Pacenotes Rally Magazine - 63

Issue 63 | Jan09 | £3.60/€5.25

rally magazine

WIN HANS DEVICE

With Ruth Motorsport page 81 www.pacenotes.net

the best irish and uk rally action every month!

Young Gun

Connor McCloskey’s Blaze Of Glory...

9 771473 725073

ISSN 1473-7256

63

FREE

INSIDE

2009 DEMON RUN FOREST: Ray’s Breen There, TWEEKS Done That..

CATALOGUE

PARTING SHOTS: A Look Back At 2008 Rally Season

PALE RIDERS: Frank Kelly Scares Co-Drivers

www.montgomery-motorsport.co.uk email: sales@ montgomery-motorsport.co.uk

TEL: 028 855 49851 • FAX: 028 855 49855

PROFESSIONAL MOTORSPORT EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES Race Suits

Race Boots Sparco Pro Driver ..................£90.00 Sparco Top 3 ..........................£89.00 Sparco Speed Way ................£79.09 Sparco Slalom ........................£69.00

Omp trend FIA..................... £185.00 Sparco Sprint FIA ................ £195.00 Sparco FIA........................... £350.00

Underwear Sparco Nomex Top ..................£43.00 Sparco Nomex Pants...............£35.00 FIA Balaclava ...........................£19.00 Nomex socks............................£10.00

Helmets Corsa Parts Transmission Quaife F13/F15 Synchromesh 5-speed Gear Kit with Final Drive Ratio 4.5-4.8£1350.00 Quaife GM Gearlever................... £340.00 Quaife GM Turret Housing .......... £475.00 Helix Padle Clutch Plate ................ £82.00 Helix Clutch Cover ....................... £162.00 F15 L.S.D. Unit Plate Type .......... £450.00 Brake Components Alcon Front Tarmac Brake Kit – 4 Piston Caliper 300 x 26 Disc and Caliper Mounting Bracket ......... £1,200.00 Balance Bar Pedal Box (Grp A) .. £175.00 Dash Adjuster Click type................ £30.00 Girling Reservoir............................. £14.00 Alloy Handbrake kit ........................ £93.62 Suspension Components Adjustible Strut casing (Grp A) ...... £80.00 Bilstein Insert 270/120 ................. £100.00 21/4 x 12 Spring All Rates ............. £20.00 Alloy Spring Seat............................ £14.00 Alloy Lock Ring................................. £6.50 Steel Top Cap ................................. £14.00 Alloy Top Mount (Spherical Bearing) £65.00 Bilstein Front Strut & Insert.......... £195.00 Bilstein Rear Damper..................... £95.32 Roll Bars Sparco 16-Point Roll Cage .......... £400.00 Safety Devices CDS Weld-in Cage£499.00

Revolution Wheels

7 x 13" 4 spoke gp4 ......................£76.00 8 x 13" 4 spoke gp4 ......................£80.86 9 x 13" 4 spoke gp4 ......................£89.37 7 x 15" 5 spoke gp4 ......................£89.37 8 x 15" 5 spoke gp4 ......................£93.62 9 x 15" 5 spoke gp4 ......................£97.88

Graytronic Intercoms Clubman Set...........................£110.00 Spare Headset .........................£37.00 Practice Pair.................£130.00 Peltor Intercoms Peltor FMT 110 amp....£135.00 Battery Eliminator ..........£22.00 Practice Headset ...........£97.87

0

0

Seats

Co-Driver Accessories

Sparco REV Plus .. £P.O.A Sparco EVO ........... £P.O.A Sparco PRO 2000.. £P.O.A Sparco Sprint (V)..£105.00 Corbeau Pro .........£220.00 OMP RS ..........£150.00 Recaro SPG ....£349.00 Alloy Side Mounts .................... £30

Don Barrow Poti Light MKB6 ..£80.00 Avanti Map Light from ..............£18.00 Co-Pilote Stopwatch ................£69.00 Fastime 2 Stopwatch ...............£12.77 Fastime 11 Stopwatch .............£25.53 OMP Brief Bag .........................£20.00 Sparco Director Bag.................£32.00

Steering Wheels Sparco Safari from ............£97.87 Sparco RAC from ............£97.87 Sparco PRO ...........£97.87 OMP WRC.£80.00 Steering Wheel Hub £28.00

Instruments Elliot Clubman Tachometer.....£119.15 Stack Oil Pressure..............£50.00 Stack Water Temperature.....£35.00 Stack Volt Meter.................£27.00 Stack Clubman Tachometer.....£180.00 Stack ST 8100...........£725.00

Minilite Mag Wheels 8 x 13 ... £89.36 7 x 13 ... £80.00 6 x 13 ... £76.60 ®

Harnesses

Sabelt 75mm 6 Point FIA.........£99.00 TRS 75mm 6 Point FIA............£80.00 TRS 75mm 6 Point L/W FIA....£99.00 TRS 6 Point FIA Hans .............£80.00 SRS 75mm 6 Point FIA ...........£80.00

Tripmeters Terratrip 202 + with probe..£153.00 Brantz Laser with probe..£200.00 Brantz Int 2 with probe...£153 Monit Rally Computer ......£299

Fuel Pumps/Accessories

®

Lifeline Fire Systems ®

Intercoms

Sparco pro-jet .........................£175.00 New peltor G78 white with (hans) ..............................£325.00 New peltor G78 grey / silver (with Hans)..............................£335.00 New OMP Jet4 with Hans .....£300.00 Peltor Helmet Bag ....................£31.00 Sport Hans 20 ........................£350.00 Pro Hans 20 ...........................£450.00

Fire Marshal 4.0 Litre System£144.68 Mechanical 360 System ........£295.00 Electrical Gas 360 System ....£339.00 Hand-Held 1.75 Litre ................£32.34 Hand-Held 2kg 360 gas.........£175.00 R

Red Top Competition Pump Kit ............ £63.00 Red Top Pump ...................................... £50.00 Bosch Inj Pump ...................................£135.00 Filter King............................................... £29.79 S/Steel Overbraid fuel Hose Per Metre . £8.00 Millers CVL .............................................. £5.50 Pro Boost ................................................. £7.95 Weber 45 DCOE ................................£220.00

THE OLD RECTORY, AUGHER, CO TYRONE BT77 0BN CLOSED SUN AND MON, OPEN TUES-THURS 9.30AM-9PM FRI 9.30AM-6.00PM SAT 9.00 AM-2PM

