This weekend’s Tralee based Kerry Stages has shaped up to have a decent entry, despite it being on an opt-out year from the National Championship. C of C Tom Barrett has laid out a very streamlined route, with two classic stages, each repeated three times. Alan Ring, driving a Melvyn Evans Impreza WRC heads a 100 plus strong entry, with former multiple Tarmac Champion Derek McGarrity at 2 in his newly acquired Impreza WRC S14. McGarrity has asked Diarmuid Falvey to co-drive. Derek’s reasoning in travelling all the way from Co. Antrim to Tralee is that he wants to get some high speed miles in this new car as a warm-up for June’s Donegal Rally. There is no better place for a warm up of course than Tralee, especially with the Desmond`s Grave and the Mount Eagle stages on the menu. Steve Wood, co-driven by Keith Moriarity, is making the trip from Wales to get some more miles on his Impreza WRC before the next round of the Triton Showers National Championship in Monaghan. Tyrone man Paddy McVeigh is of the same mind, especially in Paddy`s case as his recently acquired ex Patrick Elliott Impreza developed a hole in the radiator on the way out to the first Circuit of Ireland stage. Gary McElhinney is co-driving for Paddy. Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally are also at the pointed end of the entry in their Impreza WRC, while top local names include Daniel Cronin, Mike Quinn, Ed Synan and Killarney`s Derek Daly.

Also in the South West, the Cartell.ie Killarney Rally of the Lakes launch was last weekend in Killarney. Although the launch was in Scott’s Hotel, the rally is based once again at the Gleneagle Hotel. C of C Dermot Healy reiterated that the event is again a round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Tarmac Championship, the Plastic Bags.ie Southern 4 series and the FIA European Historic Rally Championship. Once again the event will have a succession of pure classic stages, especially on the Beara Peninsula loop. A very special car on display at the launch was the Sierra Cosworth as driven by the late great Bertie Fisher. The Sierra Cosworth is now eligible to compete in the FIA Historic section, which should bring a new dimension. The man now in charge of piloting this beautiful car, which is again in the ‘ToughMac’ livery, is Frank Cunningham. Bertie achieved his 2nd of 6 Killarney Lakes victories in ‘E 28 JWK’ registered car. Frank intends eventually to contest the full European Historic series in this car.

In overall terms, ‘the Lakes’ as it is affectionately known, should receive a top class entry throughout its varied categories, more details next week. One driver who is committed is Tarmac points leader Donagh Kelly, although he will have a different co-driver this time, Conor Foley. Donagh`s regular man on the notes, Kevin Flanagan, has family commitments. Foley will also sit with Donagh on the Monaghan Stages.

This weekend the Minehead based Somerset Stages starts with the asphalt Porlock Hill toll road, and then it is forest stages all the way. This is the 3rd round of the BTRDA Rally series and Paul Bird in his Focus WRC will be flat out to protect his Championship lead against some tough opposition. Making the trip from Northern Ireland is promising youngster Jordan Hone. He will drive his Micra, with his father Paul co-driving.

Looking further ahead, current British Rally Champion Daniel McKenna has built a new rally service wagon and he is going to contest the Pirelli Rally as a shakedown for Rally Portugal. The Pirelli is much more streamlined this year, and although the rally starts from Carlisle the competing cars will then stay in Kielder for the stages, with the finish at Kielder Castle. The rally takes place 25th April and should have a major Historic content.

Looking back to last weekend, the Munster Car Club`s Moonraker Forest Rally certainly provided plenty of interest. Owen Murphy/Anthony Nestor in their Lancer came from 5th place at one point to score victory by an impressive 22s from fellow Cork crew Daragh O’Riordan/Sean McCarthy (Fiesta WRC). Mick O’Brien/James O’Brien (Focus WRC) improved through the afternoon from 7th to 3rd and so maintained their lead in the championship.

Owen Murphy, who is the current forest champion and has also won this rally twice before, is not contesting the series this season and only competed because it is his home rally. Three times British Rally Champion Keith Cronin led the rally from stage 1 to 6 but then retired his Citroen because of fuel problems. He told us that he was pleased with his DS3R5’s performance, but would like another test before tackling WRC Rally Portugal.

Damp conditions prevailed when the top cars tackled the opening two stage loop. Keith Cronin was fastest out of the blocks, with Owen Murphy just over 2s back on the short opener, the 3.75km Gleanndav stage. The longer and faster 2nd stage, the 12.0km Curragh test went to Murphy, by 1s from Cronin. The slippy conditions caught out a few drivers, with one particular chicane taking a bashing. David Crossen had been fastest 2wd on the first stage, but his Escort slid into the chicane and although body damage was minor, a wire was dislodged from the ‘kill switch’ and he could go no further.

