Irish rallying has been thrown into turmoil with the mass resignation of the Motorsport Ireland Rallies committee
An incident at the end of the Donegal International Rally where a member of the technical advisory group of scrutineers allegedly accused Gareth McHale, of an illegal fuel stop on his way to winning the event, is the spark that has ignited the resignations from the powerful committees that oversees the running of the Tarmac, National and Forestry championships in Ireland.
McHale was awarded the win but the judge did not present the evidence to the stewards on the day.
The removal of that judge from the Technical Advisory Group was requested as a result but not acted upon and now the move of Motorsport Ireland President John Naylor to take a seat on the rallies committee next year, has also met with a measure of dissatisfaction from those involved in the sport.
The Irish Tarmac Rally Organising Association and the Donegal club are backing the rallies committee but Naylor has said that as far as Motorsport Ireland are concerned, the Rallies committee are looking to undermine the authority of the governing body, who are the deciding body in all of those issues .
A meeting of all the rally clubs in Tullamore last Monday backed the rally's committee and as of now there is a massive stand off in Irish rallying.
If the Motorsport Ireland commission meeting scheduled for next Monday cannot resolve the issue, there is a very real threat of no rallying in this country next year, which is due to get under way with the Galway International at the beginning of February.
An incident at the end of the Donegal International Rally where a member of the technical advisory group of scrutineers allegedly accused Gareth McHale, of an illegal fuel stop on his way to winning the event, is the spark that has ignited the resignations from the powerful committees that oversees the running of the Tarmac, National and Forestry championships in Ireland.
McHale was awarded the win but the judge did not present the evidence to the stewards on the day.
The removal of that judge from the Technical Advisory Group was requested as a result but not acted upon and now the move of Motorsport Ireland President John Naylor to take a seat on the rallies committee next year, has also met with a measure of dissatisfaction from those involved in the sport.
The Irish Tarmac Rally Organising Association and the Donegal club are backing the rallies committee but Naylor has said that as far as Motorsport Ireland are concerned, the Rallies committee are looking to undermine the authority of the governing body, who are the deciding body in all of those issues .
A meeting of all the rally clubs in Tullamore last Monday backed the rally's committee and as of now there is a massive stand off in Irish rallying.
If the Motorsport Ireland commission meeting scheduled for next Monday cannot resolve the issue, there is a very real threat of no rallying in this country next year, which is due to get under way with the Galway International at the beginning of February.
