MOTORSPORT: 2017 Lurgan Park Rally is cancelled

The Organisers of the Lurgan Park Rally have decided not to run the rally this year.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Mar 2017, 18:07 BST
Updated 24th Mar 2017, 10:56 BST
Winners Garry Jennings and Michael Moran during winners presentations at the Lurgan Park Rally in 2016Winners Garry Jennings and Michael Moran during winners presentations at the Lurgan Park Rally in 2016
Winners Garry Jennings and Michael Moran during winners presentations at the Lurgan Park Rally in 2016

The Directors of the North Armagh Motor Club have made this decision because of a number of obstacles which have proved too difficult to overcome.

The very first Lurgan Park Rally in 1980 was won by the late Bertie Fisher and the event, which has hosted such top International drivers as Ari Vatanen, Pentti Airikkala, Tony Pond and Mikael Sundstrom, has become a rallying byword for excellence over the intervening years.

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In addition, the event was one of motorsports social highlights of the season.

North Armagh Motor Club Director William Fullerton said: “Lurgan Park is not available to us this year on our planned date so we had to opt for the May 20.

“We face an ever increasing cost of meeting Health and Safety standards.

“This, combined with the potential bill for repairing the grounds of this park should it happen to be a wet event, we feel is too big a risk for the Club.”

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The earlier planned date also has a number of event clashes as a result of which we have been unable to attract a suitable sponsor. The Motor club will attempt to run an alternative ‘Clubman event’ at a different venue on May 20 and will re-double their efforts to bring back the popular Lurgan Park Rally in 2018.

Related topics:Organisers