Orchard Motorsport Lurgan Park Rally Poster!
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Jun 06, 2012 | View Post
Rainbow Communications Loughgall Country Park Rally 2012 – Regs and Entry Form!
Regulations and Entry Forms are now available for this year’s Rainbow Communications Loughgall Country Park Rally, on Saturday 30 June, Loughgall Country Park, Co. Armagh.
Entry forms should be returned to:
Barry Taggart, 12 Clanconnel Gardens, Waringstown, Co. Armagh, BT66 7RP.
Tel: 028 3882 0854 Mob; 07771 892423 (No calls after 10pm)
Email: btaggart@namcc.com
May 16, 2012 | View Post
“Stormont Stig” launches Loughgall Festival 2012
PRESS RELEASE
“Stormont Stig” launches Loughgall Festival 2012
‘Stormont Stig,’ otherwise known as the Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy, launched the Loughgall Festival of Motorsport at Stormont on Monday, 14th May.
The Loughgall Festival of Motorsport and Classic Country Lifestyle Fair takes place this Saturday, 19th May at Loughgall County Park organized by Armagh lions Club and North Armagh Motor Club.
Now in its sixth successive year, the Festival has been able to supply £10,000 annually to the event’s nominated charity.
This year it the turn of RNLI Lifejackets Appeal which aims to kit out all the crews with new state-of-the art-lifejackets and plans are well under way for a great day out for all the family.
Organised jointly by Armagh Lions Club and North Armagh Motor Club Ltd the aim of the event is to raise funds for the designated charity whilst providing all the excitement of a rip-roaring historic rally and dynamic auto-test for the mechanically minded, or a more sedate static display of over 200 cars alongside the tempting tastes of classic country produce and all the delights of rural lifestyle trade stands.
Launching the Festival as the ‘Stig’, Danny Kennedy said: “Loughgall Festival of Motorsport is an important event in the tourism calendar, which attracts local and overseas visitors. It’s a great day out for rally enthusiasts and hosts a wide range of other attractions, while raising money for the RNLI Life Jackets Appeal. I’m proud to support this very worthwhile appeal that carries out vital, life saving work around our coast line.”
This year there will be a specialist demonstration on the use of locally produced foods by one of the country’s top multi-award winning chefs, Robert McDonald, who joins us from Digby’s in Killylea. With his fine cuisine, Digby’s have just won County Armagh Gastro-Pub of the year 2012 for the second year running. Robert is the only chef in Northern Ireland to be a member of the Master Chefs of Great Britain, and he thrives on introducing people to fresh ideas using traditional produce. The kitchen unit for the demonstration has kindly been provided by Good Food Ireland.
Title sponsor Harry Burke of Burkes of Cornascriebe Said, ““This is the third year Burkes of Cornascriebe Ltd have supported this event and we are proud to be associated with Armagh Lions and North Armagh Motor Club. This event has been very popular with both competitors and spectators and Loughgall Country Park is a spectator friendly venue. The stages are set in the Country Park and are good quality tarmac; all easily accessible with central service open to the public right beside the static car display where there will be several hundred beautiful old classic sports and competition cars on display.
Our first association with this event was 2010 and was part of Burkes 100 year celebrations we were so delighted with the public response we could do no less than support it again. Burkes will have a selection of New Holland tractors and skid loaders on display in the Country Park. We are delighted the Lions are supporting the RNLI – such a worthy cause but not just for this reason. Burkes have been proud suppliers of New Holland tractors suitably modified, to the RNLI over recent years. We at Burkes of Cornascriebe look forward to welcoming you, our friends and customers at the Festival of Motorsport Saturday 19 May in Loughgall Country Park. Be there or you will be sorry you missed it!”
Clerk of the Course William Fullerton said; “The format of the Special Stage Rally for Historic Rally cars, the Apple Blossom Autotest and the Historic and Classic Vehicle Display along with Trade Stands has proved very successful. However, without the main sponsor, Burkes of Cornascriebe it could not happen and we are also grateful for the help and support of Armagh City and District Council, Dept of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Forest Service and the many voluntary marshals and officials.
