Irish Notes 10^th April 06.

 

Paul Kiely took Sunday off from his Circuit of Ireland ‘recce’ with Eugene Donnelly to score 2^nd in GpN  on the Roscommon based Midland Multi Stage event. Eddie Donaghy had been setting the GpN pace but turbo pipe trouble stopped his Lancer, leaving Kiely to battle it out with John Kelly for the Production honours, Longford man Kelly getting his Lancer’s nose in front by just three seconds.

 

“I was delighted to just finish” reported Kiely, “That was the the first time I’ve maged to get this car to the end of a rally. The last stage was like a bottle, a skating rink, when the warm weather turned to rain.” 

 

The Midland event was a counter in the Sleator Opel Championship, and Jack Sleator very nearly won the rally outright in a dramatic last stage where early rally leader Adrian McElvaney crashed his Subaru, which subsequently suffered a small fire, and Noel McCarrick slowed in the slippy conditions, but still did enough to win from Sleator, by12 seconds. Both were driving Subarus. Rodney Wilton put up another brilliant showing to take 3^rd o/a in his Mk 2 Escort.

 

In Kiely’s absence, Eugene Donnelly had Paddy Toner as substitute co-driver for the Circuit of Ireland Sunday recce, Eugene reporting that he had got on well through the tough Sperrins stages, although a planned test session in his Corolla WRC on the Friday had to be curtailed when the gearbox developed a small fault.

 

In addition to bidding to extend his Pirelli Tarmac Championship lead on the Circuit of Ireland, Eugene Donnelly has also put an entry in for his home event, the KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins Rally. The rally is round 3 of the NI Championship and is running 8 asphalt stages this year instead of the usual forests. Glenn Allen, Richard Hogg, Martin Ellliott and Rodney White are just some of the top entries received for the 20^th May Maghera based event.

 

Austin MacHale confirmed last weekend at the Derry based recce for the Circuit of Ireland that he would be driving his ’03 Focus WRC, while his son Gareth would be doing a short  test in the ’05 car before it was despatched to Argentina. This would leave Derek McGarrity first on the road for the Circuit. Maurice Gass is thought to be a non-starter with his Skoda WRC, while all the other top names checked in for their recce on schedule.

 

Ernest McMillen MBE is certainly the oldest driver on the Circuit of Ireland, if not in rallying throughout these islands.  The Comber man started rallying 60 years ago and has competed on the Circuit 34 or possibly 35 times.  Even the evergreen Ernest has lost count!  He drives his usual Suzuki at No.60 this time and is co-driven  once again by Desi McGlade

 

Former Production World Rally Champion Niall McShea reportred that he is really looking forward to competing on the Circuit.  Niall is actually No.1 seed on the National part of the rally and interestingly his wife of 3 months, Noreen, is co-driving.  Letterkenny lady Noreen, one of the McDaid family, has a lot of experience both as a driver and co-driver. McShea is driving an Orion, and said he doesn’t really mind what the car is, that it will be great to get on to Circuit of Ireland stages.

 

Hillsborough’s Martin McGrath bid for a co-driving seat with Robbie McGurk at an auction earlier this year, in a fund raising evening for Philip Morrow. McGrath’s bid came to a fruitful conclusion last Saturday when he co-drove McGurk to victory on the Omagh MC Fivemiletown  Forestry Rally.

 

 When the pair’s Lancer finished the 8^th and final stage McGrath commented, “ That was absolutely brilliant. It was an education sitting beside Robbie. I co-drove years ago on some tarmac rallies, the forest was so different. It would nearly convert me. The notes were difficult at the start, getting the timing right, but it worked well on the 2^nd loop.”

 

Raymond Johnston was a close 2^nd in Fivemiletown, his Subaru suffering a small electrical problem at one point, while Fermanagh’s  Richard Cathcart (Impreza) was a brilliant 3^rd overall and won GpN from NI Production Champion Neil McCance (Lancer). Adrian Hetherington took top 2 wd honours in his Escort.

 

This weekend’s Wicklow Forestry Rally is Round 3 of the Irish Forestry championship and the usual series regulars including John McCarthy, Owen Murphy, Stephen Moore, Kevin O’Kane and James Murphy are due to make an appearance. Paul Staunton is very much on his local patch and should be the man to beat in the 2 wheel drive category in his Escort.

 

Brian Patterson.