MOTOR SPORTS NEWS

Latest News

  • 2022 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, Rd4 at Jordan Rally – 19-21 May
  • Super 5th for CONOR DALY in the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet at GMR GP at Indianapolis
  • Miami Grand Prix given extra sparkle by Williams Racing….and Surge!
  • Gillan grinds to the top of the podium at the Cookstown 100 road races
  • CONOR DALY – Ed Carpenter Racing BitNile Chevrolet, Qualifies 4th at GMR Grand Prix at Indy
  • Home
  • News
  • Dakar
    • DAKAR 2016
    • Dakar 2015
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • Motorbike
  • Touring Cars
  • Circuit Racing
  • Events
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

Barrable’s stuns West Cork Rally with Hyundai Motorsport i20 R5

Mar 19, 2017


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Tweet

Robert Barrable made sure the New Generation i20 R5 was the talk of the Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally (18-19 March), as he gave the Hyundai Motorsport-built car its debut in the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship. Having held second for most of the event, the 29-year old Dubliner was denied a well deserved podium finish when he collected a puncture on SS13. He was then forced to stop two stages from the end when minor damage to one of the brake discs was discovered.

Despite not reaching the finish, Barrable was on the pace of the regular Irish Tarmac Championship title contenders from the word go, setting four fastest championship stage times in the Michelin-shod i20 R5. Co-driven by Damien Connolly, the Patch Tyre Equipment and Michael Barrable Motors supported car was a huge hit with the fans, who had travelled to Clonakilty in their droves to see the i20 R5 compete in Ireland for the very first time.

As always, the West Cork Rally proved to be a real challenge, with long and bumpy asphalt stages made all the more testing thanks to strong winds, rain, mud and poor visibility caused by Atlantic sea mist. The opening day contained nine slippery stages, with the final one run in darkness. Barrable started well, setting second fastest time overall on the opening test – beaten only by Donagh Kelly/Conor Foley in their Ford Focus WRC. A close battle for the top Irish Tarmac Championship spot quickly developed behind the eventual event winners, between Barrable’s i20 R5 and a pair of Ford Fiesta R5s driven by the Moffett brothers. At the end of a long and tricky day, Barrable was third overall and second in the championship – just 14.1 seconds behind Sam and 5.1 seconds ahead of Josh in a Moffett sandwich.

Conditions were even trickier on day two of the Cork Motor Club organised rally, with a very strong wind blowing rain across the rugged County Cork scenery. There was nothing to separate the top three Irish Tarmac Championship drivers over the first loop of three stages, but on the first stage in the afternoon Barrable picked up a front left puncture, lost three minutes when he stopped to change it and dropped from second to fourth. Unfortunately, despite the crew’s work, they were forced to retire from the rally before the start of the following stage. When damage to the front left brake disc was discovered, they opted to withdraw in order to avoid doing further damage to the car. The Hyundai Motorsport engineers, who supported Robert and his team throughout the event, will work together with their supplier to investigate the exact cause of the retirement.

Robert said: “It was great to give the Hyundai i20 R5 its Irish Tarmac Championship debut. We knew we’d be competitive, but we didn’t expect to be challenging for maximum points against the regular championship drivers – not after just a short test in the car and on only my second rally in almost two years. There was quite a lot of work to do to get the car set up for Irish roads, and we had to drive accordingly and not take any risks. That said, we were still right on the pace from the word go, and we were also competitive in the wet on day two, despite only having driven the car in the dry before the start. We were very disappointed not to finish, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.”

The next round of the Irish Tarmac Championship is the International Rally of the Lakes (29-30 April).


  • tweet
Related articles
  • 2022 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, Rd4 at Jordan Rally – 19-21 May
    2022 FIA Middle East Rally...

    May 15, 2022 Comments Off on 2022 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, Rd4 at Jordan Rally – 19-21 May

  • Super 5th for CONOR DALY in the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet at GMR GP at Indianapolis
    Super 5th for CONOR DALY in the No. 20...

    May 15, 2022 Comments Off on Super 5th for CONOR DALY in the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet at GMR GP at Indianapolis

  • Miami Grand Prix given extra sparkle by Williams Racing….and Surge!
    Miami Grand Prix given extra sparkle by...

