The Sligo Park Hotel welcomed nearly 300 guests along with some class winning cars and Sligo Pallets Border wrapped Skoda RS supplied by APART Rally Team. Volunteers, competitors and their supporters travelled from across the country for the 15th Sligo Pallets Border Rally Awards Night a highlight of the motorsport calendar.
As like every year there was a strong number of awards winners with Donegal connections collecting prizes and after another year of super rallying starting with a very wet Mayo Stages Rally in March 1st, then onto Birr and Monaghan before jumping across the border to Cookstown in June followed by a trip to Clare, back to Galway and finishing with the Harvest Rally in Donegal where most of the class battles were decided in the muddy slippy finisher of the season in based Burt.
After the meal and speeches were delivered by Breda Reilly representing the Border Rally Championship Committee praising both competitors, organisers, volunteers and other stakeholders for their continued support go the Border Championship.
Andrew Mullen, MD of Sligo Pallets, Main Championship sponsor recognised the huge work by the Border Championship Committee lead by Brendan Flynn another Donegal native!!..and all involved throughout the year behind the scenes. He also gave details of this years awards fundraiser with injured ERC Navigator Liam Regan and a terminally ill little girl who shared the €7,380 raised on the night from a raffle collection and a auction of some Toyota WRC Merch kindly donated by Aaron Johnston Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC Navigator.
President Aiden Harper concluded the speeches by recognising Sligo Pallets long association with the championship and Irish motorsport.
There was a large Donegal interest in many of the competition classes:
Class 5: the Rally 2 cars with Kevin Eves & Chris Melly 2nd in class
Class 11 R: Trentagh’s Adrain Rankin won class 11R as driver in his Toyota Twin Cam with a few different navigators throughout the year.
Class 12: Kilmacrennan’s Danny O Donnell in his Lennon Logistics Ford Escort won the class alongside navigator Cathair Hughes. Danny also won this years Brian McGrath award.
Class 13: Glen’s Barry Mc Laughlin and co driver Barry Mc Bride won overall in there class 13 Kelly Motorsport Mk1 Escort with Barry delighted to be on stage to collect his prize.
Class 20: Oisin Joyce was the wining navigator sitting along side Gareth Deazley in his EVO.
Class 16: Patrick Doherty 1st in Junior class prize alongside navigator Patrick Mc Hugh. Kyle Mc Hugh and Mike O Boyle taking 2nd place.
The Danny Caddye Award, founding member of the Border Championship was presented by his son Aidan Caddye and this was delivered to the woman competitors of this year’s championship.
Milford’s Daniel Conaghan, CBM Signs Bernard Gallagher and Aidan Caddye were presented an Appreciation Award by Motorsport Ireland President Aiden Harper for there contribution to the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship over the years.
The night lasted long into the small hours of the morning as is the usual conclusion to the rally season for the winners and supporters of this years Sligo Pallets Border Championship.
