Rally Isle of Man

Rally Isle of Man
Country Isle of Man
Date
Type Stage Rally/Asphalt
Clerk of the Course Alan Teare (National A - formerly an International event)
Event Organiser Rally Isle of Man Ltd
Principal Sponsor Microgaming Software Systems Ltd
History
First Event 1963 Manx Trophy Rally
Number of events 50 (2014)
First winner Reg McBride/Don Barrow (1963)
Most wins Mark Higgins 5 (1989–2009)

Rally Isle of Man (previously the Manx International Rally and formerly the Manx Trophy Rally) is a car rally competition held in the Isle of Man. It was first held in 1963, and later became a well-known event in the British Open Rally Championship and the European Rally Championship (until 1996). In 2002, it became part of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in addition to the British Rally Championship.[1] The most successful drivers in the history of the rally include the five-time winner Mark Higgins and the four-time winners Tony Pond and Russell Brookes.

This has been an annual event for many years, apart from cancellation in 2011. In early September 2018, it was announced that the 2018 event had been cancelled. Various allegations were made, blaming the cancellation on, inter alia, the rally organisers, the Department of Infrastructure and the Department for Enterprise. The event returned in 2022 as part of the FIA Celtic Rally Trophy.

Stage locations

Rally Isle of Man is run on public roads closed for racing by the provisions of an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of Man). The event has special timed stages that use narrow farm-lanes with high grass banks, stages over open moorland and Monaco-style 'around-the-houses' stages in Ramsey or Castletown. The exact routes vary each year, but in 2008 the longest timed special stage was the 21.46-mile (34.54 km) Milerisk stage and the shortest included the 1.46-mile (2.35 km) Balley Cashtal stage in Castletown and the 0.90-mile (1.45 km) Villa Marina "super-special" stage in Douglas.[2]

Special stage records

Records and stage times for competition sections for the Manx International Rally and Rally Isle of Man[3][4]
Name Route Year Driver Type Length Time Average
speed
Balley Cashtal Castletown 2006 Andreas Mikkelsen Ford Focus RS WRC 05 1.26 miles (2.03 km) 1' 17.00 58.90 miles per hour (94.79 km/h)
Castle Rushen Castletown - Balladoole - Poyll Vaaish - Strandhall - Kentraugh Mill 2016 Desi Henry Škoda Fabia R5 5.08 miles (8.18 km) 4' 19.9 70.36 miles per hour (113.23 km/h)
Classic Ballaugh Glen – Druidale – Brandywell Cottage – Injebreck – Baldwin Valley – TT Grandstand 2008 Eamonn Boland Subaru Impreza WRC S12 13.27 miles (21.36 km) 11' 30.5 71.16 miles per hour (114.52 km/h)
Cringle Ballabeg – Round Table – Glen Rushen Mines – St. Johns 2004 Mark Higgins Škoda Octavia WRC 13.66 miles (21.98 km) 11' 06.2 74.73 miles per hour (120.27 km/h)
Glascoe Dog Mills – Andreas – Jurby East – Sandygate – St. Judes 2009 Keith Cronin Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 12.47 miles (20.07 km) 10' 08.8 73.74 miles per hour (118.67 km/h)
Glen Roy Begoade Road – Conrhenny – 5½ Mile Corner – Social Cottage – Baldhoon 2007 Andreas Mikkelsen Ford Focus RS WRC 05 4.66 miles (7.50 km) 4' 10.7 66.91 miles per hour (107.68 km/h)
Kella West Kella – The Curraghs – Ballaugh Cronk – Orrisdale 2007 Andreas Mikkelsen Ford Focus RS WRC 05 11.21 miles (18.04 km) 9' 23.1 71.66 miles per hour (115.33 km/h)
Marine Douglas Head – Port Soderick – Crogga – Santon 2008 Eamonn Boland Subaru Impreza WRC S12 3.30 miles (5.31 km) 4' 23.8 66.09 miles per hour (106.36 km/h)
Maughold Hibernia – Ballajora – Slieau Lewaigue 1991 François Chatriot Subaru Legacy RS 3.30 miles (5.31 km) 2' 50.0 66.33 miles per hour (106.75 km/h)
Newtown (Milerisk) Santon – The Braaid – Foxdale – Loobs Road – St. Marks – The Gate 2006 Tapio Laukkanen Renault Mégane Maxi 21.38 miles (34.41 km) 17' 20.00 74.28 miles per hour (119.54 km/h)
Ravensdale Druidale – Brandywell Cottage – Sartfield Hairpin – Little London 1989 Jimmy McRae Ford Escort RS Cosworth 7.14 miles (11.49 km) 6' 08.0 68.08 miles per hour (109.56 km/h)
Sand Quarry German Parish: Ballagyr – (Loop Section; Lynague – Ballakaighen – Staarvey – The Kew – East Lhergydoo) – Ballagyr Lane 2017 Fredrik Ahlin Škoda Fabia R5 13.23 miles (21.29 km) 10' 37.8 74.74 miles per hour (120.28 km/h)
Staarvey German Parish: Stockfield – Lynague – Ballagyr – East Lhergydhoo – Staarvey Road – Ballakaighen 2009 Mark Higgins Subaru Impreza WRX STI 7.22 miles (11.62 km) 6' 12.0 68.97 miles per hour (111.00 km/h)
Tholt-e-Will Sulby Claddaghs – Sulby Glen – Tholt-e-Will Glen 1999 Martin Rowe Renault Mégane Maxi 4.14 miles (6.66 km) 3' 36.3 68.97 miles per hour (111.00 km/h)
Villa Marina
(Super-Special)
Douglas: Harris Promenade – Broadway – Villa Marina – Gaiety Chicane – Loch Promenade – Senna Slip Hairpin – Greensills Corner – Sefton Chicane – Villa Marina – Broadway 2016 Craig Breen Citroën DS3 R5 0.90 miles (1.45 km) 1' 02.8 51.62 miles per hour (83.07 km/h)
West Baldwin Little London – Brandywell Cottage – Injebreck – Ballaoates – Abbeylands – Cronk-ny-Mona 1992 Colin McRae Subaru Legacy RS 11.65 miles (18.75 km) 9' 21.0 74.82 miles per hour (120.41 km/h)

