At the weekend, in the mountains above the tiny villlage of Cairncastle, Jedis battled with Avengers for ultimate supremacy. But this wasn’t the latest blockbuster production from the burgeoning Northern Ireland film industry. This was something even more primal and dramatic – the world of hill climb. It’s an incredibly simple concept. The car which reaches the summit in the fastest time wins. Perhaps this is actually over simplifying what happens, because each hill in the Millers Oils Northern Ireland hill climb championship has its own unique challenge. In the case of Cairncastle, it’s the longest course in the UK…
Author: Chris Andrews
When Mother Nature carved out the lakes, mountains and the wild Atlantic coastline of Donegal, its as if she had rallying in mind. The breathtaking scenery of the Fanad and Rossguill peninsulas offers some of the most picturesque, yet sternest tests in Ireland. The Joule Donegal International Rally has an irresistible allure and seems to captivate drivers like no other. It was no surprise that the entry list was oversubscribed. The bumper 160 plus starters included a returning Garry Jennings, a perennial visitor in David Bogie and a motorsport legend more used to two wheels, Michael Dunlop, still bruised and battered…
The picturesque, stately grandeur of Brownlow House provided an idyllic backdrop for the annual Castle Classic Club show. The sight of a series 1 E-Type grabbing some shade below a tree, as the lawns bathed in golden sunshine, looked suitably perfect. It harked back to a previous halcyon-era of carefree motoring, when British sports cars ruled the roost. In fact, that could have been the unintentional theme of the show, as there were a fantastic array of MGs with an MGA MGB, Midgets and even a Magnette on show. This was complemented by a, glorious Triumph Spitfire, a little TR6…
Internationally acclaimed actor, car enthusiast and King Of Speed, Idris Elba, hits the small screens once again in an all action, high-octane new show. Idris Elba: No Limits premieres on the Discovery Channel at 9pm on 6th July and follows car racing fan Idris for four episodes as he attempts to get to grips with a number of differing motorsport disciplines. The challenges include an attempt to break the “Flying Mile” record set by Malcolm Campbell back in 1927, as well as drag racing at Santa Pod and an attempt at rallying our own Circuit of Ireland, under the tutelage…
Japfest at Castle Coombe has firmly cemented it’s place as Europe’s biggest celebration of Japanese car culture. Over 3,000 cars of all eras and marques packed the length and breadth of the sun-drenched Wiltshire race circuit, whilst hordes of spectators thronged the club stands or watched the action on track from the mental time attack and drift machines.Perhaps the most fascinating thing about Japfest is the sheer variety and diversity of cars on display. In fact, the show is a perfect illustration of how interest in Japanese cars has evolved from the rally-bred Subaru Imprezas, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions and Celica GT-Fours…
The McGarrity rally machine rolled into Maghera, looking for win number four in the McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship and duly ended event with the Ryan Bradley Memorial MKS Tour of the Sperrins trophy. Undeterred by a chasing pack comprising of the hard-charging Desi Henry, former British Junior Rally Champion, Marty McCormack and a British and Scottish Champion, in the shape of David Bogie, Derek McGarrity led from start to finish and strengthened his already vice-like grip over the series. The rally consisted of three tests and 7 special stages in total, set in the foothills of the Sperrin…
Northern Ireland’s Kris Meeke clinched his first ever World Rally Championship (WRC) win in Argentina today, when he brought his Citroen DS3 WRC home 18.1 seconds ahead of his team-mate, Mads Østberg. By doing so, Meeke became the first British driver in thirteen years to claim victory on the world stage, following in the footsteps of his close friend and mentor, Colin McRae. Meeke had led the event from Stage 2 on Friday morning. He built a commanding lead, which he then defended resolutely, managing his own pace as well as the condition of his car. Whilst his close rivals had…
The International Tourist Trophy may well be the most prestigious race that you’ve never heard of. The term Tourist Trophy, or TT for short, has become synonymous with motorbikes and the Isle of Man.
There may have been glamour models and Hollywood A-listers among the competitors on this year’s Circuit of Ireland Rally, but there was only one real crowd puller – the Tuthill Porsche 911 R-GT. Driven by Robert Woodside, with Allan Harryman on the notes, the unmistakable flat-six reverberated around the Mourne Mountains on Good Friday, evoking magical memories of past events. The Circuit of Ireland has a deep connection with the Stuttgart supercars. During the early 1970’s, the 911 scored back to back wins in the hands of Jack Tordoff and Cathal Curley. Although, Porsche power and ‘The Circuit’ became intrinsically…
Pulsating; absorbing; epic; a classic! The 2015 Circuit of Ireland was unrelenting drama on wheels as Peugeot Rally Academy driver, Craig Breen and fellow Irishman Robert Barrable traded fastest times over the narrow, bumpy roads of County Down. Breen had spoken at length, prior to the event, about his desire to emulate his hero Frank Meagher and take home the famous ‘Circuit’ trophy. But Barrable clearly hadn’t read the script. A capacity entry headed through the early morning mizzle on Good Friday to tackle the first day’s stages in the Mourne Mountains. Amongst the protagonists were over 50 crews from the…
The comeback kids were out in force as Geneva was selected as the venue to launch a number of returning heroes. Cars like the all new Honda NSX, Ford GT and Focus RS emerged after lengthy slumbers. Whereas Mazda set the latest version of their long-running MX-5 free, whilst Honda let the public loose on the new incarnation of the Civic Type R. Here’s a look at these five re-births. Honda Civic Type-R The development of the brand new Civic Type-R has been a relatively public process. The initial concept was unveiled to the world round about a year ago…
Astonishing. That’s the one word that describes the 2015 Geneva Motorshow. Spread over 7 halls and featuring over 140 new car launches or concepts alone, you get the idea of the scale. Not only was every major manufacturer present, but also bespoke car builders as well as some of the most respected tuning houses in the world. Reallymeansounds was on hand to bring you all the cars you really must see. Supercars provided the eye candy, and the cars on display from the likes of Koenigsegg, Pagani, Lamborghini and McLaren literally stopped the thronging crowd in their tracks. In addition…