Tarmac Champion Eugene
Donnelly spent a day last
week testing an M-Sport ’06
Focus WRC and was guardedly
impressed with the car. Just
some of Eugene’s comments
afterwards included, “There
are pros and cons with the
Subaru and the Focus. I see
some stuff I like in each
car The Focus is a different
concept, but a great car,
and the current car is
virtually the same as the
‘06. We are looking to the
future, plans are still
being finalised, but then
the plans have changed so
many times and there are
many opportunities being
presented to us.”
On
the subject of some outings
on the WRC, Eugene
continued, “We are looking
at it again. Certainly I’d
like the experience, but the
priority is the Tarmac
Championship and Rally
Ireland. I know Kris Meeke
has been talking to Reid
Motorsport as well.”
For
the immediate future Eugene
continued, “We’ve been
looking at footage from
Donegal and it told us
things we were getting
right, and what we’ve
backtracked on. We have
issues with Prodrive, but
everybody is working very
hard. We were so close in
Galway, but the set up has
gone backwards since then,
its very frustrating. We
should have most of what we
want for the Manx and it
should be right for the
Ulster.”
Gareth MacHale was on hand
on the Sligo Stages helping
his brother Aaron to win the
event, and Gareth reported
that he hopes his Focus will
be rebuilt in time for him
to have a run on the
Tipperary Stonethrowers
event.
Derek
McGeehan, who prepares
Eugene and Charlie
Donnelly’s cars, scored
victory on last weekend’s
Lough Neagh Marshals stages
rally, to make it three wins
on this event for the
Draperstown man.
Tom
Holton took his Celica to 11th
overall on the Exotic Green
Rally in Holland, Enfield
man Tom and his co-driver
Francis Kenny also earning
the best overseas crew
award. Sean McArdle finished
14th in his Corolla WRC.
Mark
Courtney in his Celica is
the top seed on this
weekend’s Birr Mini Stages
event, with Alan Ring in his
GpN Impreza at 2 and
Donegal’s Stuart Darcy at 3
in a Lancer.The rally is
based in Templemore and has
a capacity 151 entry. The
drivers will tackle two
asphalt stages done twice.
Michael Barrable withdrew
his appeal to the stewards
regarding his exclusion from
the Ravens Rock Rally, which
meant that Aaron Machale and
his co-driver Killian Duffy
received the magnificent
Waterford Crystal winners
awards at the start of the
Sligo Stages. Michael
Barrable also withdrew his
entry for Sligo. Patrick
Elliott wasn’t fit enough to
start Sligo following his
Ravens Rock accident, while
Glenn Allen’s Corolla,
damaged in Ravens Rock,
wasn’t ready for Sligo, so
he also non-started.
Adrian Heatherington won the
North Armagh club’s
Loughgall Stages Rally last
Saturday. Marty Teggart had
led but spun on the
penultimate stage and
finished 2nd with
Mervyn Wedlock 3rd,
all in Escorts. Roy
Haslett’s son Robert was
competing in a Mini and had
a lucky escape from serious
injury when he crashed
through a fence. Robert was
taken to hospital and was
reported to be well on the
road to recovery.
The
Pat Kirk Group has stepped
in as sponsor for this
Saturday’s Lark in the Park
Rally in Derry’s St Columbs
Park, and competitors will
tackle five stages in the
Park.
Brian
Patterson.
