Kerry driver secures entry as rallying in England resumes

Rallying is set to return in Britain after a long-lay off and a Kerry man has secured an entry for one of the first events in England that will run.

Motorsport UK, last week, gave to green light to rallying after it had previously allowed the return of single-seater racing and other disciplines. It delayed permitting the return of rallying as it awaited guidance on social-distancing rulings regarding the close-proximity of both the driver and co-driver for the duration of an event.

Britain’s governing body took advice from the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency which also governs driving lessons and driving licencing tests.

Following this consultation Motorsport UK has granted permission for the sport to return in the UK.

The Abingdon CAR-nival Rally is one of the first stage rally events to get a permit in England and Berkshire-based Killarney man Mick Smith has secured an entry for the September 27 event.

Smith, who is chairman of London Irish Motor Club, will use his historic-specification Chrysler Avenger for the event – the same car he used on last November’s Rentokil-Initial Killarney Historic Rally and the cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes.

He better known for his Belgian rally outings and has also placed an entry for the Hemicuda Rally on October 25.

“We might be a bit rusty, but it will be nice to get the car out for a run and dust off some of the cobwebs,” he said. “It will get my brain back in to Belgium mode.”

The Kokelare-based Hemicuda Rally is the second round of the Flanders International Rally Challenge. This series will run over three events between August and November instead of the usual seven rounds.

The Monteberg Rally, set for August 30, is the opening round of the 2020 FIRC and London-based Listowel man Ray Hilliard will contest this event in his Ford Escort Mk1.

Versions of this article were previously published in The Kerryman and The Killarney Advertiser. Kerry Motorsport News is the motorsport content provider to both weekly titles.

Photos (C) Ted O’Connell, Sean Moriarty and Gerrt Evenepole