Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
| Category | Rallying |
|---|---|
| Country | Ireland |
| Inaugural season | 1978 |
| Drivers' champion |  Craig Breen (2019) |
| Official website | Website |
The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is Ireland's premier rallying series. The championship is made up of events that run on closed tarmac roads in the Republic of Ireland and in the Northern Ireland. The ITRC was first run in 1978.
Current events
Irish Tarmac Rally Championship consists of a number of events that run regularly every year. Many of them have gained world-wide acknowledgement, the 2016 Circuit of Ireland hosted the 2nd round of the 2016 European Rally Championship.
2020 Season
All of the 2019 events have been kept in the calendar, with Easter Stages Rally 'running in tandem' with the anticipated Circuit of Ireland Rally.[1] All events achieved International accreditation, and hence the names include the word 'International' to reflect it.[2]
On 12 March all motorsports events were postponed in the light of the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.[3] On 20 March, Motorsport Ireland issued a statement that all motorsport events are suspended until 1 June 2020.[4] Amidst on-going lockdown, on 28 April the board of directors and executive of the Tarmac Rally Organisers' Association announced that a unanimous decision has been made to cancel this year’s championship. Clubs will still be able to run events if they wish but it won’t hold championship status.[5]
Only the round 1 took place before rounds 2-4 were postponed, and eventually all remaining rounds were cancelled.
| Round | Dates | Event | Rally HQ | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 February | Galway International Rally | Galway | Galway Motor Club |
| 2 | 14–15 March | West Cork International Rally | Clonakilty | Cork Motor Club |
| 3 | 10-11 April | Easter Stages / Circuit of Ireland Rally | Dundrod | Ulster Automobile Club |
| 4 | 2–3 May | International Rally of the Lakes | Killarney | Killarney Motor Club |
| 5 | 19–21 June | Donegal International Rally | Letterkenny | Donegal Motor Club |
| 6 | 21–22 August | Ulster International Rally | Newry | Northern Ireland Motor Club |
| 7 | 26–27 September | Cork 20 International Rally | Cork | Munster Motor Club |
2019 Season
Galway International Rally has returned to the calendar, following the cancellation for the 2018. The Easter Stages Rally replaced the Circuit of Ireland Rally event for the third year in a row.
The overall champion: Craig Breen, Ford Fiesta R5
| Round | Dates | Event | Rally HQ | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 February | Galway International Rally | Galway | Galway Motor Club |
| 2 | 16–17 March | West Cork Rally | Clonakilty | Cork Motor Club |
| 3 | 2 June | Easter Stages Rally | Dundrod | Ulster Automobile Club |
| 4 | 4–5 May | Rally of the Lakes | Killarney | Killarney Motor Club |
| 5 | 21–23 June | Donegal International Rally | Letterkenny | Donegal Motor Club |
| 6 | 16–17 August | Ulster Rally | Newry | Northern Ireland Motor Club |
| 7 | 28–29 September | Cork 20 Rally | Cork | Munster Motor Club |
Top 10 ITRC drivers overall: [6] [7]
Other EventsThe following events have also been included in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in the past.
Champions |
Sponsors
Clonakilty Black pudding continued to be the title sponsor for the 2015 season.
Broadcasting
The TV coverage is covered by On the Limit Sports since 2003. The viewers can view the series on UTV, Sky, Motors TV and TG4 in Ireland.
References
- ^ ""THE GIANT IS STIRRING" - THE CIRCUIT OF IRELAND RALLY GETS READY FOR EASTER". rally.ie. 2020-02-08. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
- ^ "MI Calendar". Retrieved 2019-12-19.
- ^ "Motorsport Ireland Statement on Covid-19". Motorsport Ireland. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
- ^ "MOTORSPORT IRELAND STATEMENT ON COVID-19". Motorsport Ireland. 2020-03-20. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
- ^ "2020 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship Cancelled". Motorsport Ireland. 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
- ^ "Standings". ITRC. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ "Results". ewrc-results. Retrieved 2019-10-22.