Tim McNulty was
preparing to start his Donegal
recconnaissance earlier this
week, and reported that,
contrary to rumours about a new
Impreza WRC S12, he would be
driving his usual Pierse
Construction backed ‘S11’.
Fresh from his successful run on
the Jim Clark, Tim commented,
“I’m really enjoying my rallying
again. Earlier this year I was
thinking of jacking it all in,
it was going so badly. But now I
can’t wait to get going in
Donegal, no pressure, and I’m
already thinking about next
year, giving it a blast.” Derek
McGarrity has now confirmed that
he will be non-starting Donegal,
which means that Diarmuid Falvey
will again be available to
co-drive for Tim.
Meanwhile most of the
big names, Sebastian Loeb,
Eugene Donnelly, Mark Higgins,
Andrew Nesbitt, Andreas
Mikkelson and so on, are on
course for this weekend’s
Donegal. Indications are though
that Gareth MacHale’s Focus
won’t be ready, while top GpN
drivers Roy White, Shaun
Gallagher and James Foley who
have withdrawn their entries
fronm the original line up.
Gordon Rogers, co-driven
by Phillip McEntee, took his
Escort to a fine victory on last
Sunday’s Midland Restricted
Single stage event. Gordon
finished back at Cooney’s Hotel
in Ballymahon after three runs
over a great 10 mile asphalt
stage, 3 seconds up on Liam and
Pat Higgins in their Civic.
Thomas and Kevin McGovern were 3rd
in their Escort.
Sligo man Andrew Mullen
had a busy weekend, recceing the
Mourne Rally on Friday afternoon
and then taking a fine class win
on the Saturday with his wife
Elaine co-driving in their Saxo.
On the Sunday Elaine headed off
to Donegal to begin her recce
there with Seamus Heron, the
pair having finished 3rd
overall on the recent Sperrins
Rally. Andrew meanwhile headed
South and, with none other than
Garry Jennings co-driving, took
the Saxo to 2nd in
class. Garry reported that he
has a new engine in his Lancer
in readiness for Donegal, but
that the new motor just wouldn’t
rev out, with some mystery
surrounding a lack of turbo
boost.
Young Toni Kelly is
completing her ‘leaving cert’
exams this week, meaning the
Letterkenny girl will have
virtually no time for a
recconnaissance. However she is
fully on course to take her
place in the Donegal line-up
with her new model Honda Civic
Type R. The car has been built
by JAS Motorsport in Italy, and
is one of, if not the very
first, new model Type R to
appear on a rally. Toni has
only a few familiarisation
miles in the car, and is finding
it a treat to drive, including
the sequential gear-shift.
Derek McGeehan looks
after Eugene Donnelly’s Impreza
S12, along with Prodrive, and on
this Donegal Rally Draperstown
man Derek is going to be
particulary busy, as he has four
other cars to look after. Paul
Harris in a RHD Corolla WRC,
Cahal Rogers in a GpN Lancer,
Seamus Heron in his ’99 Focus
WRC and young Andrew McBride in
a Peugeot 206. It’s little
wonder that the rally
preparation engineers need ever
bigger lorries. Stan Harper has
now a massive ex F1 rig, with a
‘bull nosed’ Scania unit at the
front, all testimony to the
importance of ‘image’ and
catering, as well as top level
engineering to look after the
current WRC and GpN machinery.
Young Darren Gass was
placed well down the list of
reserves for Donegal, so has
decided instead to take his new
Citroen C2 to the Ypres Rally.
On his first outing with the new
car on the Jim Clark, Darren was
well in the British Championship
points and as he settled in,
having not driven the car at all
beforehand, was able to put up
top ten times.
The Modern Tyres
concern will be working closely
with Pirelli on the Donegal
Rally and are planning an
autograph session at the end of
the Friday leg outside the rally
HQ, the Mount Errigal Hotel.
Many of the top drivers have
pledged to appear, and all rally
fans are welcome.
Danny Caddye has for
many years been associated with
the organisational side of the
Donegal Motor Club, both as a
founder member and former
competitor, but now the
Letterkenny man is putting on
the racing overalls to compete
this weekend in a bid to raise
funds for the Helping Hands
Cancer Charity group. Hazel
Russel from Highland Radio is
co-driving and the pair will be
in a Honda Civic running at
No.152.
Donegal man Hugh Martin
Doherty is seeded at No.24 for
this weekend’s Donegal
International and was planning
an extensive test session in his
Focus WRC earlier this week.
Hugh Martin’s normal co-driver
Michael McBride has fallen off a
lorry and hurt his back. It is
doubtful if Michael will be fit
to co-drive over the Donegal
bunps and jumps this weekend so
Hugh Martin could be involved in
a last minute search for a
replacement co-driver.
Brian Patterson
