RallyBuzz |
- SPORTS MINISTER HAILS MONTE SPARKLE FACTOR
- Two Champions – Antoine L’Estage & Chris Duplessis – Comment on New Cars & New Expectations for the New Rally Season
- Motorsport Official and Club Receive Prestigious Motorsport Awards
- CAN TWINS TOWER OVER THE OPPOSITION?…
| SPORTS MINISTER HAILS MONTE SPARKLE FACTOR Posted: 27 Jan 2012 05:57 AM PST
MSP Shona Robison yesterday (fri) took a drive in one of the classic cars participating in the Monte Carlo Classic Rally tomorrow in Clydebank (Sun), admitting the event will bring a major 'sparkle' boost to Scotland. The Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport was at Knockhill Racing Circuit as some of the competitors in the world famous rally underwent a final test. As well as flagging the pre-1980 collection of Triumphs, Porsches and Imps off the starting grid, she also enjoyed a circuit of the Fife track. With thousands expected to throng the Clydebank College Start tomorrow to wave the drivers off, the Minster believes the area's economy and Scotland's reputation will benefit. The cars will travel 2000 miles, crossing the English Channel and climbing the snow-capped French Alps before emerging into the sunshine of Monte Carlo. "The rally brings a bit of sparkle at a time when the major events scene in Scotland is in a lull before Spring and Summer. People are really drawn to the nostalgia and it is great that Scotland is a part of it," she said. "It will bring a lot of benefit for the Clydebank economy and a lot of symbolism, too. "I find it really pleasing that the benefit is being spread around Scotland. "Having international visitors and competitors coming here helps in terms of the money spent, but also in terms of the promotion of the country. The images are shown internationally and that has a huge value in terms of bringing people back here to visit and do business." This year's rally start is a partnership between the Scottish Monte Start Committee and West Dunbartonshire Council, who secured the hosting rights from Automobile Club de Monaco, the French organisers. Under the rules, classic cars from the period 1955 to 1980 set out for Monte Carlo from start points all over Europe which are roughly equidistant from the finish line. The other start venues this year are Barcelona, Oslo, Turin, Warsaw and Reims. Spectators heading to Clydebank will be treated to a Monte Carlo Show, featuring period cars, music and a parade from the era depicted in the famous film, 'Monte Carlo or Bust'. West Dunbartonshire Provost Denis Agnew said: "It is a great event; a worldwide event and I am really pleased it is starting in Clydebank on a historic site. Something as classic as the Monte Carlo Classic Rally beginning in such a historic place has a great synergy. "It is fantastic that the Minister, Shona Robison, is supporting it as well." Last year's rally start in Glasgow attracted 6000 spectators and netted over £1 million for the Scottish economy. For further information regarding this, please contact Kenneth Stephen, PR and Communications Officer, 07823 770 651. You can Like us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Monte-Carlo-Classic-Rally-Clydebank/250620885008111 Released on behalf of the Monte Carlo Classic Rally 2012 by Kenneth Stephen, PR and Communications Officer, Heartland Media and PR. www.heartlandpr.co.uk
|
| Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:45 AM PST The new rally season is set to open in North America this weekend at the Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta, Michigan. Two past American champions Wednesday talked about the new season and their expectations and plans for the 2012 campaign on Tech House & Speed, NASCAR Free Radio. L'Estage won the North American title each of the last two seasons. He was American champion in 2010 and Canadian champion in 2010 and 2011. He's arguably the fastest rally driver in North America. This season he'll start with a new car and new sponsor. He talked about both after a cardio workout to get ready for the season this weekend. He also talked about his growing rivalry with Subaru Rally Team USA driver David Higgins who beat L'Estage by five points for the title last year. You can hear that conversation at: http://bit.ly/zWtz0P Chris Duplessis was America's 2WD champion in 2008 and 2010. This year he'll start the year with the Ford Fiesta R2 he built from a kit last Fall. That car won the Mt. Washington Hillclimb and the 2WD competition at the New England Forest Rally by more than 3:30 when the dust settled. Duplessis was out testing the car for several days two weeks ago and found it in perfect condition to start the year. He also talked about a new Fiesta R2 on the work bench. You can hear the full conversation here: http://bit.ly/ycVWnX The weekly Tech House & Speed webcast is one of the world's only hour-long looks at the vertical world of sports cars including rally, drifting and time attack. The rare blend combines news and information about motorsports technology, personalities, house music and racing speeds. The webcast is hosted by Emmy-award winning journalist and interviewer Bill Wood. Currently Tech House & Speed streams exclusively on Race Fan Radio every Wednesday night at 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific and on Thursdays on the MotoIQ.com website. It's resident on demand at www.ByBillWood.com or on iTunes. Use THSTalk to like the show on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.