Gloves Sparco Flash .....£37.00 Sparco Wind......£65.00 Omp Speed .......£26.00

Escort Mk2 Parts Suspension & Steering Bilstein Grp 4 Adj Strut................£169.00 Alloy Spring Seat 1” Deep ..............£8.00 Alloy Spring Seat 3” Deep ............£14.00 Alloy Lock ring .................................£6.50 Alloy Top Cap D-Hole ...................£12.00 Alloy C-Spanner ............................£12.00 Bilstein 300/70 Insert.....................£75.00 Bilstein 300/100 Insert ..................£75.00 Alloy Top Mount 2-Piece Grp 4 ....£72.34 Alloy Top mount & Nut ..................£64.00 Electric Power Steering Kits .......£750.00 Mk2 Quickrack with Bronze Bush ..£255.00 Grp 4 Steering Joint Cast .............£25.53 Gen Ford Green track Rod End ...£21.00 In Situ R/J Gen Ford T.C.A. ...£130 Each In Situ R/J Q/H T.C.A. .............. £79 Each Grp 4 TensionSturt Kit .................£300.00 Bilstein Grp 1 Rear Damper .........£70.00 Bilstein Grp 4 Rear Turret .............£75.00 Bilstein Coil-Over Damper ..........£130.00 Watts Linkage Kit Atlas ...............£225.00 Axle & Transmission Fully Floating Grp 4 Atlas Axle casing .........................from £400.00 Group 1 Atlas Axle Casing.from £395.00 Steel Spit Lock Rings LH/RH .......£12.00 Spring Saddles ..............................£20.00 4 Link Brackets ..............................£30.00 Grp 1 2-Piece Halfshaft (18 tooth)£97.00 Grp 4 Halfshaft F/F (18 tooth) ......£95.00 Grp 1 Halfshaft Flange..................£66.00 Grp 4 Halfshaft Flange..................£55.00 ZF Motorsport L.S.D. Unit...........£638.30 ZF Side Gear .................................£65.00 Ford C.W.P 5.1 & 4.6 Set ...........£220.00 Tran-X Club Gearkit 5 Speed .....£599.00 Alloy Astra 16v to Ford Bellhousing ..................................£140.43 Tran-X English LSD ....................£400.00 Brake Parts Mk 2 Bias Pedal Box (Cable) ....£212.00 Mk 2 Bias Pedal Box (HYD) .......£242.00 Mk 1 Bias Pedal Box (Cable) .....£235.00 Tube-Adjustor (Mk 2) ...................£29.00 Flexible Click Dash Adjustor .........£30.00 AP & Girling Reservoir ..................£14.00 Alloy Pro HYD Handbrake Kit ......£93.62 HYD Handbrake Kit ......................£40.00 Ralloy Vertical Handbrake ..........£106.38 Master Cylinder .625, .700, .750 ..£28.00 Alcon - 15" Front Brake Kit 304 x 28 Disc, Disc Bell & Alloy 4 Pot Calliper.. .............................£899.00 Alcon - 13" Front Brake Kit 267 x 21 Disc, Disc Bell & Alloy 4 Pot Caliper................................£825.00 Alloy Products Alloy Tarmac Arches Mk 2 Set ...£249.00 Alloy Front Spoiler .........................£60.00 Alloy Front Arch .............................£60.00 Alloy Front Arch 15” Wheel...........£75.00 Alloy Rear Tarmac Arch ................£68.00 Alloy Shaped Tank & Filler..........£170.00 Alloy Inj Tank & Filler...................£190.00 Fuel Tank Fitting Kit & Straps .......£68.00 Alloy Dry Sump Tank ....................£89.00 Rear Lamp Protectors...................£14.00 Alloy Strut Brace ..........................£48.00 Alloy Catch Tank............................£40.00 Alloy SumpGuard 8mm Chassis Mounted ........................£199.15 Alloy Radiator ..............................£195.00 Pace Astra 16v Dry Sump Kit..........£700 Pace Corsa 16v Dry Sump Kit ........£700 Pace Ford Duratec Dry Sump Kit ...£700

ALL PRICES PLUS VAT@17.5%

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www.pacenotes.net Issue 63 | Jan09 | £3.60/€5.25

rally magazine

Win hanS deViCe

with Ruth Motorsport page 81 www.pacenotes.net

the best irish and uk rally action every month!

Young Gun

Connor McCloskey’s Blaze Of Glory...

the

contents 04

12

18

24

32

44

57

IRISH TARMAC

66

84

2008 season review

NIRC

2008 season review

IRISH FOREST 2008 season review

14 - QUESTION TIME with noel o’donnell

49 - DEAR SANTA last minute gift ideas

89 - FORESTRY CHAMPION with ray breen

deputy editor pete bleakley pete@pacenotes.net

22 - NICKY GRIST nicky’s column

52 - LOMBARD RALLY endurance rally

92 - BUSINESS PROFILE ccs race n rally

design & production jeremy purdy jeremy@mooneymedia.com

28 - VIRGIN SUCCESS maiden victories

72 - BTRDA cambrian stages

95 - QUESTION TIME with alan o’callaghan

30 - PERFORMANCE CAR vauxhall corsa artic

74 - UK CLUBMAN PT2 clubmen across the water

100 - BUSHE’S BLOG with andrew bushe

published by

36 - C2R2 season review

76 - ANCRO season review

104 - CLASSIFIEDS rally marketplace

unit 45, banbridge enterprise centre, scarva road industrial estate, banbridge, co down, bt32 3qd, northern ireland. t: +44 (0) 28 4066 0390 f: +44 (0) 28 4062 8392

46 - UK CLUBMAN PT1 clubmen across the water

80 - PERFORMANCE CAR renault megane r26

ISSN 1473-7256

9 771473 725073

62

FREE

inSiDE

2009 DEMOn r run ForeSt: Fore Ray’s Breen There, TwEEKS Done That..

CATALOGuE

Parting Pale riderS: ShotS: Frank Kelly A Look Scares Back At Co-Drivers 2008 Rally Season

publishing editor simon mooney editor@pacenotes.net t: +44 (0) 28 40 660 390 m: +44 (0) 7803 891893 (office hours) advertising manager beverley mooney sales@pacenotes.net tel: +44 (0) 28 40 660 390 fax: +44 (0) 28 40 628 392 assistant editor (Irl) jonathan macdonald jonathan@pacenotes.net mobile: 07989283055 assistant editor (UK) phil james phil@pro-rally.co.uk mobile: 07771768657

cover photo jonathan macdonald

FULL CHAT news round-up

THE BIG INTERVIEW with frank kelly

ROGER ALBERT CLARK full rally round-up

NIRC townparks rally

DUNLOP NATIONAL 2008 season review

SCOTTISH RC 2008 season review

Pacenotes is published on the last Wednesday of each month.

This magazine is copyright mooneymedia ltd 2008. Contents may not be reproduced in any form or stored on any electronic system, without written permission.

All rights reserved. No responsibility is accepted for any unsolicited material. Reasonable efforts are made to ensure the contents are accurate, but the publishers can accept no responsibility for the effects arising there from.

Reasonable care is taken while accepting advertisements, but no responsibility can be accepted for any resulting transactions. distributed by WNS NI, Easons & Newspread ROI MMC Ltd - UK Mainland

pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

03

Startline

FULL CHAT...

Rathfriland are King Of Clubs…

Seasons Greetings Welcome to our bumper end of year edition (our biggest ever), it’s jam packed... enjoy!

Another fantastic year over. Indeed all of our regional Champions deserve huge praise for making 2008 a vintage year for British & Irish Rallying!

As this is our last edition until 26th January, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal readers, contributors and advertisers for your unwaving support throughout the year... without you, there simply would be no Pacenotes.

It just leaves me to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year...

Simon Mooney Editor Tel: +44 (0)28 40660 390 editor@pacenotes.net

FREE Demon Tweeks 2009 Catalogue...

If your reading this, you should have received your free copy of the 2008 Motorsport Catalogue from Demon Tweeks...

It's pages are packed with everything the rallyman would ever need... enjoy!

