Irish Notes 29th June 2016

The three main events for us last weekend were the Scottish, Ypres and Ravens Rock. On the Scottish, Elfyn Evans took victory from Tom Cave, with Desi Henry a glorious 3rd. In Belgium ‘Fast Freddy’ put in a very slick performance for his 11th home win and in Waterford it was Killarney’s Alan Ring who reigned supreme.

The Scottish Rally was a counter of the British Rally Championship, as well as the Scottish series. Although in overall terms the rally had one of its biggest entries of recent years, the actual BRC portion looked, numerically, thin on the ground. However, against that, there are some very talented drivers competing. Of them all, Elfyn Evans in his M-Sport Fiesta R5, running on DMack tyres, was the class act and led from start to finish. Fredrik Ahlin was expected to challenge the Welshman, but didn’t really, and retired his Fiesta R5 with a broken prop shaft after a handful of stages. Instead it was Tom Cave and David Bogie who shadowed Evans, until Bogie also hit trouble – damaging his Skoda R5’s radiator and retiring at the end of the final stage. This left Cave 2nd and Desi Henry 3rd. We loved Desi’s comment from the podium, which was along the lines of: ‘Privilege to be on the podium with Elfyn Evans. He is a World Rally driver. I’m just a builder’.

It was a great drive from Desi, who is certainly having a good year in his Skoda, having won the Moonraker and the DMack Carlisle stages. Jonny Greer also had an excellent run, picking himself up from his Donegal last day accident to set a great pace on this Scottish Rally to finish 5th, with Josh Moffett rounding off the top six. Niall Henry crashed his Lancer out of the event. Young Adam Bustard with Aaron Johnston co-driving in his Fiesta R2T, did make it to the finish and was 47th o/a. 19 year old Adam, a very talented young driver lost three minutes over the opening two stages when a turbo pipe kept slipping off. Adam actually burned his hands replacing it a few times. With three minutes gone, the rest of his day was spent as a training exercise. Killarney’s Rob Duggan in his Vauxhall Adam finished 2nd in the Junior category behind 22 year old Norwegian Sindre Furuseth (Renault Twingo). Rob did maintain his Junior Championship lead and finished ahead of his closest pursuer Mattias Adielsson, also in an Adam, which wasn’t so bad.

Meanwhile in the Waterford based Ravens Rock Rally Killarney’s Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy in Alan’s Fiesta R5 scored a start to finish win in the Fiesta R5. They were never really challenged over the day’s 6 special stages. Enda O’Brien/John Butler (Escort) moved into 2nd place on the 2nd stage and stayed there to the end, but never seriously challenged the flying Fiesta R5 at the front. David Condell, who was 5th on the recent Heartlands Rally in his Escort, finished a solid 3rd this time. Eugene McGrath was co-driving.

After the finish of the rally at Dooley’s Hotel on Waterford quayside, Alan Ring reported, “I like this rally, always enjoy it. I’ve competed here for the last few years. The stages were good, with a lot of driving in them. The first loop was muddy, and even as the roads dried later there were still damp patches under the trees. We lost some time during the day with a faulty pop-off valve, but otherwise it went well, a good warm up for next weekend’s ALMC.”

The opening stage, Croughan Hill, 15.15km long, started outside Kilmacthomas and headed northwards towards Carrick on Suir over good asphalt roads. Alan Ring was fastest, by less than 1s from Liam Howlett in his Escort, but the latter was to retire in stage 2 with an accident. Another Escort driver, Enda O’Brien took up the challenge of trying to catch the flying Alan Ring Fiesta R5. However by first service at Suirway Industrial Estate in Carrick on Suir Ring’s advantage over O’Brien was already 24s. Third placed Mick O’Brien in his Focus WRC was 47s behind the leader, with David Condell in his Escort holding 4th. Jason Ryan (Starlet) had been 7th on the opening stage but he was another to retire in stage 2, his car showing a bit of body damage.

Through stages 3 & 4 Ring was again fastest. By 2nd service after stage 4 he had 55s in hand over 2nd place Enda O’Brien. David Condell moved up into 3rd ahead of Mick O’Brien. Further retirements on that 2nd running of the Killballyquilty stage included Derek Daly (Lancer) who had been 9th and Cork man Mark Dolphin (Escort) who pulled out when holding 10th. Daly’s co-driver reported that their Lancer had ‘fallen over’, possibly because of a dubious tyre choice. The weather had been changeable throughout the day, and several of the top drivers reported that they were on too soft a compound tyre for the middle loop of stages. There was a 20km journey from service in Carrick on Suir down to the start of stage 5 outside Kilmacthomas, which made tyre choice difficult in the changeable weather conditions. Mark Dolphin’s problem was a slipping clutch on his Mk2.

