Irish Rallycross Championship

Irish Rallycross Championship, IRX, PartsforCars Irish Rallycross Championship is a Rallycross championship in the Republic of Ireland.

Irish Rallycross Championship
CategoryRallycross
Country Ireland
Inaugural season1982
ClassesSupercars, Modified, Production, Rallycars, Buggy, Fiesta, Junior
Drivers' championDerek Tohill (2019)
Official websiteWebsite
Facebook Page

The championship is regulated by Motorsport Ireland who are the governing body of Motorsports in the Republic of Ireland.

History

The Irish Rallycross Championship was formed in 1982, all rounds running in Mondello Park. The event attracted a round of European Rallycross Championship to Ireland in the early 1990s.[1]

2020 season

On 12 March all motorsports events were postponed in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.[2] On 20 March, Motorsport Ireland issued a statement that all motorsport events are suspended until 1 June 2020.[3]

Calendar
Round Track / Event Date
1 Mondello Park Rallycross - Clockwise 8 March 2019
2 Mondello Park Rallycross 19 April 2019 suspended
3-4 Mondello Park Rallycross 18–19 July 2019
5 Mondello Park Rallycross 4 October 2019
6 Mondello Park Rallycross 8 November 2019

Results

The Rallycars class was absent this season. There were total of 48 cars on the grid for the round 1, with Modified being the largest class - 12 cars. Last year's overall champion Derek Tohill did not start in his Supercar Fiesta, but rather in a 2 wheel drive Fiesta in Modified class, and finished third.

Class Round 1[4] Round 2 Round 3-4 Round 5 Round 6 2020 Championship
Superfinal Tommy Graham
Supercar Tommy Graham
Modified Willie Coyne
Production Keith Kershawe
Buggy Robbie Allen
Fiesta Ben Mullins
Junior Loughlin Farrell
Retro RX Keith Kershawe

2019 season

The official 2019 championship media launch took place on 17 February 2019 in Mondello Park. Leo Nulty started the proceedings, stating that the championship is in its best position in many years.[5] PartsforCars was announced as the main championship sponsor, along with sponsorship from Diamondbrite, IPRS, Rigs 4 Gigs and MRCM Roofing.

Round 1 event on 3 March was cancelled in the afternoon after the first semi-finals race due to adverse weather conditions (snow).[6] However, the results were to stand.[7]

On October 15 Mondello Park have announced that the penultimate two rounds scheduled for 19-20 of October will not take place because participant entry numbers are too low for the championship event to go ahead. The entrant numbers have been dropping throughout the season despite organizers' efforts to revive the championship. The Motorsport Ireland Rallycross Commission met the following week in order to make a decision in relation to the final event of the season on 24 November.[8][9] On 7 November Motorsport Ireland announced that the last round of the season will go ahead, incentivized by lowered entry fees, and the first time ever “race into the night” as the finals would run under floodlights.[10]

Calendar
Round Track / Event Date
1 Mondello Park Short Circuit Rallycross 3 March 2019 Event cancelled mid-way, but results stand
2 Pallas Karting Track - Rallycross @ Tynagh[11] 7 April 2019
3 Mondello Park Reverse Short Circuit Rallycross 19 May 2019
4 Mondello Park Modified Reverse Short Circuit Rallycross - "Retro Mania" 20–21 July 2019
5-6 Mondello Park Short Circuit Rallycross 19–20 October 2019 Event did not go ahead, numbers too low
7 Mondello Park Short Circuit Rallycross 24 November 2019

Results[12]

The Production Class featured three cars in Round 1, one car in Round 2 and none from Rounds 3 onwards.