If you need other copies log on to www.demontweeks.co.uk dec/jan 2009 04 pacenotes.net

Rathfriland Motor Club Ltd has

been awarded the top prize in the 2008 JLT Sport MSA Club of the Year competition. The award, which includes a magnificent trophy and a cheque for £1000, will be presented at the 2008 ‘Night of Champions’ which will be held in January at a glittering event at the exclusive Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London.

In a letter confirming the award, Allan Dean-Lewis MBE, from the Motor Sport Association, congratulated the club members for the, ‘enthusiasm and drive

Fingers On Buzzers…

North Armagh Motorcycle

within the club to organise their Safety First schools presentations and the exceptionally high quality of club and event promotion and documentation during the year.’

Commenting on the win, RMC Chairman Wesley Johnston said, “It’s a brilliant achievement for such a small club to be voted the best out of over 700 clubs in the UK. It underlines the hard work that our dedicated committee puts into the club and the events each year, and we are all extremely proud to be in a position to accept the award.”

Now We’re ‘Kookin’…

The MSA Scottish Rally

Championship (SRC) has announced that global tyre manufacturer Hankook is to sponsor the 2009 series. The SRC has developed into the most successful rally series in the UK, attracting record levels of participants and spectators alike.

The eight constituent events cover the length and breadth of the country with each round attracting more than 100 competitors and 15,000 spectators. The new sponsorship will include the largest prize value committed in the Championship’s history for the Junior programme, with the winner receiving the chance to take part in an international rally. Group N and registered Juniors will be required to run a controlled Hankook tyre.

Campbell Roy, Chairman of the MSA Scottish Rally Championship said, “We are delighted to have concluded this groundbreaking

deal with such a high profile international company. Hankook brings a wealth of motorsport experience to the SRC and will undoubtedly assist us in further raising the profile of the sport in Scotland.”

Hankook Motorsport Manager Mike Patterson said, “We are delighted to be focusing our attention in 2009 on the Scottish Rally Championship. The series attracts some intense competition and the enthusiasm and professionalism of the organising team has been instrumental in finalising this deal, we have also confirmed Hankook as the title sponsor of the 205 Ecosse Series.”

The Championship will be known as the Hankook MSA Scottish Rally Championship and further information on the championship along with dates is available from www. scottishchampionship.co.uk

and Car Club Ltd is running its annual Motorsport Quiz - kindly supported this year

by Woodland Decorators, Lisburn - at 7.30pm on Wednesday 10th December, 2008, at Tandragee Golf Club, Tandragee, County Armagh.

The entry cost is £50 per team of four people, which includes a buffet supper and team prizes.

Proceeds go to the club’s charity, Armagh Lions Club.

Please contact one of the following if interested. William Fullerton on 07703219742; Brian Carson on 07900133511 or Martin Heaney on 07802515680.

He’s Over The Moon…

Darren Moon has been

announced as the Revolution Wheels Driver of the Year in the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship.The special trophy recognises an outstanding performance from a driver in the championship and the judging panel considered Yorkshireman Moon to be a worthy recipient after his debut season in the BHRC. Moon had rarely rallied outside his native Yorkshire before the 2008 season and had never competed in Wales.

Despite his lack of experience of many of the stages in the BHRC, Moon and regular co-driver John McNichol were real pacesetters in the hugely competitive class D5, despite running a less-powerful Holbay specification engine and a four-speed gearbox in their Ford Escort Mk2.

Calendar Dec 08 / Jan 09 29/11 04/12 07/12 07/12 13/12 27/12 28/12 28/12 28/12 29/12

Grizedale Stages (Coniston) RallyWalesGB (Cardiff) Carlow Rallysprint Galloway Hills Rally (CastleDouglas) Rockingham Stages (Corby) Carlow Rallysprint Specsavers Christmas Stages (Croft) Rally Spares Christmas Stages (Pembrey) Longmoor Loco Stages (Liss, Hants) TurkeyRun

08/01 16/01 18/01 18/01 19/01 24/01 26/01 29/01 31/01

Autosport International (NEC) GalwayInternational Red Kite Stages (Llandovery) Jack Frost Stages (Croft) New Year Stages (Kirkistown) MullForestStages Larne Rally Time Trial RallyIreland Brean Stages (Burnham-on-Sea)

Give Us Your Views Log On today at: www.rallyforums.com

Alastair Fisher (20) and Elfyn

Quick Ride Sought…

Karen Watts is looking for

competitive rides on events in 2009.

The experienced co-driver has done 20 events in 2008, and has already secured a competitive ride in the 2009 BTRDA series. She is looking for a quick ride on selected events in the UK and Ireland, and has sat in a variety of quick machines, from WRCs to 2WDs. For more details contact Karen at katmart@tiscali. co.uk

Time For A Swift One… The Suzuki Swift Sport Cup, the

only manufacturer backed onemake rally series in the UK, is to enter its second year of competition in 2009. The series sees drivers compete in identical Swift Sport Cup cars in six individual rallies across the UK, comprising three gravel and three tarmac.

Next year’s competition will take place on rounds of the MSA British Rally Championship, in the Rally 1 category. Entrants will be eligible for class prize money within the BRC, in addition to the generous cash incentives and rewards offered by series hosts, Suzuki. The series champion will walk away with a brand new Suzuki Swift Sport road car and will have the opportunity to further hone their skills at the world-renowned John Haugland Winter Rally School in Norway.

Further details on the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup series and rally car can be found at www.swiftsportcup. co.uk.

WWW.2WDRALLY.COM Pacenotes is proud to

sponsor the new N.I. 2WD Tarmac Rally Challenge! This is a new rally championship in Northern Ireland, consisting of seven rounds (see below).

It’s designed to be a fun, costconscious challenge. Entry fees are expected to be around £150, with an average stage mileage of 30 miles.

“Pacenotes is proud to work together with organisers of this new challenge,” Pacenotes editor Simon Mooney said.

“Having been sponsor of the

Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship for four years, we believe it’s time for us to turn our attention to clubman and junior competitors in what could be the year of the clubman.”

Pacenotes has put in place an end of year prize fund with over £1500 and trophies up for grabs.

There is a prize fund for each class, with larger prizes for first, second and third overall.

Challenge co-ordinator, Andy Gilmore, said: “It’s good to give those competitors and clubs that don’t want to commit to the full

Northern Ireland championship a cost effective and competitive alternative in 2009. We are delighted to have Pacenotes on board as title sponsor and we look forward to increasing our profile through increased publicity in what is the leading rally magazine.”

For more information, contact Andy Gilmore on 07876 562 003 or andygilmore@ mmbuildingservices.co.uk.

Alternatively, Challenge registrar, Paul Biggerstaff, can be contacted on 07753 846 734 or paul.biggerstaff@tiscali.co.uk. or www.2wdrally.com

Mitsubishi To Continue In ‘09 Just before we went to press the organisers

of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge confirmed that both the UK and Irish series’ will continue next year.

Running for its ninth consecutive season, the UK Challenge will again feature most rounds of the MSA Gravel Championship, with five gravel and two asphalt events planned. The prize fund is currently being finalised and an announcement of what is understood to be an extremely valuable and high-profile prize for the champion will be made at the awards presentation on 13th December.

Sources close to Mitsubishi have muted that it is likely to involve the works team – which is also set to continue in 2009 - and will be more than just a one off drive. It is also believed that the award will be the first of its kind in UK motorsport and will be offered to 2008 Champion David Bogie.

