Looks like the season is kicking off guys and gals. A Night Navigation, a Mudplug, The Galway Rally and a Rallycross at Mondello all take place this weekend!

DATE: 4.2.12

CLUB: Motor Enthusiasts’ Club

EVENT: Sporting Trial

VENUE: Hogg’s Farm, Greenan, Co Wicklow

START TIME: 11.30

Event Secretary: Roy Stewart ph: 087-2574406

DATE: 4/5.2.12

CLUB: Skibbereen & District CC

EVENT: Navigation Trial (NT)

VENUE: HQ: Harrington Inn, Timoleague, Co Cork

START TIME: TBA

Event Secretary: Eoghan Duggan ph: 086-1019449

DATE: 5.2.12

CLUB: Galway MC

EVENT: International Stages Rally (TROA)

VENUE: HQ: Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, Galway

START TIME: 09.30

Event Secretary: Joan Vaughan ph: 086-8902057

DATE: 5.2.12

CLUB: Carlow CC

EVENT: Rallycross (RX)

VENUE: Mondello Park, Donore, Naas, Co Kildare

START TIME: 10.15

Event Secretary: Fiona Cullen ph: 086-8905657

The MEC recently organised “An Evening with Michael Roe” with Robin Rhodes as MC and Stephen and Michael Doyle hosting the event in the Glen of The Downs Golf Club. Predictably, Robin was superb, his rapier wit having lost none of its edge since I last met him when he visited us in the Phoenix Park commentary box in 2009! The audience was almost like a “Who’s Who” of Irish Motorsport with ex racers such as Des Cullen, Larry Mooney, Peter Lynch and Mike Armstrong rubbing shoulders with club officials and a plethora of current racers. Even young Ginetta Junior race winner Sean Doyle was there, ensuring that we had all generations of the sport represented.
Robin kicked off  with Michael discussing his dominant 1984 title winning Can-Am season,  eloquently explaining tech specs and even the complexities of running one of the cars.

This was followed with a film show of Michael’s Can-Am season complete with a wonderfully enthusiastic Paul Phelan lookalike presenter! This showed the extent of Michael’s dominance of the series, with his VDS-Chevy often qualifying almost two seconds clear of the pursuing pack. In fact such was the Irishman’s pace, that he qualified on pole for each of the ten championship races and won seven, with Jim Crawford picking up the pieces in the remaining three, only when Roe hit trouble. An interesting part of this story was that when the Can Am series shared the Dallas track with the F1 championship, Roe’s fastest lap was over a second quicker than the best of the F1s, Nikki Lauda. Also, that weekend, Michael recalled, Martin Brundle crashed his Tyrrell and broke his ankle. Ken Tyrrell offered the Irishman the drive for the following Australian Grand Prix. Initially he accepted, rang Wilfie Fitzsimmons in the RIAC (nowadays Motorsport Ireland), who organised the necessary superlicence, and began organising his trip. Team owner Don Walker was against this however and told Michael to stay put, and they would launch an Indycar team the following year. “I have no doubt that had we done so, we would have won plenty of Indycar races because we had a super team”,  he says wistfully, but unfortunately Walker ended up in prison for various reasons and the dream came to naught!

When the film was over, Robin and Michael returned to the microphone for some chat about Michael’s racing in Ireland in the early days. Robin’s initial question being “Did you learn much at Mondello or more when you went to the UK?” Michael immediately answered “I learnt everything in Mondello”  He paid tribute to John Murphy, who he said had incredible knowledge when Michael began racing FF1600 (John is retired and lives near Mondello now and his two sons race Formula Vee!) and then Ralph Firman when he moved to the UK. He said the Irish drivers were successful because they often lived with team owners  during the season even and bartered expected prize money against entry fees on occasion. He also said there was always someone back home who would offer you “the odd hundred quid” to keep you going! (Don Kissane receiving an honourable mention at this point!) One of the best stories of the night was when discussing his Formula Ford campaign in 1978. The works Van Diemen was not handling 100% and after a lot of work, Michael and the (works) team came to the conclusion that the chassis was stressing the engine block unduly. They took the car back to the workshop and cut off the engine mounts and welded in new ones. after a few laps, Michael says the car was perfect so he came in. He was back home in Naas the next week and his father asked him how he was going to do in the next big race,( this being the Formula Ford Festival.) “I’m going to win it” replied Michael.  Michael’s father then suggested that his son should buy a suit for the prizegiving, so off he went down the main street in Naas to a shop “that sold pitchforks and wellies” and bought a new suit for the princely sum of £17.50! The suit was duly packed into the bag, Michael flew through the heats, semis and quarters and won the final, and wore the suit to the prizegiving! The infamous story of Michael driving back from Dun Laoghaire ferry port to Naas….. in his Formula Ford…. when his lift didn’t arrive, did not come out as unfortunately time ran out but I have no doubt that we only saw the tip of the iceberg in terms of Michael’s stories!

