SHAMROCK MOTORSPORT
About Us
Shamrock Motorsport was launched in 2013 following a successful first event at the New South Wales round of Australian Rally Championship (ARC) at Coffs Harbour.
In that event, Richie Dalton finished inside the top 10 in his first ever rally aboard a hired Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.
Two months after this event, the team purchased its first rally car, a Subaru Impreza WRX, and soon moved to a Lancer Evo IX.
In this car, the Shamrock Motorsport team continued their successful progression with many outright wins, which helped them secure the 2013 and 2014 Australian 4WD Rally Championship.
By 2017, the team entered an exciting new chapter by committing to the New Zealand Rally Championship with a brand new Ford Fiesta Proto specification car – a four-wheel drive rally car with Mitsubishi Lancer running gear. After setbacks in 2017, they completed a full campaign in the NZRC in 2018.
The team’s Ford Fiesta was shipped back to Australia for the 2019 season and was modified to Australian G4 regulations for that year’s national championship, where they competed across the country from Canberra to Perth.
After COVID-19 marred the 2020 season, the decision was made to purchase a new car – the ex-Harry Bates Toyota Yaris AP4 which had won the 2019 ARC.
Dalton quickly came to grips with the new machine, which had previously had a 100% winning record, and achieved multiple podium places in ARC rounds during 2022, netting him fourth in the title. Continuing the momentum, the 2023 New South Wales Rally Championship was secured the year after.
Another upgrade followed for 2024 when an ex-factory Toyota GR Yaris AP4 came up for sale, and armed with the top machine, the team secured multiple outright wins in events across Australia.
In 2026, the team will yet again chase the New South Wales title in the Toyota, while competing in New Zealand in what Dalton describes as the ‘ultimate’ Ford Escort.
The Escort is a dream car for Dalton, which is equipped with a top engine and a paddle shift gearbox, with a build quality unmatched in the region.
Meet our Driver
Richie Dalton
Co-Driver: Mac Kierans
Day Job: Company director of Shamrock Haulage.
Favourite Rally: Rally Victoria (when it ran).
Favourite Motorsport identity: Malcolm Wilson
Richie is an Australian-based Irishman competing in various rallies in Australia and around the world. Still a relative newcomer to the rallying scene, Richie’s first rally was only in 2013, but he has done rallies regularly since that time, gaining experience and speed.
Richie is married with two children, Emily and Dylan. Outside of rallying and work, Richie enjoys following hurling in Ireland, as well as being an avid supporter of the Irish rugby team.
Results
2026 Season
-
Rally of Bathurst, New South Wales
-
2nd overall (1st NSWRC)
-
Toyota GR Yaris AP4
-
2025 Season
-
Rally Tasmania
-
4th overall
-
Toyota GR Yaris AP4
-
-
Wexford Stages Rally, Ireland
-
16th overall
-
Ford Fiesta Rally2
-
-
Clare Stages Rally, Ireland
-
DNF, Suspension
-
Ford Fiesta Rally2
-
-
Bega Valley Rally, New South Wales
-
DNF, Mechanical
-
Toyota GR Yaris AP4
-
2024 Season
-
Rally Tasmania
-
5th overall
-
Toyota GR Yaris AP4
-
DNF: Rally of Bathurst, New South Wales
-
-
Rally of Bathurst, New South Wales
-
DNF, Engine
-
Toyota GR Yaris AP4
-
-
Akademos Rally, Victoria
-
DNF, Power Steering
-
Toyota GR Yaris AP4
-
-
Bago 150 Rally, New South Wales
-
7th overall, 2nd in class
-
Ford Escort RS1800
-
-
Narooma Forest Rally, New South Wales
-
DNF, Mechanical
-
Toyota GR Yaris AP4
-
-
Coffs Coast Rally, New South Wales
-
DNF, Mechanical
-
Ford Escort RS1800
-
-
Otago Rally, New Zealand
-
18th overall, 4th Classic
-
Ford Escort RS1800
-