Biggest ever rally entry set to enter the record books and jump-start new Rally Speci

Biggest ever rally entry set to enter the record books and jump-start new Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund!


"We want hundreds of people to enter what we are hoping to be the biggest entry in the world for a rally - EVER!"

Those are the words of Magherafelt and District Motor Club's Crawford Henderson discussing plans for the Rally of 1000 Entries, sponsored by Rogers Fencing and Van Parts Ireland, to be held on Saturday 30 December at Kirkistown Race Circuit.

And it's all in the aid of jump-starting the new Rally Specialist Medical Assistance (RSMA) Fund, a scheme designed to provide monetary assistance to both Irish and British rally competitors who have been injured in competition and need specialist medical care.

"There is very little help out there for rally competitors who have been seriously injured," Henderson continued. "Everyone involved in our sport has the potential to be involved in a serious incident. The Motor Sports Association (MSA) provides £60,000 to competitors who lose a leg or lose their eyesight. But those that lose the ability to walk, for example, receive no assistance whatsoever. To have the reassurance that there is a fund to help in these circumstances can only be of benefit to us all."

The innovative idea sprouted as a result of a meeting between a few rally competitors and organisers, who identified the need for such a fund. Inspired by the plight of Christopher Rogers, who lost the ability to walk four years ago in the same accident (during the Monaghan Stages Rally) which claimed the life of his navigator Shane O'Neill, the idea for the RSMA Fund was formed.

"We're aiming to get 1000 entries," a spokesman for Magherafelt and District Motor Club said. "I know it sounds totally mad but we think it's workable. All we're asking is for people to complete an entry form and send £100. You don't have to turn up at the event if you don't want to. All we want is the biggest number of entries on the entry list."

"You can enter in any vehicle you like. It doesn't need to pass scrutiny if you're not doing the rally, and you don't need a competition licence if you're not doing the rally. All we ask is that if you do want to compete, then get your co-driver to give £50 towards the MSA insurance for the event."

So for £100, anyone can secure their name on the entry list for the biggest rally entry ever, while an additional £50 secures a navigator's name. And if all goes to plan, the event will be entered into the Guinness Book of Records, allowing all those that took part to have their claim to fame!

"Of course, this idea will only work once but the rally will help kick-start the fundraising process. We also have other ideas and we're going to ask all motor clubs to continue to help raise funds over the coming weeks and months."

Appeal to motor clubs

The fund committee would like to appeal to all motor clubs to distribute entry forms to all their club members so that as many potential competitors are offered the opportunity to enter the event.

Seats for auction

The committee are deeply indebted to a host of top line drivers who have offered their co-driving sets for auction. More details later! However you can be sure this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone to bid for a seat in a WRC car or in one of the very best 2 wheel drive cars in Ireland. Drivers who have already committed to the event include, Gareth MacHale, Eugene Donnelly, Derek McGarrity, Kenny McKinstry, Camillus Bradley, Seamus O'Connell to name but a few. The organisers are currently working to obtain more.

New Website

A website will be launched over the coming days on http://www.rsmafund.com, providing additional information and a current fund balance. In the meantime, any enquiries (including entry form requests) can be obtained from Crawford Henderson by telephoning 07703 328666 or at http://www.magherafeltmotorclub.co.uk.

if you enter and dont tick the "do you plan to compete in event" then obviously any man can enter any veichle !

but if you plan to compete you have to comply with MSA regulations

08/11/06
Gwyndaf Entry Boost
“The Rally of the 1000 Entries” continues to gather momentum, the latest top entry being for former British Rally Champion Gwyndaf Evans. The Welshman will join with top Irish drivers such as Eugene Donnelly, Gareth MacHale and Derek McGarrity at the end of season (30th Dec) thrash over six special stages at Kirkistown.