Well done to the MEC for putting together such an enjoyable evening (free of charge by the way!) and to the Doyles for their usual superb hospitality. A quick chat with MEC President Robin Taylor during the night revealed that they intend to run some more of these events, possibly even going bi-monthly. When the word spreads about the first one, I have a feeling they will be inundated with enquiries about the next! They are also looking for new members, specifically younger ones, to ensure the future of their historic club. Further information can be found on www.mec.ie

that’s all for this time,

Leo

follow me on Twitter: @topofthetower

It seems there is a positive feeling about the Irish racing scene already this year. Despite the current economic climate,

there have already been a few announcements about the plans for various classes. Dunlop Abarths were first out of the blocks with their impressive initiative and predictably, Bill Griffin’s car sold imediately after the announcement, with one or two more apparently being dug out of hibernation to join the grids. Names being mentioned in connection with the series include former Punto 1400 champion Barry Travers as well as Barry Hallion, who intends to move up from 1400s too. Formula Sheane also had their first 2012 test at Mondello Park recently, with RTE’s John Kenny being one of the people who took to the track in the 160bhp single seaters. Three cars have changed hands over the winter months and the class looks set to enjoy a bumper season in 2012. As most of you are probably aware, I am involved with Formula Sheane this year and I am hoping to attract some younger drivers to the class. The reason for this is twofold; firstly the guys at the front would provide a great yardstick with which to judge some of our young talent but secondly I think the class is a superb platform for a young driver to shine and perhaps even challenge for the Dunlop Sexton Trophy- watch this space!

ITCC announced in the last few days the details of their partnership with Yokohama and followed it up with some exciting incentives, best of all being the chance of drivers in both classes winning a trip to Estoril in Portugal to see the WTCC in action! This class has been a wonderful addition to Irish motor racing in the last two years bringing not only new drivers and teams, but also new spectators, to the Kildare venue. As you will have read in the last week, The Leinster Motor Club have confirmed that Bishopscourt returns to the motor racing calendar for the first time in many many years. ITCC, Abarths and just recently Formula Sheane, have announced that they will be amongst the other regular classes heading North to enjoy this weekend. With Mondello’s two layoujts, we now effectively have four permanent circuits on the island, which can only be a good thing for motorsport. As if all this news wasn’t enough, Anne Stevens tells me that plans for The Phoenix Park 2012 are coming along nicely. Remember, vouchers towards race entries are still available and are a perfect prezzie for the significant petrolhead in your life!  More info on http://www.phoenixparkmotorraces.ie/

As Ginetta Champion Andy O’Brien moves to the UK to take up his prize drive, and Niall Murray prepares for his second season in UK Ginettas, we can expect an influx of young racers to take their places in Ginetta Junior Ireland.  Andrew Watson intends to join Murray in UK Juniors whilst Sean Doyle and Jake Byrne have gone the Global route as they have turned 17 and can no longer compete in the junior class. James Fleming improved immensely towards the end of last season showing flashes of race winning pace and cannot be discounted. Andrew Clarke also made good progress and Megan Kessie and Sophie Byrne (bouyed by her maiden Junior Rallycross victory recently) should also show well. I am surprised there have not been more new drivers in this class as parents can expect vastly reduced running costs compared to top line karting and the young drivers also learn a lot about presentation and PR from the class. Allied to this, I hear both Murray Motorsport and ABR have good deals on used cars for the 2012 season.

The Carsport Yearbook has just hit the shelves and includes a season review by yours truly, an interesting piece by Michael O’Carroll on his involvement in the Queen and Obama visiting these shores (I jest you not!) and lots of other motorsport news….

thats all for now,

Leo

follow me on Twitter @topofthetower

Having just announced their new alliance with Yokohama Tyres, the ITCC have unveiled some impressive details of their 2012 championship.
Firstly, Yokohama will have technical support at all rounds of the series as well as on selected test days, The class will have a hospitality area with refreshments at all Mondello Park rounds of the series, new trophys, (including a perpetual trophy for the Touring class) and cash prizes. The most impressive announcement though, is that when the class visit Bishopscourt for rounds three and four on May12th/13th, the top points scorer in both Touring and Super Touring over the weekend will receive an all expenses paid trip to Estoril in Portugal to see the World Touring Car Championship on June 2nd and 3rd. This prize comes from the alliance with Yokohama and should ensure that the ITCC racing at Bishopscourt will be even closer than normal!

