Rally Isle of Man explained

Rally Isle of Man
Country
Date
TypeStage 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 Event1963 Manx Trophy Rally
Number of events50 (2014)
First winnerReg McBride/Don Barrow (1963)
Most winsMark 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 Milerisk stage and the shortest included the 1.46 mile Balley Cashtal stage in Castletown and the 0.90 mile Villa Marina "super-special" stage in Douglas.[2]

Special stage records

Route!Year!Driver!Type!Length!Time!Average
speed
Balley CashtalCastletown2006 Andreas MikkelsenFord Focus RS WRC 051.26 miles1' 17.0058.90 mph
Castle RushenCastletown - Balladoole - Poyll Vaaish - Strandhall - Kentraugh Mill 2016 Desi HenryŠkoda Fabia R55.08 miles4' 19.970.36 mph
ClassicBallaugh Glen – Druidale – Brandywell Cottage – Injebreck – Baldwin Valley – TT Grandstand2008 Eamonn BolandSubaru Impreza WRC S1213.27 miles11' 30.571.16 mph
CringleBallabeg – Round Table – Glen Rushen Mines – St. Johns2004 Mark HigginsŠkoda Octavia WRC13.66 miles11' 06.274.73 mph
GlascoeDog Mills – Andreas – Jurby East – Sandygate – St. Judes2009 Keith CroninMitsubishi Lancer Evo12.47 miles10' 08.873.74 mph
Glen RoyBegoade Road – Conrhenny – 5½ Mile Corner – Social Cottage – Baldhoon2007 Andreas MikkelsenFord Focus RS WRC 054.66 miles4' 10.766.91 mph
KellaWest Kella – The Curraghs – Ballaugh Cronk – Orrisdale2007 Andreas MikkelsenFord Focus RS WRC 0511.21 miles9' 23.171.66 mph
MarineDouglas Head – Port Soderick – Crogga – Santon2008 Eamonn BolandSubaru Impreza WRC S123.30 miles4' 23.866.09 mph
MaugholdHibernia – Ballajora – Slieau Lewaigue1991 François ChatriotSubaru Legacy RS3.30 miles2' 50.066.33 mph
Newtown (Milerisk)Santon – The Braaid – Foxdale – Loobs Road – St. Marks – The Gate2006 Tapio LaukkanenRenault Mégane Maxi21.38 miles17' 20.0074.28 mph
RavensdaleDruidale – Brandywell Cottage – Sartfield Hairpin – Little London1989 Jimmy McRaeFord Escort RS Cosworth7.14 miles6' 08.068.08 mph
Sand QuarryGerman Parish: Ballagyr – (Loop Section; Lynague – Ballakaighen – Staarvey – The Kew – East Lhergydoo) – Ballagyr Lane2017 Fredrik AhlinŠkoda Fabia R513.23 miles10' 37.874.74 mph
StaarveyGerman Parish: Stockfield – Lynague – Ballagyr – East Lhergydhoo – Staarvey Road – Ballakaighen2009 Mark HigginsSubaru Impreza WRX STI7.22 miles6' 12.068.97 mph
Tholt-e-WillSulby Claddaghs – Sulby Glen – Tholt-e-Will Glen1999 Martin RoweRenault Mégane Maxi4.14 miles3' 36.368.97 mph
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 BreenCitroën DS3 R50.90 miles1' 02.851.62 mph
West BaldwinLittle London – Brandywell Cottage – Injebreck – Ballaoates – Abbeylands – Cronk-ny-Mona1992 Colin McRaeSubaru Legacy RS11.65 miles9' 21.074.82 mph

Winners

SeasonDriverCo-driverCar
1963 Reg McBride Don BarrowAllardette
1964 Dave Friswell Keith BinnsMini Cooper S
1965 Tony Fall Dave FawcettMini Cooper S
1966 Dennis Easthorpe Dennis CraineFord Cortina GT
1967 Norman Harvey Terry VauxMini Cooper S
1968 John Huyton Bob CorrinFord Cortina GT
1969 Colin Malkin John DavenportHillman Imp
1970 Chris Sclater John DavenportFord Escort TC
1971 Roger Clark Henry LiddonFord Escort RS1600
1972 Roger Clark Jim PorterFord Escort RS1600
1973 Adrian Boyd John DavenportFord Escort RS1600
1974 Cahal Curley Austin FrazerPorsche
1975 Roger Clark Jim PorterFord Escort RS1800
1976 Ari Vatanen Peter BryantFord Escort RS1800
1977 Pentti Airikkala Risto VirtanenVauxhall Chevette HSR
1978 Tony Pond Fred GallagherTriumph TR7 V8
1979 Russell Brookes Paul WhiteFord Escort RS1800
1980 Tony Pond Fred GallagherTriumph TR7 V8
1981 Tony Pond Mike NicholsonVauxhall Chevette HSR
1982 Jimmy McRae Ian GrindrodOpel Ascona 400
1983 Henri Toivonen Fred GallagherOpel Manta 400
1984 Jimmy McRae Mike NicholsonOpel Manta 400
1985 Russell Brookes Mike BroadOpel Manta 400
1986 Tony Pond Rob ArthurMG Metro 6R4
1987 Jimmy McRae Ian GrindrodFord Sierra RS Cosworth
1988 Patrick Snijers Dany ColebundersBMW M3
1989 Russell Brookes Neil WilsonFord Sierra RS Cosworth
1990 Russell Brookes Neil WilsonFord Sierra RS Cosworth
1991 Colin McRae Derek RingerSubaru Legacy RS
1992 Colin McRae Derek RingerSubaru Legacy RS
1993 Richard Burns Robert ReidSubaru Legacy RS
1994 Malcolm Wilson Bryan ThomasFord Escort RS Cosworth
1995 Frank Meagher Michael MaherFord Escort RS Cosworth
1996 Armin Schwarz Denis GiraudetToyota Celica GT-Four ST205
1997 Martin Rowe Nicky BeechRenault Mégane Maxi
1998 Martin Rowe Derek RingerRenault Mégane Maxi
1999 Martin Rowe Derek RingerRenault Mégane Maxi
2000 Mark Higgins Bryan ThomasVauxhall Astra Kit Car
2001Cancelled due to the United Kingdom foot-and-mouth crisis.
2002 Mark Higgins Craig ThorleyToyota Corolla WRC
2003 Jonny Milner Nicky BeechToyota Corolla WRC
2004 Jonny Milner Nicky BeechSubaru Impreza WRC
2005 Mark Higgins Bryan ThomasFord Focus RS WRC 02
2006 Eugene Donnelly Paul KielyToyota Corolla WRC
2007 Eugene Donnelly Paul KielySubaru Impreza WRC
2008 Mark Higgins Rory KennedySubaru Impreza WRX STI
2009 Mark Higgins Bryan ThomasSubaru Impreza WRX STI
2010 Keith Cronin Barry McNultySubaru Impreza WRX STI
2011Cancelled
2012 Steven Quine Richard SkinnerMitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
2013 Arron Newby Rob FaggSubaru Impreza N11
2014 Nigel Cannell Michaela CannellMitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
2015 Steve Colley Andrew CowleyMitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
2016 Elfyn Evans Craig ParryFord Fiesta R5
2017 Keith Cronin Mikie GalvinFord Fiesta R5
2018–2023Not held

Multiple winners

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Manx International Rally – Roll of Honour . RallyBase . 24 November 2008.
  2. Rally Isle of Man Programme 2008 p7 Rally Isle of Man Ltd (2008)