This weekend’s Birr asphalt stage rally
has attracted an interesting top entry,
with former National Champion Ray Breen
heading the oversubscribed 151 strong
list in his Focus WRC. The Roscrea based
event, with its long fast and
challenging asphalt stages, is seen as a
great shake-down for the National
series, and has attracted drivers such
as Patrick Elliott in his new Impreza
WRC S11 and Aaron MacHale in his Focus
WRC. Breen has won the rally for the
last two years and is going for his
hat-trick. Alan Ring, Willie Fannin,
Gabriel Martin, Tadgh
Linehan
and Eamon Daly are the top GpN drivers,
seeded from eight to twelve, and again
are on a ‘warm-up’ for the opening
Dunlop National series round in Mayo.
Interestingly, the Birr Club has been
given the go ahead for a restricted
asphalt event on the 15th July, as a
replacement for their forestry date.
Three times NI Rally Champion Kevin
Lynch is trying to arrange a run on both
the West Cork and Mayo National rallies,
in order to familiarise himself with the
set-up on his new Focus WRC. As ever
Lynch is under pressure regarding time
off from his utilities contracting
business. Kevin found his newly acquired
Ford very different from his Impreza
WRC’s, and although he managed a
respectable enough result on the Galway
Rally, the Dungiven man was far from
comfortable.
Garry Jennings bought an ex Mark Higgins
‘works’ Nissan Sunny last week, and
planned to compete on last Saturday’s
Donegal Forestry. Garry tested the car
in asphalt trim and found it pretty
stunning, ‘a real rally car, makes all
the right noises” reported the former
GpN Tarmac Champion. Unfortunately the
Nissan didn’t make it into the opening
Donegal stage, as the viscous
differential had no fluid. “It was a
shame,” said Jennings, “Donegal looked
like a great rally, and this is a real
fun car” Garry intends to take his
famous black Evo to the Sunseeker this
weekend, and then will make a decision
as to whether to contest the Evo
Challenge, or the Tarmac series. The
Nissan will be used for some fun Irish
events, and will also be hired out.
Donegal Motor Club’s Forestry Rally last
weekend turned out to be a great
success, and had a new young organising
team headed up by Daniel Conaghan. The
rally had three stages, run three times,
around the beautiful Lough Derg. Despite
the fine sunny morning, little wisps of
mist, early frost and then dampness
under foot, made the going tricky, but
the competitors loved it.
Seamus O’Connell did some serious
development work to his Mk2 Escort
before last weekend’s Donegal event, and
an extensive test at one of his quarries
to try new Reiger suspension seemed to
be a success. Unfortunately he put the
Escort into a ditch on the first stage,
and then the alternator failed on the
2nd, meaning he didn’t really get to put
the suspension to good use.
Well known competitor Tom Halliday from
Galway is starting up an ‘on event’
Michelin/BF Goodrich tyre service which
will be present on Irish National
rallies throughout the season.
Brian Patterson.
