Samdec Security International ITRC Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan successfully defended their Rally of the Lakes crown to take their second Irish Tarmac win of the year by a well-managed 25.1 seconds. The Volkswagen Polo R5 crew fought back from a puncture on Killarney’s Moll’s Gap opener to grab the rally lead on stage four. Despite continued threats from Robert Barrable and Rob Duggan, Devine’s grasp on first was unrelenting as he showed the same class that clinched his Circuit of Ireland win earlier this month. Hometown hero Rob Duggan set a blistering time through stage one to grab an…
Author: Graham Baalham-Curry
GREER EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH VICTORY AT RACE AND RALLY BISHOPSCOURT STAGES! Jonny Greer and Niall Burns claimed a start to finish victory at today’s Race and Rally Bishopscourt Stages, round two of the McGrady Insurance Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship. Driving their Citroen C3, Greer laid down the marker from the outset, quickly edging out a lead over the chasing VW Polo GTi belonging to Derek McGarrity and Graham Henderson. McGarrity’s only glimmer of hope came on the third of six stages when he set fastest time, reducing the gap to less than three seconds. However, it soon…
There has been an outpouring of grief from around the world after one of Ireland’s leading rally drivers, Waterford’s Craig Breen, was tragically taken from us after an accident during testing ahead of the Croatian round of the World Rally Championship. Craig’s co-driver, Cavan man James Fulton, was uninjured. My thoughts are very much with James, Craig’s family, friends, and all within this tight knit community at this very sad time. Aged just 33, Breen’s smile was nothing short of infectious. His eyes glistened with joy at even the thought of driving a rally car. A shining light of Irish…
When introduced to the market seven years ago the self-charging Kia Niro hybrid became a frugal baby Sportage, thanks to its SUV stance and the fact that it was larger than the Korean brands Ceed. A year later, plug-in hybrid technology was added. And in 2019, a fully electric Kia E-Niro was made available. This trio of power-trains remains today, within what is a very different looking Niro. The all-new Kia Niro is, without doubt, a family friendly mode of transport. Its bold design may not appeal to the masses. But with a 7-year warranty, is worthy of being on…
Mark Donnelly and Stephen O’Hanlon claimed victory at today’s Samsonas Rally Fivemiletown, round one of the McGrady Insurance NI Forest Rally Challenge! It was a start-to-finish success for the Fiesta R5 crew but the Greencastle driver was never able to relax as the chasing pack hunted him down throughout the eight-stage Omagh Motor Club event. Going into the final stage, Donnelly’s advantage had been whittled down to just one-tenth of a second but he pulled out all the stops over the closing miles to secure the win by 1.7s. “We had a big push on the final stage and had…
After a slightly reduced championship last year due to ongoing government restrictions at the start of the season, the 2022 SW Adair Tyres Northern Ireland Sprint Championship returned to its full calendar this year. With over 130 registered competitors battling it out across 19 classes on a total of 9 events, with 7 of these counting towards the final championship points table, it looked set to be one hell of a racing season. Despite only visiting two venues, different circuits within these, as well as variations of these circuits gave drivers a new challenge each and every round. Here is…
Over the last decade the Northern Ireland Rally Championship has become a shadow of its former self, for the spectator’s that is, as with no use of forestry gravel roads the championship focuses on sealed surface events only. I am old enough to remember five or six of the nine or ten round championship being hosted in the woods, but I am young enough to understand that a vast percentage of today’s machinery is built specifically for tarmac, or gravel, and that it is hard to make them work on both. The costs involved with top level rallying today are…
WRIGHT WINS CLOSEST BATTLE IN MCGRADY INSURANCE NI RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY AT THE EUROCABLES BELFAST KIRKISTOWN STAGES! Stephen Wright and Ger Conway emerged victorious at the Eurocables Belfast Kirkistown Stages Rally after one of the closest finishes in the history of the McGrady Insurance Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship! The Ford Fiesta R5 powered crew held off a hard-charging Jonny Greer and Brian Crawford to win the event by just one-tenth of a second after six hard-fought stages around County Down’s Kirkistown Race Circuit. Organised by North Armagh Motor Club, the event attracted more than 70 entries from some…
This year’s ANICC Hillclimb Championship was all to play for and the Millers Oils backed series returned in force with just eighteen points splitting the top three overall at the end. After a shortened season last year due to government restrictions still being imposed, drivers were eager to get stuck into this year’s championship which looked set to be a good one from the onset. Some fresh faces on the start-line were joined by old faces who, having held onto their machinery, were all welcomed equally to this year’s paddock which made its traditional start in the hills above North…
The majority of road users will recognise the name ‘Curran’ as it graces a fleet of lorries and trailers thanks to Bangor based outfit, D Curran and Sons… Around the turn of the millennium, the firm’s unmistakable yellow, orange and red logo found its way onto a Mitsubishi Evo when owner, Dickie Curran, was finding his feet in rallying. Around this time, Dickie’s son, Mike, was also finding his feet in the sport, albeit in a very different way. He was on his way to being crowned as a World Rally Champion. Sadly, Mike’s name doesn’t sit beside the likes…
LOCAL CREW SECURE SENSATIONAL JUNIOR WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUT WIN IN SWEDEN… Creighton, 25 from Moira in Co. Down was the star of the field, setting fastest time on an unrivalled nine stages during the event. His pace would see him build a lead of over 40 seconds against his nearest rivals, before his Fiesta bonnet flew up and blocked his view, losing almost a minute in the process. Starting the final day of the event, Creighton and Belfast co-driver Liam Regan found themselves 19 seconds away from the leader and in a truly fascinating masterclass of top-level driving, Creighton…
Saturday 21 January 2023 was the date of the 2022 SW Adair Tyres Northern Ireland Sprint Championship prize giving and Night of Champions in Edenmore Golf club. This was a new venue which had not been used before, but it saw a fabulous evening’s craic and some outstanding food. It was also one of the best supported speed championship awards dinners of recent times, with 144 people in attendance to collect prizes from the SW Adair Tyres Northern Ireland Sprint Championship and the Millers Oils Hillclimb Championship. As usual, there was a fair bit of banter amongst everyone which, as…