynooth this afternoon with the popular series set to visit eight different locations this year. It will begin in Ballina at the beginning of next month and will traverse all four provinces as it concludes in Killybegs in early October.With a total of 16 events under the umbrella of Triton Showers series, the organising committee rotate eight events on a biennial basis that affords the series a wonderful opportunity to give competitors and spectators a diverse range of rallying territory set against an equally varied Irish landscape.Speaking at the launch at the Glen Royal Hotel in Maynooth, Kevin Barrett, M.D. of Triton Showers said, “Our first season as title sponsors of the National Rally Championship has been hugely encouraging. Having been involved with the Circuit of Ireland and with our own Triton Showers backed cars we are very much aware of what is involved in Irish motorsport. However, we are overwhelmed with the manner our association with the series has been received by competitors and spectators alike. The promotion of all eight events within the series along with the awards ceremony has ensured that the Triton Showers brand has received tremendous exposure through all sections of the media.This season, one of our cars will have a new livery. Paul’s N14 Subaru is in the colours of Vado – a shower, tap and accessories manufacturer that Triton purchased some three years ago and are now distributing alongside our range of products.This year, with eight different events in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship, it offers another opportunity to continue to showcase all that is good in Irish motorsport. Triton Showers would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all those involved.”Reigning Triton Showers National Rally champion Donegal’s Donagh Kelly is not defending his title as he focuses on expanding his business interests, fellow Donegal driver and former champion Declan Boyle has earmarked the Mayo Rally as the first part of his national journey. He is hoping that his Ford Fiesta WRC will be ready in time for the season opener, otherwise, he will begin his quest on the Circuit of Kerry.The Triton Showers team of Kevin Barrett and Niall Maguire in their Subaru WRC’s and the Group N duo of Paul Barrett (Subaru) and Shane Maguire (Mitsubishi) will be an integral part of the campaign.Clonmel’s Roy White, who gave his Ford Fiesta WRC its debut on last year’s Fastnet Rally in Bantry is set for a full series campaign, he has secured a top three finish in the last three national campaigns. Meanwhile, London based Cork driver Michael O’Brien has acquired the ex-Sam Moffett Ford Fiesta WRC and is setting his sights on a national bid where he may switch to his 2008 specification Ford Focus WRC for some of the events.Speaking at the launch, Trevor Applegate, Sales Director, Triton Showers remarked, “Year one of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship has been a resounding success. We are immensely proud to see Triton branding set against the splendid backdrop of the beautiful Irish countryside throughout all eight events of the championship, from the first event in County Laois in February to the finale in Bantry in West Cork in October. The icing on the cake is that the championship was broadcast via satellite and terrestrial TV to 52 countries, making for a truly global branding exercise. This, plus the extensive media coverage yielded, along with the enthusiasm and pure passion of everyone involved, makes it an outstanding partnership, and one that we are delighted to be involved with for 2016.”Also addressing the attendance at the Glen Royal Hotel, Chairman of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship Committee, Richard Talbot outlined an additional aspect to the 2016 series. “The 2015 Championship was a tremendous success with over three hundred registered competitors across all categories. This year we expect to have a very strong field between WRC, Group N, Group R, Modified and Juniors. Included this year is The Smartpart ALMC Rally in July – also a counting round of the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship that will bring some of the best British national teams to Ireland. For that event it is our intention to run a “Triton Showers Inter-Championship Cup Competition. It will be a team event between the best Irish and British competitors in a Ryder Cup type competition. This should bring an extra competitive edge to the event and more importantly a bit of fun for all concerned. Details have yet to be finalised but we feel it will add value and interest to both championships.”He added, “Triton Showers have been fantastic sponsors and we look forward to working with Kevin and Trevor and all the team for this year and beyond. We are sure the 2016 Championship will be the biggest and best to date. The opening round in Mayo is expected to have a very strong entry and we expect this trend to continue through the other seven counting events.”2016 Triton Showers National Rally Championship Diary Dates:1. Mayo Rally March 6th.2. Circuit of Kerry Rally April 3rd.3. Carlow Rally May 8th.4. Cavan Rally May 29th.5. ALMC Rally July 3rd.6. Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally August 7th.7. Clare Rally September 18th .8. Donegal Harvest Rally October 8th.
Mayo & District Motorsport Club organised a very successful event for the local school children of Killala National School and Newtownwhite Educate Together National School at Lacken Enterprise Centre, Killala on Friday last. Both schools are situated close to the stages on this year’s Hotel Ballina and Kennedy Motors Mayo Stages Rally which takes place on March 6th.
Presented by rally co-driver Killian Duffy and Maggie Bonner who is also Road Safety Officer for Mayo & District Motorsport Club, together with other members from the motorclub, and in co-operation with the R.S.A (Road Safety Authority), Mayo County Council, Bus Eireann and An Garda Siochana, the event provided the school children with a special opportunity to learn first hand about general road safety and the safety measures that are in place to run a rally, as well as a demonstration of safety equipment on board a current rally car. The presentation was very well received with lots of questions and much excitement about the forthcoming rally.
This is the fourth year that Mayo & District Motorsport Club has undertaken an initiative to highlight to local schoolchildren in the vicinity of the rally the importance of safety both at rallies and on our roads, and it has proven to be an excellent opportunity to teach the younger generation the essentials of being safe on the roads in a fun and memorable way.