Class Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5-6 Round 7 2019 Championship
Superfinal Derek Tohill Noel Greene Derek Tohill Derek Tohill Cancelled Derek Tohill Derek Tohill
Supercar Derek Tohill Noel Greene Derek Tohill Derek Tohill Cancelled Derek Tohill Derek Tohill
Modified Michael Coyne Willie Coyne Peter McGarry Padraig Leeson Cancelled Willie Coyne Willie Coyne
Production - David Gibb - - Cancelled - -
Rallycars Thomas O'Rafferty David James Thomas O'Rafferty Patricia Denning Cancelled Shane Stanley Thomas O'Rafferty
Buggy Padraic McHale Padraic McHale Russel Woods Russel Woods Cancelled Pat Bellew Padraic McHale
Fiesta Denis McCrudden David Maher David Maher David Maher Cancelled Mark Meenehan Denis McCrudden
Junior Jack Byrne Brendan McCaughan Jack Byrne Brendan McCaughan Cancelled Michael Ryan Jack Byrne
Retro RX - - - Barry McCardle Cancelled David Crockett Barry McCardle / David Crockett

2018 season

The season consisted of 6 rounds, 3 different track layouts and 9 main championship classes.[13]

Class Class Description[14] Winner 2nd place 3rd place
Superfinal Derek Tohill Pearse Browne Michael Coyne
Supercar Modified 4WD cars with unlimited capacity Derek Tohill Michael Coyne Declan Kelly
Super Modified Peter McGarry Michael Coyne Lloyd Spendlove
3A Modified Modified 2WD cars with forced induction and Modified 2WD, normally aspirated cars with engine capacity exceeding 2150cc Peter McGarry Michael Coyne Lloyd Spendlove
3B Modified Modified 2WD, normally aspirated cars with engine capacity up to 2150cc Chris Grimes Willie Coyne David Aitken
Super 1600 Modified 2WD, normally aspirated cars with engine capacity up to 1650cc Kieran Curran
Andrew Twomey
16V Production Standard 2WD normally aspirated cars up to 1650cc and standard 2wd normally aspirated production cars from 1650cc up to 2050cc Ciaran Murphy Derek Lenehan Damien Farrell
Rallycar Class 9 Rallycars up to 1650cc Patrica Denning
Rallycar 9A Rallycars over 1650cc up to 2050cc Jack Deegan David Griffin Jason Keogh
Rallycar 9B Rallycars over 2050cc, 4WD Cars and Turbo Charged Cars Joe Downey Peter O'Brien PJ Doyle
Buggy Russell Woods Owen Skelly Robbie Allen
Zetec as per Motorsport Ireland yearbook appendix 48 David Maher Denis McCrudden Brian Matthews
Junior 14-16 year olds driving standard 1 litre cars Jack Byrne Conor Kehoe Michael Ryan

Sponsors

PartsforCars has renewed the main sponsorship for another year. PartsforCars were be joined by new sponsors Diamondbrite, IPRS ltd, Morris Roofing & Cladding Maintenance and Rigs 4 Gigs.

References
  1. http://irx.ie/?page_id=148
  2. "Motorsport Ireland Statement on Covid-19". Motorsport Ireland. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  3. "MOTORSPORT IRELAND STATEMENT ON COVID-19". Motorsport Ireland. 2020-03-20. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  4. https://www.timing.ie/events/irx-round-1-mondello-park-4/
  5. "rally.ie - Stories - 2019 Irish Rallycross Championship". www.rally.ie.
  6. "rally.ie - Stories - Carlow Rallycross - 3 Mar 19". www.rally.ie.
  7. http://irx.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IRX-Championship-Points-2019.xlsx
  8. "Mondello Park Rallycross Championship events cancelled". mondellopark.ie. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  9. "Mondello Park Rallycross Championship events cancelled". www.facebook.ie. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  10. "Irish Rallycross to "Race Into The Night" at Mondello Finale!". Motorsport Ireland. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  11. "Events at Pallas Karting, Co Galway". www.pallaskarting.com.
  12. "Rallycross – Timing.ie".
  13. "2018 STANDINGS – Irish Rallycross Championship".
  14. "CLASSES – Irish Rallycross Championship".
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