Lynch Hotels Clare Stages Rally 2008
Podium celebrations at the 2007 Lynch Hotels Clare Stages Rally.
Photo - www.RallyPortfolio.com
The countdown is well under way to the running of the 20th. Clare Stages Rally which takes place on Sunday September 14th. Lynch Hotels have once again stepped in as the main sponsor and for this the clare motor club are very grateful.The management and staff of the West County Inn Hotel along with the club’s organising committee have worked together over the years to make the rally one of the most popular and friendly rounds of both the Dunlop National and the Top Part Rally Championships.

Clerk of the course for the event is Jim Casey from Ennis and together with his organising team have set out four challenging stages which will be repeated twice. Rally HQ is the West County Inn Hotel on the Limerick Road. The Clare Stages Rally is Round 9 of the ”Dunlop National Rally Championship” and Round 5 of “The Top Part West Coast Rally Championship”

Entries are now open and will be accepted up to 26th. August 2008, by regular post only.
Entries to be completed online at http://www.shannonsportsit.ie/evo, printed, and posted with entry fee.
All entries must be made on the official entry form, properly completed and posted with entry fee to Event Secretary, Jane Cogan, Main Street, Miltown Malbay, County Clare. Jane can be contacted on 086-6080529 strictly between 7.00pm.and 9.00 only

Further details and information will be available on the website
www.claremotorclub.com or email Clare Motor Club on info@claremotorclub.com.

Important Notice to ALL Intending Traders
All intending traders at the Clare Stages Rally 2008 must be in possession of a traders pass. No traders will be admitted into the Rally Headquarters, Scrutiny Area, Service Area or Parc Ferme without an officially issued pass. Passes are available to Bone Fide traders by applying to the Event Secretary, Jane Cogan at 086 6080529

LYNCH Hotels West County Hotel “Rally Weekend Special“
120 Euro per person sharing 2 nights bed & breakfast & 1 evening meal.
www.lynchotels.com/WestCountry/
Clare Motor Club Top Navigator, Kevin Synnot, leads GpN National Championship
Eamon Daly and Kevin Synnott seen in action at the Circuit of Munster.
Photo - www.RallyPortfolio.com
Round 5 the Circuit of Munster Rally & and the mid point of the Dunlop Irish National Rally Championship season. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, this was considered a home event for Eamon, seeded at number 9 on the road, just behind the WRC entries & leading the GpN entries, there was a lot of high expectation on Eamon, so he was looking to put in a good performance in front of the local spectators.

Again there was a very strong GpN field, with 16 GpN competitors amongst a 161 strong entry list about to attempt these challenging Limerick stages. Temperatures reached the highest so for this year in Ireland, at times reaching 28°C, which gave the drivers some important tyre selection decisions to make throughout the day.

Eamon & Kevin headed out for the opening stages in confident mood, followed by the 2007 Top Part West Coast Champion, Alan Ring & former GpN National Champion, Willie Fannin. Following a week of hard work by our DGM Rally Preparation team, the car was in excellent condition, with all the problems encountered in Cavan last week now seemed to be fixed. Eamon set a blistering pace through the opening four stages, to leave him leading GpN by 9 seconds coming into service.

During service Eamon decided to go onto a harder tyre compound for the afternoon stages, as road & air temperature increased. It took him a while to get these new tyres working in the following 2 stages, and despite clipping a bale in stage 5, he managed to keep a steady pace throughout which left him 6 seconds ahead of his 2nd place rival going into the final two stages of the day. Eamon managed to keep this 6 second lead all the way through to the finish, despite a big scare during the final stage, he managed to set a blistering pace on the second half of that stage to hold onto his GpN lead & take victory on his home event.

The delight was there to be seen on both driver & navigators faces as they went through the finishing ramp. Having had various different problems with the car on the opening four rounds of the championship, its was great to finally get the win which they have been chasing for the last number of months. This result was vital for Eamon's title challenge and he now has a healthy lead going into the next round in Carrick-on-Suir (Raven's Rock Stages).
Clare Motor Club Members Gallery - Claremotorclub.com/Gallery
CMC PRESENT CHEQUE TO BUNRATTY SEA & RESCUE
The Clare Motor Club presented Bunratty Sea & Rescue with a cheque at a recent do in Kilmurry. Proceeds were from last years Clare Stages Rally which took place in the Kilmurry / Sixmilebridge area
Left to right - Christy Carey (Clare Motor Club), Donald Gleeson (CMC), Joe Baker (Club Chairman) Bob Potter (Bunratty Rescue) Alan O'Callaghan (CMC) and vicky finn (club secretary)
Photo by RallyPortfolio.com