IRish notes 19^th September ’05 .

As well as all the top Irish drivers, Belgian Pieter Tsjoen and Dutchman Erik Wever, both in Corolla WRC’s, will add considerable spice to the 1^st/2^nd October Cork ‘20’ Rally, final round of the Pirelli Tarmac Championship. Other ‘foreign’ drivers include Tim Van Parijs in an ex works Mitsubishi and VW Polo Champion Jari Laakso from Finland .

 

This weekend’s Omagh based 13 forest stage Bushwhacker Rally, always a popular round of the NI  Championship, has attracted a bulging entry list boosted with some drivers from outside the normal run of the series including local favourite Robbie McGurk (Lancer) and Eugene Donnelly (Corolla WRC) The latter is still seeking gravel experience in preparation for Rally Ireland and could be a real threat to the two top men in the series, Kevin Lynch (Impreza WRC) and Glenn Allen (Corolla WRC)

 

Carrick on Suir MC is running the popular Single Stage Rally this Sunday, based in Carrick on Suir and backed by James Coleman’s company Suirway Forklifts. Billy Coleman co-driven by Gareth Lloyd is acting as course car in an Escort, while top seeds include David James, Liam Wall and Willie Whitty in their respective Escorts, Andrew Purcell is at 4 in an F2 Nissan, Alan James at 5 in a Corsa and Kevin Kelleher is 6 in his Escort.

 

Meath brothers James and Joe Cassidy did enough in their Escort on last weekend’s Mullingar based Castle Single Stage to clinch the popular class based Sleator Opel backed Midlands East Championship. Andrew Lang/Oliver O’Reilly, also from Meath, were 2^nd in their RWD Fiesta.

 

Kilkenny’s Terence O’Shaugnessy and his co-driver Eugene McGrath, driving a GRT Hire and EMG Transport backed Corolla TC, won the Triton Showers SE Championship, despite battling with a misfiring engine on the final round in Wexford last weekend.

 

Cookstown MC’s Lafarge Cement backed Davagh/Loughrey Rally last Saturday was won by Paul McKenna in his Lancer from Charlie Beattie in the ex Meeke 4 wheel drive Corsa. Alistair Cochrane was 3^rd in his Escort. Kieran Graffan had led until his Lancer gearbox lost its oil. One of the prev event favourites Camillus Bradley retired with mechanical problems.

 

Rally Ireland is introducing the David Williams Memorial Trophy as ‘Spirit of the Rally” Award. The late David Williams had expressed his intention to be on this inaugural event. Clerk of the Course Tom Nolan has also pointed out that entries for the smaller classes are welcome, and also that Patterson Pace Notes will be available. Although the spotlight will be on the ‘big’ entries, such as Sweden ’s Daniel Carlsson, along with the top Irish drivers, Nolan is keen to make it a ‘proper’ rally, encompassing the smaller cars. Freddie Loix is due to drive a Suzuki Ignis, so should be a real yardstick, as will Japanese driver Toshi Arai in a GpN Impreza.

 

A new award has just been announced for the Dunlop National Championship, the Noel Smith Award, to go to the winning co-driver. The late Noel Smith, a Dublin solicitor, was one of Irelands most courageous and flamboyant drivers, scoring many victories. He will be principally remembered for his exploits in his raucous Porsche. Ironically, Noel was totally opposed to any form of reconnaissance, currently a contentious issue on the National series.

 

Joan Gallagher has done a superb job as registrar on the Dunlop National Championship and she will now move up to Chairperson of the Motorsport Ireland National Stages Sub Committee while Letterkenny girl Laura Fuery is to take over as Registrar. Patrick Elliott is the 3^rd member of the Committee, while Micheal Boland is the Tipperary MC nominee and Monaghan MC has still to nominate.

 

Brian Patterson.