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{{short description|Irish racing driver and businessman (1935–2018)}}
{{BLP sources|date=October 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use Irish English|date=November 2021}}
[[File:MartinBirrane1986.jpg|thumb|200px|Martin Birrane prior to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1986]]
[[File:Lola T70s Silverstone piltane.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Birrane's blue racing car]]
'''Martin Brendan Birrane''' (19 August 1935 – 9 June 2018) was an [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] businessman and former racing driver. Born in [[Ballina, County Mayo]] and educated at [[St Muredach's College]], Birrane made his money in property development, with his company ''Peer Group''.


He was the owner of the [[Mondello Park]] [[racetrack]] in [[County Kildare]], which is the only FIA 3 1/2 kilometre track in Ireland. It hosts domestic and international events.
'''Martin Birrane''' (19 August 1935 – 9 June 2018) was an [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] businessman and former racing driver. Born in [[Ballina, County Mayo]] and educated at [[St Muredach's College]], Birrane made his money in property development, with his company ''Peer Group''.


He competed in the [[Le Mans 24 Hours]] ten times as a driver, winning the GT class in 1985. In 1990, he set the then Irish land speed record of {{convert|176|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on the then-unopened [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|Westlink]], now known as the M50, in Dublin.<ref>Irish Times, 9 November 1990 {{fcn|date=November 2021}}</ref>
He is the owner of the [[Mondello Park]] [[racetrack]] in [[County Kildare]], which is the only FIA 3 1/2 kilometre track in Ireland. It hosts domestic and international events.


Birrane owned [[Team Ireland]], a [[NASCAR]] [[Winston Cup Series]] car racing team from 1991 to 1992.<ref name="High">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xTgdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0aUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6089,331831&dq=martin-birrane+team-ireland&hl=en|title=Aiming High|last=Stout|first=Harold|date=3 May 1992|work=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|page=C1|accessdate=2013-09-12|location=Tuscaloosa, AL}}</ref> He was the owner of racing car manufacturer [[Lola Cars]] from 1997 until the company was closed down in 2012. The [[Sunday Times Rich List 2011|''Sunday Times'' Rich List 2011]] valued his assets at €85 million.
He competed in the [[Le Mans 24 Hours]] ten times as a driver, winning the GT class in 1985. In 1990, he set the then Irish land speed record of {{convert|176|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on the then-unopened [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|Westlink]], now known as the M50, in Dublin.<ref>Irish Times, November 9, 1990</ref>

Birrane owned [[Team Ireland]], a [[NASCAR]] [[Winston Cup Series]] car racing team from 1991 to 1992.<ref name="High">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xTgdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0aUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6089,331831&dq=martin-birrane+team-ireland&hl=en|title=Aiming High|last=Stout|first=Harold|date=May 3, 1992|work=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|page=C1|accessdate=2013-09-12|location=Tuscaloosa, AL}}</ref> He was the owner of racing car manufacturer [[Lola Cars]] from 1997 until the company was closed down in 2012. The [[Sunday Times Rich List 2011]] valued his assets at €85 million.


Birrane died in June 2018 at the age of 82.<ref>{{cite news |title=Martin Birrane dies aged 82 |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/motorsport/2018/0611/969712-martin-birrane-dies-aged-82/ |accessdate=11 June 2018 |work=RTE.ie |date=11 June 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
Birrane died in June 2018 at the age of 82.<ref>{{cite news |title=Martin Birrane dies aged 82 |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/motorsport/2018/0611/969712-martin-birrane-dies-aged-82/ |accessdate=11 June 2018 |work=RTE.ie |date=11 June 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
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==Racing record==
==Racing record==


