Big Changes to Irish Tarmac Rally Championship from 2016

[Cess]

Following the recent discussions about a move to R5 as the top class in the Irish Tarmac Championship, a decison has been published this morning.

Changes to Irish Tarmac Championship Points Structure for 2016

The Tarmac Rally Organisers Association (T.R.O.A.) wishes to announce changes to the points structure for the 2016 Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. These changes do not affect the various vehicle classes which will remain the same as set out in the 2015 Regulations.

The 2016 season will see competitors running in Classes 1 to 5 inclusive scoring points for the Overall Championship. Competitors running in Class 6 will be in a standalone class and therefore only eligible for class points. Competitors running in Class 7 will be able to score points for a new trophy, called the WRC Class 7 Trophy. The changes to the points structure are subject to MI approval.

There are no proposed changes to the Historic and Modified Championships.

David Gray,
Chairman T.R.O.A.

So, only cars in classes R1 to R5 will be eligible to score points in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. WRC cars and RRC cars cannot win the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Instead, they will score points for their class only and the overall winner of that class will be award a separate trophy for that class.

 

[Reno_LV]

I see the european influence, see their point but still think it is shaite!

 

[DC.]

At least Declan Boyle's Fiesta can be changed to R5 spec if he wants.

 

[Reno_LV]

Did he not convert it to flappy padle shift? I think he can't revert it easy to RRC anymore!

 

[davecoupe]

Thats not great for the sport, but brings the championship here back in line with the rest of the world I suppose.

Jennings hinted at it a few times over the weekend though so they knew something was up. I hope it doesn't stop the WRC cars being on the stages, just when a few of them are starting to come back out of hiding after the recession. I love watching them.

 

[cormac81]

We were going to get up with a field of only fiesta wrcs. If ds3s and polos cant be got

New age wrcs aren't very exciting anyway. Still takes a big Subaru or any older wrc get the pulse going.

 

[Reno_LV]

Well I disagree about current era WRCs but yes it won't stop them come out to play but will they do it if they don't score for championship?

 

[cormac81]

All opinion yeah, but when it is making the championship slower it is a disappointment.

 

[Cess]

I think its a great, progressive move by the Championship.

A brand new R5 car costs little more than a 6 or 7 year old WRC. The R5 machines are designed to be cheaper to run. By virtue of the regulations, many of components are 'off-the-shelf' items, found in everyday cars. For example, a Fiesta R5 uses the steering rack from a Mondeo and the starter motor from a Volvo.

Lower costs for competitors can only be a good thing. A WRC is designed to be maintained by works teams with multi-million budgets. No matter how old they are, they still have those types of running costs. R5 is designed to keep costs low, but still be a competitive package.

Also, a well driven R5 car is every bit as quick as a WRC in my opinion. We saw that this year when the ERC rolled into town and in 2012, when Mikkelsen, Hanninen and Kopecky set times that were way faster than the Tarmac regulars.

Many of the young or up and coming talent in Ireland have access to or own R5 class cars - Greer, Fisher, McCormack, Wright, Barrable, Cronin, McGonigle, Doyle, Duffy. The two Moffetts are buying R5 cars. I supect the likes of Barrable and Gass could be tempted back by this switch.

As stated above bu others, it also alligns Ireland with other major European and Regional Championships, which means drivers don't have to swtich cars and helps progression. The Circuit of Ireland & Ulster Rally should have mega R5 entries when the championships converge for two rounds.

Also the R5 class cars have more relavance with manufacturers and dealers. We might actually see some importer support. The Focuses and Imprezas that are running now are long out of production. Whereas you can buy a DS3, a Fiesta, a 208 or a Fabia right now.

Just to clarify, Declan Boyle's new Fiesta WRC is a brand new 2015 Fiesta WRC. It can run in RRC spec, but this different to an R5 car - it still cannot score points in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. They stated that this morning. Also, RRC spec cars are not eligible to score points in ERC rounds from next year either.

 

[RCT]

All opinion yeah, but when it is making the championship slower it is a disappointment.

Insurance is the problem. Stages are shorter, certain amount of Km's per day only permitted. R5/S2000 cars have a slower top end speed opposed to the 2.0wrc cars. This all helps with the insurance issues at present. One more big accident could have serious effects on closed road rallying and it's future. The organisers have to be seen to be doing something about it.

Although when there are fwd R2 cars (capped at 108mph) doing faster stage times than group N evo's (130mph+ top end). That tells you what the drivers are doing. Driving hard on the corners with big corner speed and comitment over blind corners/ crests etc. Top end speed isn't the be all and end all.

 

[cormac81]

If it brings more younger drivers to the fore that will be great. The island of Ireland should be churning out a lot more drivers than it has, considering how rally mad we are.

 

[weeloaney]

So the Moffett have 2 wrc cars and there buying 2 R5 cars?

Them Cubs must be living the dream.

Always friggin smiling anyway haha

 

[Cess]

At present, the Moffetts own two Fiesta WRC cars. One was listed for sale.

