Ace Signs Cork 20 Rally / Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rd.6

[Cess]

The final round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship takes place over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of October 2014, around Millstreet, County Cork. Organised by Munster Car Club, the Cork 20 International Rally is the sixth and final round of the series.

With the Ulster Rally results counting as final results, Declan Boyle won the title and will not be in Cork. Neither will Garry Jennings or Donagh Kelly, leaving the top end of the entry list looking a bit bare.

However, the big news is that three times British Rally Champion, Keith Cronin has entered the rally in his new acquired Citroen DS3 R5. Keith will be using the car in selected WRC2 rounds during 2015.

The Irish Tarmac Championship Modified Challenge title does still hang in the balance, with only 10 points separating Declan Gallagher who is currently first from Wesley Patterson in 2nd.

Top Seeds/Selected Entries

1. Daragh O'Riordan / Tony McDaid - Ford Fiesta WRC

2. Sam Moffett / James O'Reilly - Ford Fiesta WRC

3. Keith Cronin / Marshall Clarke - Citroen DS3 R5

4. Alan Ring / Adrian Deasy - Subaru Impreza WRC S12B

5. Josh Moffett / John Rowan - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

6. Sebastian Ling / Alan Rees - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

7. Peadar Hurson / Damien Connolly - Ford Escort WRC

8. Declan Gallagher / Ryan Moore - Toyota Starlet

9. Wesley Patterson / Johnny Baird - Ford Escort MK. II

10. Frank Kelly / Liam Brennan - Ford Escort MK. II

35. Richard Tannahill / Aileen Kelly - Peugeot 208 R2

Full entry list

Rally website: http://www.cork20internationalrally.com/

Live stage times and results: http://results.shannonsportsit.ie/index.php

 

[Cess]

Keith Cronin's new DGM Citroen DS3 R5

 

[Cess]

Any overall class titles that remained unresolved in the Irish Tarmac Championship were sorted out early on Day 1 in Cork. Josh Moffett took the Group N title when nearest rival Stephen McCann crashed on SS1 and blocked the stage. Likewise Declan Gallagher won the Modified Challenge when Wesley Patterson's Escort hit a wall on SS2 and he retired.

At the top of the leader board, Daragh O'Riordan won for a fourth year in a row. Keith Cronin, in his new Citroen DS3 R5 led the rally twice, but a puncture and a couple of overshoots cost him time.

Final Results (combined leaderboard)

1 Daragh O'Riordan / Tony McDaid - Ford Fiesta WRC
2 Keith Cronin / Marshall Clarke - Citroen DS3 R5
3 Declan Gallagher / Ryan Moore - Toyota Starlet
4 Cal McCarthy / Eamonn Dullea - Honda Civic
5 Stephen Wright / Mikie Galvin - Peugeot 208 R2
6 Callum Devine / Paddy McCrudden - Ford Fiesta R2
7 Martin Donnelly / Brian Doherty - Toyota Corolla
8 Brian O'Keeffe / Sean Hayde - Subaru Impreza
9 Stephen Carey / Ella Ryan - Honda Civic
10 Pauric Duffy / Kevin Glynn - Ford Fiesta

 

[bob]

Wasn't following this rally, @Cess what happened to Sam Moffett? That's a bit of a mental top ten but I think the Harvest rally this Saturday had ruined the Cork entry.

 

[Cess]

Diff or driveshaft issues forced retirement @bob

Feel sorry for Cork. Its a great rally, but by October most competitors have given up on the ITRC or have other fish to fry.

I've always thought a big overhaul of the points system would work wonders and keep the championship and title battles alive for longer.

 

[davecoupe]

Followed on twitter this weekend. Seemed to fissle out very quickly.

Adding another few rounds to the ITRC would be great I think, rounds were dropped due to cost but most rallies are similar distance etc now and there are plenty of National Rallies that most of the big contenders do that could be incorporated into the ITRC without massive budget implications for the competitors.

It would be great to see some life brought back into the championship, its not like we don't have the stages and the uniqueness of the roads that add such international appeal.

 

[Cess]

West Cork has been added for 2015 @davecoupe. It's a strong rally with a great tradition and always seems to attract a big entry. Being held in around St Patrick's day helps!

The Dunlop National Championship has the advantage over tarmac events in that all rounds are one day and follow a 3 stages run three times format. Therefore lower competitor costs and entry fees. Whereas, Irish Tarmac events are usually a minimum of two days, which increases time need to recce stages, on-event costs like accomodation and so on. So, as soon as competitors have nothing to compete for, the entries drop off. The poor old Cork 20 suffers every year, simply becuase it's the last rally. If class awards or titles aren't going down to the wire, competitors won't shell out for the expense of a long trip to Millstreet

The other thing that hampers the Irish Tarmac Championship is that it doesn't really operate that well as a homogenous championship. It's a loose collection of rallies under a championship banner, that theoretically have equal status. Yet they aren't all equal! Donegal and Killarney have halo status. Everybody wants to enter and win Donegal, for example, even if they aren't doing the rest of the Championship. So Donegal and Killarney never suffer with poor entries. The Circuit of Ireland was the same, back when it was a true Circuit, yet now it doen't seem to be that well supported as a Tarmac Championship event, especially by Southern crews.

