Billy Cavanagh Memorial two-day grass autocross returns to Cloughjordan
Birr & District Motor Club's flagship autocross weekend is back, with the Billy Cavanagh Memorial Two-Day Grass Autocross taking place on Saturday and Sunday next, August 29 and 30, at Knockanacree, Cloughjordan, Tipperary, by kind permission of Jim Casey and Alan King.
Both days are counting rounds of the Shannon Trophies National Grass Surface Autocross Championship, so a strong entry from all over the country is expected as crews chase championship points on one of the most popular grass events on the calendar.
Last year's weekend at the same venue produced two different winners — Aidan Whyte taking Saturday honours in his Kawasaki-engined special and James O'Keefe winning Sunday in his Semog Bravo buggy — and with the title race heating up again, more close competition is in store.
The event honours the late Billy Cavanagh, a Birr & District Motor Club member and six-time National Grass Surface Autocross Champion between 1978 and 1983.
The Billy Cavanagh Memorial Trophy goes to the overall winner of the weekend, and the Cavanagh family connection with the sport remains as strong as ever, with a third generation of the family now competing and marshalling at autocross events around the country.
Club silverware is also up for grabs in the shape of the Tom O'Reilly Memorial Cup, awarded to the highest-placed club member in a two-wheel-drive saloon.
Spectators can expect plenty of variety on track, from standard saloons and sports cars up to super saloons and four-wheel-drive machinery, along with the spectacular car-engined and motorcycle-engined specials and buggies.
The format is simple: each competitor gets four timed runs of three laps, with their best time from runs one and two added to their best from runs three and four to decide the results. There is a strong junior element too — classes cater for young drivers from as young as 12 in the J1000 and junior categories, making the weekend a great showcase of the pathway from junior to national level.
The course will be laid out by Clerk of the Course Willie Percy and his team, with practice getting underway at 11.30am on Saturday ahead of timed runs at 12 noon, and an earlier start on Sunday with practice at 10am and timed runs from 10.30am. Live timing and results will be available all weekend on stopastride.live.
Clerk of the Course Willie Percy said: "The Billy Cavanagh Memorial is always a special weekend for the club, and we're delighted to be back at Knockanacree thanks to Jim Casey and Alan King. With both days counting for the Shannon Trophies National Championship we're expecting a great entry, and we'd encourage anyone curious about the sport to come along and see what grass autocross is all about."
Entries are open to all holders of a current competition licence and close on Wednesday 26th August.
Entry enquiries can be made to birrmotorclub@gmail.com or 087 6877614, and the full regulations are available on birrmotorclub.com.
For updates in the run-up to the event, follow Birr & District Motor Club on Facebook and Instagram.