Retro Rally ready to roar in Lisburn
by STACEY HEANEY
Councillor Thomas Beckett, Chairman of the Council's Leisure Services Committee at the launch of the 2011 Retro Rally which will start in Lisburn today (Friday) with Ronnie Mitchell, organiser. Looking on alongside one of the cars competing in the rally are (l-r)Aaron Mitchell, Clerk of the Course; Conn Williamson, competitor and Chris Livingstone, Deputy Clerk of the Course.
LISBURN is all revved up this weekend to host the 2011 Retro Rally
for the third time.
The Organising Committee of this year's Ulster Automobile Club Circuit
of Ireland Retrospective Trial is pleased to bring the exciting event to
the City of Lisburn.
Councillor Thomas Beckett, Chairman of the Council's Leisure Services Committee, welcoming the event back to Lisburn, said: "Through its Leisure Services Department the Council is delighted to sponsor the Retro Rally for a third year and bring it back to the people of Lisburn. This year the starting venue will be the Lagan Valley LeisurePlex from where the cars will head to Retro classics including Wallace Park and Dundrod Pits for the first of Friday's 20 tests.
"The locations and facilities that we have here in the City are well matched to a rally such as the Retro and it is particularly exciting to see the Club is including the Maze site as part of the trials. I wish the organisers and the competitors a successful and enjoyable event; and I hope they enjoy the traditional Retro table quiz in the Island Civic Centre on Saturday night."
Kicking off today (Friday), the 2011 "Retro" begins with a Ceremonial Start at the Lagan Valley LeisurePlex at 12 noon, as it undertakes a number of tests in the Lisburn area.
Friday will conclude with the evening Night Navigation section, where competitors will attempt to find their way around our Top Secret route, just west of Lisburn, off the B 104.
Tomorrow (Saturday October 22) the competitors will join Rathfriland Motor Club and the Down Rally through the forests of Tollymore and Castlewellan, two popular locations from last year which will be run as special tests. For Saturday afternoon something new is planned, Hill Climb tests up the side of Gullion Mountain and a regularity through Camlough Forest, before returning to Rally HQ in Lisburn.
On Sunday, the rally will return to the Ards Peninsula via some old and new tests and regularities, back to Kirkistown Racing Circuit for seven of the days nearly 20 tests and a very motorsport lunch in Debtors Diner. The competitors and organizers have been welcomed back to the Ireland Off-Road Experience test at Clandeboye estate, which will be the last stage before returning to Lisburn for the gala dinner.
The Retro Organising Committee is pleased to welcome its new endurance class to this year's event, so endurance and navigations style cars will be given the opportunity to see what this great event has to offer.
stacey.heaney@ulsterstar.co.uk
Ulster Star
21/10/2011
