UK: Killarney preview

Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes 2004 - May 1st & 2nd
Round 3 - Pirelli Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
Round 2 - West Euro Cup
Round 2 - 023 Tiles Southern Four Rally Championship
Round 1 - Irish Ford Focus Rally Championship
Round 3 - Pirelli Historic Tarmac Rally Championship

Action-Packed Weekend Of Rallying Ahead

This weekend sees Killarney host the Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes, one of the most prestigious events on the Irish motorsport calendar. The event is the third round of the 2004 Pirelli Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, and has attracted all of the series' leading contenders, including Derek McGarrity, Eugene Donnelly, Austin McHale, Eamonn Boland, local hero Donie O'Sullivan and Finnish driver, Tapio Laukkanen. The Rally of the Lakes is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, Killarney and District Motor Club has added a Super Special event to the itinerary for the weekend. The Super Special will be held at Killarney Racecourse on Friday evening.

The Super Special is being run in aid of the Fund for Jamie Kent, to which a portion of the proceeds will be donated. Jamie was injured in an accident while competing as a navigator in the Cork '20' International Rally last October, and he is still recovering in hospital.

In welcoming "another form of horsepower" to the venue, Mr. John Looney, General Manager of Killarney Racecourse, said: "The Killarney Race Co. Ltd. is happy to be associated with the 25th Anniversary of the Rally of the Lakes. It is a fantastic achievement for the Motor Club and they are to be congratulated for their wonderful efforts over the years.

"Each year the Rally has grown, and is now a recognised major economic contributor to Killarney Town. The Killarney Race Co. Ltd. is delighted to be the venue for this year's 'Super Special' stage event. It is a wonderful synergy between sports, coming together for a common good. The racecourse is a first class venue and it has now been paired with world class rally entertainment.

"It is our hope that the event will mean a considerable donation to the Jamie Kent Fund and aid in his rehabilitation. This is a highly commendable example of how true sports enthusiasts look after their own and we wish Jamie all the best in his future.

"We are confident that this new and unique event will not only be hugely attractive to fans of the sport but also afford the opportunity to individuals and families to get close to rallying in a safe environment, an opportunity which they may never had previously."

The top drivers entered for the Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes will be invited to take part in the Super Special. The course for the stage has been set out in the infield of the horse racing track, and while most of the course will be visible from the stands, a big screen will also relay the action to the spectator area.

Aside from the on-stage action, an area at Killarney Racecourse will also be set aside for merchandise stands and suchlike, while a simulator will also be there to give an insight into what really goes on in the cockpit of a World Rally Car. To ensure that there will be something for all the family to enjoy, a Kiddies Corner, with bouncing castle, face painting, obstacle course and Junior Go-Karts, will keep younger children amused.

Gates will open at 5.30pm., and the Rally of the Lakes Super Special evening will conclude at 9pm.

Admission to the Super Special will be charged at Eur 10 per person. Children under 14 will be admitted free but must be accompanied by an adult. Visitors to the Super Special are reminded that there are no parking facilities in the Racecourse grounds. Cars may be parked on Ross Road (on the castle side of the main entrance), but not in any of the estates off it.

The 2004 Rally of the Lakes gets underway early on Saturday morning. As has become a tradition, the revered Molls Gap stage will open the rally, and this is followed by two further classic stages, Killmackillogue and The Healy Pass, before the crews reach a service halt in Castletownbere. A loop of the two famous Beara Peninsula stages, Cods Head and Ardgroom, precede another run over The Healy Pass, with the second service halt of the day then taking place between Glengarriff and Kealkill.

>From there, the action moves east, with the Lough Allua and Fuhiry stages next to be tackled. A further service halt in Kealkill will allow the drivers a brief respite, before they again traverse Lough Allua and Fuhiry. The final stage of the day will be Lough Guitane, which will bring the crews back towards Killarney for the overnight halt

Sunday, May 2nd, will see a loop of four stages tackled twice. Again, Molls Gap will be the first stage of the day, with the first car due to start 'The Gap' at 10am. The remainder of the loop is completed by Beallaghbeama, Caragh Lake and Shanera stages. There is a service halt after the Beallaghbeama stage at Glencar and again after the Shanera test on the main Killarney to Cork road. The crews still remaining in the rally will then get their third attempt of the weekend at Molls Gap, and they will be joined at this point by the Junior Rally of the Lakes competitors for the final four stages of the weekend. There will be again be a service in Glencar after the second run through Beallaghbeama, after which there will be just two further stages remaining in the event.

The winners of the Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes 2004 will arrive for the victory celebrations at the Gleneagle Hotel at 5.48pm on Sunday evening.

Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes 2004 - Guide

Friday, April 30th
Super Special Killarney Racecourse 5.30 - 9.00pm

Saturday May 1st
Start Ramp Gleneagle Hotel (7.47am)
SS1 Molls Gap
SS2 Killmackillogue
SS3 Healy Pass
Service Castletownbere
SS4 Cods Head
SS5 Ardgroom
SS6 Healy Pass
Service Kealkill
SS7 Lough Allua
SS8 Fuhiry
Service Kealkill
SS9 Lough Allua
SS10 Fuhiry
SS11 Lough Guitane

Sunday May 2nd
SS12 Molls Gap
SS13 Beallaghbeama
Service Glencar
SS14 Caragh Lake
SS15 Shanera
Service Cork Road
SS16 Molls Gap
SS17 Beallaghbeama
Service Glencar
SS18 Caragh Lake
SS19 Shanera Finish Ramp Gleneagle Hotel (5.48pm)

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