Killarney motorsport ace Paul Nagle has secured a rally helmet signed by WRC stars for the Déjà vu Tralee charity auction next weekend.
An offer of €15,000 is already on the table so his chosen beneficiaries, Recovery Haven and Fossa GAA Club, are in for a windfall.
The World Rally Championship star, from Aghadoe, organised the fundraiser to coincide with the staging of the much-anticipated Déjà vu Tralee charity road run on Saturday.
Signatories include multiple world champions like Sebastien Loeb, Sebastien Ogier and Carlos Saina while Irish world championship heroes Kris Meeke and Craig Breen have also added their names to the Hyundai helmet. In total, over 20 current or former world championship drivers have autographed the specialist headgear.
Over 160 cars from the 1950s up the present day will take part in the 180km run along the Dingle Peninsula on Saturday.
After a ceremonial start on The Mall in Tralee at 9am, the drivers will head west and visit some of the most historical motorsport locations in the county.
Venues include Ballyfinnane, the scene of the 1903 hillclimb won by Charles Rolls of Rolls-Royce fame and the old Circuit of Kerry and Circuit of Ireland stages like Slea Head and Conor Pass.
Drivers confirmed include WRC star Kris Meeke, multiple Belgian rally champion Patrick Snijers and 1974 Circuit of Ireland Rally winner Cahal Curley.
There will be plenty of local drivers taking part too, including former Circuit of Kerry winner Thomas Fitzmaurice who will drive the same Subaru Impreza he steered to victory 10 years ago.
The event is part of Kerry Motor Club’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration and the road run is also raising funds for Tralee-based charity Recovery Haven.
As well as the road event, a gala dinner will take place in the Rose Hotel in Tralee on Saturday night and that is where the charity auction will take place, with most of the attention expected to focus on the helmet donated by Nagle.
The Killarney navigator has just returned from Rally de Portugal where he was competing for the M-Sport World Rally Team alongside Craig Breen.
“I already have a very good offer on the helmet of €15,000 which will go to Recovery Haven Kerry,” he said.
“Anything more and I would like to give to Fossa GAA club. They are building dressing rooms for their female footballers and my two kids have just started to play with the club,” said Paul.
“This is giving something from rallying back to the community., I have been very privileged to do what I do, and this is something for two local organisations that deserve support.”
Bidding on the helmet will take place during the gala dinner but telephone bids and silent bids are also welcome.
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