With  all of the regulars coming back for more, and some new cars being built, we can expect some great tin top racing from the class. Martin Treacy will of course be back to defend his crown for the second time but Johnny Whelan,  Phil Brennan, Ciaran Timmons and a host of others will be doing their best to ensure he doesn’t! (Not forgetting series organisers Philip Burdock & Brian Sexton both who had tough seasons in 2011 but showed plenty of pace late on.)  There is a first official ITCC test day on Friday the 16th of March at Mondello Park and we will be there, stopwatch in hand,to find out who we need to keep an eye on in 2012! Read all about it on Leo’s Blog!

follow me on twitter: @topofthetower

Leo

Yokohama is proud to announce that as of 2012, it will be the new control tyre for one of
the most exciting motorsports in Ireland – the Irish Touring Car Championship or ITCC.
Offering a diverse range of cars, circuits and drivers, the ITCC encapsulates the most exciting
aspects of Touring Car racing, putting it firmly in the fold with other Touring Car Championships
across the globe. With races running at 30+ cars on the grid up to four times per race day, the ITCC
has become one of the most watched and most exciting forms of motorsport Ireland has seen in
recent years. Attracting both new drivers and experienced racers, the ITCC always delivers
excitement and thrills and promises a lot more as the series progresses into 2012.
Yokohama is currently used as the control tyre for the WTCC, Russian, Chinese and Scandinavian
Touring Car Championships. With the ITCC entering the fold it’s only logical that Yokohama become
part of the Irish series, bringing with it the global motorsport recognition which Yokohama is proud
to be behind.
Yokohama is the perfect choice for the ITCC, due in no small part to the exciting nature of the cars
racing. The ITCC caters to a diverse range of cars from BMWs to Sierra Cosworths, so the supplier of
the control tyre has to be a company that can cater to cars of all specifications. With Yokohama’s
range of competition tyres available, every car and driver is able to race safe in the knowledge that
they are benefitting from years of race tyre development.
Further support comes from appointed Yokohama dealers in Ireland including Murray Motorsport,
based in Southern Ireland. Eoin Murray, the man behind Murray Motorsport,  is incredibly excited to
have Yokohama on board with the ITCC.
As an experienced BTCC driver, Eoin knows the importance of a quality control tyre being utilised
within a race series. Talking about the 2012 ITCC, Eoin said: “We are delighted to be involved with
the ITCC and I’m confident our partnership together with Yokohama will prove successful for the
series. With the use of a controlled Yokohama tyre we can expect to see close and exciting racing
during the coming season”.
More information on the ITCC can be found at www.itcc.ie

Good news this, and well done to the ITCC guys for landing the deal. It will be interesting to see how the new tyre rule affects the performance of the various different cars- it might even make things closer- if that is possible!

Follow me on Twitter @topofthetower

Leo

Irish Team, Cliff Dempsey Racing have announced the first details of their exciting 2012 campaign.
Team USA Scholarship driver Trent Hindman will drive for CDR in BARC Formula Renault in 2012, the 16 year old will also compete with Cape Motorsport with Wayne Taylor Racing in the Mazda Road to Indy USF 2000 but will use his BARC Formula Renault program with CDR as part of our link with the American team to help gain more experience and seat time.

“We are absolutely delighted to have Trent drive with us, he drove one of our Kent Formula Ford Ray cars as part of the Team USA Scholarship at the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy in 2011 and we were very impressed with him. We are looking forward to a good year” said Cliff Dempsey.

CDR are delighted with the response to their switch to BARC Formula Renault, there has been a lot of interest and we hope to announce a second driver very soon.

Drivers interested in either Formula Ford1600 Kent or BARC Formula Renault please contact Cliff at 0044 7516 430173.

More CDR news soon.

