Alan Moran, Foxford (Motor Sport Award Winner) pictured with Mayo and District Motor Sport Club officers, Kathleen Kennedy, sec; Andy Walsh PRO and Matthew Murphy, Chairman, at Western People 46th Annual Mayo Sports Stars Awards in Association with Ballina Beverages Gala Presentation Banquet in Hotel Ballina 19 Feb 2016. Photo: © Michael Donnelly
Wet conditions greeted James McGreal & Chris Mitchel as they brought their recently acquired Mitsubishi Evo 6 out for a run at Birr Stages Rally to blow off any cobwebs before their home event Mayo Stages Rally next weekend.
The pair had a good run out in the ex Andrew Stewart car, despite the wet & mucky conditions making the stages based around Borris-in-Ossory treacherous at times.
Overcoming gearbox gremlins heading into the last loop, the pair finished the event third in Class 15 and 44th overall
Donagh Kelly put in masterful performance to retain the Birr Stages Rally title in his Ford Focus WRC.
The countdown to the 2016 Hotel Ballina – Kennedy Motors Mayo Stages Rally is firmly underway following a successful launch at Hotel Ballina, headquarters for the March 6th event. A large crowd was in attendance on Thursday night last to hear information about this year’s rally from a selection of speakers, including Clerk of the Course David Breen and Chairman of Mayo & District Motorsport Club Matthew Murphy, who thanked all the sponsors who have made the running of the 2016 Mayo Stages Rally possible.
Among those attending was Andrew Mullen, sponsor of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship, of which the Mayo Stages is the opening round, Brendan Flynn representing the Border Rally Championships and Triton Rally Championship and Art McCarrick, Sports Development Officer from Motorsport Ireland. Local representatives included members of An Garda Síochána, members of Ballina Chamber of Commerce, local county councillors and representatives from all the event sponsors.
With two weeks to go Mayo & District Motorsport Club reports that entries are near capacity with WRC numbers in double figures. Seeding takes place on Friday 26th February and an entry list will be available on www.mayomotorsportclub.com thereafter.
Continuing on from the success of previous year’s in Ballina Town Centre the Rally festival with an array of entertainment returns on the Saturday evening. This takes place in the Market Square featuring RSA Road Safety display, Rally School Ireland display, static car display and a parade of Rally cars along with much more family entertainment.
For spectators intending to visit the rally on March 6th, plenty of time should be allowed to get to the stages to park and find a safe viewing location, as some of the stages have only limited access. Always obey the marshals and follow their instructions, as they are there to ensure that everyone has a safe day’s rallying. A Rally Programme with a detailed map will be available to purchase in the area on the days leading up to the event.
The 2016 Mayo Stages Rally is continuing the high standard of previous years with news and information available to rally fans. In order to keep competitors and spectators as informed and up-to-date as possible, Mayo & District Motorsport Club utilizes a range of communication tools in the build up to, and during rally week-end. The Club is already providing regular updates via its Twitter, Facebook and Periscope accounts – MayoMotorClub. Also event information is available on the clubs website www.mayomotorsportclub.com. On the Sunday of the event when the rally itself roars into action, regular live updates and interviews will be broadcast on Mid West Radio’s Sunday Sports Show. www.midwestradio.ie & 96.1fm
Pics credit Michael Donnelly
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
