Magherafelt & District Motor Club launched The Elk and MRF Tyres Targa Rally at the Elk Complex on Saturday 6th November. Event sponsors The Elk (represented by Aaron Mc Henry) and MRF Tyres (represented by Eugene and Bernie Donnelly) handed over their sponsorship to Clerk of the Course, Mary O Kane.

The Elk and MRF Tyres Targa Rally will be held on Saturday 27th November. Based at the Elk, the event has a very compact road section with 9 competitive tests, a combination of lanes and yards, with sealed and loose surfaces. The tests will be challenging but provide excellent value for money.

Aaron Mc Henry, General Manager of the Elk welcomed the rally to the Elk Complex stating that they are proud to again be associated with this event. He stated that the Elk is synonymous as a family entertainment venue, with live music every weekend, a bistro, bar, and the restaurant offering an extensive menu to suit all tastes and budgets. Mr Mc Henry added that the Elk is committed to supporting local sporting associations as they attempt to adapt to the new normal. He wished Magherafelt & District Motor Club every success in The Elk and MRF Tyres Targa Rally and that it would prove to be a thrilling day’s rallying for all the competitors.

Eugene Donnelly is the Irish importer for MRF Tyres. MRF are the largest tyre manufacturer in Asia and recently have had significant success with their rally tyres on the world stage. MRF is passionate about motorsports and has been associated with all forms of racing for over 40 years.

Eugene Donnelly is a five-time Irish Tarmac Rally champion but recalled fondly that the first rally he ever won was The Magherafelt Lanes Rally in 1986. He is delighted that some of the lanes used for the Elk and MRF Tyres Targa Rally were the same as those used in the Magherafelt Lanes rallies in the 1980s and 1990s. Eugene wished the competitors an enjoyable and exciting event adding that clubman events are the grassroots of our sport. Asked if he would be putting in an entry to compete in the Elk and MRF Tyres Targa Rally, Donnelly smiled wryly and said he was really tempted, and is now trying to source a car for the event. So, to all would-be competitors out there, you may get the chance to compete against an Irish Tarmac Rally Champion!

Entries open on Thursday 11th November and are available on Rallyscore. The Elk and MRF Tyres Targa Rally is accepting up to a maximum of 70 entries.

Clerk of the Course Mary O Kane thanked The Elk and MRF Tyres for their generous financial support of the event. She also thanked the landowners who allowed their lanes and yards to be used for the rally, as without their co-operation the rally could not take place. She paid tribute to her Magherafelt & District Motor Club colleagues for all their hard work in organising the targa rally, stating that this event is only six weeks after the flagship Tour of the Sperrins Rally, so motor club members had been extremely busy in recent months adding that despite all the hard work it was great to return to rallying post-lockdown.

Chairperson of Magherafelt & District Motor Club Patricia Laverty commended the working group for organising such an exciting targa rally and wished competitors a safe and enjoyable day.