MOTORSPORT: Ex-champion Tim McNulty to make rally comeback

Former champion Tim McNulty is to make his rallying comeback on the opening round of the 2016 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in a Mini WRC.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Jan 2016, 19:45 BST
Updated 14th Jan 2016, 19:53 BST
Former rally champion Tim McNulty.Former rally champion Tim McNulty.
Former rally champion Tim McNulty.

Garry Jennings from Kesh will drive a Subaru WRC and this season sees the introduction of the latest R5 category rally cars, which will form the premier class for the championship.

Already a number of these new cars have been sourced by drivers from Ireland and the UK.

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Early entries suggest there will be at least ten of these new cars, with Ford Fiestas, Citroen DS3s and Skoda Fabias being the most popular versions.

Keith Cronin, three times British Rally Champion and previous Galway Rally winner, has chosen a Citroen, while the Moffett brothers have opted for two Fiestas.

Former National Rally Champion Aaron MacHale has opted for a Skoda. World Rally while Declan Boyle and Roy White will have Ford Fiesta WRC cars.

New for the event this year, for the first time in its 45-year history, is the use of the Galway Race Course, Ballybrit.

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The race course’s extensive facilities will help cater for the ever expanding requirements of the rally and it will play host to mechanical scrutineering on Friday, February 5.

This will be a perfect opportunity for everyone to get up close to the cars and drivers prior to the high-speed action on Saturday and Sunday.

The 2016 event will again have International status with competitors travelling from all over the world for a chance to compete on the Galway roads.

One such competitor is Kai-Dieter Kolle, who is again bringing his iconic Porsche 911 from Northern Germany to Galway to compete over the unique terrain of the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’.

The five times North German Rally Champion is relishing the challenge, having competed in Galway for the first time last year, enjoying every aspect of the rally.