‘CIRCUIT BRAKERS’, the 154 page full-colour book that recounts all the Circuit of Ireland Rally winners between 1978 and 2024, (the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship era), is now exclusively available

‘CIRCUIT BRAKERS’, the 154 page full-colour book that recounts all the Circuit of Ireland Rally winners between 1978 and 2024, (the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship era), is now exclusively available online at:

http://www.rpm-motorsport.com/books

This, the sixth book in Alan (Plum) Tyndall’s series on the Irish Tarmac Championship winners in the various regions of the country, charts in words and spectacular action pictures the rise and fall of the most famous rally in the land – the Circuit of Ireland Rally.

It joins the story of one of the oldest and most gruelling rallies in Ireland in 1978 when the ‘Circuit’ became a founder member of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. It was a time when the Ford Escort RS1800’s were beginning to be overhauled by the Vauxhall HSs and HSRs and the Opel Ascona 400s and Manta 400s, with heroes like Jimmy McRae, Russel Brookes and Billy Coleman at the helm.

That golden age of Irish rallying, boosted by the event sponsor of the time – Rothmans Rallying, brought the sport to new heights. And it’s popularity was further intensified with the arrival of the Group B supercars like the MG Metro 6R4s, Audi Quatros, and Ford RS200s.

When rallying moved on to the Group A era local drivers like Bertie Fisher, Austin MacHale and Stephen Finlay were successfully challenging the visitors, and the 2000’s saw the influx of World Rally Cars.

But as the performance of these cars increased the mileage of the event was decreasing and as the 2000’s rolled into the 2010’s and 2020’s the ‘Circuit’ became a ‘Circuit of Ireland’ only in name.

The words in ‘Circuit Brakers’, (intentionally spelt wrong), are from Alan (Plum) Tyndall who spent these years as a reporter, television commentator and laterally the creator of the RPM television series which covered the majority of the ‘Circuit’s Tarmac years.

And the pictures are from the RallyRetro Archive where the remarkable images of the late Esler Crawford are stored. RallyRetro and Martin Walsh have also supplied action shots of the more recent winners.

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