===24 Hours of Le Mans results===
===Complete British Saloon Car Championship results===
([[:Template:Motorsport driver results legend|key]]) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"
|-
! Year
! Year
! Team
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Car
! Class
! Class
! Laps
! 1
! 2
! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}}
! 3
! {{Tooltip|Class<br>Pos.|Class Position}}
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}}
! Pts
! Class
|-
|-
! [[1972 24 Hours of Le Mans|1972]]
| [[1968 British Saloon Car Championship season|1968]]
! Martin Birrane
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Motor Racing Facilities Ltd.
! [[Ford Falcon Sprint]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Robert Grant<br>{{flagicon|BEL}} Sergé Troch
! <span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:#00ff00;">{{Tooltip|D|Class D}}</span>
|align="left"| [[Datsun 240Z]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| GTS
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
| -
| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]
| DNQ
| [[Crystal Palace circuit|CRY]]
| DNQ
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>13</small>
| [[Croft Circuit|CRO]]
| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>Ret</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>NC</small>
|
|
! NC
! 0
! NC
|-
|-
! [[1977 24 Hours of Le Mans|1977]]
| [[1969 British Saloon Car Championship season|1969]]
! Martin Birrane
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Dorset Racing Associates
! [[Ford Falcon Sprint]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Ian Harrower<br>{{flagicon|NLD}} Ernst Berg<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} Richard Down
! <span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:#00ff00;">{{Tooltip|D|Class D}}</span>
|align="left"| [[Lola Cars|Lola]] T294S-[[Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>DNS</small>
| S<br>2.0
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>18</small>
| 212
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]<br><small>6</small>
| NC
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]<br><small>5</small>
| NC
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>Ret</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Crystal Palace circuit|CRY]]<br><small>Ret†</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]<br><small>Ret†</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Croft Circuit|CRO]]<br><small>18</small>
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>DNS</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>Ret</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>Ret</small>
|
! 21st
! 10
! 4th
|-
|-
! [[1978 24 Hours of Le Mans|1978]]
| [[1970 British Saloon Car Championship season|1970]]
! Martin Birrane
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Dorset Racing Associates
! [[Ford Mustang (first generation)|Ford Mustang]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Bob Evans (racing driver)|Bob Evans]]<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} Richard Down
! <span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:#00ff00;">{{Tooltip|D|Class D}}</span>
|align="left"| [[Lola Cars|Lola]] T294S-[[Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| S<br>2.0
| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]
| 23
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
| DNF
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>Ret</small>
| DNF
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[Crystal Palace circuit|CRY]]<br><small>DNS</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>Ret</small>
| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[Croft Circuit|CRO]]<br><small>DNS</small>
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>Ret</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>2</small>
|
! 31st
! 8
! 6th
|-
|-
! [[1980 24 Hours of Le Mans|1980]]
| [[1971 British Saloon Car Championship season|1971]]
! Martin Birrane
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Dorset Racing Associates
! [[Ford Mustang Boss 302]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Peter Clarke<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Nick Mason]]
! <span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:#00ff00;">{{Tooltip|D|Class D}}</span>
|align="left"| [[Lola Cars|Lola]] T297-[[Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| S<br>2.0
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]<br><small>7</small>
| 263
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]<br><small>Ret</small>
| 22nd
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| '''3rd'''
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>Ret</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Crystal Palace circuit|CRY]]<br><small>Ret†</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>Ret</small>
| [[Croft Circuit|CRO]]
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>DNS</small>
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>4</small>
|
! 23rd
! 10
! 6th
|-
|-
! [[1981 24 Hours of Le Mans|1981]]
| [[1972 British Saloon Car Championship season|1972]]
! Cona Coffee Machine Company
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Dorset Racing Associates
! [[Ford Mustang Boss 302]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Nick Faure]]<br> {{flagicon|IRL}} Vivian Candy
! <span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:#00ff00;">{{Tooltip|D|Class D}}</span>
|align="left"| [[Alain de Cadenet|De Cadenet]]-[[Lola Cars|Lola]] LM-[[Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>Ret</small>
| S<br>+2.0
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]<br><small>8</small>
| 171
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]<br><small>Ret</small>
| DNF
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>7</small>
| DNF
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Crystal Palace circuit|CRY]]<br><small>8†</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>Ret</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]<br><small>Ret</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br><small>7</small>
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br><small>Ret</small>
|
|
|
! 26th
! 10
! 6th
|-
|-
! [[1982 24 Hours of Le Mans|1982]]
| [[1973 British Saloon Car Championship season|1973]]
! Martin Birrane
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron Cars]]
! [[Ford Mustang Boss 302]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Gordon Spice]]<br>{{flagicon|FRA}} Xavier Lapeyre
! <span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:#00ff00;">{{Tooltip|D|Class D}}</span>
|align="left"| [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron]] B36-[[Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| Gr.6
| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]
| 57
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
| DNF
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
| DNF
| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]
| [[Ingliston Racing Circuit|ING]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br /><small>DNS</small>
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
|
|
|
|
! NC
! 0
! NC
|-
|-
! [[1983 24 Hours of Le Mans|1983]]
| [[1974 British Saloon Car Championship season|1974]]
! Adlards of Brixton
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Peer Racing
! [[Ford Capri 3000 GT]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[François Migault]]<br>{{flagicon|IRL}} [[David Kennedy (racing driver)|David Kennedy]]
! <span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:#ffff00;">{{Tooltip|C|Class C}}</span>
|align="left"| [[Ford C100]]
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]<br /><small>7†</small>
| C
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br /><small>7</small>
| 16
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]<br /><small>15</small>
| DNF
| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]
| DNF
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
| [[Silverstone Circuit|SIL]]
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| [[Ingliston Racing Circuit|ING]]
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| ''[[Brands Hatch|BRH]]''<br /><small>7†</small>
| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]
| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
! 22nd
! 15
! 6th
|-
|-
!colspan="20"|{{center|{{small|Source:<ref>{{cite web |last1=de Jong |first1=Frank |title=British Saloon Car Championship |url=http://www.touringcarracing.net/Pages/BSCC.html |website=History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993 |access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref>}}}}
! [[1985 24 Hours of Le Mans|1985]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|DEU}} Helmut Gall
|align="left"| {{flagicon|DEU}} Edgar Dören<br>{{flagicon|BEL}} Jean-Paul Libert
|align="left"| [[BMW M1]]
| B
| 307
| 15th
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''1st'''
|-
! [[1986 24 Hours of Le Mans|1986]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Martin Schanche|Martin Schanche Racing]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Martin Schanche]]<br>{{flagicon|NOR}} Torgye Kleppe
|align="left"| Argo JM19-[[Zakspeed]]
| C2
| 1
| DNF
| DNF
|-
! [[1988 24 Hours of Le Mans|1988]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Chamberlain Engineering
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Richard Jones (racing driver)|Richard Jones]]<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Nick Adams (racing driver)|Nick Adams]]
|align="left"| [[Spice Engineering|Spice]] SE86C-[[Hart (racing)|Hart]]
| C2
| 223
| DNF
| DNF
|-
!colspan="8"|{{center|{{small|Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Martin-Birrane-IRL.html|title=All Results of Martin Birrane|work=racingsportscars.com|accessdate=June 11, 2018}}</ref>}}}}
|}
|}
† Events with 2 races staged for the different classes.


