Hogan Motors, Main Hyundai dealers in Galway will sponsor Galway Bay FM's coverage of the Safety Direct Galway International Rally this weekend.

Galway Bay Fm will carry regular updates on 95.8 & 96.8 fm throughout the event. Galway Motor Club is delighted to confirm that there is a capacity entry of 115 teams for this year’s Safety Direct Galway International Rally.  The event is the first in Galway to support “The Gathering 2013” initiative bringing a welcome early season boost to visitor numbers to Galway city and county. It is expected to generate over 2,000 bed nights.

Victor Farrell, Clerk of the Course, said “Galway Motor Club is indebted to the staff of Galway County and City Councils, An Garda Siochana, Failte Ireland, the Road Safety Authority, the Directors and staff of Safety Direct, the 300 volunteer marshals from all over Ireland, and most of all the residents of the route in the east of the county for their assistance with temporary road closures to ensure the safe running of the event.”

The event will have a Ceremonial Start in Eyre Square on Saturday 2nd February at 8pm, following afternoon scrutineering of cars at MotorPark, Terryland, from 2pm. These are ideal opportunities to see the rally cars and drivers prior to the start of the competition.
Headquarters for the event is the Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, Galway. The rally route will cover 8 closed road stages in East Galway, on Sunday 3rd February. The rally Service Park will be in Ballinasloe Mart grounds that day.  Sunday evening will see the Ceremonial Finish, in Ballinasloe town centre at 5pm. Admission to all events is free over the weekend.

Rally Programmes:
The Official Rally Programme contains full listings of stage times, service area times, detailed Ordnance Survey Route Maps and all of the information required to locate the many spectator access points. The programme costs €10 and is available from Safety Direct at Riverside Commercial Estate, Tuam Road, Galway, the Clayton Hotel and from filling stations, newsagents and outlets in the city and county listed on the rally website, www.galwayinternationalrally.com

For 2013 rally enthusiasts worldwide will benefit from extensive media coverage of the event. County Galway based TG4 ,which provides “free to air” terrestrial TV nationally will broadcast two 30 minute programmes devoted to the event during February,  while Motors TV will have a one hour programme on its Satellite Channel, available across Europe, on Friday 22nd February at 9pm. For 2013 the organisers have arranged facilities for the ever increasing number of on-line rally followers, with regular video uploads to be provided from the start, live interviews and action from the stages during the event. In another “first” for the rally, the progress of the event will be covered on the smart phone App “iRally”, and on their website. Locally the event will receive extensive coverage from the Galway Bay FM sports and news teams on Sunday.

Top seeds are last year’s winners and 2012 Tarmac Rally Champions, Darren Gass from Armagh, and co –driver Enda Sherry. He will be followed off the start ramp by Derek McGarrity from Belfast, triple British Rally Champion Keith Cronin from Cork and Garry Jennings from Enniskillen. The highest seeded local crews are JJ Fleming from Salthill in his Ford Focus World Rally Car, co-driven by Robbie Ward from Loughrea at number 8, Tom Flaherty from Circular Road at 12 in his Escort Mk2 and Eamon Dervan from Loughrea at 18 also in an Escort, and Neil Pierce from Loughrea in a Honda at number 22.

Galway Entries in the Historic Car section include Ray Cunningham from Carnmore in a Mini Cooper, James Power from Loughrea in an Escort Mk1 and Pat Neville from Taylors Hill in a Volvo 142. The Galway competitors will be competing for the prestigious Brian Thornton Memorial Cup.

Safety Direct Galway International Rally Timetable:

Saturday 2nd February  2pm :   Scrutiny at Motorpark, Terryland.
Saturday 2nd February  8pm :  Ceremonial Start in Eyre Square.
Sunday 3rd February  9am :  8 Special Stages in East Galway.
Sunday 3rd February  5pm:  Finish in Ballinasloe Town Centre.
Sunday 3rd February  7pm :  Prizegiving at Clayton Hotel, Galway.

There are 115 entrants, the Top 10 seeds being:
Car Driver Navigator Address Make/Model
1 Darren Gass Enda Sherry Armagh Subaru Impreza S10
2 Derek McGarrity James McKee Belfast Subaru Impreza S14
3 Keith Cronin TBA Cork Subaru Impreza S11
4 Gary Jennings Neil Doherty Enniskillen Subaru S12B
5 Thomas Fitzmaurice Fionn Foley Tralee Subaru S12B
6 Donagh Kelly Kevin Flanagan Donegal Subaru Impreza S11
7 Declan Boyle Brian Boyle Donegal Subaru S12B
8 John Joe Fleming Robbie Ward Galway Ford Focus WRC