On stage 4, the 2nd run over the Curragh test, the leaderboard showed some changes. Keith Cronin was still leading, but Owen Murphy’s Lancer had a turbo pipe come adrift that cost him over a minute. This dropped him from 2nd to 5th.

Andrew Purcell, winner of the previous forestry round in Donegal, lost around 20s with gearbox trouble. This meant instead of Andrew moving into 2nd, it was Josh Moffett who slotted into the runner-up spot, with Purcell remaining 3rd. This quickly became irrelevant as Purcell’s Lancer stopped in stage 5 ‘Derreenaling’, when his gearbox cried enough. Ger Lucey (Lancer) moved up a place to 5th following Purcell’s retirement. Ger then dropped a few seconds in stage 6 to Mick O’Brien in his Focus, so Mick moved up from 7th to 5th.

Mickey Conlon in his Escort continued to head the ‘2wd’ section and progressed to 7th o/a. Billy Coleman Award winner Dean Raftery had swiftly re-acquainted himself with his Fiesta R2 following a lay-off and he improved to 8th, with James Coleman (Escort) just 1s back in 9th.

The final few stages brought further changes to the leaderboard. Keith Cronin’s Citroen stopped on the penultimate stage because of water in the fuel. Josh Moffett’s Lancer also came to a halt on the same stage when his gearbox seized. Owen Murphy’s Lancer had been overheating for most of the day with a suspected leaky head gasket, so he was as surprised as anyone to suddenly find himself winner. Daragh O’Riordan had fitted a gravel kit to his Fiesta WRC and, not being ‘au fait’ with the forestry tackled the rally more in hope than expectation and was therefore quite pleased to be runner up. Mick O’Brien speeded up sufficiently to get his Focus into 3rd. Mickey Conlon continued his brilliant run of late to finish 6th in his Escort and win the 2wd section from Dean Raftery with James Coleman 3rd, just 8s separating these three. Raftery also won the Junior section from Alan Moran (Peugeot 206). Stephen Cullen was 28th after the first stage and he set decent times through the day to finish 10th o/a and win GpN with his Impreza.

All rally crews have to start somewhere, but it was quite a baptism of fire for Iarla and Eoghan McCarthy from Macroom. Their Honda Civic, borrowed from Trevor Callaghan, developed a leaky radiator and that was replaced before the first stage. Then in stage 4 the Civic visited a ditch, and the new radiator was damaged, along with a shock absorber. The leaking radiator from Saturday was put back in, and ‘one of the lads’ Daniel O’Brien drove the whole way to Dripsey and back for a replacement. The pair did get going, and finished under Rally 2 rules, but finish they did! They were full of praise for the organisers and marshals, plus all the helpers, including mum and dad, who kept them on the road!

The next round of the Valvoline Forestry is scheduled to be the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally on August 23rd. The provisional points table at the top reads:- Mick O’Brien 58, Mickey Conlon 49, Andrew Fanning 39, Ger Lucey 37, John Gordon & Niall Henry both on 34.

Moonraker Stages Top Ten:-
1st Owen Murphy/Anthony Nestor (Lancer) 42.38.4
2nd Daragh O’Riordan/Sean McCarthy (Fiesta WRC) 43.00.2
3rd Mick O’Brien/James O’Brien (Focus WRC) 43.08.2
4th Ger Lucey/JJ Cremin (Lancer) 43.13.5
5th Martin Cairns/Gary McElhinney (Impreza WRC) 44.56.9
6th Mickey Conlon/Ciaran McPhillips (Escort) 45.42.1
7th Dean Raftery/John Higgins (Fiesta R2) 45.46.1
8th James Coleman/Pierce Doheny Jnr (Escort) 45.50.2
9th Andrew Fanning/Derek Gibbs (Lancer) 45.59.8
10th Stephen Cullen/Seamus O’Grady (Impreza N) 47.02.4

Class Winners:- CL3 Emmet Lyons/Tommy Cuddihy (Integra): CL4 Stephen Cullen/Seamus O’Grady (Impreza N): CL7 Daragh O’Riordan/Sean McCarthy (Fiesta WRC): CL9 Neil Phelan/Dave O’Connor (Escort): CL10 Mike Garahy/Sean Moynihan (Escort): CL11F Michael Fitzgibbon/Pa Horan (Civic): CL12 John Gordon/Thomas Wedlock (Escort): CL13 Mickey Conlon/Ciaran McPhillips (Escort): CL14 James Coleman/Pierce Doheny Jnr (Escort): CL16 Dean Raftery/John Higgins (Fiesta R2): CL20 Owen Murphy/Anthony Nestor (Lancer).