===Complete World Sportscar Championship results===
===Complete World Sportscar Championship results===
Line 220: Line 294:
| [[1000 km Zeltweg|ÖST]]
| [[1000 km Zeltweg|ÖST]]
| [[6 Hours of Watkins Glen|GLN]]
| [[6 Hours of Watkins Glen|GLN]]
| [[Circuit Paul Ricard|CPR]]
| [[Circuit Paul Ricard|LEC]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1000 km Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br>{{small|Ret}}
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1000 km Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br>{{small|Ret}}
| [[Kyalami|KYA]]
| [[Kyalami|KYA]]
Line 240: Line 314:
| [[Autodromo di Pergusa|PER]]
| [[Autodromo di Pergusa|PER]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Autódromo do Estoril|EST]]<br>{{small|NC}}
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Autódromo do Estoril|EST]]<br>{{small|NC}}
| [[Circuit Paul Ricard|CPR]]
| [[Circuit Paul Ricard|LEC]]
| [[Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari|IMO]]
| [[Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari|IMO]]
| [[Salzburgring|SAL]]
| [[Salzburgring|SAL]]
Line 590: Line 664:
! Pts
! Pts
|-
|-
| [[1976 Shellsport International Series|1976]]
|rowspan=2| [[1976 Shellsport International Series|1976]]
! [[David Price Racing]]
! Martin Birrane
! [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron B29]]
!rowspan=2| [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron B29]]
! [[Ford BDA]]
! [[Ford BDA]] 1.6 [[Inline-four engine|L4]]
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]
| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]
Line 601: Line 675:
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br>{{small|DNQ}}
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br>{{small|DNQ}}
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]
| [[Snetterton Circuit|SNE]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
!rowspan=2| NC
!rowspan=2| 0
|-
! Martin Birrane
! [[Ford BDA]] [[John Nicholson (racing driver)|Nicholson]] 1.6 [[Inline-four engine|L4]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br>{{small|25}}
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br>{{small|25}}
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
Line 608: Line 701:
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
|
|
! NC
! 0
|-
|-
| [[1977 Shellsport International Series|1977]]
| [[1977 Shellsport International Series|1977]]
! Martin Birrane
! Martin Birrane
! [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron B29]]
! [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron B29]]
! [[Ford BDA]]
! [[Ford BDA]] 1.6 [[Inline-four engine|L4]]
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]
| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]
Line 631: Line 722:
! NC
! NC
! 0
! 0
|}

