|
Irish
Notes 26th July 2004.
Kevin Lynch’s victory in his Impreza WRC S9 on last weekend’s
brilliantly organised Cork Forestry Rally has provisionally
clinched the McCauley’s National Forestry Championship
for the Dungiven man, even with the Killarney round remaining,
and earned him a free entry on Wales Rally GB.
Former Billy Coleman award winner Stuart Darcy is putting
a deal together to return to the stages in his own GpN Civic,
and intends to hire a GpN Lancer for his local Harvest Rally.
British Rally Champion Jonny Milner has entered the 14th August
Triton Showers Lurgan Park Rally in a Skoda WRC and Derek
McGarrity has confirmed his entry in an Impreza WRC backed
by BSS’s Willie McKee, who will co-drive. Kenny McKinstry,
Eugene Donnelly, Niall Maguire, Maurice Gass and Denis Biggerstaff
are just some of the top entries already received.
George Tracey will have Swedish lady Maria Andersson co-driving
his Peugeot 206 WRC on this week’s Manx International.
Co.Antrim’s Alan Courtney is making the trip all the
way from Brazil, where he currently resides, to compete on
this weekend’s Manx Rally with his Lotus Cortina. Peter
Martin will co-drive.
Dermot Kelly is making the trip from Co. Cork to compete on
the 7th August Dogleap Rally in his Escort WRC. The event
based this time in Limavady’s Radisson Hotel is the next
round of the NI Stages Championship and has attracted all
the Championship regulars in its capacity entry.
The Clare Rally which was scheduled for the 19th September
and was normally a round of the Dunlop National series, but
on an opt out this year, would appear not to be able to take
place this year because of a lack of manpower. Motorsport
Ireland is believed to be considering running a Single Stage
event to replace it.
Late News - Following
a regular club meeting on Wednesday (28th) evening, the Clare
Motor Club found it's self inundated with offers of support
for this year's Clare Rally. as a result the event will now
go ahead as planed on the 19th of September.
A bone of contention on Irish stage rallies over the last
year has been the use of water filled plastic motorway dividers
for constructing chicanes instead of the traditional straw
bales. Hitting the dividers carried a 30s penalty for the
drivers. These are now to be abandoned and also the average
maximum permitted speed on tarmac stages is to be raised from
75 to 81mph.
Fuel samples taken from Andrew Nesbitt’s Jim Clark winning
Subaru and Eugene Donnelly’s Corolla WRC have been found
to comply fully with FIA fuel regulations. This is the first
time on the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship that samples
have been taken, the practice not being ruled out for the
future.
Sunday
the 15th of August sees the running of the annual North East
Single Stage. Entires can still be obtained from Arthur Campbell
on (00353) 086 4567261
Stephen
Moore heads the field away on this Sunday's Greenvale Hotel
Sunset Rally. The Maghrefielt and District MC event will feature
8 Stages in Davagh Forest and on private lanes, with the first
car away from Greenvale Hotel at 12.00. Other top runners
include Glen Allen, Johnny McKenna and
Camilus Bradley.
TRITON
SHOWERS LURGAN PARK RALLY 14TH AUGUST 2004
Milner to give Lurgan Park Rally ‘his
best shot’
British Rally Champion Jonny Milner is the latest addition
to what is formulating into a brilliant entry for the 14th
August Triton Showers Lurgan Park Rally. Milner will drive
an ex works Toni Gardemeister Octavia WRC, and joins some
of the best known names in Irish rallying for the Lurgan Park
spectacular.
Top ten drivers so far announced include Tarmac Champion Derek
McGarrity (Subaru), Northern Ireland Rally Champion &
Dunlop National Champion Eugene Donnelly (Corolla WRC), and
current Dunlop National Championship leader Niall Maguire
(Subaru WRC). Just 40 invited crews will compete over the
8 special stages in Lurgan Park. The man to beat will almost
certainly be ‘King of the Park’, 10 times winner
Kenny McKinstry in a Subaru Impreza WRC.
Milner will make his bid for the lion’s share of the
£5000 prize fund in the same Octavia WRC as Mark Higgins
will drive on the Manx International this week. It will be
the first time one of these underrated but very exciting cars
will have competed in Ireland.
Jonny’s last visit to the Lurgan Park Rally was 5 years
ago, when he drove a Group N Celica co-piloted by young Graeme
McKee, and, following a thrilling battle with Stevie Whitford
which included a brush with one of the beautiful but unforgiving
Lurgan Park trees, Jonny won the category.
“I always love rallying in Northern Ireland. The last
time I was in Lurgan Park I remember it as a very enjoyable
and professional event. I can’t wait to get over there
again, and of course I’m looking forward to driving the
Octavia. I’m going to give the rally my best shot”
observed Jonny as he put the finishing touches to his Subaru
in preparation for this weekend’s Manx.
Brian Patterson.
|