Initially, the young Scot was awarded a works Mitsubishi drive in the Rally GB as his prize for winning the 2008 UK Evo Challenge.

However, the new Evo X he was scheduled to

use could not be completed in time, due to the unavailability of parts from Japan.

The Irish series will again be an all-tarmac affair and take place south of the border. It will include three two-day and three one-day events incorporating nine rounds, the twoday rallies featuring a round on each day. As they are for the UK series, organisers are currently working on final details of the prize fund and have said that, if all goes well, the Champion will be offered an award which will be the first of its kind in Ireland.

“We have a few things still to put in place, but one thing’s for sure, we have some significant announcements to make in December for both the UK and Irish series”, said Championship Manager Simon Slade. Further details will be available soon. In the mean time, anyone interested in finding out more about the Evo Challenge can do so by calling the coordination office: +44 1935 424873, or by visiting the championship websites: UK: www.evochallenge.com, Ireland: www.evo-challenge.ie

news round-up from around the clubs and stages

Evans (19) have been awarded a test by M-Sport in the Ford Focus RS WRC as the joint VK Fiesta SportingTrophy UK and Maxol E85 Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy Ireland scholarship prize winners. The young drivers, from Trillick, County Tyrone and Machynlleth, Wales, respectively, will be offered driver tuition from current Stobart VK MSport World Rally Championship driver Matthew Wilson in December, with the added bonus of an invitation to dinner with MSport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson and double Ford WRC champion Marcus Grönholm.

Pacenotes To Sponsor New N.I. 2WD Tarmac Rally Challenge

FULL CHAT...

Fisher Flat To Matt…

Birr Celebrate 40 Years...

Birr & District Motor Club wants to thank

everyone who supported their recent Motorsport Weekend. The event included a dinner dance in Grants Hotel in Roscrea on the Saturday night.

The Saturday also saw the launch of the club’s new 112 page history booklet, which covers the very first meeting of five like minded people at the Esso Station in Birr, up to the present day, with well over 100 club members in the club.

Anyone wishing to by a copy should contact Eoin Longworth on 086 8179297 or Pat Horan on 067 21123. The club would like to thank Eoin

Longworth, Pat Brophy and the team for the hours and hours of hard work that went into producing this superb book.

On the Sunday the club had a display of some very rare cars including a Ferrari F1 car and some beautiful historic rally cars including an ex Billy Coleman Mark 1 Escort, a Fiat 131 Abarth, and a Lancia Stratos. Pat Corcoran (aka Postman Pat), one of the hardest working marshals in the club, won the main draw prize: a camper van for the week of Rally Ireland, sponsored by Pat Horan Motors Ltd – The Camper Centre of Ireland. pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

05

GALWAY PREVIEW

www.GalwayInternational.com

Tarmac Trail Starts Here

2008 Rally Winners: Mark Higgins & Rory Kennedy

Picture below from left are: Alan Fair (Safety Direct) Bobby Clinton (Galway MC) Gary Leonard (Clerk of the Course) John O’Connell (President of Galway MC) Victor Farrell (Dep COC).

Usually at this time of year, we’re all looking forward to a long Christmas break. But with Rally Ireland acting as the opening round of next year’s FIA World Rally Championship, it has had a winter snowball effect on the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship calendar.

The 2009 Safety Direct Galway

International Rally has been forced to move forward, with the season opener taking place in mid-January. It all takes place on 16/17/18th, where the beginning of Ireland’s premier tarmac challenge commences, although in these uncertain times, there could be more challenges off the stages, rather than on them.

PREVIOUS WINNERS...

1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Cathal Curley ..................... Escort TC Ronnie McCartney ....... Triumph 2.5PI Adrian Boyd ..............Escort RS 1600 Cancelled due to Fuel & Power crisis Dessie McCartney ....Porsche Carrera Billy Coleman............Escort RS 1800 Roger Clarke .............Escort RS 1800 John Taylor ...............Escort RS 1800 Billy Coleman............Escort RS 1800 Jimmy McRae ................Chevette HS Ger Buckley ................. Chevette HSR Jimmy McRae ................Ascona 400 no rally Brendan Fagan ............. Chevette HSR Austin MacHale ................Manta 400 Billy Coleman....... Porsche 911 SCRS no rally Mark Lovell .............. Sierra Cosworth Mark Lovell .............. Sierra Cosworth Austin MacHale .................. BMW M3 Austin MacHale .................. BMW M3 Kenny McKinstry ....... Subaru Legacy Austin MacHale ............ Toyota Celica Kenny McKinstry ....... Subaru Legacy Frank Meagher ........ Escort Cosworth Bertie Fisher ............. Subaru Impreza Austin MacHale .....Toyota Celica GT4 Austin MacHale .....Toyota Celica GT4 Bertie Fisher ............. Subaru Impreza no rally no rally Eugene Donnelly ....... Subaru Impreza no rally Tapio Laukkanen ....... Subaru Impreza Eugene Donnelly ..........Toyota Corolla Eugene Donnelly ..........Toyota Corolla Marcus Gronholm ....Ford Focus WRC Mark Higgins .................Subaru Subaru WRC dec/jan 2009 06 pacenotes.net

16-18th January 2009 Saying that, despite the economic downturn, competitor interest in Galway has been high. Towards the end of November, more than 100 entries had already been received!

Credit crunch? What credit crunch!

Entries close on 8 December, so it’s still early days. While the majority of the entries have been submitted by the two-wheel-drive men, there is a small splattering of four-wheel-drive machinery. Could this signify that 2009 will be the year of the clubman?

Only time will tell, but at Galway’s recent press launch, which took place at the Clayton Hotel in Ballybrit, a number of top line names were confirmed.

Derek McGarrity, who attended the launch, said he hoped to have his hands on a new Prodrive Subaru, while the MacHale brothers, Gareth and Aaron, also intend to be in the fray.

Gareth could be using an Opel Corsa Super 2000, and Tim McNulty has also inferred that he will return to the series. Meanwhile, although not mentioned at the launch, Tarmac champion Eamonn Boland confirmed at the series awards night that he would be back to defend his title.

There has been much talk about WRC factory teams using Galway as a major test for Rally Ireland.

However, as we closed for press, none had been confirmed.

And with a new modified trophy up for grabs, there has been an

influx of Mark 2 men and the like. Wesley Patterson will be one to watch, while Gary Reidy, Paul Gallagher, Gary McPhillips, Manus Kelly and Anthony Hand have also entered.

John Stafford will be a contender for the National Rally honours in his Darrian, but elsewhere in the international field, Ian Roche will be in the hunt for class six spoils in his Citroen C2.

Meanwhile, the historic category is also shaping up nicely. Frank Cunningham and Tim Lenihan hope to contest their Mark 1 Escorts, and Martin Ward will be a popular addition in his Opel Manta.

Derek Boyd could also be vying for honours in his Porsche.

Event CoC Gary Leonard announced that there are some changes afoot for the 2009 event, with Deerpark Industrial Estate in Oranmore providing a single location for centralised servicing on both days, as well as parc ferme and scrutiny. After the ceremonial start on the Friday evening, competitors will face 17 stages over the Saturday and Sunday. Crews will visit North Galway around Abbeyknockmoy on the Friday, with three stages repeated three times. Then they will move to the South Galway area on the Sunday, with a total of eight stages between Gort and Loughrea.

