Author: Graham Baalham-Curry

Graham is a photojournalist and motoring writer with over 20 varied years of coverage from manufacturer press launches to international motorsport and motoring events throughout the world. Graham is a full member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and Ulster Motor Writers Association.

The 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland, who own and operate Kirkistown Racing Circuit in County Down, held their annual awards party in The Beechlawn Hotel in Dunmurry on Saturday 7th January. After an excellent meal, Circuit Manager, Donal O’Neill began the prize giving procedure with the 1995 World Formula E (now known as 250cc Superkarts) Champion, Trevor Roberts, presenting the awards. First up were125cc Superkarts. Donal recalled that Hillsborough driver, Noel Lindsay, was racing motorbikes at the same time as himself, too many years ago! Noel collected the third place trophy while Millisle driver, Ross Witherow, took the Prince…

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Last summer I spent a week with the Suzuki S-Cross which coincided with a camping trip and I was shocked at how well it coped with carrying people and luggage. My first experience of this model came at the launch of the full hybrid Suzuki Vitara, when a couple of S-Cross models were entrusted to do the airport transfers for some of us journalists attending the event. The drive from Manchester Airport to Carden Park Estate took something in the region of 75 minutes, during which time the S-Cross proved to be much more comfortable and accommodating than expected when…

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First launched in 1999 the Honda HR-V looked like the offspring of a hearse and an off-road vehicle after a one night stand, especially in three-door guise. Despite looking like it could take on a plateau whilst delivering bread, ground clearance wasn’t anything worth talking about. Self named by Honda as the ‘Joy Machine’ it soon became a rival to the Land Rover Freelander, Toyota RAV4 and Suzuki Jimny. It was well built and reliable, available in two or four-wheel-drive, and still looks pretty funky today. A neighbour of mine actually has one, and it always catches my eye. The…

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It is around eight years since I last spent any time with the Kia Sportage and this all-new model is almost unrecognisable in comparison. First launched in the mid 90’s, the then utilitarian Sportage was a firm favourite with farmers and those who lived in rural areas thanks to its reliability. It wasn’t until after 2010 that the Kia Sportage became a popular sight on the school run. That model looked great in comparison to its predecessor, and offered so much more. A restyle in 2016 kept the Kia as a popular choice for many buyers amidst a sea of…

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First launched just before the turn of the millennium, the Ford Focus has become a common sight in the driveway of many family households. New at the time chassis dynamics made it a rewarding car to drive no matter what guise you owned. Thanks to its success in the World Rally Championship, sporting models such as the ST and RS were created to fulfil the needs of the sport’s governing body as well as the demand from car enthusiasts. My wife and I have both owned the Volvo engined MkII ST model, one of which was fairly well tuned to…

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With an unrivalled warranty, grown-up looks and commendable economy, can the Kia Rio put up a fight against some well established rivals such as the Vauxhall Corsa? I was given the chance to find out during a week spent with the car pictured, which comes in at almost £22,000. This may look like a lot of money, and indeed the Kia is priced £2,500 more than the highest spec Suzuki Swift. However, it is around £2,000 cheaper than the Vauxhall which has been a best-in-class seller for years. The Rio range starts from a much more affordable £16,150 and standard…

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Having driven a handful of Mazda CX-5 models since first launched a decade ago. The second and current generation came to market around 2018. This quietly confident model suiting the needs of many, it has become a good seller for Mazda. But I was somewhat confused as to why I had custody of the model pictured and tested. At a quick glance it doesn’t look any different to the car I reviewed within the previous twelve months, so I assumed a new engine had been added to the range. When sitting down to write about what Mazda offer within the…

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With the motorsport season pretty much concluded for the year, a question many ask is what happens at the end of the competitive racing season? “Well, some drivers are not ready to put their cars away for the winter,” explains Donal O’Neill. “Some have bought new cars and want to try them out. Some just want to have fun, without the pressure of having to win. For these reasons the 500MRCI, who run Kirkistown Racing Circuit, put on a Rally Test Day in December and another in January/February. Donal, who’s the circuit manager, continued, “At the most recent one on…

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We get to grips with the Subaru Forester which received a hybrid system a while back and find out if electrification is the way forward for the Japanese maker. Regular readers will know that I have a huge affection for the Subaru brand which stems from my time following and competing in rallying. It’s a brand that has always produced cars based around performance, agility and a rugged ability. In recent years, however, the performance aspect has been lacking. And although I was very critical of the self-charging hybrid’s performance in a previous first-drive article, but I take some of…

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As a self-confessed petrolhead I have spent many an hour around a dyno. Be it as part of a group day where car owners bring their road vehicles to see who can claim the most horsepower, or the setting up of carburettor’s on an old rally car, there is a demand and need for such ‘rolling roads’ within the automotive industry. However, recent news to me was that the agricultural sector also relies on similar dyno technology. Not only to assess the output of machinery, but to fine-tune and increase the HP and frugality of a huge fleet of machinery…

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First launched in the UK after the turn of the millennium, the Honda Jazz has blended seamlessly into an urban landscape. Setting about its daily duties with ease, this little car has never created a fuss thanks to strong reliability and more practicality than you would expect. Although its silhouette has not changed a great deal over its generations, this Honda retains its stance as a mini MPV. There was a time when MPVs were all the rage, but somewhat less practical SUV’s have taken over in the last decade. Looking similar in size to rivals such as the Ford…

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Suzuki has always been highly regarded as one of the most affordable and reliable vehicles on the market. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I tested the now discontinued Celerio model, which cost something in the region of £6,000 brand new. Since the announcement of Brexit cheap motoring no longer exists, even for Suzuki, who’s most affordable model in the UK starts at over £15,000. I can see perfectly the look on a colleagues face if I told them that I had just spent north of £46,000 on a Suzuki. It would be akin to mine when I realised…

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