It has been a long time since we thought about a stage on Sally Gap. This classic old Circuit of Ireland test is firmly entrenched in rallying folklore. Tales of Coleman and McHale, McRea and Vatanen, Fisher and McHale (again) fighting the bit out over the Wicklow mountains are still told at motor club dinners on a regular basis. Things change though, and for various reasons, Sally Gap hasn’t ran as a special stage since the 1990’s.
That is all about to change, when Tour Ireland comes to visit in the middle of May. This year’s event is an extension of the classic car race/rally/regularity – Tour Brittania, an event that combines the thrill of the racetrack with the skill of the rally special stage, not forgetting that there is also the discipline of the regularity event.
The crews in the competition section of Tour Ireland will tackle four special stages over parts of the “Sally Gap” having travelled from Wales that morning. After a night spent at the Powerscourt Hotel the crews will then head to Mondello to do a couple of races before heading back to Wales on the ferry.
Above is a small sample of the final Sally Gap stage, and the main reason it has been posted is to allow the competitors to familiarise themselves with the video format. Many of the crews are new to special stages and the use of safety notes, so this is a little help for them.
More information on Tour Ireland is available at the Tour Brittania website www.tourbritannia.com
For competitors who would like purchase Tour Ireland Subjective Route Notes – Click Here