follow me on twitter @topofthetower

Leo

Car racing is set to return to the Bishopscourt Circuit in Northern Ireland for the first
time in 44 years.
Leinster Motor Club (“LMC”) will run a meeting for Irish classes there on May 12/13.
It is the first time since the 1968 Leinster Trophy meeting that the former World War
Two airfield at Downpatrick in County Down, about 23 miles south of Belfast, has
been used for car racing although the venue is used regularly for club motorcycle
races. It is also a popular site for single venue rallying and last year, after a raft of
upgrades, was approved for Motor Sports Association sanctioned kart meetings.
Leinster Motor Club member, Garry Manning, a former Motorsport Ireland Karting
Committee chairman, approached the circuit manager Wilson McKibben last July
with a view to the club running a meeting there. This led to MSA technical director
John Symes examining the track and last week he gave the green light for the
project subject to certain work, especially on the circuit’s kerbing, being
undertaken.
It is understood that because the circuit is in Northern Ireland, and therefore under
MSA rules, the LMC will have to appoint a British motor racing club to run the
meeting. While details of the organising club won’t be made public for another
three weeks the situation is not unusual because the Dublin-based club already run
meetings at Anglesey Circuit in North Wales under the direction of the BRSCC.
Manning, who coordinated the negotiations between LMC, The Association of
Northern Ireland Car Clubs, Motorsport Ireland and the MSA, says it is a positive
move for Irish motor racing.
He said: “If you include the long and the short versions of Mondello Park and
Kirkistown we now have four permanent tracks in the country. I facilitated the deal
purely for the good of Irish racing. It also allows for Sunday racing which is unusual in
Northern Ireland.”
The circuit is limited to just 16 days of motorsport activity because of local planning
permission regulations but the LMC has already been granted its mid-May date by
circuit bosses. A full announcement will be made by LMC and the British organising
club by the end of January or early February when details of exactly what classes
and championships will use the new venue will be made public. Other classes, like
those traditionally run at nearby Kirkistown are likely to be added to the bill.
The race meeting is scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday May 12/13,
2012. The race meeting will feature all the main classes currently racing in Ireland
and will be promoted by Leinster Motor Club, who incidentally organised the last car
racing event held at the track in 1968.
In 1992 the circuit was bought and made into a permanent motorsports Facility and in 2001 the present owner took over the site and made massive improvements to the layout and safety of the Circuit. In 2011 the complete resurfacing of the track was finished, giving 3 alternative layouts ranging from 1.5 miles to 2.1 miles per lap. The race meeting in May will be on the National track measuring 1.85 miles.
Further information will be available in the near future on the following web sites:
www.leinstermotorclub.ie and www.bishopscourt.org

follow me on twitter @topofthetower

Leo

Since the Fiat 128 Coupé and 3P models departed the <1300cc class of the Production Saloon racing in Ireland to form the Fiat Motorsport Club, the Italian machines have been the backstay of one make tin top racing in this country. The 128 variants were eventually replaced by the similarily powered Ritmo model and then the Uno class was introduced in 1993. The 1400cc Punto series was next up, followed by the Abarth Cup in 2002.

Having taken a step back in 2011 and running a reduced series, the organisers of the Dunlop Abarth series have announced an incredibly good deal for the championship’s ten year anniversary in 2012. Being in the unusual position of having money in the bank, they decided to give the money back to the competitors in the form of vastly reduced entries and registration fees. Of the original 26 cars, all but one would appear to survive and with the exception of Barry Rabbitt’s example, which was sold to Scotland a couple of years ago, all are still in the country. The deal is incredible and should tempt many of the cars back out for the new season as well as hopefully attracting a few new drivers. One or two cars are available extremely cheaply at the moment, expect these to sell or go up in price over the coming weeks!

At a presentation to the drivers in Dublin this week, the details were outlined as follows:
Race Dates 2012

14/15th April Mondello National
12/13th May Bishopscourt
23/24th June Anglesea
21st July Kirkistown
15/16th September Mondello International (Leinster Trophy)

All 10 races to count for Championship

18/19 August Phoenix Park (non championship)

What it costs for registration and entries
Total cost to the driver for the season is €1,150, with €250 to be paid before 27th of January and the balance to be be paid in full by the 24th of February. All registration forms and payments to be sent to Hal McGuckin, 3 Roselawn Court, Castleknock, Dublin 15.

Championship registration date deadline 24/02/2012

What you get for this.
Your championship entry
Entry to all 10 championship Races
1 20 min test session in Bishopscourt
1 20 min test session in Anglesea
Half Price Phoenix Park

Value €2,200

+ website profile and pr work.

Prizes
Top 3 in championship get a Trophy + Prize Money
Top Rookie Trophy + €500

Tyres
Limited to 10 Dunlop Slicks for the season
Dunlop Wets can also be used

Changes for 2012:
All cars to carry a forward facing onboard camera
For every point (endorcement) a driver gets on his/her licence for bad driving or misconduct- two championship points will be taken away from his/her total.
Reverse Grids for race 2

Parts
Pratts of Carlow the main Fiat dealer is willing to supply parts for anyone registered at cost price should they need anything for their cars.

Thats all for this time folks, but expect lots more news from the other classes as we approach the 2012 season. If you have any news, let me know and remember now you can follow me on twitter @topofthetower

Happy New Year folks..

Leo