The Kerry Winter Rally’s inclusion in the An Turas Mór: Homecoming Kerry Diaspora Festival went way beyond expectations set by organisers Kerry Motor Club.
The idea behind the festival was to get Kerry people living all over the world to come for a range of sporting, cultural and business events and Kerry Motor Club officials set about promoting Sunday’s overseas.
The London-based motor club sent over three cars for the 140-car event and they included Wembley-based Galway man Sean Walsh who drives a Ford Fiesta and the Hillard family from Listowel who are now based north of London.
Dad Ray drove his ford Escort Mk1 on the event while his two sons, Ross and Joey, shared a Honda Civic.
There was big Welsh entry in the rally too with Sebastien Ling and Aled Ress the highest placed overseas crew and they also won the historic section of the rally in their Ford Escort. Wayne Evans and his Cork co-driver Anthony O’Sullivan were second in the same category.
Evans is son of former double Circuit of Kerry winner, Gwyndaf, who was also in Tralee over the weekend supporting his son.
Ian Davies and Gwynfor Jones finished second in their class in a BMW M3.
Galwegian Martin Brady works for a race car firm in Indianapolis in the USA, He was home to co-drive alongside Ross Forde in another Escort.
Limerickman Ian Roche runs a construction firm in Nigeria. He came home especially for the event and finished tenth overall in his Subaru Impreza WRC.
Father and son Dippies and Wilro Dippenaar were in Kerry as guests of Killarney’s Kevin and Colin O’Donoghue and Jack Kelleher. The O’Donoghue family were competing in the event.
Wilro competes in rallies in both his home country and on South African events in a Ford Fiesta S2000. This is their first trip to Ireland for any reason, not to mind to a rally.
Aside from the overseas interest in the event, the rally attracted entries from almost every county in Ireland.
The rally was won by Monaghan’s Richard Moffett and his Kerry co-driver Ger Conway.
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