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Irish Notes
by Brian & Liz Patterson |
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Lismore, such a fabulous place, was its beautiful self for the start of the Moonraker Forestry Rally last weekend. Clerk of the Course Don Montgomery had worked hard to put the rally together, and there was a great atmosphere as the rally got underway in bright sunshine. There may have been only 46 starters, but that didn’t take anything away from a great day’s rallying.
After the six stages it was Cashel man Pat O’Connell, with Mark Wiley co-driving in his Lancer, who scored an accomplished victory. This win reinforces O’Connell’s lead in the Forestry Championship. Kenny McKinstry, with Harvey Bell co-driving this time, was making a guest appearance on this 4th round of the Petro Systems National Forestry Championship. Kenny finished 2nd in one of his Impreza WRC S9’s, following a few hiccups. John Reid/Enda Shields were 3rd in their Corolla WRC, keeping their Championship hopes alive.
Pat O’Connell led after the first stage and Kenny McKinstry just edged ahead after stage 2. At first service in Cappoquin, Kenny explained that from the word go his intercom failed, and that “I couldn’t hear a squeak. It wasn’t so bad though, Harvey is great on the hand signals – that is what he does all day in work.” Harvey Bell works in a London currency exchange dealing room.
Although McKinstry was able to take a couple of seconds off O’Connell in his GpN Lancer on some stages, Kenny admitted to two stupid errors at hairpins, spinning both times. This cost Kenny any chance of winning the rally. He said at the end that he had really enjoyed the day, and paid compliment to Pat O’Connell on the pace he set.
James Murphy recovered from a first stage driveshaft problem with his Escort WRC to take a fighting fourth. Kevin Barrett was driving one of McKinstry WRC S9’s as well and, although having little experience of gravel stages, ‘had a ball’ on the way to 5th. Hans Matthias was another to survive a driveshaft problem, and did well to get his Lancer into 6th at the finish.
Shane McGirr/Anthony Concannon were the highest finishers in the two wheel drive category, and that was despite some brake fade worries with their 1600cc Vauxhall engined Starlet. It was thought that Frank Kelly would have been the pacesetter in two-wheel drive, but Frank’s Escort encountered gearbox trouble. The car lost 3rd gear on the first stage, and then it jammed in 1st at the end of the 2nd stage. At service Frank and his boys pulled the box out of the car and stripped it, to find the 3rd gear cog had disintegrated and the bits had jammed 1st gear. Undeterred they cleaned all the debris out of the box, built it up and stuck it back in the car. Frank then changed the wheels, from the 15inch to 13inch, thinking this would compensate for the lack of 3rd gear, and off he went. However he was having to work the brakes very hard, because he had no 3rd gear, and he broke a brake disc. When he nearly hit another car on a road section, he decided it was time to call it a day. Frank finished off by telling us, “Pity, good stages, sunshine and craic, but we live to fight another day!”
Major retirements included Vincent McAree who was 6th after stage 1, but put his Lancer off the road at the end of a long straight into a ‘4L’ on stage 2. Jeremy Drislane was up as high as 3rd, but had to pull out on stage 4 when his Lancer’s brakes had cried enough. Peter McCullagh was also having a good run but was forced to retire his Lancer. Andrew Purcell non-started when his Lancer encountered engine trouble at a test session just before the rally, which probably spells the end of Andrew’s Championship hopes.
Championship co-ordinator John Quill had gear selection troubles with his Peugeot 206 but managed to get that sorted with the judicious use of some tank tape and finished 3rd in class 1 behind Andrew Fanning (Ford KA) and Emmet Cronin (Escort). Cronin set a cracking pace throughout and outgunned Fanning’s KA on the fast stages. Andrew is lying well up in the class based Triton Showers South East Championship, of which the Moonraker was also a round. Ian Downey/Paul Collins had a great run in their Corsa to win the Juniors.
Colman Hegarty, formerly of Petro Systems, who sponsor the forestry championship, decided, after many years of organising events, to hire a Corolla GT and compete on the rally for a bit of fun. Colman finished the event successfully, although a few places behind his son Nicky, Colman said afterwards, “I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I was shockingly rusty and it took me quite a few stages to settle into it. Then it was over! I would have needed the L plates!”
One crew who didn’t enter the Moonraker was the Moynihan sisters, Sarah & Amy. Their LHD Lancer has been sold to a driver in the USA. There was a Citroen C2R2 Max on the cards, but that has been put on hold. Sarah is a fully qualified tree surgeon and was working on a project in NI, but the government funding has been withdrawn due to the cutbacks. It is quite a shame for rallying here that the girls aren’t out, as they are great competitors and were showing good pace through the forests this year.
