Peespeed Photography: 2015-03-08

The TDC Irish Classic Retro returns after a 4 year gap on April 24th. With Michaels Jackson & Gabbatt acting as Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Course repectively and Fred Bent masterminding the route an interesting and busy weekend lays ahead of the 70 crews entered.

A total of fourteen regularities, twenty four special tests and one night navigation section will be incorporated in a route which will cover seven counties. With the base for the weekend being in Kilkenny the competing crews will also travel through counties Carlow, Wexford, Wicklow, Kildare, Laois and Tipperary as they tackle the event.

Gowran Park

Who will be No1 at the end of the weekend

Friday afternoon will see the competing cars put through scrutiny at Gowran Park Racecourse with documentation and sign on also taking place at the County Kilkenny racecourse. Once all the formalities are over the crews will tackle 4 tests at various locations in the complex. It is hoped that these tests may be run simultaneously with competitors divided in to groups. After a short break the tests will be repeated before a supper halt in the Gowran Restaurant. The first of the weekends regularities starts after the Supper Halt followed by a test combining some of the tests from earlier in the evening with a second regularity bringing the crews into Kilkenny and the over night stay at the New Park Hotel.

South Leinster Way on Mount Leinster

Via duct on way into Borris

Saturday morning sees the crews make a short trip to Dunbell just North of Kilkenny City for the first of the days seven tests. Following the opening test is a short regularity near Goresbridge to get both crew members tuned in for the day ahead. The second of the days tests takes place near Fenagh in Co. Carlow and is then followed by a regularity which will include parts of the South Leinster Way and finishes close to Borris. A coffee halt at Borris House precedes a "lash" through the grounds of the ancestral home of the MacMorrough Kavanaghs, High Kings of Leinster

Borris House

On "The Lash" at Borris House

The third regularity of the day brings the crews east of the Blackstairs Mountains to the village of Clonegal on the border of Carlow and Wexford. Here the crews will be treated to lunch at Huntington Castle, the ancient seat of the Esmonde family. A short test will follow lunch and then two regularities bringing crews from Carlow into Wicklow and finishing near Tinahely. Following the quick coffee stop is a short test and then the sixth regularity which follows a route from Tinahely to Rathvilly and ends near an old favourite of previous TDC Classic Retro Trials, Lisnavagh House

Huntington Castle

A short test in the yard at Lisnavagh is followed by two more regularities and a test near Grangecon, the second of the regularities finishing at the Supper halt in Crookstown, Co. Kildare. Once crews have refuelled themselves and tended to their cars they then tackle the night section of the event which will consist of two regularities and a Night Navigation. As a memorial to the late Vincent Fagan, "The Vin", there will be a special award for the winner of the Night Nav section of the event

"The Vin" in action on the 2008 TDC Classic Retro

The night section sees the route travel from Crookstown via previously used areas near Maganey, Kilkea and Levistown then West of Carlow town and back into Co. Kilkenny and the finish of the day at the New Park Hotel.

Sundays restart sees the event head South via Callan for a number of tests before continuing to Co. Tipperary for some regularities near Corragaun and Ninemilehouse. The second of these regularities finishing at Grove just outside Fethard.

Slievenamon near Ninemilehouse, Co. Tipperary

Sundays lunch halt will be at McCarthys Bar in Fethard and will give crews a chance to recharge their batteries before the return leg to Kilkenny. The route back to the finish takes in two regularities, one to the North of Fethard and the other running near Ahenny and back into Co. Kilkenny with tests near Fethard, Parsons Hill and the finale at Ballytobin.
Once clear of the final test the finishers then make their way to a finish ceremony at Kilkenny Castle before heading back to the HQ at The New Park for the prize giving ceremony.