“The main event, the Historic Rally will this year have six all tarmac Special Stages in the scenic parkland and spectator friendly setting of the Loughgall Country Park. It is the only event in Northern Ireland with the emphasis on Historic Rally cars. We welcome back last year’s winner Cookstown man Keith McIvor in his Porsche, second overall last year, Donal Connolly from Letterkenny in the Ford Escort RS2000 and Lisburn’s Wesley Patterson in his new Ford Escort RS2000. With competitors of this quality we are confident it will be an exciting day of rally action.”
Further information and regulations can be downloaded from this website or from the event Secretary Keith Somerville on 07745 959 141
Autotest Regulations can also be downloaded from this website and from event Secretary Gordon McKeown on 07703 187 491
Information on the Classic Country Lifestyle Fair is available from Ivor Ferguson on 07712 647 546
May 15, 2012 | View Post
Loughgall Festival of Motorsport Historic Rally Car Challenge Entry List Revealed!
(Photo courtesy of Gary Craig Photography)
The seeded entry list for this weekend’s Burkes of Cornascriebe Loughgall Festival of Motorsport has been revealed!
DOWNLOAD NOW to find out who will be in action this Saturday!
May 14, 2012 | View Post
Loughgall Festival of Motorsport 2012 Apple Blossom Classic Autotest – Regs and Entry Form!
Regulations and Entry Forms are now available for this year’s Apple Blossom Classic Autotest, which will form part of the Burkes of Cornascriebe Loughgall Festival of Motorsport, on Saturday 19 May, Loughgall Country Park, Co. Armagh.
Entry forms should be returned to:
Gordon McKeown, 59 Church Place, Lurgan, Co Armagh BT66 6HD.
Tel: 028 3832 2156 Mob: 07703 187491 between 6.00pm and 10.00pm weekdays & 1.00pm and 6.00pm weekends ONLY.
Email: h.mckeown@btconnect.com
Apr 24, 2012 | View Post
Loughgall Festival Top Entries received!
North Armagh Motor Club Ltd is delighted to be jointly promoting the Festival of Motorsport at Loughgall Country Park and especially pleased that the event proceeds will be distributed to local charities.
This is now our sixth year organising this unique event with Armagh Lions Club and the format of the Special Stage Rally for Historic Rally cars, the Apple Blossom Autotest and the Historic and Classic Vehicle Display along with Trade Stands has proved very successful. However, without the main sponsor, Burkes of Cornascriebe it could not happen and we are also grateful for the help and support of Armagh City and District Council, Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Forest Service and the many voluntary marshals and officials.
The main event, the Historic Rally will this year have six all tarmac Special Stages in the scenic parkland and spectator friendly setting of the Loughgall Country Park and is the only event in Northern Ireland with the emphasizes on Historic Rally cars.
Work on the rally is well underway and many entries have already been received including:
Last year’s winner Cookstown man Keith McIvor in his Porsche,
Second overall last year; Donal Connolly from Letterkenny in the Ford Escort RS2000 and
Lisburn’s Wesley Patterson in his new Ford Escort RS1800
We are confident with competitors of this quality it will be an exciting day of rally action.
The other competitive event is the Apple Blossom Autotest and entries are expected from Northern Ireland’s leading competitors for this driving spectacle held in the farm yard car parks and roads.
This annual motorsport extravaganza is a must for all motoring enthusiasts and a great day out for the whole family.
Apr 23, 2012 | View Post
Loughgall Festival of Motorsport 2012 Historic Rally Car Challenge – Regs and Entry Form!
Regulations and Entry Forms are now available for this year’s Historic Rally Car Challenge, which will form part of the Burkes of Cornascriebe Loughgall Festival of Motorsport, on Saturday 19 May, Loughgall Country Park, Co. Armagh.
DOWNLOAD REGULATIONS AND ENTRY FORM
Entry forms should be returned to:
Keith Somerville, 63 Markethill Road, Armagh, BT60 1NX.
