Pictured here are father and son crew of Tommy and Keith Flanagan from Lough Cutra. Tommy will be debuting his newly built class 12 engine. Tommy is a regular competitor on the Galway international and a consistent prizewinner.

Joe Baker

This weekend sees the 2012 Irish Tarmac Championship kicking off with Galway Motorclubs Safety Direct Galway International Rally 2012. A new one day format has been arranged and this is already proving to be a resounding success showing a reserve list of 23 cars. It is great to see such a turnout of competitors in the current climate and it shows the proactive efforts of Galway Motorclub to make this event a success.

Each year there are Clare Motorclub members entered in the event and this year is no different to any other. There are a total of 6 Clare crews entered in various classes. There is always a downside to having such a strong entry list and this means that some crews are anxiously waiting on the reserve list. Hopefully all crews will get a start on the event and will get to shake off the winter cobwebs.

Fresh from his class 13 win in the Killarney Historics is Keith Naughton and Brendan Behan in a Class 13 Mk2 Escort at car 91. The father and son crew of Tommy and Keith Flanagan are at car 99 and aim to try out Tommys newly build Class 12 engine. Niall O Sullivan and Andrew Woods are next up at 119 in their Citroen C2 in the Junior section. Martin Casey and Elaine Ni She are at 129 in their Honda civic and also entered in the Junior section. Michael Fitzgibbon and Pa Baker have paired up in another Honda Civic and also entered in the Junior section (yes Michael is a Junior). Dermot Ryan has entered his newly build Class 9 Vauxhall Nova and is seeded at 135.

We wish everyone involved all the best and to have a safe and enjoyable event.

(In the picture is Dermot Ryans newly built Class 9 Nova.)

Joe Baker

The Top Part West Coast Rally Championship awards ceremony 2011 took place on the 21st January in the woodlands hotel, adare where a piece of motorsport history was written as ennis lady navigator grainne mcenery who navigates with kerry driver Mike Quinn is the first lady to win the ever popular west coast rally championship.The clare motor club are very proud of grainne's achievements over the last couple of years and would like to wish her well in the upcoming 2012 season, she is also the first lady clare motor club member to win  a championship outright.

The championship takes place over six rounds during the year taking in counties laois, kerry, limerick, clare and galway.

Other clare competitors who were honoured at the awards night include Tom Ryan and Ciara O'Connell who finished second in class 9 and Declan O'Regan who was the winner in class 10. George whelan finished third in class eleven

Photo attached by Dermot Kelleher shows left to right - Declan O'Regan, Grainne McEnery, Ciara O'Connell & Tom Ryan

Dermot Kelleher,

PRO Clare Motorclub

Some local Clare crews are taking part in the Famous Killarney Historics rally this weekend. The action kicks off this saturday 3rd november.

35, Pat McDonagh Co. Clare Marie MCDonagh Co. Clare Ford Cortina

41 Mike Quinn Co. Kerry Grainne McEnery Co. Clare Ford Escort Mk2

74 Edward Cogan Co. Clare Caroline Cleary Co. Wexford Ford Escort

75 Kieran Bailey Co. Clare Donald Gleeson Co. Clare Ford Escort

80 Keith Naughton Co. Clare Sinead Canny Co. Clare Ford Escort

Best of luck to all competing this weekend.

More info on the event can be found here http://www.killarneyanddistrictmotorclub.com/index.html

Results from the event can be found here http://results.shannonsportsit.ie/

Joe Baker

Ennis lady navigator Grainne McEnery with kerry driver Mike Quinn (ford escort) secured the "2011 Top Part West Coast Rally Championship"

by finishing second overall on the recent "Banna Resort Kerry Mini Stages Rally"

Grainne who works as service manager with O'Sullivan & Hansbury Motors in Ennis is the first Clare competitor to win the championship since its inception back in 1993. The championship is run over six rounds starting with the Birr & District Motor Club Stages Rally, followed by The Circuit Of Kerry, Limerick's Circuit of Munster, Galway's Summer Rally, The Clare Stages Rally and concludes with the Kerry Mini Stages in Banna.

Grainne developed an interest in rallying from a young age as her dad Joe, a keen rally spectator and her brother Charlie,  a championship winning navigator would bring her to various events around the country.

She competing in her first rally as a navigator back in 2006, The Clare Single Stage with driver John Reddington where they finished 11th. overall.

In 2008 Grainne sat with local clare drivers, Eddie Cogan and Martin Kelly. In 2009 she was introduced to Kerry driver Mike Quinn and after a very competitive year they finished second overall in the West Coast Rally Championship and winners of the Rally.ie National 2wd Drive Championship.

Other achievements in 2009 included 3rd overall in the Circuit Of Kerry,1st. in Class in the Circuit Of Munster, 6th. overall Galway Summer Rally, 6th. Overall Stonethrowers Rally, 2nd. Overall Clare Stages Rally, 3rd. Overall Banna Mini Stages Rally and 1st. Overall Killarney Historics Rally.

2010 saw the McEnery / Quinn team finished 3rd. overall in the West Coast Rally Championship.

2011 proved a very successful year with serious effort put into winning the West Coast Rally Championship.

The crew started the year with the Birr Stages Rally where they finished 13th. overall followed by 7th. overall in the Circuit of Kerry. The next event Limerick's Circuit of Munster  saw them  finish  4th. overall and put them  into the lead of the Championship.

The Clare Stages Rally in September saw Grainne compete in her 26th rally with Mike, after completing 25 rallies over the last three years. They finished 5th. overall in Clare and won the National Drive of the Day Award.

The final Round of the West Coast Championship, The Kerry Mini Stages saw drivers Mike Quinn and Shane Maguire tied on 78 points while Co- Driver Grainne needed to take maximum points in order to take the lead from Limerick's Sean Mullally who was sitting with Shane Maguire.

On ss1. Mike & Grainne lead the event by 4 seconds from Alan Ring and

6 seconds ahead of Barry Meade with Shane Maguire in 4th. place a further 8 seconds back.

Meade took the lead on ss.2 and Quinn moved into second 6 seconds behind. Shane Maguire was forced to retire from the event with turbo problems.

On ss. 3,4 & 5 Quinn/McEnery maintained second place and finished 11 seconds behind Barry Meade to secure the "2011 Top Part West Coast Rally Championship"

Grainne is the first woman to win the championship and to recieve the "Michael Farrell Memorial Trophy".

Dermot Kelleher

Clare Motor Club presented a cheque on recently to the Tractor Run fund for Caherea National School building project in appreciation of there co-operation in running the Clare Stages Rally in the area recently, it was recieved on behalf of them by Tom Clossehey of the orginising committiee and Board of Managment.

photo by dermot kelleher shows left to right - Alan Gill, Tom Clohessy (board of management caherea national school), Al Meaney (clare motor club), back row colm mcsweeney, aaron clohessy