Two of the five rounds of the new European Ford Puma Rally Challenge 2000 will be held in Ireland, the Rally of The Lakes run out of Killarney on April 29th/30th and the Galway-based West 2000 Rally on July 22nd/ 23rd. The other rounds are: Scottish International - June 9/10th; Jim Clarke Rally (Duns, Scotland) - June 30th to July 2nd; and Silverstone Rallysprint - August 12th. In addition there will be two non-championship "Shoot Out" events: Alsace Voges (Strasbourg) - May 20th/ 21st and Tour of Flanders (Roeselarc, Belgium) - September 9th/10th.
The cars will be 1.4 litre Ford Puma Kit Cars, identically prepared to works specifications and running on control tyres. The outright winners will get a full Ford works drive on the San Remo World Rally Championship round in Italy from October 12th to 15th in a 1.6 litre kit car, an invitation entry for the end of season "Rally Race of Champions" and a WRC test drive. Commenting on the Euro Challenge, Liam O'Callaghan (Challenge Manager) said: "Our goal is to make this series the most successful training ground for future rally champions, providing every competitor with a broad range of experience in a high tech professional environment, at affordable cost." Protec will also promote the Irish Ford Ka Rally Championship again this year, run over nine rounds: March 26th - Galway; April 9th - Kerry; May 7th - Carlow; June 25th - Ravens Rock (Carrick-on-Suir MC); July - 9th Sligo; August 13th - Stonethrowers (Tipperary); August 27th - ALMC (Laois); September 10th - Cork Forestry Rally; October 7th/9th - International Cork 20. The 20 also includes the final round of the British Ka Rally Championship.
The Ulster rally crew of David Patterson and Michael Gibson drive a Nissan Micra on the Arctic Rally this weekend. David's parents Brian and Liz Patterson are the chief mechanic-cum-service crew on this all snow event, run out of the famous "Father Christmas" town of Rovaneimi in the Lapland territory of Northern Finland.
Dermot Kelly and Greg Shinnors can clinch the Motorsport Ireland National Forestry Rally Stages Championship if they finish in front of Eugene Donnelly and Paul Nagle in Sunday's round six, run out of the of Michelstown by the Tipperary LC & MCC. Reigning champion Kelly has powered his Ford Escort Cosworth to three wins and has finished second and third in two other rounds. Brian Murphy/ Joe Downey in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo won Round two in Wicklow, and the Limerick MC's last round was won by Dominic McNeill/Francis Regan in an Escort Cosworth.
Sunday's event has attracted a good entry and will see crews competing twice over three stages of 11, seven and five miles respectively.
