Rally of the Lakes sponsor Cartell.ie and The Kerryman under the one roof

CARTELL.IE will continue as overall sponsor of the Rally of the Lakes after the vehicle data firm was sold to Independent News and Media last month.

Independent News and Media (INM), which also owns The Kerryman, acquired Cartell.ie in July.

Cartell.ie, established in 2006, is the market leader in vehicle history checks and data provision for aftermarket services such as car parts and accessories, providing data and analytics to both consumers and the motor industry. Several Kerry motor traders, particularly those in the Killarney district, use the service.

The Clane, county Kildare-based company has sponsored the Rally of the Lakes since 2010.

Cartell.ie will remain as title sponsor for the biggest motorsport event in the county for at least one more year with a view to extending that deal after the new owners evaluate the 2021 running of the event from a sponsorship point of view.

“Cartell.ie are definitely in for one more year,” said Cartell.ie’s Head of Business Development Richard Lahiff. “The new owners have confirmed that to me.”

INM also owns cars sales classified website CarsIreland.ie and while Mr Lahiff did not rule a possible extension of the sponsorship agreement through this website, he said the decision was in the hands of IMN and its Belgian parent company Mediahuis.

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP GB

LORCAN Hanifan scored his first podium finish of his Porsche Carrera Cup GB season when he took third at Brands Hatch on Sunday.

The former Ginetta Junior championship race winner graduated to the competitive one-make series this season and Sunday’s opening race was round three of the championship.

Leeds-based Hanifan, has strong Tralee connections, finished sixth in his second race of the day, round four of the series and left the famous Kent track fourth place in the championship.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB follows the prestigious British Touring Car Championship and his next outing in this series is at Oulton Park in Cheshire on the weekend of August 22 and 23.

EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES

MICHAEL Fassbender took a respectable fourth in class in just his second race in the European Le Mans Series.

The Fossa man is competing in the European endurance racing championship as part of his preparation for the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours in France next June.

Driving the Porsche 911 RSR that he shares with his professional teammates, former World Endurance Championship LMGTE Pro World Champion Richard Lietz and Felipe Laser, the trio finished fourth in the Four hours of Spa Francorchamps in Belgium on Sunday.

Lietz qualified the car on pole position and Fassbender took to the wheel for the opening stint. The German-Irish Hollywood star got off to a good start but was overtaken by the Aston Martin Vantage of Paul Dalla Lana, the Ferrari of eventual winner Michael Broniszewski.

The Proton Dempsey Competition crew eventually finished one place ahead of the Ferrari F488 GTE of fellow Irish endurance racing start, the experienced Cork driver Matt Griffin.

“I’m happy about every race kilometre that I can complete with the Porsche 911 RSR in this high-class series. I feel very much at home in this car and the team and my fellow drivers give me great support,” Fassbender said.

After two rounds, Fassbender is in joint-fourth place in the championship. His next event is a return to the Paul Ricard Circuit in France on August 29. This event was due to be held in Barcelona but ongoing COVID-19 related issues in Cataluyna forced series organisers to seek an alternative venue.