Photos Michael Donnelly
A hard-hitting road safety message was delivered to over 1000 teenagers at the Royal Theatre in Castlebar, Co Mayo on Wednesday last, when they viewed the AXA Insurance award-winning Road Safety Roadshow. The event was organised in conjunction with Mayo County Council, An Garda Siochana and the local emergency services.
Before the Roadshow began a boisterous crowd of transition and senior year students hustled their way to their seats in the Theatre. But it wasn’t too long before a silence fell on the room.
The show graphically depicts how a night out ends in tragedy for a teenager after a road traffic accident. The story was told by a Garda officer, a paramedic, a fire officer, an emergency consultant, an undertaker, a mother of a victim and Richard Alcorn from Donegal, who was paralysed following a road traffic collision a number of years ago. Richard has lost a number of friends in road traffic collisions and is keen to help deliver the road safety message to others in the country.
The narrative was interspersed with music, video clips and television advertisements.
Speaking after the event, Noel Gibbons, Road Safety Officer, Mayo County Council said, “The Road Safety Roadshow continues to be a major success. It allows us to deliver a hard hitting and high impact road safety message to thousands of young people in the highest risk group. I have no doubt that the Roadshow shocks, perhaps even horrifies our young audiences and make no apology for that. The show realistically illustrates what happens all too often on our roads. I hope that after seeing the Roadshow the students understand that they are not indestructible; that it can and does happen to young people like them; and they must respect the roads and other users.”
Incorporating FIA’s (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) Action for Road safety’s 10 Golden Rules for Safer Motoring and Motorsport Ireland’s road safety initiative, Keep The Race In Its Place, which is supported by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and aimed at young drivers, Mayo’s Club Road Safety Officer Maggie Bonner and several members from the Motorclub , were on hand at the Roadshow to demonstrate how a rally car differs from a road car and to show the level of safety protection used in motorsport.
Speaking after the Roadshow, Maggie said: “Our sport wants to do everything that it can to help spread the message about safe driving. Irish efforts to improve road safety have been most impressive. But we still believe that we can do more and that motorsport can help. We know that Ireland probably has one of the highest numbers of rallying fans than any other country in Europe, so it is vital that we engage with this group of young people at their level. We are delighted to support the Roadsafety Roadshow, which will take the safe driving message straight to the most important audience. It will show that if you love driving and you love motorsport, then you should respect the roads and drive safely.”
Congrats to Oisin Coffey who picked up a Connaught Telegraph Young Sports Star Award for his Autocross achievements last Saturday night at a gala awards ceremony in Breaffy House Hotel. Well done Oisin.
Fermanagh’s Garry Jennings and Letterkenny’s Rory Kennedy in their Subauru Impreza WRC were victorious in an incident packed Corrib Oil Galway International Rally that concluded on Sunday afternoon.
They had over three minutes to spare over second placed Keith Cronin and Mikey Galvin from Cork in a Citroen DS3 R5, Tyrone’s Alastair Fisher and Gordon Noble in a Ford Fiesta R5 were third.
Aaron MacHale and Enda Sherry in their recently acquired Skoda Fabia moved up through the leaderboard and finished in 12th place overall at the end of the two day fifteen special stage event.
The Ulster crew of Wesley Patterson and Johnny Baird won the National section of the event in their Ford Escort MK2. They had just over one minute to spare over the second placed Galway crew of Tom Flaherty and Patrick Curley, also in a Ford Escort.
Galway’s Ray Cunningham and Adrian Cusack in their Mini Cooper took victory in the Historic section of the rally.
The big Mayo interest in the event was in the Junior category where three former Mayo Young Driver Champions lined up to do battle. It was Justin Ryan with Andy Walsh alongside on the notes that not only took the Mayo bragging rights but finished second in the J2 class and also claimed maximum Irish Tarmac Championship points as first Championship registered Junior crew across the finish line, a fine performance from the pair on their first outing since Sligo Stages last July. Achill man Brian Lavelle was unlucky not to finish the event after looking likely to give Ryan a run for his money; gearbox trouble forced him to retire his Honda Civic on the last loop of stages. Shrule’s Noel Murphy also in a Honda Civic was the third Mayo young driver who put in a spirited drive after two spins on the wet and slippy conditions early Sunday morning left him playing catch-up.
Many of the fancied crews made up a high attrition rate as the weather conditions made life very difficult for all those competing and the volunteer marshals involved in the running of the event – also victim of the conditions was Westport’s David Carney who slid off on a slippery section, unable to rejoin in his DS3.
Club Monthly meeting Wednesday Feb 3rd in Hotel Ballina at 9pm
Note new day of week for meetings in 2016
Club Membership forms available to download on website, new members always welcome
A large crew from Mayo was in attendance at the Oakwood Arms in Shannon for the National Autocross, Night Of Champions Awards, on Saturday last.
Five Mayo members received awards, including Stephen McGing for COC, Ronan Murphy 4th in Class 1 National Autocross Autograss, Seamus Coffey, 3rd in Class 2 National Autocross Loose Surface, Jason Murphy, 2nd in Juniors, National Autocross Autograss and Oisin Coffey won picked up 1st in Juniors National Autocross Loose Surface, A great night was had by all. Roll on 2016 Championship.
Adrian Deane presented with his Club Frank Harrington Championship runner up Award for 2015 by Autocross COC Stephen McGing