The main aim of the rally is to raise funds to help Christopher Rogers, paralysed following a rally accident, go to China for the latest medical treatment, and also to kick start the new ‘Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund’

Gwyndaf Evans, no stranger to rallying in Northern Ireland, having won the Ulster and Lurgan Park rallies many times, instantly agreed to drive at Kirkistown to help boost the cause.

The main organisers of the rally, Magherafelt MC, have lined up a Derrick Job GpN Lancer Evo 9 for Gwyndaf. Chris Patterson, free of his Middle East and WRC duties at that time, is on stand-by to co-drive, although the co-driving seats of many of the top drivers are being auctioned to aid the fund.

Further top drivers who have entered the rally include Kenny McKinstry (Impreza WRC), Glenn Allen (Corolla WRC), and Sean Devine (Impreza WRC).

14/11/06RALLY BIG DRAW
Interest and support for the Kirkistown based 30th December Rally of the 1000 Entries, in conjunction with the new Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund, continues to gather momentum. The trustees of the Fisher Foundation are considering it as a very special project and are lending their support by making a substantial donation.

Lending their support to the event and making “fantasy” entries, emphasising the fun angle of the rally, former saloon car Champion Alan ‘Plum’ Tyndall has submitted an entry in his ‘RPM TV’ Previa, with five co-drivers! Enduro bike racer Davy Patterson has put his brother Chris’s classic Dennis Fire Engine on the list, with Ryan Champion co-driving!

An interesting aspect of the new rally fund is a free draw, with the first prize a co-driving seat with a top driver, and 2nd prize a donated trip to the Monaco Grand Prix. Entry is simple, and free, just requires e-mailing the Magherafelt Motor Club at www.magherafeltmotorclub.co.uk

Just some of the top entries received so far include Gwyndaf Evans (Lancer), Eugene Donnelly (Corolla WRC), Derek McGarrity (Impreza WRC), and Kenny McKinstry (WRC). Adding some sideways action will be Camillus Bradley and Monaghan’s Dessie Keenan both in his Escorts.

The original motivation for the Rally of the 1000 entries was to raise finance to help Christopher Rogers, badly injured in a rally accident which also cost the life of his co-driver Shane O’Neill, to help fund a trip to China to enable Chris to get some special treatment. A progression from that idea was setting up the Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund to meet any similar future contingencies.
Rally Specialist Medical Assistance (RSMA) Fund
Magherafelt Motor Club

22/11/06
Paul Kiely to co-drive for Gwyndaf Evans
Tarmac Champion co-driver Paul Kiely will now accompany Welshman Gwyndaf Evans on the 30th December Rally of the 1000 Entries at Kirkistown. Original nominee for the co-driver’s seat, Chris Patterson, has been called on for Dakar Rally duties.

The event has been formulated to raise funds to enable Christopher Rogers to make a trip to China for further medical treatment. Christopher was left paralysed following a rally accident where sadly his co-driver Shane O’Neill was killed. As an extension of the fund-raising, a new Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund (RSMA) is being set up to provide future cover for other competitors.

Top drivers who will be making an appearance include Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnely. His co-driving seat is now the first prize in the free draw that is being run in association with the rally. Many of the other co-driving seats on the day are available to the highest bidder, with the proceeds going towards the Fund. Kenny McKinstry and Emma McKinstry (Subaru and Lancer respectively), Glenn Allen (Corolla WRC), Kieran O’Neill (Kadett RWD), Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC) and Camillus Bradley (Escort RWD), are just a cross-section of the drivers who have entered the event. Go to www.rsmafund.com for your chance to bid and be part of the action.

Young Alistair Fisher, the new NI Junior Stage Champion has entered in his ex Colin Britton Peugeot SuperCup 206, while Rally Preparation Specialist David Greer has put in entries for his two sons Jonathan and Barry.