There is also a prize up for grabs for marshals, sponsored by Securitec Security Systems. One lucky marshal will have an opportunity to complete the rally licence course at Rally School Ireland, so to be in with a chance to win, contact Joe O’Connell on +353 87 226 2910 and register your intent to marshal.

It won’t be long until it’s time to

jump in the car and drive to Galway!

So if you’ve entered the event, don’t eat too much Christmas dinner.

You won’t have much time to fight the flab before arriving at the start ramp, and you don’t want your stage times to be affected!

Official rally programmes will be available from the start of January – keep an eye on www.

GalwayInternational.com for a listing of outlets. Pacenotes will have a full event report in our next edition, which will be on sale from 26 January.

RALLY SCHEDULE DAY 1- SATURDAY Start Service/Oranmore SS1 SS2 SS3 Service/Oranmore SS4 SS5 SS6 Service/Oranmore SS7 SS8 SS9 Parc Ferme/Oranmore

FCD 08.00 08.05 08.57 09.28 10.15 11.14 12.11 12.42 13.29 14.28 15.25 15.56 16.43 17.42

DAY 2- SUNDAY Re-Start Service/Oranmore SS10 SS11 SS12 Service/Oranmore SS13 SS14 SS15 Service/Oranmore SS16 SS17 Finish/Eyre Square

07.30 07.35 08.44 09.27 09.56 10.57 12.06 12.49 13.18 14.19 15.28 16.11 17.25

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facttfile

Name: Martin Brady Age: 29 Height: 6’3” Occupation: Police Officer Road car: BMW 32 0D Hobbies: Reading, being a Daddy and way too many hours of TV!

Can I See Your Licence Sir?

questiontime with

Martin Brady Co-driver

10

pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

When did you first get behind the wheel?

I was messing about on Ford tractors even before I could reach the pedals!

Then, from about nine years old, it was an old VW Passat and a left hand drive BMW 318 around the fields at home.

Who taught you to drive?

Mr. Trial and Mrs. Error! It was hard on machinery!

Did you pass your driving test first time?

Not a mission! I had an incident where I may have left the braking a wee bit late for a red light and that kind of put the spanner in the works!

What was your first road car?

A Nova 1.3 SR - it was a death trap but I loved it…briefly!

It was terminally injured one day when I was attempting to emulate Mark Higgins - lesson learned.

What was your first competitive event?

Rally of Ireland in 2000 with Mickey Cooper in a Pinto powered Sierra RWD. What is your worst memory in rallying?

The Fisher or Meagher tragedies were a huge loss to Irish Motorsport. For me, results wise, the baby Manx this year was the worst. We had to retire while third overall in a Group N car – it was one to forget.

What are your plans for 2009?

There’s nothing certain at the moment.

No commitments have been made but hopefully I’ll do some rallies in America with Piotr Wiktorczyk. Other than that, I’m hoping for some spins, especially in the Irish forestry as I think it’s a fantastic championship and is always great craic.

What is your favourite event?

I enjoy them all…the Sno Drift in America is brilliant because its so different and a once a year trip. But in the forests is where I enjoy rallying most so I’d have to say Dogleap or any forest event in Cork.

Who were your Motorsport heroes as a child?

Ayrton Senna, Austin MacHale, Kenny McKinstry, and Stephen Finlay.

What drive are you most proud of to date?

Rally Ireland with Richard Cathcart (above) last year was brilliant! But this year I was lucky enough to win with Ray Breen at his home rally in Ravens Rock, and then Richard’s home rally in the Lakelands, as well as my home event, the GSMC Rally, with Kevin Kelleher. So each of those trophies are very special to me.

Who would you rate as top three British or Irish rally drivers today?

Mark Higgins, Richard Cathcart and Kevin Lynch.

What is your most frustrating memory in rallying?

2005 was a bad old year. I think I only finished about two rallies out of 25!

What is your favourite road car?

An Escort Cosworth is the dream bus, but more practically I think a BMW 535 Diesel is an awesome everyday car.

There were no bad accidents thankfully, but if it could break down it did break down. But what can you do? That’s rallying!

What is your favourite rally car?

Fords, especially the Focus. I have been a fan of all things Ford ever since I saw my first 7810 4wd!

If you could change anything about the current rallying rules/admin what would it be?

I think the best change in years is the HANS device. We may never know the lives or injuries it may save. So I think it’s a great change that it is coming in.

Now I think the issue of effective fire extinguishers really needs to be tackled. In my opinion, AFFF is not enough to save any of us in a serious situation.

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Full Rally round-up

Roger Albert Clark

Event: Roger Albert Clark Rally Date: 14-17/11/08 Location: Leeds - Carlisle Surface: Mixed Stages: 31 Stage Miles: 204 Organisers: De Lacy Motor Club Starters: 36 Historic; 14 Open Finishers: 25 Historic; 10 Open

Winners: Malcolm Wilson & John Millington

Wilson Wins to Finish Business!

WORDS Phil James PICTURES pro-rally.co.uk

RESULTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Malcolm Wilson/John Millington Ford Escort Mk2 ............ 3:42:01 David Stokes/Guy Weaver Ford Escort RS............... 3:48:25 Seamus O’Connell/Paul Wakely Ford Escort Mk2 ............ 3:51:57 Charlie Taylor/Steve Bielby Ford Escort .................... 3:52:20 Phil Squires/Mick Squires Ford Escort RS............... 3:53:35 William Onions/Tim Hobbs Ford Escort RS............... 3:58:12 Reg Britton/Gerry Buckley Ford Escort Mk2 ............ 4:03:10 Andrew Siddall/Colin Thompson Ford Escort RS............... 4:03:29 Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson Ford Lotus Cortina Mk1 .. 4:03:32 Steve Perez/Kevin Rae Lancia Stratos ................ 4:10:45 Rikki Proffitt/John H Roberts Ford Escort RS............... 4:12:17 Adrian Young/Den Golding Ford Escort Mk2 RS ....... 4:15:35 Stefaan Stouf/Joris Erard Ford Escort RS............... 4:17:41 Paul Griffiths/Sam Collis Ford Escort RS............... 4:20:35 Geoff Bell/Wayne Kieswetter Ford Escort RS............... 4:24:16 Ian Drummond/Yvonne Coppin Ford Escort RS............... 4:43:18 Bo Axelsson/Eugen Damstedt Ford Escort Mk1 ............ 4:57:49 Richard Perry/Clive Townend Talbot Sunbeam Ti ......... 4:58:20 Richard Egger/Pat Egger Ford Escort Mk1 ............ 5:00:07 Jim Valentine/Andy Harris Saab 96 Sport................ 5:12:15

12

pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

When Malcolm Wilson retired on the final day of the 2004 Roger Albert Clark Rally he promised to return to settle some ‘unfinished business’. Well four years on he kept his promise, he returned and he won and in fine style too!

Wilson’s immaculate ‘new’ Ford Escort Mk2 ended the four-day event with a winning margin in excess of six minutes a truly remarkable result for the MSport boss and his co-driver John Millington. They had started amongst the favourites but a win of that magnitude could never have been envisaged.

The rally got underway on the Friday evening with two stages through the Leeds parkland of Temple Newsum, where Tim Mason and Graham Wild set fastest SS1 time in their Porsche 911. It was David Stokes and Guy Weaver who laid claim to being overnight leaders as the Ford Escort Mk1 crew stormed through the second run to take a four second lead ahead of the 911 pairing.

