|
IRISH NOTES 23RD JANUARY 2008.
Galway MC has issued the entry list for the 2008 Safety Direct Galway
International and all the top teams are included. Gareth MacHale is the
No.1 seed in his Focus WRC with Allan Harryman co-driving. Eugene
Donnelly is listed at No.2 and Mark Higgins at 3.
A couple of interesting entries are Peadar Hurson at 11 in an Impreza
WRC and Martin Rowe at 21 with Paddy Robinson co-driving. Martin, who
was the 2003 Production World Rally Champion and a former British
Champion, will be driving Willie Fannin’s GpN Impreza. Cork man John
O’Leary of O’Leary Motorsport has been instrumental in arranging this
entry and will be running the car on the event. Current GpN Champion
Colm Murphy is seeded at 16 in his GpN Impreza. Colm indicated that he
may switch to a Lancer to try the Evo Challenge and also an Impreza WRC
from the McKinstry stable as a possibility for the Dunlop National
series.
Denis Biggerstaff took his Impreza WRC to a fine victory on last
Saturday’s 500 MRC Stage Rally at Kirkistown, with George Robinson 2nd
and young Connor McCloskey 3rd. Despite a spin on the final stage,
Biggerstaff commented afterwards, “That’s the first time since Donegal
last year I’ve really gone well, felt I was driving the car and it
wasn’t driving me!” George Robinson also seemed to have really got to
grips with his recently acquired P2000 Impreza WRC and loved the paddle
gear change. Connor McCloskey was having his first real outing in the ex
Stephen Moore Focus WRC and he quickly got into the way of it and as the
day progressed mixed it with the fastest times. Connor intends to have a
real go at the NI Championship this season, and although he says he will
be quite happy to get a few podium places, he could be a real force to
be reckoned with. As usual Connor’s dad Brian was on hand to keep him
calm!
Stephen Moore was an interested spectator at Kirkistown to see how his
old car would perform, the current Irish Forestry Champion saying that
he has had a change of plans for this season and intends to contest the
Pirelli ‘ANCRO’ MSA Gravel Championship, as well as a few Tarmac events,
giving the Irish Forestry and NI series a miss. The ANCRO series kicks
off with the Sunseeker Rally in Bournemouth.
Also making the trip to Bournemouth is Craig Bennett, who intends to
contest the 6R4 part of the Championship. Craig reckons that he has his
mechanical woes with his 6R4 behind him, and the gearbox is now sorted
out. He was out testing the ex Eugene Donnelly Skoda Fabia WRC last
week, and the car dropped a dog ring. The Fabia was due a rebuild
anyway, and Craig intends to campaign it on the full NI Championship.
Alan Carmichael is still on course for Bournemouth, where he will be
driving a Kenny McKinstry Impreza WRC, a birthday treat for himself. He
was driving his own Lancer at Kirkistown and was bidding for GpN honours
but lost time when he damaged a wishbone passing a slower car. Alan
eventually finished down the order in GpN which was convincingly won by
John McGlaughlin.
PJ McDermott made the trip down from Donegal for the Kirkistown event to
shake the cobwebs off himself and his Impreza WRC before Galway.
Property developer PJ, who will again have Sean Harris co-driving,
reckons that he may as well have a go at the Tarmac series, quipping
“We’ll be longer dead than we will be living!”
An Ulster Automobile Club squad was also involved with the 500 Club in
running Kirkistown, and Nigel Hughes, Clerk of the Course of the Circuit
of Ireland International, confirmed that it is all stations go for the
Newcastle based 21st – 23rd March Easter Rally. The service area for the
three days, Good Friday, Saturday and Sunday, will be at Newry. The Club
has produced a very interesting booklet outlining sponsorship
opportunities for the Circuit. More info at
www.ulsterautomobileclub.co.uk
Dublin’s Martin Brady looks to have another busy season ahead as he has
committed to tackle the US Rally Championship in a Subaru driven by
Piotr Wiktorczyk from Poland. The opening event is the 25th January
SnoDrift Rally in Atlanta. Sponsorship is being provided by Silver
Mustang Vodka and MIS, Motorsport Insurance Services, which should cover
most contingencies!
John Carroll is once again the C of C of the ALMC Stages Rally (6th
July). The event will be based in the very convenient City North Hotel
on the M1 north of Dublin and there will be 3x3 stages. The event will
be a round of the MERC and 205 Championships. The rally, won last year
by Paddy White, has built up a loyal following and the club is making an
extra effort this year, with special ferry deals, to attract cross
channel crews.
The Lough Neagh Marshals Club is running a rally time trial on the 15th
March in Moneyglass demesne at Toome. There will be 5 timed runs, with a
‘convoy recce’.
Limerick’s Paul Purtill in his Escort heads the field on this weekend’s
Limerick Restricted Mini Stages, backed by Mr Binman and the Deebert
House Hotel in Kilmallock where the event is based. Ed Synan is at 2 in
his Escort, James M Stafford at 3 in his Darrian, then its Aidan Walsh
at 4, Mike Moloney at 5 and Ed O’Callaghan at 6. Cork’s Barry Meade is
seeded at 7, Fintan Canty 8, Shay Power 9 and event sponsor Mark Sheahan
is at 10 in his Renault Clio Super.
Cork’s Owen Murphy has enlisted James O’Brien to co-drive again as he
bids for honours in the Irish Evo Challenge, opening his campaign with a
run on the Galway International. Owen is not fazed at having to run the
Pirelli control tyres as he has always had a special relationship
withTractamotors, Pirelli’s Irish distributors. Interestingly Rory
Galligan, who like Owen is a former Billy Coleman Award winner, is going
to be the Ralliart Parts Supplier for the Irish Evo Challenge. Rory
drove for Mitsubishi in a works capacity, so no better man for the job.
Jim Crozier of Sunoco Fuels, who are also backing the Evo Challenge,
reckon there will be about 14 cars contest the series.
Cronin Motorsport has agreed a deal with Hankook Tyres in Ireland, this
time for Denis Cronin’s campaign on the Irish Forestry Championship.
Hankook backed Keith Cronin for his successful year in 2007 which saw
him win the Billy Coleman Award and GpN on the forestry Championship, as
well as winning the Kerry Mini Stages and GpN on such rallies as the
Fastnet. Keith is of course looking to compete on the UK based Evo
Challenge this season, and will have to run on Pirellis.
Michael Curran, who won GpN on the Dunlop National Championship, and
also collected the Pattersons RallyNews award, has decided to give the
sport a rest this year and concentrate on running the family Curran
Transport concern. Marrying girlfriend Shelley is also on the horizon.
Michael’s Lancers have been sold to David Greer Motorsport, and although
he may contest something like the Donegal Harvest, just to keep his hand
in, he has no definite plans, but hopes to make a comeback in 2009.
Brian Patterson |