There are also some interesting ‘fantasy’ entries from drivers wishing to support the overall concept of the event, but without actually competing. Motorsport TV producer Alan ‘Plum’ Tyndall has entered in the well known RPM Previa with an astonishing five co-drivers, Donegal Oil supremo Roger McMahon has entered in a Dodge Ram and Kieran Bradley from Walsh’s Hotel in Maghera in a VW Beetle! All contributing to the objective of achieving 1000 entries.

Many companies and bodies are supporting this initiative, Rogers Fencing through the efforts of MD Cathal Rogers and Van Parts Ireland have agreed to sponsor the event with various organisations all doing their bit to raise as much money as possible for the cause. The Fisher Foundation is also making a subsantial donation.

Niall Maguire and the members of Monaghan Motor Club have put in a brilliant effort and produced a cheq ue for €19,000, the proceeds of a special quarrycross. Marshals from Connacht Motor Club have donated the funds from their marshalling efforts on the recent Donegal Harvest rally and club members at a recent meeting all put €10 in the kitty, so that the club has been able to hand over almost €900.

The free draw, with the top prizes including a co-driving seat with Eugene Donnelly on the rally, a trip to the Monaco Grand Prix and a £500 voucher towards a trip to a world rally event, is simple and free to enter, it just requires submitting your email address to the Magherafelt Motor Club at www.magherafeltmotorclub.co.uk

The level of support, up and down the chain, has been gratifying, and we hope that the momentum continues up to the rally on the 30th December, and beyond.

05/12/06
TYRONE GAA STAR IN THE HOT SEAT
Omagh’s Derrick Jobb has entered his ex-works Toyota Celica ‘205’ for the 30th November Rally of the 1000 Entries at Kirkistown, and the sensational news is that he is to be co-driven by former Captain of the Tyrone County GAA team, Peter Canavan.

Canavan and Jobb met at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia, where Jobb, a former International badminton player, was managing the NI Badminton team. They hatched the idea then for Canavan to co-drive on the Lark in the Park Rally.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte decreed the scheme too dangerous though, just one week before a major match, so the idea was put on the long finger.

Lark in the Park’s loss was Rally of the 1000 Entries gain, and it is all stations go now for the 30th December event. The original concept of the Rally of the 1000 Entries was to raise funds to help Christopher Rogers, paralysed from the waist down following a rally accident in Monaghan four years ago, go to China for revolutionary new treatment.

In addition the Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund has been set up to help with any other contingencies which may arise in the future.

As well as competing himself, Derrick Jobb is supplying a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 for former British Champion Gwyndaf Evans to drive. Tarmac Champion co-driver Paul Kiely is co-driving for Gwyndaf. Many of the top drivers, such as Eugene Donnelly, Kenny McKinstry and Camillus Bradley are willing to take ‘guest’ co-drivers, as long as they bid for their seats through the Magherafelt Motor Club website!

Ulster Television presenter Pamela Ballantine has offered her services as a co-driver, with the sponsorship going to the fund, and Cool FM presenter Sonia Mac, very much an up and coming rally driver herself in her Ford Ka, is also entering and hoping to do her bit for the new fund.

For more information on the free draw, which includes a co-driving seat with Eugene Donnelly, a trip to the Monaco Grand Prix and a £500 voucher to a World Rally Champioinship round, and also details of how to bid for a co-drivers seat, simply go to www.magherafeltmotorclub.co.uk and submit your email address.

ROAD RACER TO RALLY ROUND


Legendary motorcycling road racer Robert Dunlop, with UTV / RPM presenter Pamela Ballantine navigating, is to drive the course opening Escort on the 30th December ‘Rallly of the 1000 Entries’ at Kirkistown. The entry is being backed by Circuit of Ireland sponsor John Conway of Meteor Electrical. The Mk2 Escort that Dunlop will drive is being supplied by Barry McKenna of DEN Motorsport.