Tel: 07745 959141 between 6.00pm and 10.00pm weekdays & 1.00pm and 6.00pm weekends ONLY.
Email: ksomerville@namcc.com
Apr 02, 2012 | View Post
Loughgall Festival of Motorsport 2012 Date and Charity announced!
PRESS RELEASE
Festival of Motorsport 2012 Date and Charity announced
The organisers of the Loughgall Festival of Motorsport & Country Lifestyle Fair 2012, are pleased to announce the charity for this year’s event is RNLI Lifejackets for Lifesavers Appeal.
Now in its sixth successive year, the Festival which is jointly hosted by Armagh Lions Club and North Armagh Motor Club has raised £50,000 for local charities since its inception. This year’s Festival is on Saturday 19th May having become an annual fixture in the glorious village of Loughgall – right at the core of the Orchard County.
Lions President Tanya Fowles said, “Following on the success of the previous years, we are aiming to provide £10,000 to RNLI which will go a considerable way in their Lifejackets for Lifesavers Appeal. As 2012 marks the centenary of the launch and tragic loss of Titanic, we decided to support the brave volunteers of RNLI who put their lives at risk to save others at sea. They are currently fund-raising to replace all their lifejackets with new state-of-the art versions and the figure required is estimated at £22,500.”
Along with the now famous historic rally which sweeps through the majestic grounds of Loughgall Country Park, there is also the dynamic Auto-Test, and a vast static display of classic and vintage vehicles, which this year is promising to have some extra special exhibits on show.
Further to the tasty addition introduced last year, the Festival is building on the rural enterprise theme with a Classic Country Lifestyle Fair incorporating farm and local food produce from succulent savouries to delightful delicacies. There will also be trade stands with country clothing and equipment, agriculture, machinery, equestrian, outdoor pursuits and lots, lots more!
There’ll be plenty to occupy the children, as well as an area set aside for a picnic in the park.
Tanya added, “It’s going to be a great day in Loughgall and Armagh Lions wish to express their gratitude to our friends at North Armagh Motor Club, without whom the event simply cannot happen. They take the time from organising their other major annual events to run this Festival and it is through them, our sponsors and those who attend on the day we can aim to provide that all-important £10,000, to RNLI for new lifejackets.”
RNLI Area Project Worker Sharon Pollock said; “There are two types of lifejackets – in shore and all weather. Both are designed for search and rescue, securing increased safety and fitted with a water activated emergency light and integral flare pockets for day or night distress flares There are also pockets for casualty case kits and various other equipment. This is an essential development for RNLI kit and all our crew members are looking forward to the benefits their new lifejackets will bring. On behalf of our dedicated volunteer crews, thank you for your consideration.”
For further information contact 028 37527150; follow us on Flickr or email lionsclubarmagh@gmail.com
Photo Caption
Making waves onboard the Kilkeel Lifeboat with the RNLI crews from Kilkeel and Newcastle were Armagh Lions Isaac Beattie and Malcolm Dawson, with Dandy Lion at the helm. RNLI Lifejackets for Lifesavers Appeal is the chosen charity for Loughgall Festival of Motorsport & Classic County Lifestyle Fair 2012, organised by Armagh Lions Club and North Armagh Motor Club.
Mar 30, 2012 | View Post
Ben Crealey becomes inagural Irish junior series winner!
Junior Winner: 14-year-old Ben Crealey
(Image: Jonathan MacDonald) 14-year old Ben Crealey made history on Saturday, when he became the first ever winner of the McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland in round one of this brand new series for 14 – 16 year olds – the Magic Bullet Stages – which took place at Kirkistown Racing Circuit. Kyle White and Rhys Bunting finished second and third respectively, with all seven of the youngsters successfully completing their first ever stage rally.
Even before the action began, at the pre-start drivers briefing series organisers announced that the end-of-season winner would will given a tour of the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team premises and have the chance to ride in one of the team’s Fiesta WRC cars alongside either Jari-Matti Latvala or Petter Solberg. As none of the youngsters were previously aware of this, the smiles on their faces confirmed that this news went down well and that it is a prize worth winning.
