Entries for the event should be completed online (including Online payment) at www.rallyscore.net
Please submit your competed online entry form, including the appropriate fees and seeding information promptly in order to allow us as organisers to be able to confirm the running of the event and the availability of all the necessary services and equipment at the earliest date possible.
***YOUR ENTRY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNTIL YOUR ONLINE ENTRY FEE PAYMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED***
Entries Secretary;
Charlie Deering Telephone / WhatsApp +44 (0)7519 828407 Enquires only between 6.00pm and 9.00pm weekdays, 1.00pm and 6.00pm weekends
Entries are now open for our Ballylisk Car Sales Orchard Country Targa Rally. The event takes place on Saturday 8th October 2022 and will repeat the well-liked layout of previous years, including the smooth special tests and also one new test are this time. Entries open on the Rallyscore online system only, at 19.00hrs on Sunday 18th September 2022. Entries close at 20.00hrs on Saturday 2nd October 2022, or earlier if numbers reached.
Entries Secretary;
Barry Taggart Telephone +44 (0)7771 892423 (between 16.00hrs and 22.00hrs please) e-mail:barry27@sky.com
Damian Toner and Denver Rafferty 2021 Loughgall Stages Rally
Damian Toner first won the Loughgall Stages Rally in 2015 and is back again this year looking forward to his sixth-year win in his powerful MK2 Escort.
Hoping to spoil Damian’s run of success is Sam Moffett fresh from his second place in Donegal last weekend, he is entered in his Toyota Starlet.
Taking place on Saturday 2 July, the North Armagh Motor Club Ltd organised event now in its 24th year will be held as usual, within the beautiful confines of County Armagh’s Loughgall Country Park.
PRM Group and RPM Motorsport have agreed to sponsor the event again this year. Managing Director, Philip Morrow, said:
“I am delighted to be associated again with such a high-profile motorsport event in Northern Ireland. It provides the perfect fit for our business interests and as a keen car enthusiast, I am looking forward to seeing some of the fastest drivers in the country compete for the spoils in what is a stunning location.”
Competitors will tackle a total of six stages, all based within the confines of the park. The event’s Clerk of Course, William Fullerton, said:
Formerly a two-wheel-drive only event, the Loughgall Stages Rally is now open to four-wheel cars also and along with the dominant two wheel drive cars it should provide an exciting and competitive spectacle for spectators.
Regulations and entry forms are still available from www.rallyscore.net and entries are available up until 10.00pm on Sunday 27th June.
Scrutiny begins at Loughgall Country Park for all Competitors from 4.00pm on Friday 1st July where cars and service vehicles may be left overnight in the service area, which will have security present throughout.
Competitors will have the opportunity to walk or cycle the stages from 4.00-8.30pm on Friday 1st July and from 7.00-8.30am on Saturday morning.
There will be an historic, classic and rally car display in the central arena during the event; anyone wishing to bring a suitable display vehicle, the entry is £10 per car and club contact is Alan Dalzell, 07913 675902.
The action starts at 10.00am with all six stages held on tarmac roads and will conclude at 5.00pm. Admission to the event is £10 for adults (which includes a programme) while accompanied children under the age of 16 are admitted free; public car parking available. For more information, visit www.namcc.com
Jonny Greer in action on the opening round of the McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship today, Saturday 19 Februrary, 2022. The event, organised by North Armagh Motor Club, was held at Kirkistown Racing Circuit in Co. Down. (Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry)
Carryduff’s Jonny Greer Wins Orchard Motorsport Kirkistown Stages Rally! Carryduff’s Jonny Greer and Sligo’s Darragh Mullen secured victory at today’s Orchard Motorsport Kirkistown Stages Rally, round one of the McGrady Insurance Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship!
Greer snatched the lead from early leader Stephen Wright after stage two and stayed in front until the finish. Once the reigning champion was out in front, he never let go as he rallied his Citroen C3 home to secure the spoils at what was a tricky day at County Down’s Kirkistown Race Circuit.
Rain in the morning left the track extremely slippery for the North Armagh Motor Club organised event. Even when the clouds dispersed to reveal blue skies during the afternoon, competitors still had to contend with a very slippery surface. Then a splash of rain before the final test dampened the track some more but Greer took it all in his stride to secure the win, getting his title defence off to the best possible start.
“We lost a bit of time on the first stage when another car stopped in front of us,” Greer said. “After that, we had a clean drive and it’s great to get the win!”
