Rally Ireland in 2025?

[DC.]

WRC Rally Ireland Bid Taking Shape

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[FM155]

More chance of it happening down there than up here tbh. I really hope it works out.

 

[Graham]

More chance of it happening down there than up here tbh. I really hope it works out.

I'd a very long chat with someone heavily involved recently, and it looks highly likely.

But then, any country willing to give the promoter a couple of million quid, gets it.

 

[FM155]

I'm sure it is, at least there are people down there willing to turn up and do their job in government, so that's a good start lol.

 

[DC.]

Would be nice if Waterford got it. Bring the WRC circus to Craig Breen’s home county.

Apparently it’s between Limerick, Tralee & Waterford.

 

[Graham]

I'm sure it is, at least there are people down there willing to turn up and do their job in government, so that's a good start lol.

Stormont is NOT to blame for it not coming to NI.

 

[FM155]

Really? I thought the last time it was tried here it was a lack of government funding / functioning government that scuppered it.

 

[Graham]

Really? I thought the last time it was tried here it was a lack of government funding / functioning government that scuppered it.

Yeah. You'd be surprised and shocked at where the ball stops, to be honest. But it's not something I'm willing to comment on publicly.

If we get a round in Ireland, there is high chance the border counties will see some stages traverse the invisible line.

But that depends on what council or business man brings the money.

 

[FM155]

Yeah, I'd imagine it's a long and sworded story, like any public spending discussion.

As long as we get the chance to see some top level rallying here, I don't really care for the details of how it happens. The only thing I'm afraid of is that there is a clash with the RAC in 2025, because I'll hopefully be in a forest or two watching that again.

 

[RallyCiaran]

I'd love to see it back.
But without a driver from the island of Ireland taking part in the top class it won't quite have the same draw.

 

[DC.]

Maybe by then we will. There’s always hope.

Creighton, Armstrong & McErlean are the obvious candidates.

 

[FM155]

Yeah, will be interesting to see what happens with all those lads, Armstrong in particular appears to have really good pace but the others are no slouches either. Will do no harm to Creighton having won the Junior WRC championship either. Problem for all of them is that their best chance of a seat is with M-Sport and it appears to pretty much be pay to play there.

Wouldn't rule out Meeke being in a Rally 2 car at least but doubt we would see him in a Rally 1 car again unfortunately.

 

[DC.]

I’m hoping Hyundai will give one of them a chance.

Abiteboul (Hyundai boss) has said he wants to give youth a chance & with Dani Sordo only doing Portugal next year there could be a slim chance. Unless the Mikkelsen rumours are true.

If only the WRC had more manufacturers

 

[Graham]

I got an insight into the costs of the private driving on WRC events, absolutely eye watering!

 

[RallyCiaran]

Maybe by then we will. There’s always hope.

Creighton, Armstrong & McErlean are the obvious candidates.

All good men, but none of them will be in a Rally1 seat in 2025.
They would need to dominate Rally2 in 2024 to be in with a shout.
Might be a chance for someone when Ogier, Tanak, and Neuville hang up their boots, but not before then.
Solberg is the only young guy who has a realistic chance of a Rally1 seat.

 

[Artoir]

I got an insight into the costs of the private driving on WRC events, absolutely eye watering!

I remember being told about £600 a mile on a Prodrive car about 10-11 years ago.

 

[gpaevo]

I remember being told about £600 a mile on a Prodrive car about 10-11 years ago.

I can only imagine it's lottery numbers now.

Back in 2009 we did a number of events with good results which got us offered a one off subsidised drive in a semi works S12b Impreza. Even then the costs were laughable.

 

[DC.]

At least we’ll have plenty of Rally2 runners.

No doubt this new Yaris Rally2 will be here sooner rather than later.

 

[Graham]

I remember being told about £600 a mile on a Prodrive car about 10-11 years ago.

A fresh Rally2, hired for an Irish event from a local outfit, I think is £100/km.

I remember in 08ish the prodrive backed cars were budgeting £30-40k for a round of the Irish tarmac. A top running GrpN around that time would have been £15k to do the likes of Donegal, before damages.

At least we’ll have plenty of Rally2 runners.

No doubt this new Yaris Rally2 will be here sooner rather than later.

Any guesses as to who'll get the first one here?

 

[DC.]

Moffett’s have the Rally2 Hyundai for sale but no idea.

Be a while before Toyota get enough made.

 

[Graham]

Moffett’s have the Rally2 Hyundai for sale but no idea.

Be a while before Toyota get enough made.

I seen an interview with YML, who said they are supplying them to WRC 2 registered entrants first, then registered ERC drivers, and then they'll be rolled out to the rest.

 

[DC.]

Look at this post on Facebook Aanmelden bij Facebook

 

[AidanMcG]

Waterford would be nice to see with the Breen connection but I think it will be Limerick, which isn’t bad either as allows good access to classics in Kerry, Galway and (West) Cork

 

[Graham]

Waterford would be nice to see with the Breen connection but I think it will be Limerick, which isn’t bad either as allows good access to classics in Kerry, Galway and (West) Cork

It's a three years deal, so all three locations might get the chance to host it.

 

[DC.]

Wouldn’t surprise me if JP McManus helps the Limerick bid.

Either which way it’s fantastic to see it coming back.