On stage 5 Enda O’Brien set fastest time with 6th placed Paul Purtill 2nd in the pecking order for that test. Ring was slightly off the pace on that one, just too relaxed, but made amends on the final stage with the best time, 9m56.6s. Forestry Modified Champion Mickey Conlon in his Escort was just 3s back. Mickey finished 5th o/a and winner of class 13. Earlier, in stage 2, Mickey had a major spin at a ‘5L’ on shiny tar and lost a few seconds. However he still did enough during the day to hold on to his lead in the Suirway South East Championship. Neil Tohill had a good run to finish 14th in his Lancer and win GpN.

Top Ten:-
1st Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Ford Fiesta R5) 55m02.4s
2nd Enda O’Brien/John Butler (Ford Escort Mk2) +50.3s
3rd David Condell/Eugene McGrath (Ford Escort Mk2) +51.9s
4th Mick O’Brien/Liam Brennan (Ford Focus WRC08) +12.0s
5th Mickey Conlon/Ciaran McPhillips (Ford Escort Mk2) +07.9s
6th Paul Purtill/Paul Kelly (Ford Escort Mk2) +07.8s
7th Simon Reid/Paul Collins (Honda Civic) +24.5s
8th Eddie Power/John Rafter (Toyota Corolla WRC) +09.5s
9th Vincent McSweeney/Michael Kearney (Honda Civic) +09.4s
10th Andrew Fanning/Derek Gibbs (Ford Fiesta) +11.7s

Class Winners:-
1 Eamonn Bates/Aaron Kavanagh (Honda Civic)
2 Keith Lyons/Sean Hegarty (Ford Fiesta R2)
3 Kevin Dolphin/Martin O’Brien (Renault Clio)
4 Neil Tohill/Gerard Tohill (Mitsubishi Evo 9)
5 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Ford Fiesta R5)
7 Mick O’Brien/Liam Brennan (Ford Focus WRC)
9 Billy McCarthy/John Falvey (Nissan Micra)
10 Paschal O’Shea/Robbie Hennessey (Ford Escort)
11F Simon Reid/Paul Collins (Honda Civic)
11R Andrew Duggan/Tara Duggan (Ford Escort Mk2)
12 Denis Hickey/Sean Nolan (Ford Escort)
13 Mickey Conlon/Ciaran McPhillips (Ford Escort Mk2)
14 Enda O’Brien/John Butler (Ford Escort Mk2)
15 Eddie Power/John Rafter (Toyota Corolla WRC)
20 Andrew Fanning/Derek Gibbs (Ford Fiesta)
17 (Historic) George Swanton/Kevin Barry (Ford Escort)
18 (Historic) Ian Davies/Ryland James (Ford Escort)
16 (Juniors) Fergus Hurley/Eric Deane (Ford Escort Mk2)

Looking forward to this weekend, at home we have the Orchard Motorsport Lurgan Park Rally on Saturday, the Trim based ALMC stages on Sunday, and throughout the weekend the WRC Rally Poland. At last Craig Breen will be back in rally action, driving the factory team’s Citroen DS3 WRC, with Stephane Lefebvre also driving one of the Abu Dhabi Total Citroen world rally team’s car. Breen has driven in the Polish Rally before, but it will be a slightly different rally this time so he will tackle the fast gravel stages with more or less a clean sheet. Craig is seeded at 8, which should give him a decent road position. The top of the entry list is dominated by manufacturer entries – Volkswagen with Ogier and Latvala, Hyundai with Neuville and Paddon, M-Sport Ford by Ostberg and Camilli. So called second string ‘manufacturer’ drivers, such as Mikkelsen, Tanak and Sordo are behind Craig, so this will not be an easy one for the two times Circuit of Ireland winner from Waterford!

Nearer home Lurgan Park is shaping up to be another impressive event, with a top class entry as well as an array of family entertainments on offer. Fermanagh’s Garry Jennings in his Subaru World Rally Car has won the rally for the last three years and he promises he will be trying hard to make it a fourth top of the podium finish. Garry will be trying hard as well to get his rallying back on track following the disappointment of retiring after just one stage of the Donegal International when his Impreza engine blew up. Engineers in the UK have been working hard since to make sure Garry takes his place amongst the fifty invited crews contesting the 8 special stages of this showcase Orchard Motorsport sponsored event.

