Irish Notes 20^th August 2007.

The Ulster Rally organisers are delighted to have a capacity plus entry for their 31^st August/1st September Armagh based event, with quality as well as quantity the hallmark. Tarmac Championship regulars Eugene Donnelly, Tim McNulty and Eamonn Boland are just some of the top names, while the Tesco 99 British series regulars Guy Wilks, Mark Higgins and Gwyndaf Evans are also featured. A twist to the situation is that Mark Higgins is staying with his GpN Impreza, following some speculation that he might have foregone his British series hopes and driven the Pirelli backed Subaru WRC which he has campaigned on the Tarmac rounds.

Mark at one point was leading both the Tarmac and the British series and it looked a real possibility that he could achieve the seemingly impossible and win both Championships. Now the pendulum is swinging away from Mark. At least his GpN Impreza might be on full power for the Ulster, it was discovered after the Manx that the car was only developing around 223 horse power instead of nearer 300, so it was little wonder Mark was having to ‘drive on the door handles’ and consequently went off the road. An added twist now for the Ulster is that Kris Meeke is entered in the Pirelli WRC car, perhaps in an attempt to knock Eugene Donnelly down a place in the leaderboard. Eugene runs on BF Goodrich. Andrew Nesbitt is also entered on the Ulster, so he could upset the balance of power as well.  Meeke and Nesbitt are still finalising their budgets for the event so it is not yet certain that both will make the Armagh start. Paul Nagle is listed to co-drive for Meeke and James O’Brien with Nesbitt.  

Carryduff’s Jonny Greer scored victory on the inaugural Citroen C2R2 Challenge pilot event on the Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally. Local driver Paul Manton from Kilkenny was 2^nd, and Monaghan’s Barry Evans was 3^rd. The C2R2 Challenge is an initiative from Belfast based Citroen Sport UK distributors Charles Hurst to kick start a Championship in Ireland as well as the UK next year.

For teenager Greer, son of well known rally man David Greer, this is a busy period as he also contested the Fiesta Sporting Trophy on the Cork Forestry last weekend and will then switches back to the Citroen for the Ulster Rally. Jonny is not registered for the Tesco 99 British series, but it will be interesting to compare his pace with series leader Jason Pritchard from Builth Wells.

On the Cork Forestry Greer was again victorious, resisting a hard charge from Alastair Fisher. Fisher admitted that he was trying too hard and losing time going into corners too fast and then exiting too slowly.  The Fiesta Sporting Trophy co-ordinator Ciara Conlan from M-Sport confirmed that plans are well advanced for next year’s Fiesta series in Ireland, and she will shortly publish the proposed 2008 calendar.

This weekend’s heavily over-subscribed Galway Summer Rally, based once again in the Raheen Woods Hotel, is around of both the Dunlop National Championship and the Top Part West Coast series.  The rally has attracted a very impressive entry and as well as championship regulars such as Aaron MacHale, Patrick Elliott, Niall Maguire & Kevin Barrett several drivers are using the event as a shake down for the Ulster Rally. Into that latter category falls Eamonn Boland, Tim McNulty and Kevin Lynch. Glenn Allen was originally a front runner in the Dunlop series but his Corolla is still in Holland being repaired, the Cookstown man not in the Galway list. Derek McGarrity, with Diarmuid Falvey co-driving, is also entered for Galway in a Subaru Impreza WRC, possibly the car that Meeke is scheduled to use on the Ulster.  This will be Derek’s first event since last year’s Manx accident.

Camillus Bradley and his co driver Danny O’Neill scored another fine victory on last weekend’s Cookstown Davagh Rally.  Camillus’ famous red Escort finished 20s ahead of Declan McNaughton/Joe Agnew in a similar Escort. Brian Muldoon/Patsy Corr finished 3^rd in their Lancer on the Lafarge Cement backed event.

The Killarney Forestry Rally, sponsored by the Malton Hotel, is planning to run four separate stages, each repeated, in the Castleisland/Newmarket areas. The event is the final round of the Hankook Tyres Irish Forestry series, as well as being a counter in the MSA National Gravel Championship. Therein is the rub, because that weekend of 31^st August/1^st September is fantastically busy. As well as the Ulster Rally the BTRDA Woodpecker is taking place on the Saturday, and it is also the recce weekend for the Wexford Rally. Vodka Kick supremo Steve Perez has found his own solution, competing in his Focus WRC on the Woodpecker based around the Hereford/Welsh border on the Saturday then flying to Killarney on the Saturday  night to compete there on Sunday in his second  world rally car!

Skibbereen & District MC who organise the Fastnet Rally is holding a Charity Motor Show in the Clonakilty Show Grounds on Sunday the 16^th September.  Many rally cars, classics, vintage tractors etc., will be on display and all the proceeds will go the Red Cross, Civil Defence and Aid Cancer Treatment.

Dublin’s Martin Brady had no sooner co-driven Kevin O’Kane to 3^rd on last weekend’s two day Cork Forestry than he was packing his bag again to head off to the USA to co-drive for Polish driver Piotr Wychzatrok on the Minnesota based Ojiwbe Rally.

Brian Patterson