Robert Dunlop has won five Isle of Man TT’s, is 15 times a race winner at the North-West, has won the Macau Grand Prix , and is a record 8 times winner of the Cookstown ‘100’. Robert and his late brother Joey used to watch the Circuit of Ireland stages from near their home at Dunloy, and Robert commented, “This will be my first rally, and I’m really looking forward to it!” Pamela Ballantine said, “Can’t wait. I know how quick he is on a bike, and he can certainly ride a horse, so the rally car should be a doddle!”



In many ways Robert is a road racing legend and is still competing with a Kennedy Equipment 125 Honda, but is spending as much time as he can looking after his two sons Michael and William in their race careers. His support for the rally is further testimony to the interest that the event is creating in the hearts of the community.



A further interesting development for the Rally of the 1000 Entries is that Bertie Fisher’s widow Gladys is donating some of Bertie’s special trophies to be used for the good of the rally. Gladys’ generous action was prompted when she watched a UTV report about Christopher Rogers in relation to the rally. Christopher was paralysed from the waist down following a rally accident in Monaghan, where his co-driver Shane O’Neill tragically lost his life. The rally’s aim is to raise funds to help Christopher travel to China for new treatment and also go towards the new Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund.



Top drivers scheduled to compete on the rally include former British Rally Champion and Ulster Rally winner Gwyndaf Evans, driving a Derrick Jobb Mitsubishi Lancer. Tarmac Champion co-driver Paul Kiely will co-drive. Interestingly Gwyndaf has just clinched the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge on the Wales Rally GB. Paul Kiely’s usual driver, Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly, will also be competing, and he will have a ‘guest’ co-driver, as his seat is up for auction. To bid for that, or indeed for more information about the rally, just log on to www.magherafeltmotorclub.co.uk. Kenny McKinstry, Sean Devine, Denis Biggerstaff, Niall Maguire, Camillus Bradley are just a small cross-section of the drivers who will be competing. Support in general ranges right across the community for this special occasion.



Issued by Brian & Liz Patterson

Some of Ireland's leading drivers have put their navigator's seats up for grabs for the Rally of 1000 Entries, due to take place on Saturday 30 December. It's part of a fund raising exercise in aid of the Rally Specialist Medical Assistance (RSMA) Fund, a new scheme designed to provide monetary assistance to both Irish and British rally competitors who have been injured in competition and need specialist medical care.

Drivers such as Gareth MacHale (Focus WRC), Denis Biggerstaff (Impreza WRC), Wesley Patterson (Mark 2 Escort) and many more have their passenger seats up for auction. The highest bidders will have the opportunity to navigate for their chosen drivers on Saturday 30 December at Kirkistown Race Circuit.

To be in with a chance to win, organisers must receive your bid by 8PM THIS EVENING (Friday 15 December)! For a full list of up to date bids, log on to the fund website at www.rsmafund.com. And to place a bid, click on the links on the website or phone any of the following three numbers:

+44(0)7808 442444
+44(0)7922 092634
+44(0)7801 017945

Remember, the strict deadline is 8pm this evening and we're expecting a deluge of calls around that time - so get your bid in early for a chance to win the ride of a lifetime!

Current highest bids...

Paul Barrett (Escort G3) - £350
Craig Bennett (Metro 6R4) - £500
James Cullen (Lancer Evo) - £500
Rodney White (Sunbeam) - £200
Gareth MacHale (Focus WRC) - £1500
Trevor Ferguson (Impreza) - £500
Greg McCormack (Escort MkII) - £350
Trevor Moore (Escort MkII) - £500
Stephen Potts (Escort MkII) - £175
Brendan O'Hagan (Focus WRC) - £350
Emma McKinstry (Impreza WRC) - £350
Kieran O'Neill (Kadett) - £330
Frank Kelly (Escort MkII) - £500
Maurice Moffett (Starlet) - £400
Charlie Donnelly (Escort MkII BDA) - £550
Glenn Allen (Corolla WRC) - £425
Kenny McKinstry (Impreza WRC) - £800
Denis Biggerstaff (Impreza WRC) - £400
Dessie Keenan (Escort MkII) - £400
Camillus Bradley (Escort MkII) - £700
Wesley Patterson (Escort MkII) - £500
Kieran Shaw (TBC) - £500
Martin Doherty (Impreza WRC) - £500
Fintan McGrady (TBC) - £110
Derek McGeehan (Fabia OR Corolla WRC) - £300
Seamus McCusker (Escort G5) - £300
Niall Maguire (Escort G3) - £115
Kevin Barrett (Impreza WRC) - £150
Garry Jennings (Lancer Evo) - £150