|
| Motorsport Official and Club Receive Prestigious Motorsport Awards Posted: 26 Jan 2012 12:48 PM PST  Photo: Drew Gibson / MSA Northern Ireland motorsport official Barry O'Neill has again been honoured for the second time, for his continuous work behind the scenes and on the ground as a voluntary motorsport official. The MSA UK nominated him for an Official FIA Award with each worldwide governing body nominating their top official. This the first time that the FIA has ever presented such an Award and it is now believed that this will become an annual award. Barry collected his FIA Outstanding Official of the Year award at the prestigious Night of Champions ceremony on Friday 20 January at the RAC Club in London. FIA Deputy President for Sport, Graham Stoker, presented O'Neill with his award in front of a 150-strong audience of distinguished guests, including all of the 2011 British motor sport champions. O'Neill commented " Its was a fantastic achievement. I can't believe that I was nominated and that someone from N.I can stand out from the rest of the world. It's a great for motorsport in N.I and this award it evident of the talent N.I has." O'Neill is also one of the leading lights behind MMP after starting his involvement in 2006 as an advisor after been trained as an MSA Instructor trainer. In 2011 I progressed to Leader Instructor Trainer and trained 4 new instructor trainers to assist me to expand training opportunities. This progressed into redeveloping the MMP quarterly newsletter in 2008 from a two page newsletter to a more professional four page newsletter and in 2012 an annual 'evergreen' 15-20 page newsletter. This newsletter provide facts and information detailing events, a tool for clubs to promote their events and to keep volunteers informed of important training events etc.In 2011 he became Vice-Chair in preparation for Chair's position in 2012. The good news continues as Omagh Motor Club has this year been named the 2011" JLT MSA Club of the Year" by the MSA. The Awards Panel selected Omagh MC as the winner following its nomination by the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs. The award is designed to recognise excellence among the MSA's registered clubs, which number almost 750. Those that enter are judged in areas such as marketing and promotion, initiatives to attract and retain volunteer officials and young members, and projects that improve road safety or benefit local communities. Omagh Motor Club has approximately 250 members and ran Autotests, Navigational and Stage Rallies and a Hill Climb in 2011, its 75th Anniversary year. The club has gained strong promotional coverage in its local and regional press and has engaged well with councillors and the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is also a founder member of the highly successful Motorsport Marshalling Partnership in Northern Ireland and attended this year's Omagh Motor Show in a bid to recruit new marshals. The club organised a championship Autotest event in support of this year's National Motorsport Week and has a range of development programmes and initiatives to train and mentor younger event officials. It also engaged successfully with a cross section of local charities last year and was ranked 'Club of the Year' at the Ulster Herald's Sports Personality Awards. A representative of Omagh MC was presented with £1000 and a JLT Rose Bowl Trophy at the MSA Night of Champions ceremony at the Royal Automobile Club in London on 20 January 2012.
|
| CAN TWINS TOWER OVER THE OPPOSITION?… Posted: 26 Jan 2012 11:34 AM PST One of the early entries received by the organisers off the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Historic Stages, Newtown & District Automobile Club Ltd, has come from Phil & Mick Squires in their Ford Escort MkII. Having achieved great success in the 'modern' BTRDA Rally Series, winning the two-wheel drive Silver Star Championship in 2004, the Stoke-on-Trent twins moved across to the MSA British Historic Rally Championship several seasons ago. Their 2012 campaign will start in Newtown on 4th March but, in an entry thus far dominated by Escorts of various sorts, they know that they will have their work cut out! Entered in a similar car and in the same class are Nick Elliott co-driver Dave Price, from Cheltenham, and the Squires brothers won't need reminding that Elliott won the Mid Wales Historic Stages outright in 2010 and then missed out by a mere second last year when Julian Reynolds (Haverfordwest) pipped him to the post! The 2010 & 2011 MSA British Historic Rally Champions, David Stokes (Dursley) & Guy Weaver in their MkI Ford Escort RS1600, begin the defence of their title in Mid Wales, hoping for a repeat performance of last year when they won their category, opening their account in the series with a maximum score. Regulations/entry forms are available to download from the event website : The Entries Secretary is : Andy Falconer Tel : 07980 955880 before 19.00. For further details, contact the Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Stages Press Officer : to whom all requests for Media Accreditation must be addressed.
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from RallyBuzz To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.