Personally, I'd like the Championship to operate as a proper championship. I'd like to see rallies support each other and come up with processes to encourage crews to enter all rounds. I'd like to see current, homolgated cars given more encouragement and prominence, as these are the types of cars that are used in the ERC and WRC. Not a very popular view in Ireland and I'd say I'm in a minority here. But, if we want our young drivers to progress and prosper on the international stage, then they should be encouraged to drive current homolgated cars. Alas, I do not recall a Millington-engined MK2 winning a WRC round.

As above, I believe that an overhaul of the scoring system to reward participation would keep championships alive throughout all rounds. That is, by rewarding points for fastest stage times as well as event and leg wins. So, if you had a disaster on day 1 of Donegal, for example, that ended any hopes of a podium, you could batter on with days two and three, knowing that you could get championship points for stage wins and legs wins.

Likewise, if you had a topsy-turvey season, you could end up going into the last round in Cork, knowing that a load of stage wins, coupled with a leg win and a podium place could keep your titles hopes afloat.

 

[davecoupe]

West Cork will be good. Like you say, the ITRC isnt really a championship, it would be good to see a considered effort to build the reputation of the championship as a whole again.

The Manx and Jim Clarke have left gaps that leave it a prolonged, drawn out series of events

 

[Cess]

Being caught across MSA/MSI lines doesn't help, either. The Dunlop Championship has an MSI appointed committee, which oversees the series. Whereas TROA have a board consisting of a representative from each rally. As well as a Championship Manager and Press Officer. I'd love to know what they all do.

 

[davecoupe]

Being caught across MSA/MSI lines doesn't help, either. The Dunlop Championship has an MSI appointed committee, which oversees the series. Whereas TROA have a board consisting of a representative from each rally. As well as a Championship Manager and Press Officer. I'd love to know what they all do.

Drive around in front of the rallies with their sirens blaring acting the big lads?

 

[Cess]

Gets my goat, that. Seems to be an Irish phenomenon.

Also, the Irish Tarmac Twitter account occasionally retweets stuff about Man City. What's that all about?

 

[RCT]

West Cork has been added for 2015 @davecoupe
The Dunlop National Championship has the advantage over tarmac events in that all rounds are one day and follow a 3 stages run three times format. Therefore lower competitor costs and entry fees. Whereas, Irish Tarmac events are usually a minimum of two days, which increases time need to recce stages, on-event costs like accomodation and so on. So, as soon as competitors have nothing to compete for, the entries drop off. The poor old Cork 20 suffers every year, simply becuase it's the last rally. If class awards or titles aren't going down to the wire, competitors won't shell out for the expense of a long trip to Millstreet

The other thing that hampers the Irish Tarmac Championship is that it doesn't really operate that well as a homogenous championship. It's a loose collection of rallies under a championship banner, that theoretically have equal status. Yet they aren't all equal! Donegal and Killarney have halo status. Everybody wants to enter and win Donegal, for example, even if they aren't doing the rest of the Championship. So Donegal and Killarney never suffer with poor entries. The Circuit of Ireland was the same, back when it was a true Circuit, yet now it doen't seem to be that well supported as a Tarmac Championship event, especially by Southern crews.

Personally, I'd like the Championship to operate as a proper championship. I'd like to see rallies support each other and come up with processes to encourage crews to enter all rounds. I'd like to see current, homolgated cars given more encouragement and prominence, as these are the types of cars that are used in the ERC and WRC. Not a very popular view in Ireland and I'd say I'm in a minority here. But, if we want our young drivers to progress and prosper on the international stage, then they should be encouraged to drive current homolgated cars. Alas, I do not recall a Millington-engined MK2 winning a WRC round.

The problem is that alot of people will not travel outside their home turf. Whether that be Donegal or Kerry. Have you seen the entry list for Donegal and where all the competitors are from? It happens all over Ireland from what i've seen. Because the dunlop championship is 3 stages done 3 times, it means, less recce time and less pace noting, and if your local, you've prob already seen the road closing orders in the papers and been over the stages a dozen times more than anyone else and know them blind. Thats why I think the championships are not as well supported as they should be. I know it's alot of money and time off work for most as well, which makes the national championship more appealing and cost effective, but still, most kerry folk won't go to Donegal. I've done a few all over and there's always a local hero at the front of the class.
For the Circuit of Ireland, you're only allowed 2 passes over the stages to make your notes, I know someone who didn't do the event, and one of the reasons was that. It's very strict with the trackers on the recce cars and time to be on and off the stages. If you go to do any event in Uk, or europe, thats the way it is, just 2 passes and that's you for the notes.
There's nothing wrong with the modifed millingtons, if they are being driven right they are a very quick and capable car, but some people are stuck in the past and can't see the homologated cars for what they are. Sure the 2nd 2wd car home on the gravel moonraker rally this year was a fiesta R2, in with all the big power stuff. They are not a fast car in a straight line, quite slow really, compared to the 230bhp civics out there, but if driven right on a stage an R2 car, should be overall faster, but at least they are a fair and capped class, so the drivers [with more money] aren't using a big engine to gain time on the straights.