    May 14, 2022 Comments Off on Miami Grand Prix given extra sparkle by Williams Racing….and Surge!

  • Gillan grinds to the top of the podium at the Cookstown 100 road races
    Gillan grinds to the top of the podium...

    May 14, 2022 Comments Off on Gillan grinds to the top of the podium at the Cookstown 100 road races

More in this category
  • 2022 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, Rd4 at Jordan Rally – 19-21 May
    2022 FIA Middle East Rally...

    Comments Off on 2022 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, Rd4 at Jordan Rally – 19-21 May

  • Super 5th for CONOR DALY in the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet at GMR GP at Indianapolis
    Super 5th for CONOR DALY in the No. 20...

    Comments Off on Super 5th for CONOR DALY in the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet at GMR GP at Indianapolis

  • Miami Grand Prix given extra sparkle by Williams Racing….and Surge!
    Miami Grand Prix given extra sparkle by...

    Comments Off on Miami Grand Prix given extra sparkle by Williams Racing….and Surge!

  • Gillan grinds to the top of the podium at the Cookstown 100 road races
    Gillan grinds to the top of the podium...

    Comments Off on Gillan grinds to the top of the podium at the Cookstown 100 road races


Fleet Car Magazine

Notice Board

  • Killarney Forestry Rally to raise funds for Air Ambulance
    Killarney Forestry Rally to raise funds for Air Ambulance

    Feb 03, 2022

    TweetRally drivers from across Ireland will help fund...
  • McHugh’s Service Station, Ballindine Mayo Stages Rally, 6 March 2022
    McHugh’s Service Station, Ballindine Mayo Stages Rally, 6...

    Jan 27, 2022

    TweetMayo & District Motorsport Club, organisers of the...
  • Osian Pryce takes second British Rally Championship victory in a row at Cambrian Rally – 4th BRC win for Creighton
    Osian Pryce takes second British Rally Championship victory...

    Oct 31, 2021

    Tweet William Creighton takes his fourth Junior BRC win of...
  • Audi Sport electrifies with U.S. star Ken Block
    Audi Sport electrifies with U.S. star Ken Block

    Sep 24, 2021

    Tweet Electrifying addition to the brand with the four...
  • Formula One Car by Car 1990-99 by Evro Publishing
    Formula One Car by Car 1990-99 by Evro Publishing

    Apr 16, 2021

    TweetThis instalment in Evro’s decade-by-decade series...

Categories

  • Africa Eco-Race
  • Baja
  • BRC
  • Circuit Racing
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Dakar
  • Dakar 2015
  • DAKAR 2016
  • DAKAR 2017
  • DAKAR 2019 PERU
  • DAKAR RALLY 2018
  • EV Motorsport
  • Events
  • EverGreeens: Irish Abroad
  • Extreme E
  • Forestry Rally
  • Formula 1
  • Hillclimb
  • IndyCar Series
  • Interview
  • Middle East Rally Championship
  • Morocco Rally
  • Motorbike
  • News
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • RallyX
  • Related products
  • Review
  • Sportscars
  • Touring Cars
  • Tribute
  • Truck Racing
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • WRC
Tweets by @IrMotSportNews

Recent Posts

Test of the Audi RS Q e-tron and the Ducati DesertX in Sardinia

Test of the Audi RS Q e-tron and the Ducati DesertX in Sardinia

May 08, 2022

Tweet The new DesertX motorcycle and the RS Q e-tron for the Dakar Rally. The designers of both brands have created an unmistakable, joint look for the motorcycle and the car.  Two unusual vehicles,...
Read More
Entries Open for Rallye du Maroc 2022 Edition

Entries Open for Rallye du Maroc 2022 Edition

May 02, 2022

Extreme E marks Earth Day with Amazon programme visit

Extreme E marks Earth Day with Amazon programme...

Apr 23, 2022

M-Sport to pursue Dakar ambitions with Neil Woolridge Motorsport

M-Sport to pursue Dakar ambitions with Neil...

Apr 14, 2022

Dacia secures victory in the Crossover category of the 31st Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc

Dacia secures victory in the Crossover category...

Apr 10, 2022

Copyright 2016 / All rights reserved