Latest news with #RallySierraMorena
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Motors: Armstrong aware of tough task in Rally Hungary 'mini Safari'
M-Sport Ford driver Jon Armstrong is very aware of his task in this weekend's Rally Hungary, the second round of the European Rally Championship where he will be co-driven by Donegal's Shane Byrne as the pair bid to open their championship account. Having switched from tarmac to gravel last year and based in the city of Veszprém, it's the first of the three ERC gravel events for Kesh native Armstrong and his fellow ERC contenders. 'Rally Hungary is massively tough. It's like a mini Safari. Ok, you don't have the fesh-fesh but there's a lot of undulation in terms of jumps into crests and dips. You have a lot of bedrock so it's tough on the tyres. It's based out of the military area of Hungary and the roads are quite beaten up. The suspension is tested to the maximum.' Last year he finished eighth but will be looking to improve on that result. 'I will try to build on what we learned last year and continue to work with Shane (Byrne) building on some good pace on Rally Sierra Morena (opening round), the main goal is to get some solid points on the board. We are putting in the effort in the background, hopefully, it will start to pay off.' With 28 others in the Rally2 category, Armstrong has to be on the pace right from the beginning of the 13-stage event. Last year's winner Romania's Simone Tempestini (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) also knows how difficult the event is. 'There are sections that are open and wide where you can see what is ahead. But, at the same time, you really have to take care about bumps and stones and the really high speed. Then you go in other stages that are completely different with a soft surface and many surprises.' He is joined by his MRF Tyres team mate and 2023 FIA WRC3 title winner and reigning Finnish champion Roope Korhonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and Miklós Csomós (Citroen C3 Rally2) , who finished third last year. The experienced Mads Ostberg also in a Citroen - but on Michelin tyres — should be at the cutting edge as should fellow Citroen ace Max McRae, steps up to the ERC Rally2 category. Northern Ireland's Philip Allen (Skoda Fabia Rally2) is also competing. Following tonight's head-to-head super special stage there are six stages tomorrow and six more on Sunday. Craig Rahill, Keelan Grogan and Aoife Raftery are amongst the Junior ERC category entry in their Peugeot 208 Rally4 cars. "We got a taste for what the car is like on the Moonraker Rally, but altogether, we have very little seat time on gravel this year. Our aim is to find a comfortable pace and try to stay out of trouble." said Rahill. Carrick on Suir's Casey Jay Coleman (Ford Fiesta Rally3) is amongst the 13 strong ERC3 entry. *** Meanwhile, Cashel's Pat O'Connell (Ford Fiesta R5) heads the entry for Sunday's Mitchelstown-based Sean Conlon Memorial Tipperary Forest Rally, the third round of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship. With his closest championship rivals Vivian Hamill and Niall Devine not making the long trip south, O'Connell has the opportunity to stretch his current three points championship advantage on the six stage event. Reigning champion Monaghan's Derek Mackarel (Ford Fiesta R5), who slid off on the last round, has a quick opportunity to get back into the frame. However, Tyrone's Jason Mitchell (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), Waterford's Andrew Purcell, Niall McGonigle and Gareth Mimnagh, all in Ford Fiesta Rally2 cars will not make it easy. It will be interesting to see how former Irish Tarmac champion Darren Gass (VW Polo GTI R5) will fare on what is a rare gravel outing. The top ten also includes the Ford Fiesta Rally2's of Clonakilty's David Guest and Northern Ireland duo Stephen Dickson and Martin Cairns. Tyrone's Hugh McQuaid and Donegal's Damien Tourish, both in Ford Escort RS1800's head the Modified category.
Techday NZ
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Techday NZ
AI safety camera aims to improve protection at rally events
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has introduced an Artificial Intelligence Safety Camera (AISC) designed to improve real-time spectator safety at rally events. The new system had its first deployment at the Rally Sierra Morena, the opening round of the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship. The AISC marks a change in how rallying addresses the challenge of monitoring spectators along extensive, often remote, stage routes that span tens of kilometres. It is the outcome of a collaboration between the FIA and Croatian start-up Calirad, bringing AI-powered technology to rally cars competing in the event. The AISC consists of a GPU-enabled camera unit, connected to a processing device capable of conducting on-board image analysis. The camera is mounted on competing cars, utilising AI-based human detection to monitor the stage for spectators, including those who move into unsafe positions as the rally progresses. Once a competing car passes through a stage, the system records the locations of spectators and evaluates the data instantly. Alerts with images of potentially hazardous spectator positions are transmitted to a web-based interface accessible by event officials. This real-time data distribution allows for rapid safety interventions before the arrival of subsequent competitors. The technology is designed to support the Chief Safety Officer, who receives flagged scenes through the interface and can ascertain the exact location of individuals in risk zones. The officer can then address identified risks using an advanced management interface. This process aims to improve upon traditional, manually based monitoring methods, which are limited by the sheer scale and remoteness of typical rally stages. While such systems have historically been focused at international championships with significant resources and broadcast coverage, the FIA identifies the greatest future impact of the AISC at regional and national rally events, where organiser infrastructure is generally less extensive. "Spectator safety is fundamental to rallying. With stages often taking place in remote, unpredictable environments, ensuring that fans are in safe locations is both a challenge and a responsibility. The introduction of the AI Safety Camera allows us to take a huge leap forward in how we monitor and manage risk during events," FIA Safety Director, Nuno Costa, said. "This technology isn't about restricting fans, it's about protecting them. It allows organisers and officials to respond rapidly and ultimately allows them to prevent accidents before they happen." Costa added. FIA Road Sport Director Emilia Abel said that they have very high levels of sophistication and systems at the World Championship level, and they need to utilise that safety. Safety, particularly for spectators, is something they continue to develop at the grassroots, national, and regional levels as well. "Rally is perhaps the most spectacular form of motor sport, and there is nothing quite like being on a stage watching rally cars in action. We want to make sure spectators can enjoy the sport safely, and the AI Safety Camera can make a real difference by giving organisers a new tool that provides real-time safety information on their events." Abel said. "Our message is clearly that this system is here to protect firstly the spectators, and also the sport itself, as we want to see rallying continue to grow and thrive as we move into an exciting new era in the coming years." The AISC system was developed with the intention of being low cost and scalable, with future availability anticipated for a wider range of rallying events, including those at grassroots level. Following the evaluation of its performance at the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship, the FIA plans to prioritise the deployment of this system at regional and national championships.
