Posts Tagged ‘Preview’

Well another weekend of exciting motorsport is nearly upon us. Carrick-on-Suir motor club have two great days of hillclimbing at rounds 5 and 6 of the Connaught Competition Engines Hillclimb and Sprint Championship 2011.

Entries are still open for those that have not put in an entry so get in gear if you hope to take part this weekend.

Hope to see you there!

Clare & Galway Motor Clubs Hillclimb Weekend 2011

Rounds two & three of the “Connaught Competition Engines Irish Hillclimb & Sprint Championship 2011” kicks into action this coming Weekend April 16th and 17th in North Clare. This year’s 14 round Championship takes place over seven weekends taking in some of the most scenic parts of Clare, Galway, Wexford, Limerick, Tipperary, Wicklow and Donegal and the events bring a much needed boost to the local economy with demand for accommodation, food and
entertainment.

For this year The Clare Motor Club have teamed up with the Galway Motor Club to co promote one hillclimb weekend which is based in Ballyvaughan. The clare club will run the Corkscrew Hill on Saturday under clerk of the course Dermot Kelleher from Clarecastle while Sunday’s hill Ballyallaban will be run by the Galway Motor Club under clerk of the course Joan Vaughan from Ballyvaughan. This will give competitors a great opportunity to compete
on two of the best and most challenging hills in the hillclimb championship series.

“Logue’s Lodge”, Ballyvaughan have stepped in as the main sponsor of this year’s event and the club are very grateful to Alan for his generous sponsorship. A special weekend menu will be available each night over the weekend including prizegiving, video footage of each day’s action and music till late.

All the championship contenders will attend including current Hillclimb champion Simon McKinley driving his Reynard 873 connaught. Other drivers who have entered and will be fighting for overall victory include Limerick’s Paul O’Connell, Clare’s Sylvie Mullins and Donal Griffin. Galway’s Frank Byrnes has also entered. There will also be a big turn out in the Rally Car Classes with Clare & Galway Motor Club members fighting for positions in the various classes.

The Wexford Motorclub hosted the first two rounds of the Championship 2011 near the seaside towns of Fethard and Duncannon in the Sunny South-east. Paul O’Connell set the pace on the first run driving his older car the Delta T79, his Pilbeam is still being repaired since it’s Donegal crash. Simon Mckinley was unfortunate to catch a loose stone in the timing belt of the Lant RT2 during the Practice Run, putting the car out of action, so he double drove Dermot Nolans Reynard for the rest of the weekend. It only took him until Run 2 to set the fastest time of the Day in that car. O’Connell was also overtaken with the Return of the Jedi of John Byrne on Run 2. Paul went quicker than that time on the final run, but John was quicker again on three. David James leap-frogged both of them into second overall for the day in a very modified Mitsubishi Evo. Brendan Keane was fifth in his graceful Swallow. Simon broke a wish bone in his car on Run 3. McKinley would spend the evening repairing it, fit for the next day. Day two saw Simon McKinley set fastest time with Paul O’Connell finishing second and John Byrne third.

Event secretary for the Clare / Galway event is Aisling Grimes and Aisling can be contacted on 086-2626477 between 6.00pm and 9.00pm.

Optional Mechanical & Document Scrutiny will take place at the Ballyvaughan Filling Station, Ballyvaughan on this Friday evening 15TH. April between 7.00 and 9.00pm. There will also be Mechanical & Document Scrutiny in the
paddock of both hills between 8.00am and 10.00am.

Prizegiving will take place on Saturday & Sunday Evenings at Logues Lodge, Ballyvaughan and will be followed by music and entertainment. Meals will be available all day in the restaurant.

Entry forms are now available to download from both club websites – www.claremotorclub.com Or www.galwaymotorclub.ie

A couple of things to bear in mind for the weekend.

Please be courteous and polite to officials and marshalls. These people give their time willingly to make this weekend a sucess and without the hard work from these volunteers we would not have a hillclimb.

Be careful of your surroundings. The Burren is a a very fragile place and some of the plant life that exists there is not seen anywhere else on the planet, so please be careful where you walk and bring home any rubbish.

If a marshall asks you to move from where you are standing it is for your own safety or because you may be obstructing their view of another marshall. Please obey them or they will have to stop the event.

Please feel free to talk to the drivers in the paddock, they are a friendly, sociable bunch on the whole. And please feel free to attend the prizegiving. Its usually good fun with plenty of humour!

The Corkscrew hill will be closed to traffic on Saturday between 9.00am – 6.00pm and on Sunday on Ballyallaban Hill between 9.00am – 6.00pm. and Traffic Diversions will be in place.
The Clare & Galway Motor Clubs would like to thank the residents on both hills and the Business Community of Ballyvaughan The Clare County Council and The Gardai for their assistance in making this one of the most popular rounds of the Hillclimb Championship.