===24 Hours of Le Mans results===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}}
! {{Tooltip|Class<br>Pos.|Class Position}}
|-
! [[1972 24 Hours of Le Mans|1972]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Motor Racing Facilities Ltd.
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Robert Grant<br>{{flagicon|BEL}} Sergé Troch
|align="left"| [[Datsun 240Z]]
| GTS
| -
| DNQ
| DNQ
|-
! [[1977 24 Hours of Le Mans|1977]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Dorset Racing Associates
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Ian Harrower<br>{{flagicon|NLD}} Ernst Berg<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} Richard Down
|align="left"| [[Lola Cars|Lola]] T294S-[[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
| S<br>2.0
| 212
| NC
| NC
|-
! [[1978 24 Hours of Le Mans|1978]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Dorset Racing Associates
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Bob Evans (racing driver)|Bob Evans]]<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} Richard Down
|align="left"| [[Lola Cars|Lola]] T294S-[[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
| S<br>2.0
| 23
| DNF
| DNF
|-
! [[1980 24 Hours of Le Mans|1980]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Dorset Racing Associates
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Peter Clarke<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Nick Mason]]
|align="left"| [[Lola Cars|Lola]] T297-[[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
| S<br>2.0
| 263
| 22nd
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| '''3rd'''
|-
! [[1981 24 Hours of Le Mans|1981]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Dorset Racing Associates
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Nick Faure]]<br> {{flagicon|IRL}} Vivian Candy
|align="left"| [[Alain de Cadenet|De Cadenet]]-[[Lola Cars|Lola]] LM-[[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
| S<br>+2.0
| 171
| DNF
| DNF
|-
! [[1982 24 Hours of Le Mans|1982]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron Cars]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[John Sheldon (racing driver)|John Sheldon]]<br>{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Neil Crang]]
|align="left"| [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron]] B36-[[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[Cosworth]]
| Gr.6
| 57
| DNF
| DNF
|-
! [[1983 24 Hours of Le Mans|1983]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Peer Racing
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[François Migault]]<br>{{flagicon|IRL}} [[David Kennedy (racing driver)|David Kennedy]]
|align="left"| [[Ford C100]]
| C
| 16
| DNF
| DNF
|-
! [[1985 24 Hours of Le Mans|1985]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|DEU}} Helmut Gall
|align="left"| {{flagicon|DEU}} Edgar Dören<br>{{flagicon|BEL}} Jean-Paul Libert
|align="left"| [[BMW M1]]
| B
| 307
| 15th
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''1st'''
|-
! [[1986 24 Hours of Le Mans|1986]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Martin Schanche|Martin Schanche Racing]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Martin Schanche]]<br>{{flagicon|NOR}} Torgye Kleppe
|align="left"| Argo JM19-[[Zakspeed]]
| C2
| 1
| DNF
| DNF
|-
! [[1988 24 Hours of Le Mans|1988]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Chamberlain Engineering
|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Richard Jones (racing driver)|Richard Jones]]<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Nick Adams (racing driver)|Nick Adams]]
|align="left"| [[Spice Engineering|Spice]] SE86C-[[Hart (racing)|Hart]]
| C2
| 223
| DNF
| DNF
|-
!colspan="8"|{{center|{{small|Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Martin-Birrane-IRL.html|title=All Results of Martin Birrane|work=racingsportscars.com|accessdate=11 June 2018}}</ref>}}}}
|}
|}


Line 643: Line 839:
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Irish businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century Irish businesspeople]]
[[Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers]]
[[Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers]]
[[Category:British Touring Car Championship drivers]]
[[Category:British Touring Car Championship drivers]]
[[Category:Irish racing drivers]]
[[Category:Irish racing drivers]]
[[Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers]]
[[Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers]]
[[Category:People from Ballina, County Mayo]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Ballina, County Mayo]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from County Mayo]]

[[Category:Motorsport people from County Mayo]]

{{Ireland-business-bio-stub}}

Latest revision as of 20:43, 12 December 2024

Martin Birrane prior to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1986
Birrane's blue racing car

Martin Brendan Birrane (19 August 1935 – 9 June 2018) was an Irish businessman and former racing driver. Born in Ballina, County Mayo and educated at St Muredach's College, Birrane made his money in property development, with his company Peer Group.

