irishcar.com

13 May 2002: The 90th anniversary rally to commemorate the Gordon Bennet Race will be based this year in Killashee House Hotel near Naas. The original race was in France in 1902, and was transferred to Ireland the following year.

This year's commemorative event will provide spectators an opportunity to see veteran and vintage cars dating back as far as 1889. The rally, which is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, will include up to 140 cars and will travel through Dublin, Kildare and Offaly on the 7th, 8th and 9th June 2002. The route will be approximately 160 kilometres/100 miles long and will consist of a mixture of free driving and timed sections.

Among the 140 participants will be Johnny Thomas of Wales in his famous Napier – the car that won the 1902 Gordon Bennett race in France. Also re-enacting the 1903 race will be Reg Plunkett with his 1899 Sperry Electric Car, Osmond Bennett in his 1901 De Dion Bouton and a 1928 Opel 8/40 PS brought over from Germany by Rudolph Goetz."

Matt Fagan (right), Chief Executive of Mercedes-Benz in Ireland, said that the Gordon Bennett International Rally is a particularly appropriate sponsorship for Mercedes-Benz. "The event brought world fame to the winning marque, Mercedes of Germany," he says. "In 1903 Camille Jenatzy won the Gordon Bennett Trophy race in Ireland driving a Mercedes and the following year there were further successes with more and more racing models developed. We are delighted to link our name with this long established event."

Last year’s rally was cancelled due to Foot & Mouth disease. This year, the event begins on Friday 7th Junewith a 2.30pm departure from the Mercedes-Benz Customer Centre, Naas Road for the drive to Killashee House Hotel. On Saturday 8th June the participants will drive to the Tullamore Court Hotel, Co Offaly, for lunch. A banquet at the rally base that night will be followed followed by prize giving.

On the Sunday morning there will be a round trip drive to The Moat of Ardscull near Athy, where there's a commemorative stone for the original race.