They have been doing some ERC rounds this year and in order to comply with the regulations of that championship, the cars have to run in RRC spec. They have indicated that they intend to do more ERC events in 2016. However, RRC will not be permitted to run in ERC next year. So I understand that the Fiestas are for sale and they will buy R5 cars. Makes sense, given that they will be able use the same car to score points in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and ERC now, given this morning's announcement.

The other point, which I missed earlier, was I'm pretty sure that the homologation of most of the 2.0 cars ends soon anyway. The Focus WRC expires in 2016, so it would only had a year of eligibility left anyway. I'm pretty sure its the same for the S12 Impreza and the S14 Impreza runs out of homologation in 2017.

 

[KevM]

Very few of our home WRC cars were being 'driven' hard anyway. They just turned up, drove round & went home in one piece.
Not since Andrew Nesbitt's hairy Impreza days, & Eugene Donnelly in the Corolla (who's lost his competition license now too). Gary Jennings is the only man currently in a 2 litre World car, that really pushes hard in it.
It's known that most local cars were running on safe maps etc to preserve components etc.

Reducing budget & power will be good for the sport, the current WRC is more competitive than ever & it's more about the driving commitment than the hardware or budget

 

[RCT]

@KevM when did Donnelly loose his competition licence? I'm nearly sure he was navigating in an escort this year birr stages, but had an off and was hurt in that.

The 2.0 wrc corolla's have had to run in the national side of things for a while now anyway since there homologation has ran out, so you could never win a rally outright in one in the international section.

 

[Cess]

He did @RCT. They rolled early on in the event, possibly stage 2. I only stayed for the first 15 cars on SS1 and then went to SS3. By that point they were gone.

Jennings is quick and a super, top guy. But Kelly and Boyle were both quicker than him in Galway and Birr this year.

 

[Arfur]

Not liking this at all... The new age cars bore me to tears. Nail in the coffin for me going from now on.

 

[Cess]

The old 2 litre cars are going out of homologation anyway. So those cars, which were the vast bulk of WRC entries, wouldn't have been eligible for points anyway in the very near future. Secondly, WRCs can still run in rallies in class 7. They just don't score Irish Tarmac Championship points.

It's not like the entry lists were teeming with homologated WRCs anyway.

Galway had 7 WRC cars. Three of those wouldn't be eligible for any championship within a year, regardless. Of the remaining 4, two were one off drives, purely for that event.

6 turned up in West Cork. Of which 3 would be ineligible within a year.

One turned up for the Circuit of Ireland. It will be out of homologation next year.

6 WRCs entered Rally of the Lakes. 4 will have no homologation within 2 years.

7 turned up for Donegal, 5 have expiring homologation.

So that's the state of play of the championship. It is made up of a dwindling number of aging WRC class cars.

Some of the best rallying I've seen all year has been in R2 where young guys are fully committed and wringing the neck out of their cars.

I think R5 will boost entries & bolster competition.

 

[Neil Kirkpatrick]

He did @RCT.
Jennings is quick and a super, top guy. But Kelly and Boyle were both quicker than him in Galway and Birr this year.

Jennings had engineers over from Belgium, to set the car up for Donegal. As he couldn't understand why he was so far of the pace on the previous rally's. Either they have found the lost power in the car or made it more powerful than the rest of the cars. Which explains his slow pace in the previous rally's.

What I can't understand, surly the ITC would of been liaising with the drivers before they put the proposed set of rules out. If not it's highly unfair on Declan Boyle.

 

[RCT]

They were Neil, there was a meeting in Dublin 22may that all the drivers in the championship were invited too. Think that's why Declan publicised his car the way they did.

 

[Neil Kirkpatrick]

They were Neil, there was a meeting in Dublin 22may that all the drivers in the championship were invited too. Think that's why Declan publicised his car the way they did.

I see a few weeks too late for Declan then. What way did he publicise the car I must of missed that

 

[Cess]

That explains a few things @Neil Kirkpatrick.

Boyle must have had an idea that potential for change was in the air. It was all the talk in the run up to The Lakes. Plus TROA convened a meeting a week after for all competitors to air their views on this potential change.

 

[KevM]

@KevM when did Donnelly loose his competition licence? I'm nearly sure he was navigating in an escort this year birr stages, but had an off and was hurt in that.

I got a shot of an article from a magazine sent to me. I'll try to find it here and link it.

General gist was he entered a Circuit event at Mondello (or somewhere) and signed a declaration to state that his Rally license covered him for general competition. Someone reported it to the MSA and he was fined and suspended from holding a competition license for a certain period. (MSA box tickers)

Edit: There you go

 

[RCT]

Ah right Kev, he basically should of had a race licence but he only has ever had a rally stage one. Supprised they even let him sign on, as they always check the licences.

 

[SMcP114]

Should ban everything 4wd built after 1997 and just give us Group A and the modifieds. Rallying is hard to watch lately.