- by Tom Collins
Rally of Lakes to start Focus Rally C'ship
21 March 2003: The Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship returns for its second year and the new and improved series will start with the International Rally of the Lakes based in Killarney on 3 and 4 May.
The 2003 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship boasts a variety of changes with all of the 2.0 litre Championship cars receiving new ECU and a 5 speed dog engagement gearbox and uprated driveshafts to harness the increased power. The Prize Fund is also increased to ¤25,000 and the eventual winner getting at test-drive in a WRC Ford Focus at M-Sport in Cumbria.
The 2003 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship sees the crews tackle seven events throughout the country starting in May and finishing in Cork in October. Each round of the series has been chosen to offer each competitor the opportunity to gain experience on a wide variety of surfaces and style of event. The Championship goal is to make the series the most successful training ground for future Rally Champions providing each competitor with a broad range of experience in a high tech, professional environment at an affordable cost.
“We are looking forward to this years competition which promises to be even more exciting than last year, when we witnessed real head to head competition with the battle for first place going down to the very last rally. With the improvements to the cars the coming season and the presence of new competitors it is going to be the championship to watch,” said Declan Foley, Brand Manager, Ford Ireland.
©2003 irishcar.com