He was the owner of the Mondello Park racetrack in County Kildare, which is the only FIA 3 1/2 kilometre track in Ireland. It hosts domestic and international events.

He competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours ten times as a driver, winning the GT class in 1985. In 1990, he set the then Irish land speed record of 176 mph (283 km/h) on the then-unopened Westlink, now known as the M50, in Dublin.[1]

Birrane owned Team Ireland, a NASCAR Winston Cup Series car racing team from 1991 to 1992.[2] He was the owner of racing car manufacturer Lola Cars from 1997 until the company was closed down in 2012. The Sunday Times Rich List 2011 valued his assets at €85 million.

Birrane died in June 2018 at the age of 82.[3]

Racing record

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Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos. Pts Class
1968 Martin Birrane Ford Falcon Sprint D BRH THR SIL CRY MAL BRH SIL
13 		CRO OUL BRH
Ret 		BRH
NC 		NC 0 NC
1969 Martin Birrane Ford Falcon Sprint D BRH
DNS 		SIL
18 		SNE
6 		THR
5 		SIL
Ret 		CRY
Ret† 		MAL
Ret† 		CRO
18 		SIL
DNS 		OUL
6 		BRH
Ret 		BRH
Ret 		21st 10 4th
1970 Martin Birrane Ford Mustang D BRH SNE THR SIL
Ret 		CRY
DNS 		SIL
Ret 		SIL CRO
DNS 		BRH OUL BRH
Ret 		BRH
2 		31st 8 6th
1971 Martin Birrane Ford Mustang Boss 302 D BRH SNE
7 		THR
Ret 		SIL
Ret 		CRY
Ret† 		SIL
Ret 		CRO SIL
4 		OUL
4 		BRH
DNS 		MAL BRH
4 		23rd 10 6th
1972 Cona Coffee Machine Company Ford Mustang Boss 302 D BRH
Ret 		OUL
8 		THR
Ret 		SIL
7 		CRY
8† 		BRH
Ret 		OUL
Ret 		SIL
7 		MAL BRH
Ret 		26th 10 6th
1973 Martin Birrane Ford Mustang Boss 302 D BRH SIL THR THR SIL ING BRH SIL
DNS 		BRH NC 0 NC
1974 Adlards of Brixton Ford Capri 3000 GT C MAL
7† 		BRH
7 		SIL
15 		OUL THR SIL THR BRH ING BRH
7† 		OUL SNE BRH
Ret 		22nd 15 6th
Source:[4]

† Events with 2 races staged for the different classes.

Complete World Sportscar Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos. Pts
1972 Motor Racing Facilities GTS Datsun 240Z Datsun 2.4 L6 BUE DAY SEB BRH MNZ SPA TAR NÜR LMS
DNQ 		ÖST [N 1]
Alain de Cadenet S
3.0 		Duckhams LM Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 GLN
Ret
1973 Crowne Racing GT
3.0 		Porsche 911 Carrera RS Porsche 3.0 F6 DAY VAL DIJ MNZ
DNQ 		SPA TAR NÜR LMS ÖST GLN [N 1]
1974 Escuderia Montjuich S
2.0 		Lola T294 Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0 L4 MNZ SPA NÜR IMO LMS ÖST GLN LEC BRH
Ret 		KYA [N 1]
1977 Dorset Racing S
2.0 		Lola T294S Ford Cosworth FVC 2.0 L4 DIJ MNZ VAL PER EST
NC 		LEC IMO SAL [N 2]
1980 Frox Clothing Company Ltd. Gr.5 Lotus Esprit S1 Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0 L4 DAY BRH MUG MNZ SIL
DNS 		NÜR [N 1]
Dorset Racing Associates S
2.0 		Lola T297 LMS
22 		GLN MOS VAL DIJ
1981 Dorset Racing Associates S
+2.0 		De Cadenet-Lola LM Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 DAY SEB MUG MNZ RSD SIL NÜR LMS
Ret 		PER DAY GLN SPA MOS ROA 157th 16
S
2.0 		Lola T297 Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0 L4 BRH
7
1982 Chevron Cars Gr.6 Chevron B36 Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0 L4 MNZ SIL
Ret 		NÜR LMS
Ret 		SPA
16 		MUG FUJ BRH
20 		NC 0
1983 Peer Racing C Ford C100 Cosworth DFL 3.3 V8 MNZ SIL NÜR LMS
Ret 		SPA FUJ KYA NC 0
1985 Helmut Gall B BMW M1 BMW M88 3.5 L6 MUG MNZ SIL LMS
15 		NC 0
Jens Winther C2 URD C83 HOC
14 		MOS SPA BRH
Barlett Chevron Racing Chevron B62 Cosworth DFL 3.3 V8 FUJ
Ret 		SHA
1986 Martin Schanche Racing C2 Argo JM19 Zakspeed 1.8 L4t MNZ SIL LMS
Ret 		NOR BRH JER NÜR SPA FUJ NC 0
1988 PC Automotive C2 Argo JM19C Cosworth DFL 3.3 V8 JER JAR MNZ
Ret 		SIL NC 0
Chamberlain Engineering Spice SE86C Hart 418T 1.8 L4t LMS
Ret 		BRN BRH
Ret 		NÜR SPA FUJ SAN
Footnotes
  1. ^ a b c d No drivers' Championship.
  2. ^ In 1976 and 1977 the World Championship was divided into two series that ran simultaneously but separately: The World Sportscar Championship and the World Championship for Makes.

