Ballyvaughan Co Clare, with its stunning views of Galway Bay is a Mecca for tourists who come to marvel at the stunning beauty of the Burren.
However, on the 14th & 15th of April the disciples of speed will converge on Ballyvaughan to worship at the High Altars of Corkscrew, & Ballyallaban Hills. We are of course talking about rounds 3&4 of the Connaught Competition Engines Irish Hillclimb and Sprint Championship.
Already rounds 1 & 2 have thrown up a few surprises, Ballyvaughan driver Sylvie Mullins in his stunningly quick Gould took victory both days at the opening rounds of the championship in Wexford. Current Champion Simon McKinley kept up the pressure both days on Sylvie, but had to settle for two second places. The Jedi master John Byrne took third on day one. And former champion Paul O’Connell took third place on day two.
Ballyvaughan will be a real Clash of the Titans, current champion Simon McKinley will be eager to settle the score after Wexford as he goes after a third 
championship Title. But local man Sylvie Mullins in his Judd Gould will be planning to continue where he left off in Wexford, and add two more wins to his campaign.
On Saturday the 14th the crews will tackle the Corkscrew, although The Corkscrew is much shorter than Ballyallaban, it’s a far more technical hill, demanding total concentration from start to finish, the hairpin bends are deceptively tricky, and drivers need to be precise all the way.
Last year Sylvie Mullins set a time of 48:39sec, his pace stunned spectators and competitors alike. One spectator remarked, “It was a technical flawless demonstration of high speed driving” But right behind him will be current champion Simon McKinley; Spectacular to watch in action, Simon will be eager to settle the score, and take his first win of the year.
Mid-hill on Corkscrew is the best place to spectate; here you can watch the cars progress through the hairpin bends. And with the single seaters, you can actually see the drivers at work, and there is also that glorious sound that drifts up the Hill from the start line as the cars blast off.
Day Two Ballyallaban Hill:
On day two the crews face the daunting Ballyallaban Hill; All along the 2.2 miles of Ballyallaban the battle scars are evident everywhere you look; Drivers who pushed that bit too far, or ran out of luck/road; only to be stopped by the Granite Guardians of the Burren.
But its not only the walls the drivers need worry about, sheer drops of 30ft or more into the Burren await them just beyond those walls. Jagged rocks resembling sharks teeth stick out through the Tarmac, and can easily puncture a tyre at high speed. Its also one of the few hills where single seaters get airborne over the very bumpy and abrasive surface, a sight that has to be seen to be believed.
Simon McKinley holds the record for the Hill, last year he set a heart stopping time of 93:56sec in a remarkable display of skill and bravery. As I’ve said before, Simon appears to be able to bend the laws of Physics at will; he is a spectacular driver to watch.
Watch out for Rory Stephens in his Fab looking Racial, this fire spitting monster devours Tarmac at a frightening pace. At the hands of Rory, the Radical appears to glide round the tightest of corners easily at high speeds.
Another silky smooth driver is former champion Paul O’Connell, Paul, a hard charger, is another of the fast drivers that make spectators step back that extra inch as he approaches at speed. Frightenly late on the breaks his cornering speeds are scary.
John Byrne and his Jedi are a deceptively quick combination, John finished second in the championship to Simon McKinley last year, a testament to his skill behind the wheel.
One thing for sure, if you miss this event, you’ll have missed one of the finest rounds of the championship, so why not join us on the Hills. And watch some of the fastest machines in Ireland in action on the 14th-15th of April in Ballyvaughan