Dermot Kelleher
Pro clare motor club

D-day is nearly upon us and the sounds of Hillclimb cars being started and tested is echoing around the towns and countryside of Ireland. The Wexford Hillclimb weekend promises to be great start to the championship season as we head to Duncannon and Fethard. Entries have been hugely encouraging so far but if there are any other competitors looking for a weekend of inexpensive Motorsport they will all be welcome.

For those of you looking to register for the 2011 Connaught Competition Engines Hillclimb and Sprint championship you can register in Wexford on the morning of the event. Senan O’Connor is the registrar for 2011 and will be available in the morning at sign on. With the best 10 scores counting for the championship it is a great chance to partake in a National Championship for very small outlay.

We are also asking any business or individual that wishes to sponsor a class in the Connaught Competition Engines Hillclimb and Sprint Championship 2011 to get in touch with Senan or Paul O’Connell, the secretary of the Hillclimb Committee.

Sponsorship of a class will cost €200. All cars in that class will carry two stickers with the sponsor name on them and the class will be referred to as “the sponsor’s” class. Sponsors will also receive 2 free tickets to the end of year prizegiving. If you know of anyone interested in supporting Hillclimbing in this way please make yourselves known to the aforementioned people.

Christmas is over, 2011 is nearly a month old and the Hillclimb and Sprint season is just weeks away. After a thrilling season in 2010, we are looking forward to some more thrills and spills in 2011 in one of Ireland’s most affordable and competitive forms of Motorsport.

This year, the season is kicks off in Wexford where Wexford Motor Club has a great weekend of motorsport planned for all competitors. Fresh from the success of winning the Dick Bailey award for best run weekend in the 2010 season, Wexford have decided to retain the two Hillclimb venues used last year – Fethard and Duncannon. Situated on the East coast of Ireland these scenic hills will once again play host to the fastest form of motorsport in Ireland.

In the current Economic climate Wexford have made the brave move of slashing entry fees for their Hillclimb/Sprint event to encourage more competitors to participate and to give even more value to competitors.

Special Offer

Wexford Motor Club will kindly offer a two day entry for only €200 and only €115 for a one day entry. To avail of this offer, competitors must ensure that Wexford Motor Club RECEIVE a completed entry form and entry fee BEFORE Friday 19th March. That is an amazing €50 off the average two day entry fee and €25 off the average one day entry fee. Entries received after this time will cost €230 for a 2 day entry and €125 for a one day entries. This is still cheaper than the average entry 2 day entry fee in 2010 (€250) by €20!

Obviously this reduced entry fee is a brave move by Wexford Motor Club in the current climate. If competitors come out and support this event in numbers, then the club should be able to break even financially. It is up to all of us, as competitors, to support hillclimbing and encouraging other license holders from other disciplines to try the sport. Financially, Hillclimbing is great value for money. You can compete for a season at the top level in the National Hillclimb and Sprint Championship for the same price as running a Honda Civic in 3 or 4 rallies!

This reduced entry fee may become the norm if competitors support this initiative. If competitors can demonstrate their support by signing up and competing in Wexford then it opens up the possibility for further reductions in the future. It is in our hands now!

Come on, send off your license forms today and lets go Hillclimbing and Sprinting!

Regs will be available for this event on this site soon.

Now that the season is all but finished and the championship awards received its time to look forward to another season of Hillclimbs and Sprints in 2011.

What will 2011 bring for Irish motorsport?
In the midst of the current economic recession things like Motorsport seem to be hit very hard. All is not lost for Hillclimbers and Sprinters though, as our discipline of motorsport is weathering this storm well when all things are considered. There is a need to increase our entry numbers, so if you know of a car/driver sitting in a shed looking for an inexpensive day out, encourage them to go Hillclimbing!
This year saw nearly 20 first-time competitors register for the national championship which is a very encouraging sign. In 2011 we may have a few more new people register for the championship as we all work to improve our sport.

The rally car classes, while not having a large entry this year,  gives a fair outlet for any rally competitor who can participate in a few events. The fact that they must run on rally tyres also gives them a fair chance against their fellow competitors in the class, and saves the expense of a set of soft Hillclimb slicks.

What about the regular competitors plans for next year? As ever, there are many cars in various  states of fettle in garages all around the country, waiting for the new season to start. Telephones are buzzing and emails are flying all over the country in the search for parts, help and information. The urge to improve and find more power or less weight is a strong one with Hillclimbers, so it will be very interesting to see what comes out of the workshops and garages next Spring when the season starts again.

After the action last weekend in the MEC where a great time was had by all at two super venues. The climax of the 2010 Connaught Competition Engines Hillclimb and Sprint Championship is in sight.

Donegal Motor Club will once again play host to the final rounds of the championship and what better place to battle it out than the famous Knockalla Hillclimb. With beautiful sandy beaches and stunning ocean views this hill provides an amazing backdrop to Ireland’s fastest form of motorsport. The course is also hugely popular with the drivers with some straights, some demanding corners, a chicane and a section with a steep climb that will test the heart of any car.

