Autocross championship comes to Galway in July

GALWAY Motor Club is organising Round 7 of the D&B Doors National Autocross Championship on Sunday, July 10.

Autocross – car racing on a grass surface – is one of the oldest forms of motorsport in Ireland. The Galway club has revived it’s annual event and it will take place near Gort, by kind permission of the Loughrey family.

Practice runs on the grass track course will commence at 11.30am with timed runs commencing after mid-day. Cars will be started at intervals and there can be up to three cars on track at any one time as they compete against the clock.

The course is marked out with flags, and penalties apply for hitting or going the wrong side of a flag. Great skill is required as the grass surface is invariably slippy but yet speeds can be high.

The event caters for saloon cars, rally cars and ‘specials’, and this year also caters for Midget Racing cars. Clerk of the Course, Seamus Daly, will be laying out a twisty but fast course which is bound to test the car control skills of the competitors.

The sight of the purpose built ‘specials’ at speed always proves a spectacle. The Autocross has classes for all types of cars and also for Intermediate Drivers (16 to 18 years old) and Junior Drivers (14 to 16 yearS old), and a Lady Driver Award. Competition Licences are required.

The venue is adjacent to the new roundabout at the end of the motorway at Gort and it will be signposted from there. Spectators are welcome and this is an ideal day out for all of the family.

Leading entries include Dave Fallon from Craughwell in his Special and Dave Ray will drive his Mini. Entry Forms and further details are available on www.galway motorclub.ie