The Junior section of the event comprised four of the main event’s six stages and, following a storm earlier that morning, the surface of the track and the surrounding asphalt roads were drying quickly in the strong wind. First off the line was Adam Bustard and his co-driver Jason Harron in their Chevrolet Spark.
But as soon as they started knew something wasn’t right and, following a frantic night’s work changing their car’s engine, the throttle cable had come loose. Although frustrated to have lost time, they were pleased to still have been fourth fastest through the stage.
Fastest out of the blocks was Crealey. In his Nissan Micra he and co-driver Liam Regan set a time that was an impressive 21.6 seconds ahead of their closets rivals.
White and Alan Purdy in their Peugeot 107 were second fastest – a great effort considering the OK board had fallen from its location on the roof and caused White to be distracted for a few seconds. This made it close, as they were only 1.3 seconds ahead of third-placed Bunting in his Citroen C1, who had Andy Bushe next to him calling the corners – and in a loud voice when the intercom failed during SS1.
With Bustard/Harron fourth, Connor Woods and Niall McGrath were fifth, but all was not well with their Nissan Micra and, although their crew tried to improve things, the 14-year old from Derrygonnelly would have to save his best for the next round. In sixth and seventh after the first stage was Eoghan Bogue/Andrew Richie and James Partridge/Phil Cherry – both in Nissan Micras – and both admitting to be taking things cautiously to begin with.
As it turned-out, the performances on the first stage set the scene for the rest of the day and Crealey went on to win the next two stages, albeit by a much-reduced margin. But on the fourth stage it was White who set the pace and stopped the clocks 7.3 seconds ahead of anyone else.
However, Crealey had done enough to take a well-deserved victory and, after a calculated drive through the final stage with no mistakes, he and Regan booked into the last control 33.2 seconds ahead of White, with Bunting third a further 20.9 seconds back. Bustard had done well to overcome the irregular delivery of power throughout the day to finish fourth, whilst one of the most impressive performances came from Bogue, who had never driven a car until a few weeks ago until he became involved with the Junior 1000 series and was therefore pleased to finish fifth.
Woods was frustrated that, due to his car issues, he could not show his true potential and ended his day in sixth, whilst Partridge was pleased to have made it to the finish after clipping a few tyres and straw bales – as did most of the drivers at some point during the day.
At the finish an absolutely delighted Ben Crealey said:
“I can’t believe I’ve just won. I’ll be on cloud nine for weeks now. I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for the next round.”
Co-driver Liam Regan said:
“Ben drove brilliantly all day and never put a wheel wrong. He certainly deserves his victory.”
The second round of the series takes place at Bishopscourt on 17th March and, as it’s St Patrick’s day, whoever wins on this occasion is likely to be celebrating more than ever – but only with soft drinks of course!
The 2012 McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland is supported by Yokohama tyres and SuperDrive Motorsports Centre.
Feb 22, 2012 | View Post
McGarrity Wins Carryduff Forklift N.I. Rally Series Opener!
– Glengormley’s Derek McGarrity claims emphatic victory at Magic Bullet Stages Rally.
– 14-year-old Portadown driver Ben Crealey secures round one victory in inaugural McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland.
Derek McGarrity and navigator James McKee claimed victory at the opening round of the 2012 Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship on Saturday.
The Glengormley rally car and helicopter dealer was in dominating form at the Magic Bullet Stages Rally, held at County Down’s Kirkistown Race Circuit.
Driving his Subaru Impreza WRC S14, McGarrity led the event from start to finish, eventually claiming the win by 38.3 seconds from Kevin Barrett and Declan Tumilty.
The event winner was on the top of his game from the start. While others struggled in the early morning slippery conditions, McGarrity emerged from stage one with an impressive 15.4 second lead.
