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.
 | |
|---|---|
| Rally Isle of Man | |
| Country | Isle of Man |
| Date | |
| Type | Stage 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 Event | 1963 Manx Trophy Rally |
| Number of events | 50 (2014) |
| First winner | Reg McBride/Don Barrow (1963) |
| Most wins | Mark Higgins 5 (1989–2009) |
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
editRally 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
edit| Name | Route | Year | Driver | Type | Length | Time | Average speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balley Cashtal | Castletown | 2006 |  Andreas Mikkelsen
|
Ford Focus RS WRC 05 | 1.26 miles | 1' 17.00 | 58.90 mph |
| Castle Rushen | Castletown - Balladoole - Poyll Vaaish - Strandhall - Kentraugh Mill | 2016 |  Desi Henry
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 5.08 miles | 4' 19.9 | 70.36 mph |
| Classic | Ballaugh Glen – Druidale – Brandywell Cottage – Injebreck – Baldwin Valley – TT Grandstand | 2008 |  Eamonn Boland
|
Subaru Impreza WRC S12 | 13.27 miles | 11' 30.5 | 71.16 mph |
| Cringle | Ballabeg – Round Table – Glen Rushen Mines – St. Johns | 2004 |  Mark Higgins
|
Škoda Octavia WRC | 13.66 miles | 11' 06.2 | 74.73 mph |
| Glascoe | Dog Mills – Andreas – Jurby East – Sandygate – St. Judes | 2009 | Keith Cronin
|
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo | 12.47 miles | 10' 08.8 | 73.74 mph |
| Glen Roy | Begoade Road – Conrhenny – 5½ Mile Corner – Social Cottage – Baldhoon | 2007 | Andreas Mikkelsen
|
Ford Focus RS WRC 05 | 4.66 miles | 4' 10.7 | 66.91 mph |
| Kella | West Kella – The Curraghs – Ballaugh Cronk – Orrisdale | 2007 | Andreas Mikkelsen
|
Ford Focus RS WRC 05 | 11.21 miles | 9' 23.1 | 71.66 mph |
| Marine | Douglas Head – Port Soderick – Crogga – Santon | 2008 | Eamonn Boland
|
Subaru Impreza WRC S12 | 3.30 miles | 4' 23.8 | 66.09 mph |
| Maughold | Hibernia – Ballajora – Slieau Lewaigue | 1991 |  François Chatriot
|
Subaru Legacy RS | 3.30 miles | 2' 50.0 | 66.33 mph |
| Newtown (Milerisk) | Santon – The Braaid – Foxdale – Loobs Road – St. Marks – The Gate | 2006 |  Tapio Laukkanen
|
Renault Mégane Maxi | 21.38 miles | 17' 20.00 | 74.28 mph |
| Ravensdale | Druidale – Brandywell Cottage – Sartfield Hairpin – Little London | 1989 | Jimmy McRae
|
Ford Escort RS Cosworth | 7.14 miles | 6' 08.0 | 68.08 mph |
| Sand Quarry | German Parish: Ballagyr – (Loop Section; Lynague – Ballakaighen – Staarvey – The Kew – East Lhergydoo) – Ballagyr Lane | 2017 |  Fredrik Ahlin
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 13.23 miles | 10' 37.8 | 74.74 mph |
| Staarvey | German Parish: Stockfield – Lynague – Ballagyr – East Lhergydhoo – Staarvey Road – Ballakaighen | 2009 | Mark Higgins
|
Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 7.22 miles | 6' 12.0 | 68.97 mph |
| Tholt-e-Will | Sulby Claddaghs – Sulby Glen – Tholt-e-Will Glen | 1999 | Martin Rowe
|
Renault Mégane Maxi | 4.14 miles | 3' 36.3 | 68.97 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 Breen
|
Citroën DS3 R5 | 0.90 miles | 1' 02.8 | 51.62 mph |
| West Baldwin | Little London – Brandywell Cottage – Injebreck – Ballaoates – Abbeylands – Cronk-ny-Mona | 1992 | Colin McRae
|
Subaru Legacy RS | 11.65 miles | 9' 21.0 | 74.82 mph |
Winners
edit
Multiple winners
edit| Wins | Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| 17 | Ford
|
| 9 |  Subaru
|
| 4 |  Opel
|
| Toyota
| |
| 3 | Mini
|
| Mitsubishi
| |
| Vauxhall
| |
| Renault
| |
| 2 | Triumph
|
References
edit- ^ "Manx International Rally – Roll of Honour". RallyBase. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
- ^ Rally Isle of Man Programme 2008 p7 Rally Isle of Man Ltd (2008)
- ^ 2009 Media Guide page 48 Rally Of Man 2009
- ^ Live Rally Results Tynemouth Computer Services