Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup set for Cavan Stages Rally
Photos: OMPhotography
The 2025 Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup, in association with Motorsport Ireland is already heading towards Round 3, which takes place on May 25th in the Cavan Stages Rally.
The Cedar Motors Dacia-backed production class rally is designed to give new entrants into the sport and existing competitors an affordable and practical way to participate in the Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship.
The Dacia brand has its own motorsport story and this year for the first time as a manufacturer; Dacia is participating in the World Rally Raid Championship with the Sandriders team which has been victorious twice already in the Rallye du Maroc and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and will participate next in the South African Safari Rally from 18 – 24 May.
The humble 1.2L 16v petrol, 5 speed transmission Dacia Sandero manufactured between 2013 and 2017, is the car being used in the Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup which started on the 2nd of March in the Midlands Stages Rally. Few mechanical changes are permitted and all cars built to take part in the Championship must be done so using the Dacia Sandero Rally Kit which is exclusively available through Murray Motorsport and built to the current MotorSport Ireland regulations.
All cars are identical, except for colour and are mapped to the Championship specification run on pump fuel purchased from a nominated Commercial Filling Station (95 octane) and use mandatory Yokohama tyres.
Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup crews will start each event after first service, pay a reduced entry fee and run in Class 23. All Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup crews will run in a group, at the back of the field.
Open to all Motorsport Ireland licensees over 18 years of age, participants in the Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup will receive branded race suits (x2), branded jackets (x2), branded hats (x2), branded awning, branded banners and branded groundsheets.
There will be 14 Dacia Sandero teams participating in the next round of the Challenge Cup in Cavan and competitors’ cars will be displayed at Dacia dealerships where Rally locations permit. On the 25th of May Dacia Sandero Cup competitors’ cars will be displayed at Blackstone Motors in Cavan.
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Current Results in the Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup:
DRIVERS Championship :
1st Caolan Doyle
2nd Cillian Doherty
3rd Anthony O’Halloran
Navigators Championship :
1st Rory Doyle
2nd Tommy Cuddihy
3rd Declan O’Regan
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Upcoming Rallies which Dacia Cup Competitors will participate in:
ROUND 3
CAVAN STAGES RALLY
25 MAY 2025
ROUND 4
RAVENS ROCK RALLY
06 JULY 2025
ROUND 5
SLIGO STAGES RALLY
20 JULY 2025
ROUND 5
ALMC HELLFIRE STAGES RALLY
17 AUGUST 2025
ROUND 6
CLARE STAGES RALLY
07 SEPTEMBER 2025
ROUND 7
FASTNET STAGES RALLY
26 OCTOBER 2025
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Trevor Toner, COO, Cedar Motors said; “Simplicity and reliability are values at the heart of Dacia and we are committed to providing affordable cars to Irish drivers.
Between a donor car and the rally kit participants should be rallying for around €10,000 and ongoing costs are controlled with standard fuel, road tyres and Dacia parts.
This is why we are delighted to support Motorsport Ireland and their ambition to provide affordable motorsport with the Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup, and we are delighted to see the Dacia Rally spirit coming to life in towns around the country at the Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship stages”.
Art McCarrick, Motorsport Ireland Sporting Manager said; “This is a real positive news story for Irish motorsport and to have Dacia on board as a partner through Cedar Motors has made this feel like a proper one make championship. There was never anything preventing someone from a building a rally car to this specification before, there just wasn’t the incentive. We now have that, and I look forward to seeing the championship grow over the coming seasons.”
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ABOUT DACIA
Born in 1968 then relaunched by Renault Group in 2004 all across Europe and Mediterranean countries, Dacia has always offered the best value for money cars by constantly redefining the essentials. As a game-changer, Dacia proposes simple, multi-purpose, reliable cars in tune with customers’ lifestyles. Dacia models became a reference on the market: Sandero, the most sold car to European private customers every year since 2017; Duster, the most sold SUV to European private customers since 2018; Spring, the champion of accessible electric mobility; and Jogger, the multi-purpose C-segment family car. Present in 44 countries, Dacia has sold more than 9 million vehicles since 2004.
ABOUT CEDAR GROUP
Cedar Ireland Automotive is owned by the Kuwaiti based Al Babtain family who have extensive interests in the Irish automotive sector. These interests include 100% ownership of Nissan Ireland which has been the exclusive distributor of Nissan cars, LCVs and parts in Ireland for the past 45 years and ownership of Windsor Motors Limited, one of Ireland’s largest automotive retail groups with 16 retail outlets representing 8 franchises, which was acquired in 1999. Their interests also include a 50% stake in Autolease Fleet Management Limited (NIFTI) a joint venture with Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. which provides business and personal leasing services to the Irish market. The Cedar Group, encompassing Nissan Ireland, Cedar Ireland Automotive (Renault and Dacia), Windsor Motors Limited and Autolease Fleet Management (NIFTI) is headquartered in Dublin, employing 600 people with a turnover close to €1 billion per annum.
Follow the Dacia Cup Challenge on:
https://www.daciasanderochallengecup.com/