Winners

Season Driver Co-driver Car
1963 Reg McBride Don Barrow Allardette
1964 Dave Friswell Keith Binns Mini Cooper S
1965 Tony Fall Dave Fawcett Mini Cooper S
1966 Dennis Easthorpe Dennis Craine Ford Cortina GT
1967 Norman Harvey Terry Vaux Mini Cooper S
1968 John Huyton Bob Corrin Ford Cortina GT
1969 Colin Malkin John Davenport Hillman Imp
1970 Chris Sclater John Davenport Ford Escort TC
1971 Roger Clark Henry Liddon Ford Escort RS1600
1972 Roger Clark Jim Porter Ford Escort RS1600
1973 Adrian Boyd John Davenport Ford Escort RS1600
1974 Cahal Curley Austin Frazer Porsche
1975 Roger Clark Jim Porter Ford Escort RS1800
1976 Ari Vatanen Peter Bryant Ford Escort RS1800
1977 Pentti Airikkala Risto Virtanen Vauxhall Chevette HSR
1978 Tony Pond Fred Gallagher Triumph TR7 V8
1979 Russell Brookes Paul White Ford Escort RS1800
1980 Tony Pond Fred Gallagher Triumph TR7 V8
1981 Tony Pond Mike Nicholson Vauxhall Chevette HSR
1982 Jimmy McRae Ian Grindrod Opel Ascona 400
1983 Henri Toivonen Fred Gallagher Opel Manta 400
1984 Jimmy McRae Mike Nicholson Opel Manta 400
1985 Russell Brookes Mike Broad Opel Manta 400
1986 Tony Pond Rob Arthur MG Metro 6R4
1987 Jimmy McRae Ian Grindrod Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
1988 Patrick Snijers Dany Colebunders BMW M3
1989 Russell Brookes Neil Wilson Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
1990 Russell Brookes Neil Wilson Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
1991 Colin McRae Derek Ringer Subaru Legacy RS
1992 Colin McRae Derek Ringer Subaru Legacy RS
1993 Richard Burns Robert Reid Subaru Legacy RS
1994 Malcolm Wilson Bryan Thomas Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1995 Frank Meagher Michael Maher Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1996 Armin Schwarz Denis Giraudet Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205
1997 Martin Rowe Nicky Beech Renault Mégane Maxi
1998 Martin Rowe Derek Ringer Renault Mégane Maxi
1999 Martin Rowe Derek Ringer Renault Mégane Maxi
2000 Mark Higgins Bryan Thomas Vauxhall Astra Kit Car
2001 Cancelled due to the United Kingdom foot-and-mouth crisis.
2002 Mark Higgins Craig Thorley Toyota Corolla WRC
2003 Jonny Milner Nicky Beech Toyota Corolla WRC
2004 Jonny Milner Nicky Beech Subaru Impreza WRC
2005 Mark Higgins Bryan Thomas Ford Focus RS WRC 02
2006 Eugene Donnelly Paul Kiely Toyota Corolla WRC
2007 Eugene Donnelly Paul Kiely Subaru Impreza WRC
2008 Mark Higgins Rory Kennedy Subaru Impreza WRX STI
2009 Mark Higgins Bryan Thomas Subaru Impreza WRX STI
2010 Keith Cronin Barry McNulty Subaru Impreza WRX STI
2011 Cancelled
2012 Steven Quine Richard Skinner Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
2013 Arron Newby Rob Fagg Subaru Impreza N11
2014 Nigel Cannell Michaela Cannell Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
2015 Steve Colley Andrew Cowley Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
2016 Elfyn Evans Craig Parry Ford Fiesta R5
2017 Keith Cronin Mikie Galvin Ford Fiesta R5
2018–2025 Not held

Multiple winners

Wins Manufacturer
17 Ford
9 Subaru
4 Opel
Toyota
3 Mini
Mitsubishi
Vauxhall
Renault
2 Triumph

References

  1. ^ "Manx International Rally – Roll of Honour". RallyBase. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
  2. ^ Rally Isle of Man Programme 2008 p7 Rally Isle of Man Ltd (2008)
  3. ^ 2009 Media Guide page 48 Rally Of Man 2009
  4. ^ Live Rally Results Tynemouth Computer Services