Last year’s stars of the rally, Martin McCormack and Phil Clarke, had been many pundits tip for top spot this time around. Unfortunately the young Irish driver blotted his copybook side swiping a park bench and emerging from the double test with offside panel damage to prove it.

Worse still he was trailing Stokes by 45 seconds after only three miles of competition.

It was worse news for Paul Griffiths and Sam Collis who ground to a halt with distributor trouble. Their Rothmans liveried Escort Mk2 had been expected to feature amongst the front-runners but they would now have to continue under super rally rules.

There was another Rothmans liveried car leading the open category as Yorkshiremen Dave Hemmingway and Simon Ashton steered their ‘Rotherham’ Mk2 into pole position.

Saturday morning saw crews return to Temple Newsum for another pair of blasts through the park. Stokes increased his lead on the first run whilst McCormack made

end to his rally leaving the Escort Mk1 of Jeremy Easson and Alun Cook as Wilson’s closest challenger, 29 seconds adrift.

McCormack continued his fight back in Harwood Dale setting a time just a second slower than Wilson.

He then emerged from the first pair of tarmac tests at Scarborough’s Olivers Mount in third place, four 3rd: Seamus O’Connell/Paul Wakely

2nd: David Stokes & Guy Weaver

his intentions clear, setting fastest time through the second of the tests.

The rally now headed to the forests with Stokes holding a nine second advantage over the 911 of Andrew Haddon and Mark Crisp, with Wilson settling into third place, a further three seconds behind.

At just under 14 miles Langdale was by far the longest stage of the day and Wilson stormed through 41 seconds faster than Stokes to take a hold of the lead which he would retain for the duration of the rally.

McCormack was closest to Wilson, albeit nine seconds slower, but posting notice that he was still a threat to be reckoned with as he moved up to fourth. Haddon’s run proved short lived as a sick engine put a premature

seconds behind Stokes, as Easson slipped to fourth. A repeat run of Langdale, Harwood and two Olivers Mount stages followed with Wilson setting fastest time through all four.

McCormack was now second, over a minute behind the leader, but at least he was still in the rally having survived a big moment on the Scarborough race track.

Two stages through M-Sport’s Greystoke Forest in darkness completed the day’s schedule and it came as no surprise when Wilson set another brace of fastest stage times.

Perhaps mindful of his accident here last year McCormack’s times fell far short of Wilson’s pace with the top two separated by more than a minute and a half at the end of leg 2.

Be Sp

Tel: Web

‘Mad’ Mick Jones and Andy Morgan now headed the open category guiding their Escort Mk2 into a comfortable lead, almost three minutes ahead of Hemmingway. Brian Lawlor and Peter Kavanagh suffered a catalogue of problems throughout the day, culminating with an off on the final stage after the gear lever snapped in two. A track control arm broke in the impact so the Dubliners were out.

This allowed Marcus Noble and Brian Hodgson to finish the day third in another Mk2.

Sunday offered the greatest slice of the total stage mileage and McCormack knew he had to make the most of it if he was to impact on Wilson’s lead.

The Irishman started as he hoped to continue, taking 13 seconds from his rival in the opening Ae test. At just 0.68 of a mile Heathhall wasn’t the place to take risks as Wilson grabbed a second back but returning to Ae McCormack resumed his charge clawing back 15 seconds at a stroke. He then took more time from Wilson through Heathhall 2, Twiglees and Castle O’er but the 7.59 mile Craik proved his undoing. An excursion into a ditch and altercation with a log resulted in a bent axle that ended his rally. It was game over just as it looked as though it was game on!

Easson was already out by this point, succumbing to engine trouble in Heathhall 1, so Stokes was again Wilson’s closest challenger though he would end the day almost five minutes behind the leader. Seamus O’Connell and Paul Wakely finished the day third, trailing Stokes by almost three minutes, after surviving a roll in Ae. Phil Collins and Nick Grist were also rollers but their inversion in Twiglees proved terminal with their Opel Ascona in no fit state to continue. Also out were Guy Woodcock and Iwan Jones, already running under super rally rules, after their Mk2’s second engine of the rally failed. Likewise Richard Lepley and

Roger Albert Clark

Cat1: Bob Bean & Malcolm Smithson

Full Rally round-up

Cat3: Charlie Taylor & Steve Bielby

Cat2: Andrew Siddall & Colin Thompson

Ian Bevan would go no further after gearbox gremlins sidelined their 911.

It was change again at the head of the open category field with Jones forced into retirement in Castle O’er by a blown differential, restoring Hemmingway to top spot, with Noble second.

The final day’s action centred on Kielder with a handful of stages culminating in the 18.3 mile Broomylinn 2 stage. Griffiths picked up where he had finished the previous day, setting quickest time through Newcastleton, heading the stage times through Falstone 1 and Bewshaugh closely followed by Wilson. These two swapped times through Broomylinn 1 and Falstone 2 before Wilson recorded his fourteenth fastest stage time of the rally on the final test. Griffiths’

C5: Steve Perez & Kevin Rae

suffered a major setback here, losing ten minutes after going off three miles from the finish. The stage also ended Steve Perez’s run as his Lancia Stratos, which had been dogged by troubles throughout the four-day event, ground to a halt. Notwithstanding their nonfinish Perez and co-driver Kevin Rae were classified as finishing tenth under super rally rules.

For Wilson it was a sweet success.

A winning margin of six minutes and 24 seconds provided recompense for his disappointing retirement four years before. There was also much deserved podium places for Stokes and O’Connell, the latter upholding Irish honour following McCormack’s non-finish. A quartet of Escort Mk2

crews occupied the following places headed by Class Category 3 winners Charlie Taylor and Steve Bielby. The Squires twins, Phil and Mick, took D5 awards after finishing fifth ahead of sixth placed Will Onions and Tim Hobbs and seventh placed Reg Britton and Gerry Buckley. Andrew Siddall and Colin Thompson brought their Escort Mk1 home eighth to collect honours for finishing first Post Historic Category 2, ahead of the Ford Lotus Cortina Mk1 of Historic Category 1 winners Bob Bean and Malcolm Smithson.

Class awards also went to Jim Valentine and Andy Harris for B1 in their Saab 96 with C1 going to Steve and Tony Graham’s Lancia Fulvia and C2 to George and Jacqueline Bryson’s Escort. Ian Drummond and Yvonne Coppin collected C3 prizes with their RS2000 and C4 trophies went to Mason and Wild whilst Perez and Rae were the C5 award recipients. D2 awards went to Richard Perry and Clive Townend (Talbot Sunbeam) with D3 awards going to Adrian Young and Den Golding (Escort Mk2 Rs2000).

Hemmingway claimed open category honours finishing over nine minutes ahead of Phil Jobson and Caroline Lodge with third place going to another Escort Mk2 in the hands of E3 winners Stuart Newby and Giles Brooksbank. Martin Shaw and Dave Evans claimed the E2 prizes in their 1600cc Escort Mk2 with E4 honours going to Phil Burton and Mal Capstick who recorded super rally times after requiring an engine change on Saturday.

Paul Drinkall and Roy Brown guided their Porsche 911 to victory on Sunday’s Clubman Rally whilst Monday’s Kielder Challenge victory went to Peter Mayland and Paul Hughes in the Proton Persona Compact.

