2017 Stages Rally is launched
BILLED as the largest sporting event in the county, the Volkswagen Stages Rally 2017, was officially launched at the Riverbank House Hotel last Saturday.
The rally, which is due to to take place over the weekend of September 9 and 10, brings an estimated €850,000 into the local economy, between hotel stays and visitor spending as rally drivers and enthusiasts flock in from home and abroad.
It will have 15 competitive stages over a combination of smooth and technical tarmac and will consist of two classic stages run three times on Saturday, followed by three brand new stages run three times on Sunday, making a total of over 200 kilometres.
As usual, scrutiny will be at Hertz, in Ferrybank, and central service will be at the Wexford Racecourse, on the Newtown Road.
This year, year two of a five-year event development programme, sees the launch of a new online payment scheme aimed at helping to keep the clubman rallying.
Competitors can now save and pay for their entries – using easy to purchase online vouchers/coupons on wexfordmotorclub.ie with values ranging from €10 to €500.
Chairman of Wexford Motor Club Graham Scallan said the online gift of credit towards your entry would make an ideal birthday or early Christmas present, even a special wedding gift!!
Competitors can also use this system to enable their sponsors or employers buy vouchers for drivers and co-drivers – up to a value of €500 each – tax-free! Just like the One4all Voucher.
Mr Scallan said the club was delighted to be the first motor club in Ireland to launch the new online payments facility for entries into all our motorsport events.
‘With the rise in insurance costs and related costs within the sport, we have launched this new scheme to help members and competitors save and pay for their entry into our events more conveniently and flexible to help keep the clubman rallying,’ he said.
2017 also see’s discounted ferry crossings for all our UK competitors through Fairfield Motorsport.
Live feeds, interviews and breaking news will be available on various platforms over the rally weekend.
This is the 46th running of the event, the 11th consecutive time the HQ has been at the Riverbank House Hotel and the second time to have Volkswagen Ireland and Wexford Volkswagen as the rally’s title sponsors.
Previous winners include Steve Woods, Mark Straker, James Stafford, Damien Cole, PJ McGrath, Eamonn Boland, Stephen Murphy, Pete Doughty, Donie Keating, Bill Connelly, Frank Meagher, Austin McHale, Bertie Fisher, Ger Buckley and Billy Coleman.
The Wexford Volkswagen Stages Rally is a round of the following championships:
• The Suirway Group South East Stages Rally Championship
• Wexford Motor Club Championship
• Irelands Modified Tar Masters Wexford Volkswagen Stages Rally said they wanted to acknowledge the generous support of many businesses and organisations, including Wexford’s Local Authorities and Wexford Chamber of Commerce.