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Rallying, like any form of motorsport, is expensive. That's just the nature of the beast, but a new junior championship is aiming to cut costs for young competitors, while also providing a more level playing field.
The Southern 4 Rally Championship has been running for quite a few years now and has proven to be one of the most clubman-friendly championships in Ireland. With PlasticBags.ie continuing its title sponsorship, the organising committee has come up with a new youth-oriented class for the 2017 season.
Entitled the Junior Trophy and running concurrently within the normal Junior class, its technical regulations are intended to keep build and running costs in check. The concept of junior rallying has been around for over a decade now, and while cars are still restricted to normally-aspirated engines with a maximum displacement of 1.65 litres and two-wheel drive, a technology race has resulted in Honda Civics and Ford Escorts running sequential gearboxes and engines worth more than some competitors' entire cars...
To that end, the Junior Trophy rules stipulate that engines must use their standard inlet and exhaust manifolds, special gearboxes are banned, suspension mounting points must be as per original and carbon fibre or Kevlar body panels are disallowed unless featured as standard equipment on the base car.
The usual safety regulations still apply, while certain suspension components such as shock absorbers and springs can be upgraded, along with the braking system. Gear and final drive ratios can also be altered, and the fitment of a limited-slip differential is permitted.
The championship's seven rounds include famous events such as the Rally of the Lakes and the Fastnet Rally, and the action kicks off in Clonakilty in mid-March at the West Cork Rally.
A competitor's best four out of seven scores will count and the winning prize is free entry to all Southern 4 Rally Championship junior events for 2018, with a €400 tyre voucher and a professional suspension set-up included. There are also prizes for second and third-placed championship contenders, while a 'Drive of the Event' award is up for grabs at each individual rally.
For more information, event dates and how to enter, search for Southern 4 Rally Championship on Facebook and Twitter.