Irish Notes 29th Nov. ’06

Eugene Donnelly and his co-driver Paul Kiely collected their overall Pirelli Tarmac Champions awards at the series prizegiving in Salthill Galway last Saturday night. For the pair it was their 3rd consecutive Tarmac title, although of course the first year they shared the honour with Derek McGarrity.

“I have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure it is really happening. We won the National Title in 2003 , and now this, three Tarmac Championships. It has been a huge team effort. It has not all been about driving. I have had to sell myself, work really hard at the deals, and we have had some great support” commented Eugene. He has scored all his titles in Toyotas – the National in a Celica and then the three Tarmac titles in his Corolla WRC. That is set to change for ‘The Genie’, who also said “It is no secret that we are trying to do something with Prodrive and Subaru for next year. We have a test in a couple of weeks and it is all down to that.”

Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey collected the Gene Meegan sponsored GpN award for the Pirelli Tarmac series. 32 year old Limerick man Colm, who first sprang to prominence 4 years ago when he won the Irish Ford Focus Championship, drove his brother John’s GpN Impreza with great verve this year on his way to Championship success, and commented, “Probably Galway was my most enjoyable event of the year, slippy roads, everbody was there, it was the first round of the championship, nothing to lose!” Colm won convincingly in Galway, but then had a fairly turbulent trip to the title. “Budgets have been, and still are, a huge problem” commented Colm, who plans to marry his girlfriend Joanne ‘next year’. He continued , “I’m still trying to sort the bills for this year out, never mind planning for next season!”

John McGlaughlin was presented with the Fisher Foundation young driver award at the Tarmac Championship Prizegiving. The Fisher Foundation was set up in memory of Bertie, Mark and Emily Fisher, all killed in a helicopter accident 5 years ago. 23 year old McGlaughlin, who works in the family bakery in Cookstown, is one of the most popular drivers in Ireland, as well as being very talented. His results were not really outstanding in ’06, but he was still very much on the pace in his Evo9, finishing the season with 5th o/a and 2nd in GpN on the Glens of Antrim Rally, following a titanic struggle with Richard Cathcart. John, along with regular co-driver David McIlroy, really appreciates the boost the award brings, and plans to contest the Tarmac Championship, plus selected events in ’07

Mini Cooper driver Ray Cunningham was the deserved winner of the Tarmac Historic Title, while Adrian Kermode won the Post Historic section. Kermode’s ‘Martini’ Porsche 911 is to be driven this weekend on the Killarney Historic by former three time Belgian Rally Champion Marc Duez. Kermode will switch to an older 911, a full historic Porsche formerly owned by Dessie Nutt and then his brother Chris. Maurice Beckett normally co-drives for Kermode, but Maurice is moving house this weekend, so Liz Jordan will be on the notes for Killarney.

The short list for the Billy Colema award contains three names – Owen Murphy, Keith Cronin and Ian Barrett. We have mentioned Murphy and Cronin in the last couple of weeks. Ian Barrett must also be in with a great chance. He was 3rd in the Coleman Awards 12 months ago, when Gareth MacHale won, so Ian ‘knows the ropes’.

24 year old bachelor Ian from Dublin was blindingly quick in GpN with his Lancer this season on the Dunlop National Championship, but good results were tantalisingly distant. He did finish 2nd GpN in Cavan, and led the category many times, but had much hassle with his Lancer and ‘DNF’ seemed mostly the order of the day. Ian reports that he is flat out with work in the family heating and plumbing business, and no matter what the outcome of the Billy Coleman Award, will have another serious attempt at the Dunlop National series, and commented, “My pace is nearly there, I’ve stopped making mistakes, and I have some unfinished business in the Championship!”

Jim McKenna was a late entry for last weekend’s Enniskillen Clubmans Stages Rally, and certainly made up for lost time when, running No 72 on the side of his Starlet, he scored a one second victory over Gary McElhinney in his Escort following the 9 asphalt stages at Lough Navar. Harold Brown was 3rd in his Astra. Class winners included Ronan Cox (Nova), Bartley Downey (Nissan Cherry), Jim McKenna (Starlet), Aidan Toner (Escort), Gary McElhinney (Escort), Alan Cathcart (Civic).

An evening of ‘Carols & Craic’ for all the family is planned for Wednesday evening 6th December in Rainey Endowed School in Magherafelt. Just some of the rally men behind the evening include Andy Magee, Richard Hyland, Richard Bell and Michael Johnston, new clerk of the course of the Ulster Rally. All are welcome and there will be a collection for the Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund.

UTV’s Pamela Ballantine was certainly a busy lady last weekend, compering the ‘SPARKS’ do in Belfast on the Friday evening and then the Pirelli Tarmac Championship prizegiving on the Saturday. The SPARKS banquet raised over £50,000 for the motorsport charity, while on the Saturday evening in Galway a substantial sum was raised for the Motorsport Ireland Benovelent Fund. In addition, Pamela has pledged her full support towards the Rally of the 1000 Entries and the Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund, and will be happy to fulfill a sponsored co-driver’s role.

Brian Patterson.

Omagh’s Derrick Jobb has entered his ex-works Toyota Celica ‘205’ for the 30th December Rally of the 1000 Entries at Kirkistown, and the sensational news is that he is to be co-driven by former Captain of the Tyrone County GAA team, Peter Canavan.

Canavan and Jobb met at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia, where Jobb, a former International badminton player, was managing the NI Badminton team. They hatched the idea then for Canavan to co-drive on the Lark in the Park Rally.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte decreed the scheme too dangerous though, just one week before a major match, so the idea was put on the long finger.

Lark in the Park’s loss was Rally of the 1000 Entries gain, and it is all stations go now for the 30th December event. The original concept of the Rally of the 1000 Entries was to raise funds to help Christopher Rogers, paralysed from the waist down following a rally accident in Monaghan four years ago, go to China for revolutionary new treatment.

In addition the Rally Specialist Medical Assistance Fund has been set up to help with any other contingencies which may arise in the future.

As well as competing himself, Derrick Jobb is supplying a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 for former British Champion Gwyndaf Evans to drive. Tarmac Champion co-driver Paul Kiely is co-driving for Gwyndaf. Many of the top drivers, such as Eugene Donnelly, Kenny McKinstry and Camillus Bradley are willing to take ‘guest’ co-drivers, as long as they bid for their seats through the Magherafelt Motor Club website!

Ulster Television presenter Pamela Ballantine has offered her services as a co-driver, with the sponsorship going to the fund, and Cool FM presenter Sonya Mac, very much an up and coming rally driver herself in her Ford Ka, is also entering and hoping to do her bit for the new fund.

For more information on the free draw, which includes a co-driving seat with Eugene Donnelly, a trip to the Monaco Grand Prix and a £500 voucher to a World Rally Champioinship round, and also details of how to bid for a co-drivers seat, simply go to www.magherafeltmotorclub.co.uk and submit your email address.