As the countdown begins towards the first round of the inaugural Irish Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge in Galway on 2nd & 3rd February, organisers are delighted to announce that the Championship’s first prize of a supported drive in the 2009 Rally Ireland has just got even better!

Following the confirmation last week that the 2008 Evo Challenge Champion driver will be awarded a supported drive in their own car in next year’s Rally Ireland, James Foley Rallysport has come forward to offer a fully prepared Group N Lancer Evolution IX for the winner to use on the event.

“This is a fantastic offer”, said Championship Manager Simon Slade. “Providing a car for the winner of the Evolution Challenge turns the prize of an expenses paid outing into a complete arrive-and-drive package. We are most grateful for JFR for this generous support and I hope it will encourage even more Mitsubishi competitors to sign up for our championship.”

Based in Navan, Southern Ireland, James Foley Rallysport has been building Mitsubishis for over ten years, achieving notable success during that time, with company founder James Foley winning Group N class on the Galway rally in 2007. He is therefore delighted to see the Evolution Challenge launched in Ireland this year and said:

“With so many Mitsubishis competing in Ireland it’s great news that we now have our very own Evolution Challenge over here. It is an excellent boost to Irish motorsport and therefore I’m 110% behind it and pleased to be able to offer this award for the winner to compete in Rally Ireland.”

Other prizes will include the awarding of Pirelli tyres for the first three finishers on each round and at the end of the season. There will also be other product awards on offer from Sunoco, Speedline wheels, Sparco and Performance Friction Brakes, plus a junior award for under 25 year old drivers presented by PIAA.

Having published the championship regulations at the Autosport Show last week, organisers are currently working to increase other areas of the prize fund, in order to reward competitors further down the field.

Regulations for the Irish Evolution Challenge are now available on line at www.evo-challenge.ie or www.evo-challenge.com, or by contacting the coordination office:

Jim Crozier: Tel: +44 (0)7778 288108 • email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Simon Slade: +44 (0)7966 153555 • email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it