Neil Kirkpatrick
RMS Regular
Not sure on that but I know he has bought a WRC fiesta
Big Changes to Irish Tarmac Rally Championship from 2016
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davecoupe
RMS Photographer
Read he had a WRC Fiesta bought already and an R5 Skoda coming .... and has a few more R5's lined up.
Hope there are more R1's and RRC's coming in, at least they will be capable of challenging for rally victories.
Hope there are more R1's and RRC's coming in, at least they will be capable of challenging for rally victories.
cormac81
RMS Regular
I seen that recently too about the fabia R5, cant remember was it on TV the other night or facebook.
davecoupe
RMS Photographer
They were right IMO, especially when I think about it more. The WRC are making the R1 cars faster from 2017, because they arent entertaining enough to attract sponsors at the minute .... but the ITC are taking 2 steps back and limiting the Championship to R5 and S2000 cars.
Joe McGonagle's S2000 Skoda was the first eligible car home this year in Donegal ........ in 8th position. Awarding maximum championship points for the premier championship in the country, to a car that finished 8th on a rally is pretty fecking pointless, especially when you consider that it finished 2 seconds behind Manus Kelly in a 40 year old mk2 Escort.
Hopefully a few drivers invest in the championship and make it competitive next year, or all the top men will just go out and to win the rallies outright in R1 spec, diluting the Championship.
RallyCiaran
RMS Regular
The Circuit of Ireland 2016 will show that they were right to limit the cars to R5. Our local hot shots in R5's, the British championship in R5's, and the ERC men in R5's, all battling it out for the overall lead of the rally, it's going to be fantastic.
Assuming all of Irish WRC drivers convert to R5 by 2017 and the Circuit is still part of the ERC, Ireland should have the biggest rally in the European championship (in terms with R5 entries, maybe not R2/R3 or total entries) with 25-30 R5 cars (maybe even more) and anybody would agree that would be an unbelievable achievement for Irish Rallying. And I think/hope the new R5 ERA tighten the competition in the ITRC and it'll not be 2 or 3 drivers dominating the championship every year (5 would be great). I love WRC cars as much as anybody but if the manufactures can get the noise right with these R5's they should be every bit as good. I know the R5 Fiesta isn't popular with spectators noise wise but all M-Sport cars since the 2006 Focus have had a similar problem but the new 2015 Fiesta WRC sounds much much better so hopefully the R5 car will get the same treatment. I'm not sure if any of yous remembered how flat and boring the R3 DS3's where when they first come out and although they sound nothing in comparison to a WRC car, they sound HEAPS better nowadays which goes to show how much upgrades can improve the sound.
If only R5 cars sounded like RGT's. The FIA concentrated on making the 2017 WRC cars look more aggressive but I'd be a lot more impressed if they had of done away with all noise regulations and allowed manufactures 100% freedom on the cars sound. I think that's what rallying misses most about group B is the shear ear pleasure lol
If only R5 cars sounded like RGT's. The FIA concentrated on making the 2017 WRC cars look more aggressive but I'd be a lot more impressed if they had of done away with all noise regulations and allowed manufactures 100% freedom on the cars sound. I think that's what rallying misses most about group B is the shear ear pleasure lol
davecoupe
RMS Photographer
I was not in favour at all...... but I take back all I said.
Its shaping up to be an awesome championship.
My only concern is that the championship contenders wont be winning rallies (against the fast escorts or ineligible WRC machines) but Id imagine that will soon even itself out over the season.
Its shaping up to be an awesome championship.
My only concern is that the championship contenders wont be winning rallies (against the fast escorts or ineligible WRC machines) but Id imagine that will soon even itself out over the season.
cormac81
RMS Regular
I'm coming round to the r5 cars too. Is it Stephen wright that has a fiesta? He certainly knows how to get sideways.
Any word on Galway entries? Does anyone know what Mcgarrity or Kelly will be out in, or even if they will be out at all? Or any other big names. From what I've heard theres a lot of good entries in already around 5 wrc's, over 10 R5's and around 5 S2000. There not all doing the championship although.
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