Irish Notes 13^th March 2006.

 

Tim McNulty has confirmed that he will take delivery of his new Subaru Impreza S11 before the Circuit of Ireland at Easter. McNulty won the final round of the Tarmac series last season and was fighting for the lead of this year’s opener in Galway, before getting caught on the wrong tyres and putting his S10 off the road. Dublin building contractor McNulty is confident he will get back on a winning course in the Tarmac series, although indications are that the Meteor Electrical backed Circuit, now based in Derry, will have a very strong entry. McNulty commented “Yes, the new is confirmed and we are hoping for a test session before Easter. I suppose it will be another learning curve”. 

 

Former National Champion Paul Harris found it a steep learning curve getting to grips with GpN competition in a hired Lancer on Rally Ireland, finding the braking distances particularly frustrating  in comparison to WRC stopping distances. However Paul stuck with it and finished 9^th o/a and 4^th in GpN. The Letterkenny man plans to have at least one more outing in GpN but then possibly hire a WRC machine for a couple of rallies, including his home Donegal event.

 

This weekend’s West Cork Rally, which is a round of the 023 Tiles Southern Four Championship, features a very strong 150 plus entry. Last year’s winner Denis Cronin is No.1 seed in his Subaru Impreza WRC, and just some of the top drivers who will line up behind him for the Clonakilty start, in a avariety of WRC machinery are Liam McCarthy, Melvyn Evans, Michael Barrable, Nigel Hicklin, John Ingram and Tony Davies.

 

Top GpN drivers on the West Cork include Kieran O’Callaghan, Kevin Kelleher and 023 Tiles sponsor James O’Sullivan. There are over 50 Mk2 Escorts entered, with Phil Collins and Pat Gonegan just 2 of the fron runners.

 

The Quality Hotel in Clonakilty is the setting for an interesting rally forum this Friday night to be hosted by Michael O’Carroll. Billy Coleman, Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly and Nicky Grist are the guests. Interestingly Grist is compiling a new rally DVD aimed at grooming young co-drivers in all aspects of rallying and it will be available towards the end of this year.

 

Magherafelt MC’s Tour of the Sperrins Rally will move to a all aphalt format this year, as against its more usual forestry stages. KBB Doors will again sponsor the 20^th May rally, which will form round 3 of the NI Rally Championship. Walsh’s Hotel Maghera is the HQ, and there are ferry deals available for ‘cross-channel’ competitors.

 

In previous years the all aphalt  Easter Stages section of the Circuit of Ireland constituted round three of the NI Championship, but that is no longer the case.

 

Young Alastair Fisher has his Corsa engine rebuilt and hopes to test the car before this weekend’s Bishopscourt rally, round 2 of the NI Stage Rally Championship.  Top entries for the Co Down venue outside Downpatrick include Kevin Lynch, Glenn Allen, Sean Devine, Raymond Johnson and Denis Biggerstaff, all in world rally machinery. Dickie Curran heads the strong Group N contingent.

 

Brian Patterson