This is set to continue this year as the Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club brings the Ravens Rock Rally to Kilkenny City and County for the third successive year with the tarmac rally taking place next Sunday. Sponsored by Suirway Farm Machinery and the Kilford Arms Hotel, the Motorsport Rally has been taken to the hearts of Kilkenny people during the previous two visits and now looks set for one final blast in the home of the Black and Amber.
At the helm again this year is Threecastle's John Rafter, 'Clerk of the Course'. The event starts with a Ceremonial Start at the Tholsel, High Street on Saturday evening, 23 June at 19:00 hours. The main event begins on Sunday morning with the first of nine special stages at 9.48am. The rally follows the same format as last year with a three stage layout and centralised service in Chancellors Mill after every three stages.
Deputy Clerk of the Course, Pierce Doheny Snrs says "The overall length of the event is approximately 199km of which 123.33km are stages. When a crew leaves Parc Ferme on Sunday morning, it is only 10kms out to the start of the opening test and when they reach the finish, they only have a 2km road section before entering stage two. This is again repeated ons tage three and finally they cover 10kms back to service, making this a very compact rally both to recce and compete."
The Special Stages:
Over the last two years the rally route took a clockwise direction but this
time round in a change to the layout we head anti-clockwise from Kilkenny City out to
Freshford for the opening 'Clashacrow' test. The test also forms stage's four and seven.
Stage commander here is Barry Duggan with his deputy being Terence Kearney.
Marshals Meeting Point: Freshford Village - Time: 7am. The best viewing points are on
this stage can be excessed from the Kilkenny/Tullaroan rd. The stage is sponsored by
Shay Power Ltd.
SS 2/5/8: As stated earlier there's only a short two km road section between the end of
stage one and the start of the second. SS 2/5/8: ‘Knocknamuck’. Stage Commander:
Barry Roche, deputies Sean Byrne & Marty Mullins. Marshalls Meeting Point: Tullaroan
Village - Time: 7.30am. The best viewing points are in Craddockstown and Kildrinagh.
The stage is sponsored by The Valley Inn, Woodsgift.
SS 3/6/9: the final stage in the loop is ‘Corstown’. Stage Commander: Brian Kehoe and
his deputy is Liam Bergin. Marshalls Meeting Point: Tullaroan Village - Time 8am. The
best viewing points include excess from Kilmanagh and there’s also excess points from
the Tullaroan/Kilkenny rd. The stage is sponsored by Keoghs Garage, Tullaroan.
Last year, Carrick Motor Club member Craig Breen took a start to finish win on his home event. However, Craig won't be around to defend his victory as he will be competing in Belgium at IRC Geko Ypres Rally.
Main contenders include Kevin Barrett (Subaru Impreza WRC S11), John Joe Fleming (Ford Focus WRC) and Denis Cronin. Local crews taking part include: Class 2: James Dunphy and Ritchie Dalton. Class7: Noel Coogan (Castlecomer). Class 9: Kenny Treacy (Carlow). Class 10: John O'Donnell (Dungarvan). Jimmy Doyle, and Paschal O'Shea. Class 11: Enda O'Brien and Derek Brennan and Donagh O'Sullivan, and Brian Nugent, Class 12: Alan Commins, Class 13: Shay ower, James Coleman and Tommy Murphy (Threecastles). Historics: Seamus Anderson.
The main port of call for event information is the Carrick MC website, www.carrickonsuirmotorclub.com.
