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Irish Notes 16th
April 2008.
Four times Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly is set to make a return to the stages, hopefully with an outing on the 17th May Sperrins Rally, driving Craig Bennett’s ‘Digiprints’ Metro 6R4. Eugene also spent a day testing the Skoda Fabia WRC last week, the car he drove on Rally Ireland and which was then taken over by Craig. Eugene’s ‘return’ may not be at the same level as his full blooded attacks on the Tarmac Championship, but still it is good that this prodigious driving talent is not lost to rallying altogether. Indeed, perhaps this is another sign of the way the sport is going, that playing in World Rally Cars is just getting beyond a joke, a crazily expensive hobby, with no tangible reward apart from a bit of enjoyment. Eugene was full of enthusiasm for the Metro, and the Skoda; his passion for rallying well re-kindled following his short lay-off. He commented, “ I was at burn out stage earlier this year. I’d exhausted every avenue to keep this year’s Tarmac programme going. I had 6 years of it at the top. It was very stressful in a way, and the last 6 weeks have been brilliant, no pressure of rallying. But I shouldn’t complain, those years were also the best of my life. It’s been a privilege to drive those cars. And anyway, there will be other rallies, other days.” “Its amazing as well the support that’s out there, the guys who have contacted me since we stopped. We’ve been asked to bring the Metro 6R4 up to the Limelight NightClub in Glenties. They are doing a re-launch, and they have offered support, would love to see me on the Donegal Rally. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but I think I would really enjoy the Donegal National. I’ve never driven a Metro 6R4, and I think I would really enjoy it, driving for fun again.”(Eugene didn’t mention the Cavan Rally, but apparently that’s a strong possibility as well) On the subject of testing the Skoda, Eugene continued, “ I’ve identified three problems with the car, on Irish Tarmac. I’m working with Erik Wevers. He has three cars and they work well on gravel, but the tarmac is different. I think we can sort these problems for about €5000, whereas on a Subaru it would be about fifty grand. That is the whole problem with the Subaru and the Focus, the costs are just so high. I won 3 Tarmac Championships in the Corolla, for about one hundred thousand a time. The Subaru would be about four times that per season. These costs now certainly don’t give some of our great drivers, like Kris Meeke and Niall McShea, a chance.” Eugene is hoping that his brother Charlie will be well enough to compete on the Sperrins. The way the entry is shaping up, the Maghera based rally should be pretty special, with drivers such as Sean Devine, Connor McCloskey and Raymond Johnston just some of the top names in World Rally Cars, plus young David Bogie in his Lancer. Add in the two Donnellys, plus a host of NI GpN and Mk2 Escort contenders, and it should be a bumper day. Certainly it is interesting that the organising Magherafelt Club is besieged with entries for this tarmac special stage rally, probably much more so than if the event was running in the forests, which it will probably have to revert to next year. Entries have also been flooding in for the Killarney Rally of the Lakes, over 300 of them. However as we hinted at last week, it seems almost certain that Mark Higgins, who is working in Italy on a James Bond film, as well as Kris Meeke, will not make the starting line-up. Still, there will be plenty of great drivers, Gareth MacHale, Eamonn Boland, Tim McNulty, Derek McGarrity, Donie O’Sullivan, Kevin Lynch, Aaron MacHale, to name just a few, who will keep the Bank Holiday crowds well entertained. This weekend sees a resumption of the Dunlop National Championship in Monaghan, and also the start of the 2008 Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship, with the Pirelli Rally taking place through the daunting Kielder stages. Exciting times lie ahead for Lisburn’s Phillip Morrow, as this weekend on the Pirelli he drives the ‘works’ GpN Lancer, and the following weekend he gets behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer WRC on the Granite City Rally. Commenting on the GpN Lancer run, Phillip said, “We tested the new car last week, and it was brilliant. So well balanced, so good in every area, and the mechanics and engineers are fully behind it, so enthusiastic. Obviously I don’t want to do anything stupid on the rally, I can’t see me beating Guy Wilks for example, and this Finnish guy Juha Hanninen is very hot property, as well as the Swedish driver Patrik Flodin. He’s quick everywhere, just remember his speed on Rally Ireland. Mark Higgins is in the new MG, and David Higgins is in the new model Subaru Impreza, so there’s