Simon McKinley

Well… what a way to finish off the Hillclimb season, the Hillclimb Masters was an event of epic proportions. Side-by-side on the grid the top drivers lined up; from Italy, from Austria, from Switzerland and Ireland of course too.

Drivers like Simone Faggioli of Italy a multi European Hillclimb champion, Nicolas & Geoffrey Schatz of France, Eric Berguerand of Switzerland, to name but a few.

So how did our guys fair? Well… pretty dam good! Team Ireland finished in sixth position in the Nations Cup, when you consider the machinery of the opposition that’s an incredible result.

We have just started upload some of the action from the event and I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Our sincere thanks to all the Marshals, and especially Patrick Weber for all his help…

 Results Here:

So the hills are over for another year, but don’t forget the Big Bash in Carlow on November the 1^st in the Seven Oaks Hotel. Contact Paul Doyle on 086-0262015 or Ken Treacy on 087 6854587 for tickets.

A big Thank you to Denis Hogan of www.irishhillclimbs.com for the help and support throughout the year.

Team Ireland

Robert Dwane Falcon Mini

Nicolas Schatz Norma M20FC-BMW

Next Saturday and Sunday week will see Team Ireland go
head-to-head against Europe’s top drivers in the inaugural running of the FIA Hillclimb Masters. Over the last few weeks the drivers have been busy stripping and rebuilding their cars to maximise their performance.

There are now six drivers representing Ireland at this prestigious event which includes Robert Dwane the winner of Class 3A and the fastest junior driver. Robert is a very talented driver and he will be driving his Mini Falcon.

Motorsport Ireland has appointed Tommy Murphy the chairman of the Hillclimb and sprint committee as captain of Team Ireland and he has selected Simon McKinley, Deirdre McKinley, Rory Stephens and Eanna Carroll to contest the Nations Cup.

Ireland will be up against drivers like the French champion Nicolas Schatz; Nicolas will be driving a Norma M20FC-BMW and his brother Geoffrey will also be competing in his Reynard 95D-Mugen.

IRISH ENTRY:

Tommy Murphy: Team Captain

Simon McKinley Lant RT2

Deirdre McKinley Reynard

Rory Stephens Radical SR8

Eanna Carroll Honda Civic Turbo.

Joe Courtney Fiat Cinquecento

Just reading the entry list for the event is a jaw-dropping exercise. This event will host the very best drivers and some of the most powerful machinery currently competing on the hills of Europe. 

ENTRY LIST: Courtesy Patrick Weber

From all of us here we wish Team Ireland the very best of
luck.

EVENT LINKS

www.irishhillclimb.com for more
information about the Irish championship.

European Hill Race Eschdorf – Lux Facebook Page by Patrick Weber

Eschdorf – Fia HillClimb Masters 2014 FaceBook Page

Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)

Team Ireland

Pictured above is five out of a possible team of seven Irish drivers who will be departing in October to Eschdorf, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to take part in the FIA Hillclimb Masters.

From left to right: Joe Courtney Barnaderg Co Galway, Rory Stephens Dublin, Deirdre McKinley Naul Co Dublin, Irish Hillclimb champion Simon McKinley Naul Co Dublin and Eanna Carroll Loughrea Co Galway. Photo Taken at Knockalla Hill Co Donegal.

The event takes place on the 11th – 12th of October and it will feature some of the fastest drivers in Europe and their amazing Hillclimb cars. The star of team Ireland  has to be the spectacular Simon McKinley, Simon is the current Irish Hillclimb & Sprint champion and multiple record holder. McKinley’s driving style is simply awe inspiring; it’s as if the laws of physics do not apply to Simon. He is one of Ireland’s most stunning drivers to watch in action.

Ireland too may well be the only team with a husband and wife competing; Deirdre McKinley has notched up numerous class wins in the championship, and is one very quick lady in her Reynard.

Rory Stephens will compete in his outrageously good looking BurnFree Radical SR8; Rory is another exceptionally quick driver. He makes driving at speed deceptively easy looking as he effortlessly glides his fire breathing monster through the tightest of corners.

Joe Courtney from Barnaderg Co Galway will be driving his Fiat Cinquecento; Joe took the title for this one make championship after a tense battle over the final rounds in Donegal this weekend gone. And he is looking forward to the challenge of driving in Eschdorf.

Eanna Carroll from Loughrea Co Galway will drive his very powerful Turbo Honda Civic; this is a proper scary fast car that has earned him numerous class wins in Ireland and in France too.

I almost forgot our youngest team member baby Rory McKinley, baby Rory is the newest edition to the Irish Hillclimb & Sprint family and perhaps a future champion like his dad Simon.

We wish Team Ireland the very best of luck for the event.

www.irishhillclimb.com for more information about the Irish championship.

European Hill Race Eschdorf – Lux Facebook Page by Patrick Weber

Eschdorf – Fia Hill Climb Masters 2014 FaceBook Page

Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)

Irish Hillclimb Champion Simon McKinley

Ian Quinn

I have updated the action from Knockalla; and again I want to thank Danny and all of the Marshals for a wonderful weekend of motorsport.
There was so many people coming and going out of closets all weekend it got very confusing, but…well, it was a wonderful weekend of fun!

This year has had its Hi & lo’s; we were all devastated by the sudden and untimely loss of our dear friend and competitor Ian Quinn, Ian has left a void that will never be filled.

To our friends in St Gouéno and La Harmoye France we thank you again for the hospitality and friendship extended to us. We will be with you again in 2015.

We wish the very best of luck to Simon, Deirdre, Rory, Joe and Eanna as they prepare to head to the FIA Hill Climb Masters in Eschdorf Luxembourg in a few weeks time. I know you guys will do us, and Ireland proud. We wish you a safe journey, and as we say over here ‘Keep her Lit’.

Finally I would like to thank all of the Marshals; without you these events would not be possible, and your hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated. We look forward to seeing you all in 2015.

Event Pictures:

Action from Course de Côte de La Harmoye is now online.

Our sincere thanks to Jean-Chrisophe Henry and the folks in La Harmoye for hospitality extended to us.

Click for pictures.

Action from Limerick is now online…

Well we are back…!

So I have been sat here staring at the keyboard trying to collate all the info on this epic trip; tell it like it is I thought!  But you know what? Nobody would believe it and so for a true honest reflection of the events of St Gouéno 2014 have a look at the Pictures..!

Our sincere Thanks to  John Lloyd, Anne Lessard and Olivier Henry and all the Saint Gouéno marshals and crew for another wonderful week/end of action…

Pictures are in the Gallery, more to come…..