Irish Notes 24th April 2006.
Aaron MacHale is going to change his entry from the family Corolla WRC to a Focus WRC for this weekend’s Killarney Lakes event, round 3 of the Pirelli Tarmac series. The Lakes is also a counter in the 023 Tiles Southern Four Championship, currently led by Melvyn Evans. Aaron will drive the ’03 Focus which his father Austin took to a close 3rd on the Circuit of Ireland two weeks ago. The car was changed to gravel specification following the Circuit, so that Gareth could drive it for a day before heading off to Argentina, where he will drive the ’05 Focus. Engineer Tom Gahon is to work all this week in readying the car for the Lakes, leaving Aaron no time to test. "I don’t even know how to start the thing” laughed Aaron following his 6th place on last weekend’s Monaghan Rally. Although entered for the Lakes, his father Austin has opted to go to Argentina to help Gareth.
Another change of entry for this weekend’s Killarney Lakes is that Nigel Hicklin is switching from a Corolla WRC to an ex Kevin Lynch Impreza P2000, upgraded and prepared by Stan Harper. Hicklin couldn’t settle to the Corolla WRC and reckons that, with the little amount of competing and testing he does, it would take about a year ‘to get into it’, a year that he doesn’t have to spare.
Cavan man Patrick Elliott has moved into a clear lead of the Dunlop Championship, following his 2nd place in his Subaru on last weekend’s Monaghan Rally. The next counter in the series is the 7th May Carlow event. Munster Joinery man Alan Ring, who drives an Impreza N12, has taken over the lead of the GpN category in the Dunlop series. Interestingly Monaghan Rally winner Adrian McElvaney decided at the last minute to register for the Championship, although he never really intended to compete in the all asphalt Dunlop series, preferring instead to have fun in the forest stages with his Subaru. Now that he has one maximum score, the Monaghan Scania dealer may well decide to enter a few more rounds.
Anthony O’Halloran, co-driven by Dairmuid Falvey in his Manta, had a start to finish win on his home Clare Single stage event last weekend. The classic 10 mile Ruan stage, run three times, ran past O’Halloran’s car sales business. Paul Purtill and Mike Moloney were 2nd and 3rd in their Escorts.
Enniskillen MC run the traditional May Day Rally at St Angelo this Monday 1st May. There are 6 stages on offer at St Angelo, with Derek McGeehan (Corolla WRC), Richard Cathcart (Mitsubishi), and George Elliott (Mitsubishi) the top seeds. Amongst the young drivers taking part are Alastair Fisher who won his class three wekends in a row recently but then his run of success was broken when his Corsa clutch blew up on the Fivemiletown Rally. The always popular St Angelo event is now sponsored by current competitor Craig Bennett, through his Bennet One Hour Photo business.
Current Dunlop National Group N Champion Michael Curran won the opening round of the series, the Mayo Stages this year, but has missed the following two rounds, Kerry and Monaghan, while a new Lancer was being built. Michael has missed out on an entry for the oversubscribed Carlow event, so has decided to change tack and has entered for Cavan in an Octavia WRC. He has driven the Braniff Skoda before, when he finished 2nd to Kevin Lynch on the Eurocables Rally earlier this year. “The car will have virtually zero miles on it for Cavan” reports Michael from the family transport company in Bangor, “I’m really looking forward to driving a WRC car again. GpN on the National Championship is now gone and I’ll hopefully drive the new Lancer on the Donegal Rally”
Cork’s Brian O’Mahony, current Pirelli British and Tarmac Super 1600 Champion, crashed his Puma out of the Circuit and thought the car would not be repaired in time for Killarney. He was trying to line up a Suzuki just in case, but this didn’t work out and the Circuit car should now be repaired in time, with a new Puma due to be sourced for Donegal.
Regards, Brian Patterson.