lots of competition, but I’ll do my best for a top three finish.” On the subject of the WRC Lancer drive for the Granite City, Phillip, the fastest oil delivery man in Co. Antrim, continued, “That is very exciting. It all came about at the Evo Championship prizegiving, when a big party developed. Three of my main sponsors, Dermot Hanafin of Motorsport Insurance Services, Gary Lyons of Lyons Transport and Alan Graham of Lagan Motor Factors got together with John Easson. John has at last managed to secure the Ralliart deal after very long negotiations, and we will drive one of these ex-works Lancer WRC’s. I tested one of these cars a couple of years ago at MIRA, but apart from that haven’t competed in one so this will be very special. Can’t wait for both rallies!” As well as the battle at the front, there are lots of different categories on the Pirelli with plenty of Irish interest. As well as Phillip Morrow, Darren Gass, Jonny Greer and Danny Barry are in front running Mitsubishi Evo Lancers, Darren in a works car thanks to winning the Pirelli award. Brian O’Mahony should be well on form in his Clio and hopefully will have a good run in class R3 in his Super 1600 machine, following lots of suspension tweaking when he was ‘00’ing on last weekend’s Moonraker Rally, complete with French engineer in attendance. In the UK Citroen C2R2 cup on the Pirelli, drivers from here include Marty McCormick and Martin Laverty. Young Alastair Fisher is running in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy, as are Barry Greer, Liam Regan & Kyle Orr, plus we have lots of Historics doing the rally, including Dessie Nutt and John Keatley. On the Monaghan Rally, Dessie Keenan runs at No.1 and is out for a repeat of last year’s win. Former GpN Tarmac Champion Dessie, hired a McKinstry Impreza WRC for the first time in 2007, and stunned the opposition with a very impressive drive. He has hired a McKinstry Subaru again for his home event this weekend, and will face some very tough opposition. Fellow Monaghan man Niall Maguire has really hit top form again, as has Patrick Elliott, both in Subaru’s. Interestingly enough, Kevin Barrett also showed some great flashes of speed on the last round down in Kerry, as did Michael Barrable in his Focus WRC. It’s great to see Adrian McElvaney out again – he won the rally two years ago, but it all went pear shaped last year on his home event, so hopefully he’ll be back on form with his Subaru this time. Two drivers tucked away nicely in the top ten are Glenn Allen and Seamus Leonard – both could be dark horses, while Noel Redmond has acquired the ex Hugh Martin Doherty Impreza WRC S12b, (the one that Derek McGarrity drove on the Circuit), so it should be a very interesting rally. Certainly new Clerk of the Course Conor Maguire has laid on three brilliant stages. Philip Young, former top GpN driver in ‘works’ Fords on the Shell British Championship, is hiring Raymond Mason’s Lancer Evo 6 for the Granite City, ‘just for the run!’, while former Ulster Rally winner Derek Boyd is reportedly hiring an Impreza WRC for the Manx National Rally. Originally from Carnmoney, Derek is now domiciled on the Isle of Man. Killarney Mazda dealer Johnny O’Sullivan has traded his Escort WRC for an Impreza WRC, and will debut the car on the Killarney Rally of the Lakes. Winning last weekend’s Moonraker Rally must make Ray Breen ‘odds-on’ now to take the Hankook Forestry Championship title. There’s still a long way to go of course, and Andrew Purcell certainly hasn’t stopped trying to win it. The very fact that he hired Derrick Jobb’s Lancer on Saturday night when his Subaru engine again gave trouble, is fair testimony to his determination, but Breen seems to have really got into the forestry groove. The next round of the forestry series was to have been the Birr event, but that is put off until the 5th September to accommodate the mating habits of the hen harrier, so the next round now is the Wexford Forestry on the 8th June. There was a decent turnout of Juniors on the Moonraker, but nothing like as many as there is in Junior Championship rounds. As the Juniors series is based on a class points system, the points are not so obvious. Happily Austin Shinnors, to whom we are indebted, has now sent us through the points. This shows that Mark Sheahan is leading following the Limerick round, with Vincent McAree 2nd. Three drivers, Eamonn Power, Bernard Mulvill and Damien McCarthy are tying for 3rd. Mark Sheahan leaves his fabulous Clio Super 1600 at home for the Junior rounds, and hires a Peugeot 206, so that he is eligible. Mark certainly has one eye on the end of season Billy Coleman Award, for which this Junior Championship class structure is specifically targeted. The next Junior round is the ‘Cork Mini’ stages on 8th June. Brian Patterson. |
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