Kerry to get its own rally championship

A NEW rally championship open to Kerry-based drivers and co-drivers with rounds including all local rallies is ready to be rolled out by the two motor clubs in the county.

The Moriarty Centra Farranfore Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship will open with the Rose Hotel Circuit of Kerry Rally and will also include the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes and the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally.

The new series is open to members of Kerry Motor Club and Killarney and District Motor Club who are full time resident of the county.

Drivers and co-drivers will score points based on the class they compete in. Each day of the Rally of the Lakes will count as separate rounds. Winners will receive entry fee vouchers towards 2019 events run by the two clubs.

Behind the scenes works has be on-going since the start of the year with club officials, a selection of local competitors and series sponsors discussing the various ways to run the series and make it accessible to all club drivers and not those with the bigger horsepower cars.

The idea was put before Kerry Motor Club at its meeting in the Rose Hotel last week. A similar motion was on the agenda at Killarney and District Motor Club’s recent annual general meeting.

Sponsor Mike Moriarty of Moriarty Centra Farranfore said: “This is about the club man or woman and giving them something back for supporting local events. People tend to be negative about the current state of Irish rallying but nobody was trying something new. This is the new thing we are all waiting for.”

A end-of-season prize-giving will take place in the period between Christmas and New Year that will be open to all local motorsport officials, competitors and fans. Entry fee to the new series will be free for the opening year, to get it off the ground, but a nominal fee will be charged from 2019 onwards to cover costs, including trophies.