Prize giving will be on it the Milford Inn in Milford and a great atmosphere is expected as the end of season stress is unleashed! Accommodation is available in local B&Bs and holiday homes – but book soon to avoid disappointment.

Remember this one of your last chances to get a run in your car this season. While the journey may be long for some,but anyone who has been to Knockalla will tell you that it is worth the journey!

This is going to be a popular event, so please get your entry in as fast as possible. See you there!

After an enforced long layoff in competition, the hillclimbers of Ireland are dusting off their cars, taking the race suits out of the washing machine, pumping the tyres of transporters and getting ready for the resumption of the Connaught Competition Engines Irish Hillclimb and sprint championship 2010.

The venue for the latest instalment of the championship is North County Dublin just beyond Dublin Airport. The MEC have defied the odds and have organised 2 great and different venues in Dublin. The Saturday event is based in The Naul village and Sunday’s venue is near the village of Lusk. What an exciting prospect of competing with Irelands fastest cars in the most populated county in Ireland! Entries have been very strong to date and it would not surprise if a near capacity field was attained both days.

Both venues are reputed to be challenging and the surface is smooth tarmac with ample paddock facilities, including a parc ferme Friday and Saturday night. Being so close to a major city there will be plenty of spectators to be entertained!

Entry regs and Accommodation lists are available in the downloads section of the site so if you are coming hillclimbing get in gear!!

Hi All,

As chairman of Wexford motor club, and also as chairman of the national hillclimb and sprint committee, I welcome all to rounds 5 & 6 of the national hillclimb and sprint championship. With the first four rounds having taken place in the west of the country, the championship heads to the east of the country for the first time. It will also see the first ever running of the hill in Duncannon, which will be used on Saturday. The club has being looking at this hill for the last few years and finally this year, all has fallen into place to allow us to use this hill. It is a spectacular flowing hill, with scenic views as a backdrop, looking out over the Barrow estuary with the Waterford coast in the background.

Sunday’s hill will be the tried and trusted Poulfur Hill. It is also only 8km from the hill in Duncannon and will be very easy for visiting competitors and spectators to base themselves in the one place to be close to both days action. Both hills will be of 1.5km in length and clerk of the course for the weekend, Tommy Murphy, is planning to have a minimum of one practice run and three timed runs on both days, and if time allows, a further timed run will be added. The format of the day will see the fastest run by each competitor being counted, this allows for a bad run not dragging their time down and also will allow for whatever weather changes happen on the day.

The champion for the last three years, Limerick man Paul O’Connell, will be trying to keep his challenge going to make it four in a row, but will face stiff competition on the day from those trying to steal his crown. Saturday’s action will finish at about 5pm with the presentations that evening in the Fort Conan Hotel in Duncannon at 7pm, with Sunday’s activities finishing at about 4.30pm and the presentation at 6pm in Neville’s Bar in Fethard on Sea.

Looking forward to seeing competitors and spectators alike for this high octane event.

Eugene French
Chairman
Wexford Motor Club

2010 Connaught Competition Engines Hillclimb and Sprint Championship

The start of the 2010 season is nearly upon us. It seems like only yesterday that the Hillclimb circus descended on Donegal, yet here we are getting ready to start a new season.

The Clare hills are the venue for this weekend and it promises to be an exciting start to the season. The first round can often throw up some suprise results as the changes and improvements to cars over the winter get their first competitive outing. Who will have done enough to stay ahead of the opposition, only the result sheets will tell!

The Clare hills consist of the famous Corkscrew hill on Saturday the 3rd April and the Scalp on Sunday the 4th April.

The Corkscrew Hill has been resurfaced last year and now has a smooth wide surface over the majority of the course. With its 4 sweeping hairpins on the bottom section and its faster corners on the top section it rewards precise and neat driving, mixed with a more aggressive approach on the faster top half.

The Corkscrew is located about 4 miles on the Lisdoonvarna road out of Ballyvaughan village. Spectators are asked to park in the designated spectator areas.

The Scalp Hill has been run for the past number of years and has been the scene of many very tight and dramatic battles.

It is a real test of faith in a car as it winds at very high speed through the unforgiving countryside. With the majority of the corners being 3rd and 4th gear corners and the surface being relatively bumpy it presents a different challenge to the Corkscrew. The view of a top flight car travelling through the cutting in the rocks is absolutely breathtaking. Many have watched a run from there and walked away soon after shaking their heads!

The Scalp Hill is located near Carron village. Paddock is in the Carron GAA ground. It is located on the Galway road from Ballyvaughan. Turn right at Bell Harbour go for about 2 km till you meet a T junction. Turn right and that road will bring you directly to Carron GAA ground.

Please obey the Marshalls and Officials. They are giving up their own time to help us enjoy our sport. Be courteous and even a word of thanks always goes down well! Please bring your littler home with you and be careful not to spill fuel or other fluids on the ground. The Burren is a protected landscape and we would like to come back again next year!

See you all in Clare and travel safely!