HERO's new
Irish Trial and Tour
Day 1 - Dublin to Cork
A cold, crisp morning greeted Chris & Connie Podger, first off in the 'Green Car', as the inaugural HERO Irish Trial & Tour was flagged off by Rosemary Smith outside the Citywest Hotel, Dublin, sending them on their way to the first competitive Test at Ireland's premier race circuit, Mondello Park.
The route then took competitors deep into the scenic Wicklow Mountains for a run which included part of the infamous Sally Gap rally special stage before descending into Glendalough, one of Ireland's most famous historic sites. Lunch saw crews at Kilfane after their first Regularity Section of the day, which comprised of fast roads curving up and down the mountain side. The section followed one of the most exciting stages from the great days of the Circuit of Ireland before climbing to cross the shoulder of Mount Leinster to take in the spectacular views (cloud permitting!).
A Test at Kiltorcan Raceway preceded the first Observed Regularity Section of the Day, before another Regularity across the Comeragh Mountains led the Rally closer to the end of the first day. Another Observed Regularity Section completed the competitive elements as the cars wound their way down beneath the walls of Lismore Castle, and onwards to the finish at Old Midleton Distillery.
The usual suspects topped the leaderboard after a tough introduction to Ireland. Jayne & Paul Wignall, in their beautifully prepared Sunbeam Tiger taking the early honours by losing a mere 31 penalty marks, with Geoff Stewart & Peter Murray the next in line with only 63 marks.
Despite the challenges of the day, smiling faces were two-a-penny in the bar….and not just because of the Guinness.