D5: Phil & Mick Squires

Dave Hemmingway & Simon Ashton

Be a champion with Speedline Corse Tel: +44 (0) 1952 582825 • Fax: +44 (0) 1952 582821 Web: www.speedlinecorse.co.uk • Email: info@speedlinecorse.co.uk

Type 2118 7x15

Type 2120 8x18

facttfile

Driver: Noel O’Donn ell Height: 6ft Home: Dungloe, Co Birth date: 25th De . Donegal cember, 1981 Occupation: Electricia Road car: Ford Connen Marital status: In a ct relationship.

Hobbies: Rallying and Sponsors: A&J Pla Fishing.

Development, Supernt Supplies, Meenamara Hughie Mc Devitt CaValu Dungloe, APD, Anything else you rs.

I would like to thankwant to say: and friends for all themy sponsors, family ir support throughou the year. t

Sparks Will Fly…

questiontime with Noel O’Donnell & Ronan Murrin

14

pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

1. When did you first get behind a wheel?

Noel: I was about seven years old.

Ronan: I was around four or so - on my father’s knees.

8. What was your first competitive event?

Noel: Donegal International (Juniors 2006).

Ronan: Limerick Mini Stages 2008.

2. Who taught you to drive?

Noel: My mother.

Ronan: Same, my mother.

9. What is your worst memory in rallying?

Noel: Crashing out of the Donegal Harvest 2007 in a borrowed car.

Ronan: The death of Colin McRae.

3. Did you pass your driving test first time?

Noel: Yes. Ronan: Yes. 4. What was your first road car?

Noel: Nova SR Ronan: Toyota Carina II

Navigator: Ronan Mu rrin Height: 6ft Home: Bruckless, Co Birth date: 9th May, . Donegal Occupation: Electricia1984 Road car: Transit Co n and Student Marital status: Spokennect Hobbies: Gaelic Foo n for!

Anything else you tball and Rallying.

I’d like to thank the want to say: everyone else who two Conors and supported us all yeagave us a hand and r.

on the car on the Thursday night, and managed to get the equivalent of sun stroke, so he was driving the road all weekend rather than listening to me.

We started writing our own notes after that and they seem to be going well for us.

12. What are your plans for 2009?

Noel: I’ll try the Dunlop National Championship again, and we’re thinking about the Excel Championship too. It depends on sponsorship!

Ronan: To do as many rallies as I can to gain experience.

13. What is your favourite event?

Noel: Wexford’s two day tarmac rally.

Ronan: Banna Beach.

5. What is your favourite road car?

Noel: None in particular.

Ronan: E30 BMW. 6. Who were your motorsport heroes as a child?

Noel: Colin McRae, Frank Meagher, Billy Coleman and Vincent Bonner.

Ronan: Colin McRae, Bertie Fisher and Ari Vatanen.

10. What drive are you most proud of to date?

Noel: Finishing first in my class at the Circuit of Munster in 2008.

Ronan: Winning my class in the Dunlop National Championship.

7. Who would you rate as the top British or Irish rally drivers today?

Noel: Kris Meeke, Niall Mc Shea, Andrew Nesbitt and Mark Higgins.

Ronan: Kris Meeke, Guy Wilks and Mark Higgins

11. What is your most frustrating memory in rallying?

Noel: We led the Dunlop National Championship all year until the last event, when unfortunately, due to mechanical failure, we had to settle for second place.

Ronan: Clare Rally this year. Noel had been doing some awkward welding

14. What is your favourite rally car?

Noel: Ford Escort Mk 2.

Ronan: Peugeot 205 T16.

15. If you could change anything about current rallying rules/admin what would it be?

Noel: It would have to be the expense of it all…and better prizes would be nice too!

Ronan: To have something like the Billy Coleman award for co-drivers or have an academy thingy!

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Big thanks to Ben and his team. Ed)

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Dunlop National Rally Championship

Dunlop National Season Review

WORDS Martin Walsh & Jonathan MacDonald PICTURES Seamus Counihan

STANDINGS Top 10 Drivers 1 Patrick Elliott ........................ 192 2 Niall Maguire ........................ 148 3 Kevin Barrett ........................ 109 4 Alan Ring ............................... 90 5 Sean Flanagan ....................... 72 6 Maurice Moffett ...................... 68 7 Dani MacBride ....................... 53 8 Trevor Bustard........................ 51 9 Seamus Leonard .................... 48 10 Fergal Costello ....................... 46 Top 10 Navigators 1 Paul Goodman ..................... 170 2 Paul McLoughlin ................. 128 3 Sean Mullally ....................... 126 4 Adrian Deasy ......................... 91 5 Brian Duggan ......................... 72 6 Enda Sherry ........................... 66 7 Jason McKenna ..................... 58 8 Damien Connolly .................... 53 9 Shane Gilhooly ....................... 50 10 John McCafferty .................... 46

Elliott Takes The National Express After knocking on the door of success for a few seasons, Patrick Elliott finally laid claim to the Dunlop National Rally title in 2008. He was chased by former champ, Niall Maguire, but in the end it was Elliott who reigned supreme, with Maguire second ahead of Kevin Barrett...

Round 1

TF Royal Hotel & Theatre Mayo Rally The opening round of the 2008 Dunlop National Rally Championship received a healthy entry with a top 10 consisting of World Rally Car machinery. Reigning champions Aaron MacHale and Killian Duff y topped the start list ahead of Tim McNulty, but it was MacHale who kept number one on his doors as well as the timesheets, with victory at the event.

The Ford Focus WRC pilot led from start to finish, but he was hounded all the way to the line by former champion Niall Maguire.

PJ McDermott and Rory Kennedy had held an early second position but retired after stage two, allowing Maguire to take up the MacHale hunt.

Maguire and navigator Paul McLoughlin chased hard but in the end they had to settle for second behind rally winner MacHale. An overshoot on stage one saw Tim McNulty and Eugene O’Donnell lose one minute to the leaders, but they recovered to finish third, ahead of Patrick Elliott and Paul Goodman.

Stephen Moore and Tony McHugh claimed fifth ahead of Glenn Allen and Damien Connolly, with Noel Redmond and Derek Brannigan seventh.

Round 2

Fels Point Hotel Circuit of Kerry

18

pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

Michael Barrable and Dermot O’Gorman set the early pace with their Ford Focus WRC in Kerry, but a puncture midway through the event dropped the crew out of the top spot. Donie O’Sullivan, who had been Barrable’s closest challenger, was also in trouble as he slid into the scenery. He lost valuable time with

the incident, but stayed in the event.

Meanwhile, Patrick Elliott and Paul Goodman were staying out of trouble so they grabbed the event lead, only for Niall Maguire to move in front after stage six. These two crews enjoyed a tit-for-tat battle in the streaming wet conditions which went right down to the wire. At the event finish, both men were tied on the same time, but Elliott claimed the rally victory on the tie-break.

Despite some gearbox troubles, Seamus Leonard and Gerry McVeigh claimed third overall in their Impreza

retired his Focus with centre differential failure, Maguire had no such troubles. However, he had one major thorn in his side, as Patrick Elliott was also vying for the runnerup spot!

In the end, Maguire claimed the position by a slender one second, with Elliott finishing third ahead of Seamus Leonard and John McCafferty. Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally finished fifth and were the last of the WRC crews inside the top 10.