Ranged against Jennings at the top end of the entry list are some very talented drivers. Declan Boyle in his Fiesta WRC for example, although on his first visit to Lurgan Park in a 4wd car, is stunningly fast everywhere, and has International Tarmac and National Rally titles under his belt as testimony. Behind Boyle is 11 times Lurgan Park winner Kenny McKinstry in his Subaru. Banbridge man Kenny so wants to make it a dozen wins. Derek McGeehan in his attractive Mini WRC is seeded in the top six. The Draperstown man led Lurgan Park initially last year and eventually finished 3rd. Former multiple Tarmac Champion Derek McGarrity, this time in his Fiesta WRC, could be another in the winning frame come Saturday, while Robert Woodside in his Fiesta R5, seeded outside the top ten, could spring a surprise.

As well as the top drivers in the World Rally Cars, much interest is sure to be generated by the leading Escort protagonists, with drivers such as Frank Kelly, Damian Toner, Keith White and Adrian Hetherington promising to provide much sideways frenzied action through the course of the day. There are many interesting cars in the line up – Ray Brammer is making the trip from Kings Lynn, the popular Pat O’Connell from Cashel has again entered, young ‘tigers’ include Callum Devine (Vauxhall Adam), Kyle White (Citroen C2) and Alan Smyth (Suzuki Swift). A driver likely to give the Escort men a run for their money is Fivemiletown’s Shane McGirr in his fantastically fast Starlet RWD. There are so many good drivers it is not possible to list them all here.

Lurgan Park is not just about the action on the special stages of course. It really is a Motorsport day out for families, friends and sponsors. There will be static classic car displays and a fascinating as well as exciting show by the Trialstar Motorbike Display Team.

Orchard Motorsport Lurgan Park Top Ten:
1 Garry Jennings/Michael Moran (Subaru Impreza WRC)
2 Kenny McKinstry/TBA (Subaru Impreza WRC)
3 Declan Boyle/Brian Boyle (Ford Fiesta WRC)
4 Derek McGarrity/Diarmuid Falvey (Ford Fiesta WRC)
5 Derek McGeehan/Laurie Smyth (Mini WRC)
6 Jonny Leonard/Geraldine Leonard (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6)
7 Pat O’Connell/Adam Coffey (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9)
8 Stuart Biggerstaff/TBA (Subaru Impreza WRC)
9 Ray Brammer/Mo Downey (Subaru Impreza WRC)
10 Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Subaru Impreza WRC)

Still on the subject of Lurgan Park, but in a slight digression, just at the moment we are involved in re-building and repainting our 70 year old MG TC. As each panel is finished it is parked upstairs in the spare bedroom! This necessitates clearing space. It is amazing the bits of paper which come to light. There was for example a report on the Lurgan Park Burmah Rally of 22 years ago which read – “In last Saturday’s bright sunshine, and in front of a capacity 10,000 spectators, Banbridge man Ken McKinstry turned on a fabulous driving display when he powered his Subaru Legacy through Lurgan Park to an emphatic Burmah Rally win. McKinstry received £3000 for his efforts, plus the satisfaction of knowing that it will be a very long time, if ever, that any driver will equal his seven outright Burmah wins, the last three a hat trick, on this most high profile of televised rallies.

Another report, from one year later, read: ‘Last Saturday’s hugely successful, but final Burmah Rally in Lurgan Park was won at the last gasp by popular Carryduff Forklift man David Greer. Early leader Andrew Nesbitt crashed his Toyota on stage 3, leaving ‘King of the Park’ Kenny McKinstry seemingly on course for his 8th Burmah victory. On the final stage however, Kenny, driving his Tarmac Championship winning Subaru, with new owner Tom Spence co-driving, crashed his Legacy into the Lurgan Park Trees. ‘Many a slip ‘tween cup and mouth!! Hopefully nothing like that happens this Saturday! Looking on down the top ten of that ’95 Lurgan Park makes for interesting as well as poignant reading. The late Frank Meagher was 2nd (Escort Cosworth), and the late Bertie Fisher (Impreza) was 3rd. James Cullen was 4th in his Escort Cosworth and had the late great Ellen Morgan co-driving. Jimmy McRae and Chris Patterson were 5th in an Eddie Torrens Escort Cosworth. 6th was Kenny Colbert (Metro 6R4), 7th the late Mickey Farrell, 8th the charismatic Scotsman Neale Dougan, 9th Jonny Milner in a Nissan Sunny GTi-R and 10th was Lurgan Park stalwart Willie Singleton. Willie was badly hurt a while ago in a car crash and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.