Those in trouble included reigning N.I. champion, Kenny McKinstry. The Banbridge pilot spun and stalled his Subaru during the opening test, losing a mammoth 50 seconds.
Former champion Connor McCloskey was another in trouble after a wrong tyre choice left him slipping and sliding around the track. Both McKinstry and McCloskey found themselves outside the top 30, and their hopes of challenging for victory were ruined.
Event leader McGarrity already had a healthy cushion between himself and his rivals, but he continued to set the pace throughout the day. He went on to set fastest times on all but one stage, leaving him with another Kirkistown victory under his belt.
Kevin Barrett and Declan Tumilty were the image of consistency throughout the event. They held second overall from start to finish, gradually increased the gap between themselves and the remainder of the pack as the day progressed.
In the tussle for third, Ray Brammer and Derek McGeehan locked horns. McGeehan took first blood, moving his Mini WRC into the top three after stage one. But Brammer fought back, and two stages later, it was the Impreza WRC pilot that occupied third overall.
McGeehan and navigator Laurie Smyth were to have the last word though. They picked up their pace through the final two tests to retake the position and claim third overall. Brammer and navigator Jody Wilson finished less than five seconds adrift in fourth.
Reigning champion Kenny McKinstry, who had Martin Cairns calling the notes, enjoyed a superb recovery drive after his stage one problems to take fifth overall. But unfortunately for former champion Connor McCloskey, car troubles forced him out of the rally after stage four.
In the battle among the production category crews, Trevor Ferguson and David McElroy secured the award from Neil and Tanya McCance, while top two-wheel-drive honours were sealed by Drew Stewart and David White. They finished 25 seconds ahead of Simon Woodside and Steven Dowds.
Junior 1000
The event also hosted the opening round of the inaugural McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland. The series is open to 14-16 year old drivers in 1000cc cars, and there were seven young hopefuls at Kirkistown.
They each contested four stages during the day, and it was one of the youngest drivers entered that went on to win the event. 14-year-old Portadown teenager Ben Crealey, with Liam Regan navigating, secured the win by more than half a minute from Kyle White and Alan Purdy, with Rhys Bunting and Andrew Bushe third.
Round 2 – McGrady Insurance Stages
Round two of both the Carryduff Forklift N.I. and McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 series will bring competitors to Bishopscourt on 17 March. The event, which is also sponsored by McGrady Insurance, welcomes all spectators and features a hugely popular jump. More details can be found online at www.nirally.com.
Carryduff Forklift N.I. R1 Results
1 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 25m13.4
2 Kevin Barrett/Declan Tumilty (Impreza WRC) +38.3s
3 Derek McGeehan/Laurie Smyth (MINI WRC) +1m02.6s
4 Ray Brammer/Jody Wilson (Impreza WRC) +1m07.2s
5 Kenny McKinstry/Martin Cairns (Impreza WRC) +1m11.7s
6 James Gillen/Ken Sproule (Impreza WRC) +1m18.9s
7 John McGaffin/Lesley McGaffin (Impreza WRC) +1m20.3s
8 Drew Stewart/David White (Escort) +1m48.0s
9 Kieron Graffin/Mark Massey (Lancer Evo) +1m50.0s
10 Trevor Ferguson/David McElroy (Impreza) +2m00.3s
McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 R1 Results
1 Ben Crealey/Liam Regan (Nissan Micra) 22m15.6s
2 Kyle White/Alan Purdy (Peugeot 107) +33.2s
3 Rhys Bunting/Andrew Bushe (Citroen C1) +54.1s
4 Adam Bustard/Jason Hanon (Chevrolet Spark) +56.2s
5 Eoghan Bogue/Andrew Ritchie (Nissan Micra) +1m01.6s
6 Connor Woods/Niall McGrath (Nissan Micra) +1m29.6s
7 James Partridge/Phil Cherry (Nissan Micra) +3m21.8s
Feb 20, 2012 | View Post
Magic Bullet Stages Rally 2012 – Seeded Entry List
Click the link below for Seeded Entry List
Feb 14, 2012 | View Post
