An open
invitation has been extended to all
to attend an evening of carols and
craic at Rainey Endowed Grammar
School, Magherafelt, on Wednesday
evening 5th December at 8.0pm. This
is a brilliant social evening put
together by a few rally people and
in these days of busy schedules it
is such a refreshing occasion. It is
really worth taking time out to
attend. Apart from being great fun
it just affords a few minutes as a
reminder as to what life is really
about!
Kevin
O’Donoghue and his co-driver Joe
O’Leary took their Lancer to 3rd on
last weekend’s Kerry Mini Stages,
which was more than enough on this
final round of the Top Part West
Coast Championship to reinforce his
winning position at the top of the
points table. Kevin did suffer a
problem on one stage with his
Lancer, when the steering column
securing bolts sheared off the dash,
but he never looked likely in any
case to match the speed of the two
guys in front, young Keith Cronin
and Kevin Kelleher.
Clonakilty man
Kevin is a very fine driver but he
could only win one stage out of the
four as Cronin turned in a superb
display in his older model Lancer,
shrugging off the slippery nature of
the damp, shiny and greasy roads.
This was 21 year old Keith’s first
win, and if the manner of his
driving is anything to go by, should
be the first of many. It mirrored
the first rally win of his Uncle
Denis Cronin, who also tasted the
winners’ champagne at a Banna Beach
based rally, back in 1991.
Denis was
there on Sunday supporting Keith all
the way. It was, in a way, a fairly
opportune time for Keith to win his
first rally as the jury is still out
in the judging process for the Billy
Coleman Award scheme, Keith and his
co-driver Anthony O’Connail took
time out between the Kerry recce and
the rally to travel over to
Carrick-on-Suir for the Hankook
Forestry Championship prizegiving,
where they collected the top GpN
award as well as overall runner-up.
Stephen Moore received the overall
Champion’s title.
Main news for
next year from the Carrick-on-Suir
occasion was that there will be a
Junior Championship next year
spanning both sides of the Irish
border, and also that the ‘Hans’
device will become mandatory for all
competitors in rallying from the end
of next year. Following his Kerry
win, Keith who is a very quiet young
man, was naturally delighted and
even afforded a smile, was hopeful
that his continuing success could
help him to move forward in the
sport. He would really like to
contest the Tarmac Championship next
year, but that would hinge on
finding sponsorship. He certainly
has a bucket load of ability and is
a very special, naturally talented,
driver, so let’s hope that he does
get the all-important backing to
progress in rallying.
There are
three finalists chosen for the Billy
Coleman Award. In total there is
50,000 Euro behind the Billy Coleman
Award, with the winner receiving
€35,000 in value. Besides Keith
Cronin, 25 year old Ian Barrett from
Maynooth and 23 year old Daniel
Barry from Enniskerry are in the
frame. It is not going to be an easy
decision for the judges. The winner
will be revealed at the Dunlop
Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards
Lunch in Dublin on Tuesday 4th
December.
Michael
Curran, the new GpN Champion on the
Dunlop National Championship, is now
competing on Rally Ireland, having
taken over the entry of Willie
Fannin. This means that Paddy
Robinson will co-drive, not Fabian
McShane, as it is only possible to
change one element in the entry.
Alan Ring, the out-going National
GpN Champion, will drive an ADR
Lancer on Rally Ireland, as he can’t
find a replacement for his Impreza
which was damaged on the Fastnet
Rally. Alan has had a little
experience of a Lancer, having used
one briefly on the Killarney
forestry, but all his experience
really has been with the Subaru, and
he’s in at the deep end a little
tackling Rally Ireland in a brand
new car. He was going to get a run
on Borlin on Monday in Kevin
Kelleher’s Lancer, which should be
basically the same as his new car.
Alan will
probably stick with the Lancer for a
while, as he doesn’t really fancy
acting as a test bed for the new
model GpN Subaru Impreza next year.
Kevin Kelleher has had several
approaches to see if he would hire
the light pod from his ex works
Lancer from drivers doing Rally
Ireland. The unique pod and lights
cost about £5000 to replace, the
bulbs are £100 each, so Kevin is not
that keen!
F1 expert Tony
Jardine signed on for his recce on
Monday evening in Sligo for Rally
Ireland but sadly had to return home
as his wife was involved in a
terrible road traffic accident.
Latest news is that she is in
intensive care, but out of danger.
Our thoughts and good wishes are
very much with them.
Otherwise its
all stations go on Rally Ireland,
with all the drivers currently
battling away making their notes.
Aside from the WRC crews, the top
Irish drivers seem to be on course
and testing has gone well. Kris
Meeke, following a test on Monday,
described his Subaru to have “A good
setting, car feels very strong”.
Kris and Gareth MacHale are tipped
to lead the cars away on the
spectator stage at Stormont, the
seeding for that one at the
discretion of the organisers. The
following three days are governed by
the rules of the WRC, and no matter
who runs first on the road it
promises to be an exciting and
interesting time.
Looking away
from Rally Ireland, one Irish crew,
Brian Lawlor and Peter Cavanagh, are
heading in the opposite direction,
to contest the 3 day Roger Albert
Clark Rally through the British
forests in their Mk2 Escort,
supported by the Coach House Pub in
Roundwood.
Finally for
now, we have learned that Ashbourne
lady Ciara Conlan is giving up her
post as co-ordinator of the Fiesta
Sporting Challenge. This is a great
pity as Ciara did a terrific job and
it was a pleasure for us as well as
the competitors to work with her. We
wish her well in whatever form her
new career path takes.
Brian
Patterson.