Last year’s winner Wesley Patterson heads the entry for this Saturday’s Rainbow Telecom backed Loughgall Country Park Rally. There will be six asphalt stages in the Park, and the entry, about 60 strong, is confined to two wheel drive cars. Seeded behind Wesley’s Escort are Camillus Bradley, Adrian Hetherington, John Waring, Damian Toner and Mervyn Wedlock, to make up the top six, all in Escorts.
The regulations for the 11th July Sligo Stages are due to be published later this week, and Michael Sweeney has agreed to be Clerk of the Course this year. He has picked three attractive stages, and the rally is again based at the Sligo Park Hotel, with Dominic Quinn Body Repairs also coming in as a sponsor.
The Cork Motor Club are putting a huge amount of work into their 30th May Darren Swanton Memorial Cork City Rallysprint, even down to building spectator access bridges and walkways. The venue, the Civic Amenity Centre, is really central, just across from the ring road/airport roundabout in the City, on the Kinsale Road. We found the stage enjoyable and interesting to drive when we made a complementary set of notes, and is a mix of gravel and asphalt. Hopefully the club will get a really good entry and loads of spectators will turn up on the day, as the proceeds will go to the Marymount Hospice. It was the death of motor club member Darren Swanton and how well he was looked after by the Marymount Hospice which was the spark for organising the RallySprint. Indeed one of the prospective competitors, Brian Lawlor, is raffling the run as his co-driver, as his father was so very well looked after by Marymount. Other top drivers entered so far include Tommy Graham, Brian O’Mahony, Owen Murphy, Daragh O’Riordan, Alan Ring and Thomas Fitzmaurice. The event is being supported by Great Stuff Catering as well as Cork City Council.
Early indications are that next weekend’s Cavan Rally (29th/30th May) is shaping up to have a really interesting entry. Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely have entered in Tim’s Impreza WRC, which on top of Dunlop Championship regulars Derek McGarrity, Melvyn Evans, Niall Maguire and Kevin Barrett, all in Impreza WRC’s, should make for exciting competition. The stages are all South of Cavan Town, mostly new or the reverse of bits from years ago. HQ is once again the Kilmore Hotel, with service in the Quinn Insurance car park adjacent to the hotel. Clerk of the Course Alan Cullinan reported earlier this week that the entries were coming in well, and the list is nearly full.
Entries for the Mourne Rally are gathering momentum, and with its one hour RPM TV coverage and some classic Circuit of Ireland and Ulster Stages, Dead Mans Hill and Black Hill, the Modern Tyres Newry based event should attract a capacity entry. The event is a counter in the Hankook Tyres NI Championship, as well as the Hass Border series. Some names already on the list include - George Robinson (Impreza WRC), Maurice Moffett (Starlet RWD), Fintan McGrady (Escort), Norman Armstrong (Escort) and Raymond Johnston (Lancer).
Last week we reported on Seamus O’Connel being allowed home from hospital following his big crash on the Carlow Rally. Subsequent to that Seamus was at home but in great pain, and another examination revealed broken ribs and a punctured lung. We wish him a speedy and full recovery and indeed the latest we hear is that he is back home again and reasonably comfortable.
This weekend’s Jim Clark Rally has just over 30 entries in the International field, with ten of the drivers from Ireland – six of them seeded in the top ten - current British Champion Keith Cronin, current Championship leader Jonny Greer, Alastair Fisher, Craig Breen, Alan Carmichael and Owen Murphy. Robert Barrable spearheads the Citroen Racing Trophy contenders in his C2R2 Max, from Mark Donnelly. In the Jim Clark Reivers event Frank Kelly is seeded at 12 in his Escort, and will face some tough 2wd opposition, including Steve Bannister.
The Topaz backed Donegal International Rally regulations have now been issued, and Danny Gormley is again the Clerk of the Course. One major innovation this year for 18th/20th June event will be the re-introduction of a town stage, this time to be in Buncrana, which will bring shades of the old blasts through the village of Ramelton. More news next week.
Last weekend there was a Rally Junior Training day at the Rural College Draperstown, and 23 Junior Competitors took part. The day was organised under the Hankook/Superdrive Juniors banner and some useful advice and words of wisdom came from such rally luminaries as Gordon Noble, Eugene Donnelly and Nicky Moffitt, and many more. The day was adjudged a well worthwhile exercise, and arrangements are being made to have a second session, which will include a focus on health and nutrition as well as how to mentally prepare for an event.
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