Irish Notes 3rd February 2010.

There were four main rally events on last weekend. The Craig Breen Super 2000 launch and Civic Reception in Tipperary: the Forestry Test Day/ launch of the Petro Systems Forestry Championship in Co. Cork: the start of the recce for the Safety Direct Galway International Rally and the ANICC Awards evening in Craigavon. There was also the shock announcement that the British Rally Championship winning pairing of Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors was to end.

The Craig Breen launch at James Coleman’s Piltown estate was reported as a ‘world class event’, while the Civic Reception also went well. The forestry test day had just under 30 cars and the drivers were able to do 7 or 8 runs over the Streamhill stage. This gave them upwards of 50km for their €100 entry fee which was pretty good value. Craig Breen clocked up lots of miles in his new Fiesta S2000 and the car certainly looked and sounded very impressive.

Pat O’Connell in his Lancer was just one of the drivers who really gave it a good go and Pat could be a real force in this year's Forestry Championship. Defending Forestry Champion Trevor Harding hasn’t committed to this year’s series, although his co-driver Andrew Purcell is hiring a Lancer to drive the opening three rounds.

The Championship kicks off with the Sean Conlon out of Mitchelstown on the 14th February and Clerk of the Course John Ward told us that the initial entries are very slow to come in. But then that is no surprise with the forestry rallies. If the club do not get some more entries in soon there will be no rally.

Seamus O’Connell was one of the drivers to do the test in his lovely Escort and Seamus, along with many of the drivers there last weekend, including Sarah Moynihan, plan to contest the Mitchelstown event. Adrian Hetherington only completed a few runs before his Escort developed gear linkage problems and he was forced to pull out.

Missing from the forestry day was West Cork Clerk of the Course Darren McCarthy, who was also a former CoC of the Cork Forestry Rally. Darren fell off a ladder on New Years Eve at the garage loft of his new home, and sustained a broken leg. He was in hospital for a couple of days and is now at home. His brother Greg told us that they are trying to get him fixed up with an automatic car so that he can at least get down to the family car repair business. Darren and Greg have most of the route work for the West Cork completed, and the rally is well on schedule.

The recce for the Galway Rally was a relaxed affair. The competitors are allowed to do 2 days out of 4. In truth one day would do it. Just a few of the top drivers were there on Saturday. One was Tim McNulty who confirmed that his Subaru’s engine and box have been sorted out by Prodrive and he should get another test with McGeehan Motorsport this week.

The only real doubt over the top entries is that of National Champion Patrick Elliott, as his Subaru’s suspension is in Germany getting refettled, and in any case Patrick is fairly involved with some work matters. Also, JJ Fleming doesn’t seem to have a car sorted.

Alan Ring was one of the few top GpN contestants to recce on Saturday and he reported that his Lancer has the new 33mm turbo restrictive ring fitted. However when he tested the car it was spinning all four wheels in 5th gear over the frosty roads, so it was a fairly inconclusive test.

Interestingly, for the 2nd year, all non-WRC cars are in line for bonus points in the Tarmac Championship. With only a few WRC cars in the line-up this could open the door for a top Championship GpN result at the end of the year.

On course for the weekend is Kevin Barrett who reports his Triton Showers Impreza WRC has been fully rebuilt over the winter. Kevin has done a deal to use Pirelli tyres for the year and reckons it may take a stage or two to get into the way of the new tyres. He is planning to contest the National Championship but that is not cast in stone and may depend on TV coverage. Daniel McKenna reported that he should have a new 2.5 engine in his Escort. Aaron MacHale will have Eugene O’Donnell co-driving.

Looking further down the Galway entry list, Paul Curley runs at 64 and he should be in good form as his wife gave birth to an 8lb 11oz baby boy, Kyle, earlier this week.

The Citroen Racing Trophy C2R2 contenders should have a strong presence on the rally spurred on of course by the €20,000 prize fund per event. Keith Lyons is the latest to enter the fray driving a hired C2R2 Max this time. Mark Donnelly has acquired the ex Jason Pritchard C2R2 Max, but then with drivers such as UK Citroen C2R2 Champion Marty McCormick in the line up, there was always going to be massive competition for the lion’s share of the brilliant prize fund. Current Irish Champion Adrian McElhinney is building a C2R2max for Mark Kane, Andrew Hockridge is making the trip from the UK, Graham Coffer is a promising newcomer, and Robert Barrable has a brand new car, so the interest just goes on and on.

At the ANICC prize presentation Kris Meeke got the top ANICC Northern Ireland Motorsport Award. Eugene Donnelly, Adam Carroll, Colin Turkington, Marty McCormack and Kris Meeke were all given a unique special achievements award in recognition of their respective 2009 accomplishments. Robert McDaid took home the 2009 Clubman of the year award. Ronnie Trouton and Robin McKinney, both of whom have given motor sport a huge amount of time and energy over many years, were given Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Ronnie told a terrific story at the end of how he co-drove for Kris Meeke’s father, Sydney, many years ago. They were within touching distance of clinching the NI Championship but the engine blew. A new 1600 BDA engine price then was £800, but there wasn’t the money to pay for it, either between them or with the help of the sponsor. However there was a new one, still in the packing case, perched high in the rafters of a NI Fire Service shed. This engine was a reserve spare for some kind of pump. This was duly obtained from the rafters and fitted in the Escort. They won the Championship and the engine went back into the packing case and replaced back in the rafters!

On the subject of the Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors British Championship winning partnership, that is now over. The two are still friends but Barry McNulty will now co-drive for Keith in the Lancer on the Tarmac and the Pirelli Impreza on the British series. Barry was originally to be with Alastair Fisher but Rory Kennedy will now sit with Alastair. Again, there is no problem between Alastair and Barry. They have been friends since their schooldays. Alastair felt that it was probably better for Barry and Keith if they started the season together.

When Barry was asked if he felt the move to co-drive with British Champion Keith would put him under pressure the 23 year old from Co. Fermanagh shrugged it off by saying: "Pressure is for the tyres!"

Looking forward to upcoming events the Omagh Motor Club’s Spring Rally through the forests above Fivemiletown is scheduled this year for 20th February. It is always a popular event and Frank Kelly is determined not to miss it. However he has sold his 2.0 litre Duratec engine as part of the plan to fit a new 2.0 litre, 20 valve 5 cylinder unit. Unfortunately there is no sign of the new engine being ready and Frank is trying to devise a ‘plan B’. Frank would also like to support the Sean Conlon and sees the Mitchelstown event as a great warm-up for the season._

On the 10/11th April Kerry Motor Club is running the Circuit of Kerry Rally out of the Carlton Hotel (formerly called Fels Point). CoC Senan Raggett has introduced a bonus/prize fund for class winners which will consist of a €100 part refund of entry and €150 voucher towards the Banna Beach Rally. The club is also aiming to reduce the entry fee from €545 to €500.

Driving back up from the Forestry Open Day we passed what was once called the Limerick Inn, now the Radisson. It reminded us of one fierce Saturday night session there in the middle of one of the old Circuits of Ireland, when it was based in Limerick. It was fierce because Paddy O’Callaghan was socialising in the bar and like all nights with Paddy O it was just the best craic ever. Sadly we hear Paddy O, an absolute legend, is seriously unwell in hospital and our thoughts are very much with him and the O’Callaghan family.