The fight for second position went right down to the wire between Phillip Allen and Derek McGarrity. Former champion McGarrity and navigator Graham Henderson really piled on the pressure in their Skoda Fabia R5 during the closing stages with a string of fastest times. Allen and navigator Emily Turkington were being hunted down and they tried to do everything they could to fend off the challenge over the closing miles.
Going into the final stage, it was Allen who held the upper hand by 1.1s from his rival. However, a delighted McGarrity turned the deficit on its head with another fastest time to seal the runner-up spot by just seven-tenths of a second, leaving Allen to settle for third in his Fiesta R5.
“I was trying too hard,” a frustrated Allen said at the finish. “I was overdriving the car and made a few mistakes.”
In fourth overall, two-time Kirkistown winner Stephen Wright was a little bit dejected after a problem on stage two. He and Ger Conway had been fastest on the opening test to lead the rally from Greer, only to get caught behind another competitor on stage two. They lost around 10 seconds as well as any chance to fight for the win.
“I took a chance and entered the last stage with wet compound tyres in the hope it might rain,” Wright said, “but it wasn’t to be. I was really frustrated after that second stage but hopefully we’ll be back for round two at Bishopscourt.”
Such was the ferocity of competition at Kirkistown that just 5.3s separated the top three overall at the end of the event, with winner Greer claiming the victory by 4.6s from McGarrity.
Outside the top four, Darren Gass and Marc McMillan were the best of the rest in their Citroen C3 R5. They survived an overshoot which thrust them over some trackside tyres on stage two. A few lurid slides later, they claimed fifth ahead of the Fiesta WRC belonging to Aaron McLaughlin and Darren Curran.
On what was his first visit to Kirkistown, McLaughlin gradually improved as the day progressed. After a couple of early trips off the track, he claimed a number of top three stage times to seal sixth from the Fiesta piloted by Mark Massey and Alistair Wyllie.
Joseph McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney were eighth ahead of the Impreza WRC belonging to Alan and Lewis Carmichael, with young Lewis enjoying his maiden event as a navigator. Finally, Michael McGarrity and Damian Garvey completed the top 10 despite a misfire with their Fiesta R5.
Two-Wheel-Drive
In the hotly contested two-wheel-drive category, Andrew White and Paul Hughes quickly got the attention of their rivals when they went fastest out of the blocks during the morning’s wet stages.
However, as the track started to dry, James and Heather Kennedy started to reel them in. The experienced husband and wife team eventually overhauled their rivals with the Kennedys taking the category spoils by just 6.8s, leaving White to settle for second.
“I wish it had stayed wet!” a delighted White said after sealing second position. “We picked the wrong tyres for the middle loop of stages but we really didn’t expect to be up there fighting for the win. It was a great day!”
Jamie Grant and Jonny Chambers finished third in the category with their Starlet, taking 22nd overall in the process. They had to fix a burst brake pipe before the event had even started but survived to tell the tale.
Next event
Round two of the McGrady Insurance Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship takes place in a couple of weeks’ time at Bishopscourt Race Circuit. Based near Downpatrick, the Race and Rally Bishopscourt Stages will host another octane-fuelled event on 12 March.
For more information, including stage-by-stage reports from the Orchard Motorsport Kirkistown Stages, visit nirallychampionship.com.
Image caption: Fintan McGrady and Aidan Hughes are gearing up for the Orchard Motorsport Kirkistown Stages, round one of the McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship. The event takes place this Saturday 19 February at County Down’s Kirkistown Race Circuit. (Image: Bill Swann)
Motorsport bursts back into action at Kirkistown Race Circuit this Saturday 19 February for round one of the McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship, the Orchard Motorsport Kirkistown Stages Rally!
Organised by North Armagh Motor Club Ltd, Stephen Wright and Ger Conway head a high-quality entry list for the six-stage event, which is open for spectators to attend, but two-times event winner Wright will have his work cut out as he bids to take his third consecutive victory at Kirkistown
A host of former champions and event winners will be eyeing up the crown, including reigning champion, Jonny Greer, in his Citroen C3. Navigated on this occasion by Darragh Mullen, it was Greer who claimed his second N.I. Championship title last year. The Carryduff driver is back to defend his crown at what will be the first of five championship rounds that will take place between February and July.
Also in a Citroen C3 will be Darren Gass and James McCarville. Markethill’s Gass has enjoyed some sporadic outings in recent years and finished runner-up at Kirkistown in 2019.
Derek McGarrity is an eight-time N.I. champion, with successes that span a 20-year period after his maiden crown was secured in 2002. He and Graham Henderson will be in the Orchard Motorsport mix with their Skoda Fabia while Aaron McLaughlin and Kenny McKinstry have a pair of Fiesta WRCs at their disposal.
