Irish Notes 2nd November 2005

 

 

This weekend’s Glens of Antrim Rally is the final counter in the NI Stage Championship. Kevin Lynch has the overall title sewn up, which switches the spotlight to the race for the GpN title. Neil McCance would almost certainly have clinched the GpN title on the last round, the Bushwhacker, but for his Lancer breaking the gearbox.

 

McCance, who runs a Belfast company specialising in supplying steel, and who celebrated his 38^th birthday last Friday, commented, “This Mid-Antrim rally does not have good memories me. In 13 years I’ve started this rally 10 times and the car has let me down 9 times! So there will no heroics from me this weekend. I’ll  just concentrate on GpN. I think 4^th or better will get me the title.”

 

John McGlaughlin is one driver who could deprive McCance of the GpN title, with Martin Elliott an outside bet.  Also at stake for McCance is 3^rd overall in the championship and his main rival in that department is No.1 seed Craig Bennett in his Focus WRC. Raymond Johnson (Impreza WRC) is at No.2, Kieran Shaw (Lancer WRC) is at 3, John McKeown (Escort Cosworth) at 4, Brendan Hagan (Focus WRC) at 5 and Sean Devine (Impreza WRC) at 6.  The rally is based in Ballymena and has 10 stages through the Glens of Antrim forests. Numerically the entry is down this year with just 67 entries.  Normally the event has around 110 entries.

 

Interesting McCance held a top ten place and 4^th in GpN for most of the day last week on the Bulldog. After the event Phillip Morrow was talking to McCance and couldn’t believe that he was running a synchromesh gearbox. He explained that when he was forced to fit one halfway through the Bulldog his times fell away like a stone. McCance reckons that his winter mission is now to get a dog box fitted and switch on to left foot braking! 

 

One of the most popular events in the Irish forestry series, the two day Mallow based Cork Forestry Rally, is in danger of losing its championship status next year, because of difficulties over finding a suitable date which will not disturb the nesting habits of the hen harrier. This endangered bird nests on moorland, and interestingly is not troubled by rally cars going down stages, but does get panicky if spectators are trampling by!

 

Clonakilty’s Kevin Kelleher won Group N on the 023 Tiles Southern 4 Championship when he brought his Lancer into 2^nd in the category on last Sunday’s Fastnet Rally. Kevin was also 2^nd overall in the championship while Nigel Hicklin took 3^rd overall.  Denis Cronin had the overall title sewn up before the Fastnet.

 

Eugene Donnelly will receive his Pirelli Tarmac Champion crown at the Dublin prizegiving later this month.  An unexpected honour for Donnelly is that Magherafelt District Council is also laying on a civic reception for him to mark his achievement.

 

The first of the 2006 Irish calendars has been released, this one by Seamus Counihan. The high gloss A2 calendar has some pretty stunning shots ranging from Austin McHale's Focus WRC going over Molls Gap to Maurice Moffett's rear wheel drive Starlet getting very sideways on the Ardee based NE Stages. Further info on www.crspics.com 

 

Brian Patterson