Kerry Motor Club has received two entries from Brazil for next month’s Kerry Winter Rally.

Kerry Motor Club has received two entries from Brazil for next month’s Kerry Winter Rally.

The popular end of season event, run in association with the Banna Beach Resort, just outside Tralee, is making a return on November 7 after a four year lay-off.

The last time the event ran was in November 2017 at which point Kerry Motor Club decided to take the event off the calendar for two years for various internal and external reasons.

Better known as The Banna Rally, its planned return never materialised last year as a result of the pandemic.

Entries for the rally opened last Saturday (entry link published below) and its filling up fast according to club sources.

Received entries to date include two competitors who pledged to enter the rally after meeting well-known club member and Banna’s resident DJ Ray Stack while he was on holiday in Brazil.

Ray met the two competitors at the Books Hostel in Rio de Janeiro in the run up to Christmas 2019.

The three of them went partying for a few nights and during their many conversations the two drivers agreed to enter the rally the next time it ran.

“I met them when I handed my passport to the Brazilian guy at reception, he was wearing a Mayo jersey. They heard me booking in and asked me if I was ‘the’ Ray Stack from Banna,” explained Ray.

Entries opened on Saturday and the two competitors honoured a promise made two years ago and entered the event.

“Fair play to them,” said Ray, “They both told me they heard many stories about the Banna Rally and, two years later they have honoured a promise made in a night club in Rio,” 

Ray, who works for the hotel, confirmed that not only have the two drivers entered the rally but have also taken a holiday chalet at the venue for the duration of the event.

And that is how Ford Escort  drivers Chris Armstrong and Tim Flood are contesting their first ever Kerry Winter ‘Banna’ Rally next month.

Entries are still being accepted via https://www.shannonsportsit.ie/evo/Login?referer=https://www.shannonsportsit.ie/2021/10/02/entries-now-open-for-kerry-winter-stages-rally/&event=IE-KERY-KW21

The event is expected to fill up so early entry is advised.