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John Coyne’s Tuthill-Built Porsche 997 GT3 R-GT rally car is back in action this weekend on the Cork 20 Rally, with Stephen Joyce again in the co-driver’s seat. Car and crew will be supported by Tuthill mechanics and John’s experienced Irish team.
About the Cork 20 Rally
Organised by the Munster Car Club (MCC), the Acesigns Cork 20 International Rally is one of the oldest rallies in the world. The MCC was established in 1911 and the very first Cork 20 was held the year after, in 1912. The rally has been held more than 100 times, with previous winners including Sebastian Loeb, Ari Vatanen, Billy Coleman and Cathal Curley, who took a Porsche 911 to victory in 1975.
“Cork 20 is my home event in a way,” says John. “I lived in Cork for 9 years (’78 to ’86) during the heyday of my competitive rallying career. I’m a lifetime member of the organising club and have run these roads many times in the past as stages and in night navigation events.
“I like the flow of these Cork stages, so I am really looking forward to the event and to entertaining the spectators with the sight and sound of the Porsche 997 GT3. This is our third outing in the car, so hopefully we can continue to build familiarity and pace. With a compact route, service after every two stages and headquarters in the town of Macroom, there will be plenty of time to chat with competitors and spectators, so it should be a good social event, too.
“After the event, I head back to the US for the Prescott Rally in Arizona on October 6th & 7th: the final double-scoring round of the California Rally Series, where we are defending last year’s title in our Open class Subaru STI. We currently lie second in the championship, having skipped the last double points event in favour of doing the Ulster Rally in the Porsche!
“Switching from the Porsche back to the Subaru will be a quick reset from rear-wheel drive on tarmac to four-wheel drive on loose. At least both cars are left-hand drive, so that helps the transition. It’s all to play for!”
The Cork 20 Rally is the final round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and runs from Saturday September 30th to Sunday October 1st. Learn more about the rally at the Munster Car Club website.