Others to keep an eye on include Philip Allen (Fiesta R5), Scottish visitor Nigel Feeney (Fiesta WRC), plus another quartet of Fiesta R5 crews that include Emma McKinstry, Joe McGonigle, Mark Massey and Kieron Graffin.
The two-wheel-drive category adds to the wonderful array of machinery with James Kennedy (Escort MkII), Jamie Grant (Starlet), Niall Carey (BMW) and Championship sponsor, Fintan McGrady, in a brand new historic specification Escort.
McGrady Insurance’s sponsorship of this year’s series marks the Downpatrick based firm’s 30th year of support for motorsport in Northern Ireland.
McGrady Insurance Director, Fintan McGrady, said:
“The motorsport community in Northern Ireland is a tight-knit and loyal band of enthusiasts which I have had the pleasure of being supported by in both sport and business. I am delighted to support the N.I. Rally Championship as a way of giving back to the community that has made such an important contribution to McGrady Insurance over the years.”
McGrady Insurance’s sponsorship will cover the five main championship events as well as the three-event Forest Challenge that runs separately from the Northern Ireland series.
Timetable
The rally starts at 9.15am with all six stages held within Kirkistown Race Circuit. Admission to the event is £10 per person. Event sponsor, Orchard Motorsport, will be on-site with a display of scale models and clothing.
Entries for the event should be completed online (including Online payment) at www.rallyscore.net
Please submit your competed online entry form, including the appropriate fees and seeding information promptly in order to allow us as organisers to be able to confirm the running of the event and the availability of all the necessary services and equipment at the earliest date possible.
***YOUR ENTRY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNTIL YOUR ONLINE ENTRY FEE PAYMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED***
Entries Secretary;
Charlie Deering Telephone +44 (0)7519 828407 e-mail: kirkistownstagesrally@gmail.com Enquires only between 6.00pm and 10.00pm weekdays, 1.00pm and 6.00pm weekends
Based at Kirkistown Race Circuit on Saturday 19 February, the Orchard Motorsport Kirkistown Stages, which is organised and promoted by North Armagh Motor Club Ltd, will attract the crème de la crème of local rally talent as they battle for the spoils at the popular County Down venue.
Barry Taggart, Clerk of the Course for the event, said: “We are delighted to have secured the support of Orchard Motorsport. We are privileged to be associated with Brian Stinson, a long-standing supporter of North Armagh Motor Club, motorsport in general and rallying in particular.”
Orchard Motorsport was established in 1986 and has become the leading Motorsport & Agri-models and clothing merchandise supplier throughout Ireland from their shop in Armagh, online via www.orchardmotorsport.co.uk and their display stand at major events.
“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to support North Armagh Motor Club and the opening round of the N. I. Rally Championship 2022,” commented Orchard Motorsport Managing Director, Brian Stinson. “There’s always a lot of buzz surrounding the opening round of the championship and Kirkistown is always a well-supported event so it’s great to be a part of it and meet the rally fans at the event.”
Competitors will tackle six stages within the confines of Kirkistown Race Circuit, which will include changes from the 2020 stages (last time ran) to maximise the mileage. In an effort satisfy all competitors’ needs, vehicle scrutiny will be on Saturday morning only, before the rally, with the opening stage set to start around 9.30am. The finish will be around 4.30pm. The stages will be minimum 90% sealed surface.
The rally will comply with current COVID 19 rules and Regulations. Entries can only be made via www.rallyscore.net Regulations and future rally information will be available from the rally virtual noticeboard at www.namcc.com Entries open on RallyScore on Sunday 23 January 2022 at 7.00pm.
If anyone would be available to marshal, contact Caroline McGuinness on 07792 037441 .
2020 Winners Stephen Wright & Gary McKenna / Gary Craig Motorsport Photography
***Regulations and online Entries open for this year’s ‘Kirkistown Stages Rally’ the first round of ‘The McGrady Insurance Motorsport UK N.I. Rally Championship’ on Sunday 23rd of January 2022 @ 19:00hrs***
Entries are now open for our Ballylisk Car Sales Orchard Country Targa Rally. The event takes place on Saturday 9th October 2021 and will be based within Loughgall Country Park and a number of nearby private locations. Entries open on the Rallyscore online system only, at 19.00hrs on Sunday 19th September 2021. Entries close at 20.00hrs on Saturday 2nd October 2021, or earlier if numbers reached.
Entries Secretary:
Barry Taggart, mob: 07771 892423 (between 16.00hrs and 22.00hrs please), email: barryt27@sky.com