RALLY OF THE 1000 ENTRIES/RSMA FUND – KIRKISTOWN 30TH DECEMBER 2006



PRESS RELEASE: 19th December 2006. – Immediate.



TOP CALIBRE COMPETITORS AT KIRKISTOWN



Former Production World Rally Champion Niall McShea is the latest driver to confirm he will be competing on the Sàturday 30th December Rally of the 1000 Entries at Kirkistown. Niall will be driving his brother’s potent Ford Orion RWD.



Kieran Shaw is giving up his place in the list to allow NI Champion Kevin Lynch an entry. Although it is the Rally of the 1000 Entries, just 120 will be allowed to start on the day, and there is already a reserve list. Vodka Kick supremo Steve Perez has put in a ‘courtesy’ entry. Interestingly, the bidding for co-driving seats took a real upsurge just before the closing date last Friday and over £20,000 was pledged. The winning bidders will be announced shortly, along with the full seeding, on www.magherafeltmotorclub.co.uk.



Cork’s Darren McCarthy is the winner of the draw to co-drive for Eugene Donnelly. When he got the phone call, McCarthy, normally seen in the organising team of rallies like West Cork and the Cork Forestry, thought it was someone winding him up! Naturally he can’t wait to get to Kirkistown!



Top seeds will be:- 1 Gareth MacHale (Focus WRC): 2 Eugene Donnelly (Corolla WRC): 3 Gwyndaf Evans (Lancer): 4 Niall McShea (Ford Orion): 5 Kenny McKinstry (Impreza WRC): 6 Charlie Donnelly (Skoda WRC) 7 Kevin Lynch (Subaru Impreza WRC): 8 Glen Allen (Corolla WRC) 9 Denis Biggerstaff (Impreza WRC): 10 Kevin Barrett (Impreza WRC).



The overall aim of the rally, apart from having a good day out, is to provide funds to enable Christopher Rogers, paralysed in a rally accident, travel to China for specialised treatment. As an extension of that, money from the rally is being used to kick-start the new Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund, to help in any future contingencies. Over £70,000 has been raised so far, with the aim being to make £100,000.



The rally will start at 10.00 on Saturday 30th December. There will be six special stages, the final two very short, and proceedings should be wound up just after 4.00pm, before darkness sets in.



What with motorbike road racer Robert Dunlop and his co-driver for the day, Pamela Ballantine, doing course car in a Ford Escort, and drivers of the calibre of World Rally star Gareth MacHale, Rally Champion brothers Eugene and Charlie Donnelly, former British Champion Gwyndaf Evans, former World Production Champion Niall McShea, NI Champion Kevin Lynch. It just goes on and on and is shaping up to be a great day at Kirkistown on Saturday 30th.



Further drivers who should send the sparks flying include Monaghan’s Dessie Keenan along with Camillus Bradley, Greg McCormack and Trevor Moore all in Mk2 Escorts. Garry Jennings is making the trip up from Fermanagh to compete in his Lancer and Banbridge girl Emma McKinstry will also be driving a Lancer.



There will be a charge at the gate on the day of the rally by the Kirkistown management, so any donations to the fund should kindly be made at the hospitality marquee in the circuit.

oh aye spectating is gonna be a huge part of it, no price as yet

here here ! will you be travelling down chris? must introduce meself if i see you