The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Co-driver O’Sullivan to make World Rally Championship return
KILLARNEY co-driver Noel O’Sullivan will return to the World Rally Championship for the first time since 2017. O’Sullivan will contest the Junior World Rally Championship, over five rounds, alongside Jon Armstrong in a Ford Fiesta R2 beginning with next month’s Rally Sweden.
Three years ago, the pair contested two rounds of the WRC in a R5 Ford Fiesta. It was part of their prize for winning the Drive DMack Cup which was contested over five WRC rounds the previous year in a Ford Fiesta R2.
Since then, Armstrong has been relatively quiet, last season he and O’Sullivan competed on two rallies together, The Galway International Rally where they finished fourth and the Down Rally which they won.
Armstrong did not compete at all in 2018 but instead turned his attention to eSports and won the virtual World Rally Championship.
“It is a great opportunity for the two of us,” O’Sullivan told
The Kerryman. “We were always hoping we could get back and wonder if it could ever happen.”
Armstrong and O’Sullivan will contest next month’s Rally Sweden but have a long wait until round two. There is also a snow test planned in Finland ahead of the opening JWRC round.
“Sweden is all about staying out of trouble. By just getting to the finish you could get a result and decent points,” added O’Sullivan.
Rally Italy Sardinia will take place between June 4 and June 7, Rally Finland is scheduled for August 6 to 9 and Germany will run between October 15 and 18. The final round is Wales Rally GB on October 29 to November 1.
Top Part West Coast Rally Championship
The awards presentation of the 2019 Top Part West Coast Rally Championship will take place in Ennis, County Clare on Saturday night.
Katie Quinn is the first Kerry woman to win the ladies award in the annual championship. Other Kerry winners include DJ Browne and Denny Greaney who won class two.
Ollie Lynch and Linda O’Neill were second in Class 11F in their Honda Civic.
James Kissane and Tim Kissane finished second calls 12, one place ahead of their Kerry Motor Club colleagues Eddie Kennelly and Timmy Murphy. Mike Dowling was second in class 13 in his Escort Mk1 while Vincent O’Shea and Eoin O’Donoghue were second in class 14 in their BMW.
Rally Academy
Kieran Reen attended his first training camp as part of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy in Claremorris, County Mayo yesterday. Reen was selected to be part of the Rally Academy after getting nominated for the Billy Coleman Award last season.
Donegal Rally
The Irish Rally season gets underway on Saturday with the Donegal Mini Stages Rally. There are a few Kerry names in the entry list including Killarney’s Connor Murphy and Kevin O’Donoghue
who are seeded 11 in their Ford Escort and Headford’s Ger Somers who is on co-driving duty for Raymond Spence in another Escort. The rally, which is based in the Lagoon Bar in Termon gets underway at 10.15am.
Kerry Clubs Fair
Kerry Motor Club will exhibit at the Kerry Clubs Fair at Killarney Racecourse on Sunday. The fair will have over 60 different clubs showing off their activities and it presents a perfect opportunity for anyone interested in motorsport to find out more about getting involved with one of the two local clubs.
Limerick Forest Rally
The Limerick Forest Rally will take place on Sunday March 1 with a new base just across the County bounds in Abbeyfeale.
National Autocross
Mossie Costello, Kerry’s youngest rally driver, collected his National and Munster autocross junior championship trophies at the championship’s annual prizegiving in Ennis on Saturday night.