Titanic dock stage for Circuit of Ireland

26th January 2012

By Giles Wade

Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally bosses will mark the event’s first appearance in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge this April with a superspecial stage in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter where the doomed vessel was launched 100 years ago.

The stage of approximately two kilometres in length will form the centrepiece of the asphalt rally, the third event of 13-round IRC season.

Event boss Bobby Willis, who played a pivotal role in the organisation of Rally Ireland’s stage in the grounds of Stormont Castle back in 2007, said: “The Titanic Super Special Stage will be a feast for motorsport fans and families alike with some of the world’s biggest rallying stars, including current IRC series champion, Norway’s Andreas Mikkelsen, thrilling crowds on a stage that will be built beneath grandstands yards from where the Titanic was launched. The slippery surface of this stage will really test the competitors making it incredibly exciting for both drivers and spectators alike.”

Northern Ireland’s Tourist Board has contributed £70,000 to the event and the country’s First Minister, Peter Robinson, said: “With the addition of the IRC, this event will not only bring in crowds in their thousands to Northern Ireland, showcasing our tourism product and contributing to the development of the economy but will also show Northern Ireland to around 10 million people via Eurosport.”

Based in Armagh south west of Belfast, rally will feature five stages on the evening of Friday April 6 and a further nine on Saturday April 7, including two runs through a stage in Lisburn town centre.