Irish Notes 16^th Oct ’06.

 

 

Lisburn’s Wesley Patterson was leading the 2 wheel drive section in his Escort and into the top ten of last weekend’s Harvest Rally when he suffered chest and arm pains following the Atlantic Drive stage. His co-driver Ruth Guest asked him to stop at the petrol station outside Carrigart and he then collapsed. He was rushed to Letterkenny Hospital in an ambulance with a Garda escort , where a minor coronary, caused by a blocked artery, was diagnosed. He was reported to be ‘comfortable’ later on the Saturday night and will soon be transferred to the RVH in Belfast.  

 

Good news from Cork Hospital - John McCarthy is now fully conscious and able to speak, which is brilliant!!

 

Bunbeg’s Hugh Martin Doherty hopes to upgrade his Focus WRC to a newer model for next year and plans a more comprehensive programme than of late, based around the Tarmac series. Hugh Martin crashed out of the Donegal Harvest early on, but damage was light and he was very grateful to the two marshals who helped him and saved the car from further damage.

 

Eugene Donnelly said of his first outing in the Impreza WRC S11, “Its so easy to drive, the car is trying to help you, it’s fantastic.” Eugene’s co-driver on the Donegal Harvest, James Sharkey, had won the seat in a Donegal MC fund raising effort, with the proceeds going towards charities and good causes based around the local community. Eugene praised Sharkey at the rally finish for the way he coped with the notes.

 

Kenny McKinstry was planning to compete on this weekend’s Bulldog Rally, but in a last minute deal has hired the right hand drive Impreza WRC S8 he was planning to drive to Enniskillen’s Richard Cathcart, rated as one of the most naturally talented young drivers in Ulster. Kenny’s daughter Emma is one of quite a large Irish contingent also making the trip over for the classic Bulldog stages.

 

Rory Kennedy, fresh from winning the British Championship co-drivers title on the Trackrod, was able to relax on the Donegal Harvest when Garry Jennings’ planned run in an Impreza WRC fell through. Kennedy, now one of Ireland’s most successful co-drivers, is looking forward to Rally GB with Mark Higgins in a WRC machine, and has high hopes for further top flight competitive co-drives.

 

Brothers Liam and Shaun Reid of Reid Transport in Cloughmills are planning to set up a high profile three car rally team to contest next year’s Tarmac Championship. Shaun will drive his Lancer, James Cullen/Reba Graham will be in a Lancer, and the third driver could well be Garry Jennings in a WRC Impreza, although that part of the deal is not yet finalised.

 

Well known competitor Fintan McGrady is backing this weekend’s Newcastle based Down Rally through his Downpatrick based Insurance brokers, and is planning to ‘OO’ as well. Kevin Lynch and Kevin O’Kane in their respective Impreza WRC’s, and current NI GpN Champion Neil McCance in his Lancer are amongst the top entries. The rally starts at 09.00 on Saturday morning, there are 9 stages in the Mournes and at Rostrevor, and service is cenrralised in Donard Park

 

Glenn Allen has not put in an entry so far for the Down Rally and may instead opt out of the NI series for this year and take his Corolla WRc to a Welsh or Scottish event, for something different. Allen had a lot of problems with his Corolla’s engine earlier in the year and has in any case been fighting an uphill battle to try and beat Kevin Lynch for the NI Rally Champions title. If Glenn does indeed non-start the Down Rally, the penultimate round of the series, Lynch has his 3^rd NI title won.

 

Navan’s James Foley, with Dominic Markey on the notes, had a clear win on last Sunday’s Baltinglass based GSMC Mini Stages Rally from Clonakilty brothers Kevin and Martin Kelleher, also in a Lancer. Tom Holton was 3rd^h in his Celica, Graham Quinn 4^th in yet another Lancer, and Paul Purtill 5^th and best 2wd in his Escort.

 

John O’Donnell won the Junior section of last weekend’s Donegal Harvest, with Brendan Friel, also in a Corolla 2^nd and Martin O’Donnell 3^rd in a Civic.

 

Class winners on the Donegal Harvest included: Robbie Peoples/Keith Stewart (Escort) class 11: Daniel Conaghan/Liam McLaughlin (Escort) Cl.12: Seamus Gallagher/Crawford Henderson (Saxo) cl.6: Mamus Kelly/Damien McCauley (Corolla) cl.11: JP Logue/Patrick Dunning (Civic) Cl.2: Maurice Moffett/Jason McKenna (Starlet) Cl.14: Brian Pat Doherty/Michael O’Kane (Escort Maxi) Cl.7: Christopher Boyce/Pascal Dillon (Civic) Cl.3: Eamonn McCafferty/Toney Walsh (Micra) Cl.5: Thomas Carolan/Declan Smith (Escort) Cl.9: Philip Harte/James McDermott (Swift) Cl.1

Brian Patterson.