RALLY NEWS NO.1 Sligo Park Hotel/Sunday 08.30
For the first time in 5 years this Sligo Stages Rally is on an ‘opt out’ from the Dunlop National Championship, but still the rally has a very interesting entry. It also has a bulging list, with some reserves still optimistically hoping for an entry, even as the 09.31 start time ticks closer and the first car heads away from the Sligo Park Hotel to tackle the 9 special stages. Providing a different slant to the entry this time, the rally is a counter in the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, while many of the drivers are contesting the McAree Engineering Border Championship.
There have been a few last minute driver withdrawals, partly down to respect for the Jobb family, following the road accident on Friday morning which claimed the life of a very special young rally man, Alwyn Jobb. To his father Derrick and all his family and friends we extend our very sincere condolences. However a rally is akin to a big boulder rolling down a steep hill, once it goes into the final phase there is very little will stop it, something that Derrick Jobb will recognise all too well and doesn’t diminish our feelings for his loss.
Adrian McElvaney, with Paul Kelly co-driving in his Subaru Impreza WRC, will be No.1 on the road. Adrian said before the start that he is flat out in work ‘doing nothing’, and has had little time to test the car. He did get a short run out on Thursday night and it seemed fine so he parked it back in the garage. As he walked away from the Subaru, a water hose blew off and dumped coolant all over the floor! Better there than on the first stage. That opening test, Kings Mountain, will take no prisoners. Robert Lyttle, the clerk of the course, has planned a real tough challenge for the drivers, and that first stage is fairly typical of the mileage. There are beautiful fast flowing roads up the side of Glencar Lake, then narrow twisty boreens along the foothills of Truskmore Mountain. Some of the roads would have been used in different configurations on Rally Ireland, and there is bound to be some of it will suit every driver and every car!
Sean Gallagher, running with the No.3 on his Subaru will be next up, with the first of the visiting cross-channel drivers, David Mann, at 4 in his Subaru. Fermanagh’s Raymond Johnston, this time with Rodney Hicks co-driving in his Subaru is at 5. Then it’s the bionic Mk2 Escort man Gary McPhillips at 7, Stuart Darcy, with Stephen Fuery co-driving at 9 and David Kynaston in his very exciting Audi A3 Quattro at 10. Exeter man David, who runs his own garage and preparation business, currently leads the MSA Asphalt Championship points, and usually goes well on tarmac stages.
Interestingly, at 11 is the vastly experienced John Price in his raucous Metro 6R4, and it was John who took maximum points the last time the series was here. Another man to look out for from that Championship is Simon Mauger. He is equal 2nd in the points with last year’s series winner Steve Simpson and is seeded down at 30 in his Astra engined Mk2 Escort. It will be interesting to see how he compares with our Mk2 drivers.
Just outside the top seeds already mentioned are some very quick drivers, just a few being Joe McHugh at 12, his Escort Cosworth fully rebuilt, Danny McBride at 14, his GpN Lancer also overhauled. Danny was disappointed with the way his car was going, and thinks it may have been down to the turbo. Also with turbo in his thoughts is local man Paul Kiely, sidelined last weekend on the ALMC when the unit packed the fiddle. Paul, and his co-driver Pat McSharry, seeded at No.14. Fergal Costello, Manus Kelly, Damien Gallagher and Eddie Donaghy make up the remainder of the top twenty.
Just some of the drivers outside that worth keeping an eye on include World Rally Rookie Champion Shaun Gallagher at 28 in a C2R2, Terence O’Shaugnessy at 24 who has a new 2.5 Millington engine in his Corolla, young Daniel McKenna at 35 who is flying low these days in his recently built 2-litre Mk2. Shaun Gallagher’ s mentor Tommy Mullen is making a return to the stages this weekend following a 6 year break and is running at 134 in his Lancer. Sean McHugh debuts his new 3 litre BMW Compact of which more news later.
In terms of the McAree Engineering Border Championship, which is very much class based, the driver at the top of the points, Mark Sheahan, hasn’t entered this round, so that could open the door for other class leaders such as Roger Kennedy in his Peugeot and Gary McPhillips and Manus Kelly in their Escorts. This is the fifth round of the Border series, and Mark Sheahan has scored four maximums, so in reality it is difficult to envisage anyone overtaking him, as just four scores from six will count at season’s end. Brendan McAree himself is seeded down at 52 this time in his Lancer, and has Paul Hughes co-driving.
Withdrawals – just some of those from the top end of the published entry list include P.J. McDermott, Noel McCarrick, Rodney Wilton, Trevor Bustard, Andy Fenwick, Frank Wray and Graham Hollis. Finally for now, congratulations to deputy clerk of the course Michael Sweeney and his wife Emer on the birth of their baby daughter yesterday.
More news later: BRIAN & LILZ PATTERSON
|