Moving on to Sunday, and it will be interesting indeed to see the top drivers from the Triton Showers National Championship mixing it with the cream of the MSA Asphalt Championship on the Smartpart ALMC Stages Rally. The top five seeds are from the Triton Showers series – Declan Boyle, Roy White, Niall Maguire, Peadar Hurson and Daragh O’Riordan. The next four are primarily MSA Asphalt – Hugh Hunter, Steve Simpson, Melvyn Evans and Damian Cole. Triton sponsor Kevin Barrett makes up the all World Rally machinery top ten. Roy White leads the Triton points, from Niall Maguire, with Peadar Hurson 3rd. Former Champion Declan Boyle has had some frustrating breakdowns with his Fiesta WRC and he will no doubt be flat out to get back on course. Declan is also contesting the Lurgan Park event on the Saturday, so should be match fit when he gets to Trim and the 9 fast, smooth asphalt stages there. Of the four MSA Asphalt contestants in the top 10, any of them could figure highly. Damian Cole in his Fiesta WRC heads the MSA Asphalt points table, and won the ALMC stages in 2010, so he must be considered to be in with a good chance, but then any of those top drivers could do the business on Sunday. There are a lot more really good drivers outside the top ten, so all in all this has the appearance of being a very interesting rally.

Coming up rapidly now are the Nicky Grist Stages, and also the Sligo Stages, both over the weekend of 9th/10th July. The Nicky Grist is a counting round of both the BTRDA and the British Rally Championship. The Nicky Grist events run over two days, with the Saturday made up of gravel forestry stages, while the Sunday is made up of fast tarmac stages over the military ranges. The British Championship crews are competing over the two days, and will have a two hour service on the Saturday night to convert their cars from forestry to tarmac specification. The BTRDA crews will only compete on the Saturday forest stages.

The Sligo Stages has returned to territory south of the town this year and, under the direction of Joe Corcoran includes some brilliant rally roads. Although the event is not a round of the Triton, it is a counter in the Sligo Pallets Border series and should attract a competitive entry, particularly as the stages are good. Always a popular rally, the Sligo Park Hotel is again the rally HQ, and the event has a real good feel to it. Over 60 entries have been received already and the club are continuing to accept more.

Looking further ahead, the John Mulholland Motors backed Ulster Rally released more details of their 19th/20th August event at a reception hosted by Alderman Hilary McClintoch, mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council. The event will be a counter in the McGrady Insurance NI Rally Championship, the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship and the British Rally Championship. The vastly experienced Clerk of the Course Gary Milligan announced that the rally would be based in the Ebrington complex in Derry/Londonderry and would start from the Guildhall Square at 1pm on Friday, overnight in the City and finish on Saturday afternoon after 14 special stages, mostly through the Sperrins and including such classics as Barnes Gap and Rousky.

The rally will be based in Derry/Londonderry for 3 years, and new sponsor John Mulholland has committed for the same period. John has competed for 20 years on the Ulster, and has Skoda, Hyundai and Ford dealerships, with premises in Randalstown and Campsie, so he knows what he is getting into. Indeed he pledged to do everything in his power to help the rally, over and beyond his sponsorship deal. Oh, and he was one of the first to enter this event, to drive his ex Ogier Skoda R5! There were several high profile competitors at the reception in the Guildhall, including Rory Kennedy. Rory has won the Ulster 6 times as a co-driver, and taken many podium positions, but it was as a winning co-driver on the Circuit of Ireland Easter Stages that last took him to the Guildhall. That was in 2007 when he co-drove for Mark Higgins in the yellow Pirelli Impreza WRC.
There is a possibility that the new Hyundai R5, with Kevin Abbring driving, could run as ‘00’ car on the Ulster. This is as yet far from confirmed. What does seem fairly certain is that the rally will receive a very high class entry, including a smattering of WRC cars and a horde of the best R5s.

Finally for now we note with interest that Co. Cavan’s Gary Kiernan has been nominated for the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver Award for his performance in March and April when he scored class wins in Mayo and the Midland Rallies, and was 5th o/a on the Ballina Rally.