Complete European F5000 Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos. Pts
1974 Crowne Racing Brabham BT43 Chevrolet 5.0 V8 BRH MAL SIL OUL BRH ZOL THR ZAN MUG MNZ
Ret 		MAL
DNQ 		MON THR
Ret 		BRH OUL SNE MAL BRH NC 0

Complete Shellsport International Series results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos. Pts
1976 David Price Racing Chevron B29 Ford BDA 1.6 L4 MAL SNE OUL BRH THR BRH
DNQ 		MAL SNE NC 0
Martin Birrane Ford BDA Nicholson 1.6 L4 BRH
25 		THR OUL BRH
DNS 		BRH
1977 Martin Birrane Chevron B29 Ford BDA 1.6 L4 MAL SNE OUL BRH MAL THR BRH OUL MAL DON BRH
Ret 		THR SNE BRH NC 0

24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1972 United Kingdom Motor Racing Facilities Ltd. United Kingdom Robert Grant
Belgium Sergé Troch 		Datsun 240Z GTS - DNQ DNQ
1977 United Kingdom Dorset Racing Associates United Kingdom Ian Harrower
Netherlands Ernst Berg
United Kingdom Richard Down 		Lola T294S-Ford Cosworth S
2.0 		212 NC NC
1978 United Kingdom Dorset Racing Associates United Kingdom Bob Evans
United Kingdom Richard Down 		Lola T294S-Ford Cosworth S
2.0 		23 DNF DNF
1980 United Kingdom Dorset Racing Associates United Kingdom Peter Clarke
United Kingdom Nick Mason 		Lola T297-Ford Cosworth S
2.0 		263 22nd 3rd
1981 United Kingdom Dorset Racing Associates United Kingdom Nick Faure
Republic of Ireland Vivian Candy 		De Cadenet-Lola LM-Ford Cosworth S
+2.0 		171 DNF DNF
1982 United Kingdom Chevron Cars United Kingdom John Sheldon
Australia Neil Crang 		Chevron B36-Ford Cosworth Gr.6 57 DNF DNF
1983 United Kingdom Peer Racing France François Migault
Republic of Ireland David Kennedy 		Ford C100 C 16 DNF DNF
1985 Germany Helmut Gall Germany Edgar Dören
Belgium Jean-Paul Libert 		BMW M1 B 307 15th 1st
1986 Norway Martin Schanche Racing Norway Martin Schanche
Norway Torgye Kleppe 		Argo JM19-Zakspeed C2 1 DNF DNF
1988 United Kingdom Chamberlain Engineering United Kingdom Richard Jones
United Kingdom Nick Adams 		Spice SE86C-Hart C2 223 DNF DNF
Source:[5]

References

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  1. ^ Irish Times, 9 November 1990 [full citation needed]
  2. ^ Stout, Harold (3 May 1992). "Aiming High". The Tuscaloosa News. Tuscaloosa, AL. p. C1. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Martin Birrane dies aged 82". RTE.ie. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  4. ^ de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  5. ^ "All Results of Martin Birrane". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
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