Dacia sandero Challenge Cup Update

Written By Declan O'Keeffe

Hi All,

Welcome to the Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup, The Motorsport Ireland – Dacia Ireland backed production class , which is designed to give new entrants into our sport, and indeed, existing competitors who cannot afford to go rallying in Ireland, a way to have affordable, fair fun, on our Rally events.  The humble 1.2L 16v petrol, 5 speed transmission Dacia Sandero , manufactured between 2013 and 2017, is the car used in this Championship which began in 2025. So how does it work ?. 

    Round 1  Midlands Stages Rally

A competitor buys his “2013 – 2017 1.2L Dacia Sandero.  They then buy a Dacia Sandero Rally Build Kit from Murray Motorsport in Dublin,(our only supplier for this kit) and either build the car themselves or get the car built for them to the current regulations which are available on the Motorsport Ireland website or on this Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup website on https://www.daciasanderochallengecup.com/ . Once built, they register to do the Championship, which follows the eight rounds of the Triton National Rally Championship with the best six to count towards the final result. At this point, Dacia Ireland,(through Cedar Motors ) will supply 2 x branded race suits, Rally Jackets & hats, 1 x branded tent and ground sheet, free to each registered crew. All cars  are identical, except for colour. They all get mapped to the Championship spec. run on pump fuel purchased from a nominated Commercial Filling Station (95 octane) and use the mandatory Yokohama tyres. The first round of The Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup took place on the Midlands Stages Rally hosted in Longford by Midlands Motor Club. This was truly a learning curve for the nine competitors who took to the start line in march. The event was finally decided  on the last loop of stages and finished,  

 1st Eoin Murray / Tommy Hayes

2nd Anthony O’Halloran / Declan O’Regan

3rd Caolan Doyle / Rory Doyle

ROUND 2  KERRY STAGES RALLY  (March 30th 25)

Round 2 of the Dacia Sandero challenge Cup took place at  the  Circuit of Kerry Rally, based out of Tralee and hosted by Kerry Motor Club on march 30th, 2025. This was a much closer event than Round 1 and the nine competitors were swapping times all day, with 48 seconds separating the top 4 at the end of the Rally. Jack Newman made a surprise switch from his usual 2.5Lt Escort  and tried the new  1.2Lt sandero which he hired from Murray Motorsport for the day.

                    

1st  Jack Newman / Jeff Case                    45:11.3

2nd Cillian Doherty / Tommy Cuddihy    45:49.1  and

3rd Caolan Doyle / Rory Doyle            45:50.3.

The overall Championship  is very tight going into Round 3 in Cavan on 25 May next, with 3 points separating 1st and 3rd place.

DRIVERS Championship :   1st   Caolan Doyle ,      2nd  Cillian Doherty      and       3rd Anthony O’Halloran

Navigators Championship : 1st Rory Doyle,          2nd  Tommy Cuddihy    and       3rd  Declan O’Regan .

Wishing all competitors, officials , spectators and all in Cavan Motor Club a safe and successful event on may 25th next , from all in The Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup Championship.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

ROUND 3 : CAVAN STAGES RALLY (May 25th, 25)

Round 3 of The Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup brought us to The Cavan Stages Rally, where the Sandero crews were really beginning to find their rhythem in these mighty little cars. Stage times were so much closer than the previous rounds and after swapping stage wins all day, the final result was as follows :

1st - Oscar Mangan / Elva Roe (51:42.7), 2nd - Cillian Doherty / Tommy Cuddihy(51:53.0) and in 3rd - Caolan Doyle / Cormac Doyle(51:54.4).

ROUND 4 : RAVENS ROCK STAGES RALLY ( July 6th, 25)

Round 4 of The Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup was The Ravens Rock Stages Rally, hosted by Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club, based out of Waterford City with challenging stages all around County Kilkenny. This turned out to be a very exciting affair with a nail biting final stage for the crews. Caolan Doyle with Rory Doyle on the notes were in the lead going into the final stage. However, Cillian Doherty with Tommy Cuddihy on the notes had other ideas and put in a blistering pace on the stage while throwing caution to the wind, to snatch victory from Caolan. It finished up :

1st - Cillian Doherty/ Tommy Cuddihy (53:07.5), 2nd - Caolan Doyle / Rory Doyle (53:49.1) and 3rd - Liam Doherty / Leah Doherty (53:57.7)

OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AFTER ROUND 4

DRIVER : 1st Cillian Doherty, 2nd Caolan Doyle and 3rd Oscar Mangan

NAVIGATOR : 1st Tommy Cuddihy, 2nd Elva Roe and 3rd Rory Doyle

ROUND 5 : SLIGO STAGES RALLY ( July 20th, 25)

Round 5 of The Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup brought us to the scenic west of ireland to The Sligo Stages Rally, based in Sligo town and hosted by Connaught Motor Club. The weather was dry for the first 5 stages but then we were hit by thundery down pours which made for very tricky driving conditions for the crews. Despite this, the Dacia crews seemed to enjoy the stages, which seemed to suit the little sanderos, but unfortunately, mud thrown out on a corner by a previous competitor, caught out Caolan Doyle who had a slight off and became the first Sandero not to finish on the Championship so far. Thankfully, Caolan and his navigator were uninjured and the mighty Sandero drove back to service, a testement to the build quality of these cars. The results were as follows ;

1st - Oscar Mangan / Elva Roe (47:24.6), 2nd - Cillian Doherty / Tommy Cuddihy (48:04.7) and 3rd - Liam Doherty / Leah Doherty (48:17.5)

OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AFTER ROUND 5

DRIVER : 1st Cillian Doherty, 2nd Oscar Mangan and 3rd Anthony O’Halloran

NAVIGATOR : 1st Tommy Cuddiht, 2nd Elva Roe and 3rd Leah Doherty

So, it’s on to Round 6, The ALMC Hellfire Stages Rally in County Meath on August 17th next where it’s all tp play for.

ROUND 6 : ALMC STAGES RALLY (August 17th ,2025

Round 6 of the Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup took us to County meath and The ALMC Stages Rally, based out of Oldcastle. Again, the weather was hot and dry and the stages seemed to suit the mighty little Sanderos, as the times were the closest they have ever been. We had 10 Dacia Sanderos take to the start line, and among them was a special guest crew, with Shane O’Donoghue (editor of Complete Car Magazine), and navigated by our very own Carrie Ryan ( Registrar of the Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup). Shane wanted to see what all the chatter was about , for this new Sandero Championship and really see how good the little Sandero was out on the stages. Tune in to Complete car to see how they got on ?. Caolan Doyle, once again was unlucky, and did not finish the rally, with a legacy problem with his radiator from his off in Sligo, putting him out. early on. So, after a close fought battle all day, between Oscar Mangan, Caolan Doyle, Cillian Doherty and Anthony O’Halloran, it was sorted out on the last stage , with

1st Cillian Doherty/ Tommy Cuddihy (44:35.9), 2nd Oscar Mangan / Elva Roe (44:55.8) and father/daughter combo, 3rd Liam Doherty / Leah Doherty(45:45.7).

OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AFTER ROUND 6

DRIVER : 1st Cillian Doherty, 2nd Oscar Mangan and 3rd Anthony O’Halloran

NAVIGATOR : 1st Tommy Cuddihy, 2nd Elva Roe, and 3rd Leah Doherty.

So next, we move on to the business end of the season With bonus points up for grabs in Clare and The Fastnet and also, the added feature of the Championship where only the best 6 rounds done by the competitors in the Championship to count, with their 2 worst results being dropped. So it’s all to play for still.

Declan O'Keeffe