Kerry rally drivers and organisers awaiting decision on Wexford Rally with interest

LOCAL rally drivers and officials will learn this week if the planned Wexford Rally will go ahead in September or not.

Wexford Motor Club secured a date for its rally in the new calendar that was redrafted by Motorsport Ireland last month. If it goes ahead it will be the first rally to run in the country since the Mayo Rally on March 8.

A decision on the future of the event will be made on August 11 giving Wexford Motor Club less than four weeks to finalise event preparations and attract enough entries to balance the books.

The organising club said: “The running of the event is governed by the implementation of the Government’s Phase Four restrictions and the issuing of event permits.”

This week’s decision will be watched closely by Killarney and

District Motor Club members who remain hopeful that the Historic Rally might go ahead in November. The local club has not made any decisions on the future of its rally apart from changing the date from early December to late November and will keep a watching brief on proceedings in Wexford before fully committing to this year’s event. A Killarney decision is expected in mid-September.

The Wexford Rally, scheduled for September 5 and 6, is always popular with Killarney-based competitors. Killcummin co-driver Damien Fleming finished second last year alongside Stephen McCann in a Ford Fiesta R5.

In a further blow to the organisers, the Irish governing body has prohibited overseas competitors from contesting Irish events until further notice. The Wexford Rally, given its proximity to Rosslare Harbour, has always relied on Welsh drivers to make the event financially viable but the directive from the sport’s governing body is understandable in current circumstances.

NEW ZEALAND RALLYING

NOEL Moloney’s return to rally action in New Zealand last weekend was short-lived. The Duagh co-driver contested Sunday’s Maramarua Rallysprint alongside local driver Warwick Redfern in a Mitsubishi Lancer E9. They were lying fourth overall after the opening stage of the South Auckland Car Club organised event but crashed out on the second test. The Irish/ New Zealand team hope to be back in action in time for the next round of the Maramarua Rallysprint series on the weekend of August 15/16.

ITALIAN RALLYING

A SIMILAR fate befell Tralee’s Mark Kane. He was co-driving for Phillip Allen on the Rally di Alba in

Italy on Sunday, but they put their Hyundai i20 R5 off the road on the event’s opening stage. The non-championship event was won by Craig Breen in a factory-supported i20 R5.

FASSBENDER LE MANS SERIES

MICHAEL Fassbender’s European Le Mans Series continues this weekend with the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Fassbender, who is driving for the Proton Competition Porsche team will share his 911 GT with Felipe Laser and former World Endurance Championship LMGTE Pro World Champion Richard Lietz, an unchanged driver line-up since their last outing in France on July 26.

PORSCHE CARRERA CUPGB

LORCAN Hanifan’s Porsche Cup

GB campaign continues this weekend at Brands Hatch. The Leedsbased-racer, who has strong Tralee connections, finished fifth in his opening race at Donington Park on Sunday.

Hanifan did not finish his second race but posted a fastest lap which earned him valuable championship points. He enters this weekend’s double-header fifth on the championship standings.

RALLYCROSS

RYAN Stryker has entered Sunday’s Irish Rallycross championship meeting at Mondello Park. The event marks the resumption of Rallycross in Ireland after pandemic enforced shutdown.

The Knocknagoshel-based driver will use his self-built Fiesta. His last outing in the Junior Rallycross class in March netted two seventh places and a sixth place in each of his heats but he did not make the cut for the final on that occasion.