2nd

3rd

overall

Niall Maguire

WRC, after winning the tie-break with Michael Barrable. Donie O’Sullivan had to be content with fifth overall, while Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally completed the top six ahead of Glenn Allen and Damien Connolly.

Round 3

Monaghan Stages Rally Local man Dessie Keenan had massive support for his home event, and he wheeled out an Impreza WRC in a bid to claim the rally honours.

With Enda Sherry on board, the crew immediately made their intentions clear, and went on to win the event by more than 30 seconds, despite a final stage puncture!

Keenan had no plans to contest the championship, so second for Niall Maguire and Paul McLoughlin propelled them to the top of the standings. While Michael Barrable

overall

Kevin Barrett

Round 4

Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally It was only a matter of time before Niall Maguire and Paul McLoughlin returned to their winning ways.

They had been knocking on the door during the opening three rounds of the season, so victory at round four – the Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally – didn’t come as a surprise to the National series regulars.

It wasn’t an easy ride, as once again, Maguire had to contend with a hard charging Patrick Elliott. In fact, Elliott was fastest on the rally opener with Kevin Barrett second, ahead of Maguire. Meanwhile, Seamus Leonard stalled at a junction, and Michael Barrable also lost some time while trying to drive around the stricken Subaru.

Then it was Elliott’s turn to spin, granting Maguire a clear road into the number one spot. Things went

Limerick Circuit of Munster Stages Rally Patrick Elliott and Paul Goodman secured victory number two at the 2008 Limerick Circuit of Munster Stages Rally. In contrast to previous events, where it had been nip and tuck between Elliott and Maguire, on this occasion, Elliott finished almost 40 seconds ahead of the former champion!

A strong start saw him lead the event by 14 seconds after the opening stage, but Kevin Barrett upped his pace to reduce his advantage to just nine seconds. Meanwhile, Niall Maguire was struggling with the wrong tyres, and he lost yet more time to the leading duo.

With the tyres changed, Maguire tried hard to fight back and moved into second, but then he went off the road on stage five, handing second position back to Kevin Barrett. By now Elliott was too far ahead, so he coasted to the rally win while Maguire

pushed hard, but sadly became unstuck during stage five, when he crashed out of the event.

Elliott knew he had the title in the bag so he coasted to the event finish.

Despite making a few small mistakes, he claimed the rally win by 39 seconds from Melvyn Evans and Sean Mullally. Daragh and Dean Raftery were the only remaining WRC crew inside the top 10 and they finished seventh.

Round 7

Round 9

Sepam Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally

Lynch Hotels Clare Rally

The Sepam Stonethrowers Rally saw Patrick Elliott and Niall Maguire renew their rivalry. Another tit-for-tat battle ensued, and at the finish line, a slender nine seconds separated the two crews - but that’s only half the story!

Maguire looked set to take the rally victory, but on the penultimate stage, Elliott cut the leader’s advantage to a mere half a second. It was all to play for during the closing miles, and both men pulled out all the stops in a bid for honours. Luck was not on Maguire’s side on this occasion however, as he punctured a rear wheel, which caused him to spin.

As a result, Patrick Elliott and Paul Goodman nipped in front to take the rally honours, while Niall Maguire and Enda Sherry finished second,

4th

5th

overall

Dunlop National Season Review

Round 5

In the end, it was Breen who came out on top, while second place for Elliott was enough to hand him maximum championship points.

Niall Maguire and Paul McLoughlin finished third overall, but they were beginning to lose touch with Elliott in championship terms. PJ McGrath and Billy Collins arrived home in fourth after an off road excursion, with Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally completing the top five.

Dunlop National Rally Championship

from bad to worse for Elliott as he also lost time with a puncture. While Barrable’s challenge ended with transmission problems, Elliott fought hard to regain the top spot but it was too late. Maguire sealed the rally victory by eight seconds from Elliott, with Adrian McElvaney and Paul Kelly third.

overall

Despite the overall title being decided in Elliott’s favour, both he and Niall Maguire returned to action at the Lynch Hotels Clare Rally. And in the true style of a champion, it was Elliott who once again emerged on top, with Maguire second, but the event ended in controversial circumstances…

The event was thwarted by stage cancellations and organisers were given another major headache when they received a protest that the newly crowned champions had entered a time control early. It was only a couple of days after the event that the protest was dismissed, ensuring Elliott claimed his fifth victory of the year while navigator Paul Goodman claimed the Noel Smith award.

Niall Maguire and Paul McLoughlin lost some time with a misted up windscreen, but did enough to secure second overall ahead of Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally. The remainder of the top 10 was occupied by Group N and twowheel drive crews.

6th

overall

Maurice Moffett

7th

overall

Round 10 Alan Ring

reclaimed the runner-up spot from Barrett before the finish. Noel Redmond went off the road on the penultimate stage, so Sean Gallagher and Enda Sherry finished fourth to complete a quartet of Imprezas.

Round 6

Suirway Forklifts/Carraig Hotel Raven’s Rock Rally Former Dunlop champion Ray Breen returned to the series for the Raven’s Rock Rally. With Martin Brady calling the notes, Breen immediately found his form of old and went on to claim victory!

It was another close fought rally though, and initially it looked as though Patrick Elliott and Paul Goodman were going to seal their third victory on the trot. Elliott spun on stage two, handing Breen the lead, only to regain the number one position a few stages later.

Sean Flanaghan

ahead of Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally. PJ McGrath and Billy Collins finished fourth, while Aaron MacHale and Killian Duffy could only manage seventh after they lost differential pressure.

Round 8

Loughrea Plant Sales Galway Summer Rally Patrick Elliott and Paul Goodman entered the Galway Summer Rally with a chance of clinching the 2008 Dunlop National Rally Championship.

And when their only title rival, Niall Maguire, crashed out on the fifth stage, Elliott went on to net rally victory as well as the championship crown!

Elliott led the event from the start, and the harder he pushed, the more distant championship success seemed for Maguire. The former champ

Nesbitt Arms Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally Patrick Elliott and Paul Goodman finished off their season in style by winning the Nesbitt Arms Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally. The success marked their sixth victory of the year, rounding off a truly triumphant season aboard their Impreza WRC! While Niall Maguire decided not to enter the event, it was Kevin Lynch and Francis Regan who took a commanding lead at the start of the Ardara based rally. They held a 44 second advantage after three stages, but spectacularly rolled out of the event after their Impreza WRC got out of shape over a series of jumps.

Lynch’s retirement allowed Elliott into the top spot, with Seamus Leonard and John McCafferty second.

Elliott stayed out in front until the finish, while Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally nipped ahead of Leonard to claim third. PJ McDermott and Paddy Robinson finished fourth ahead of Stuart Darcy and Dermot Falvey.

Dani McBride

8th

overall

Trevor Bustard

class review & images

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19

Dunlop National Rally Championship

Dunlop National Season Review

National Pride…

Kenneth McHale

Class 1

Kenneth McHale and Derek McCarthy were the sole entrants in class one, so there was little surprise when they claimed the class title, with five victories out of five starts!

Words Martin Walsh & Jonathan MacDonald PICTURES Seamus Counihan

CLASS STANDINGS Class 1 1 Kenneth McHale . ................... 50

Alan Ring

Class 4

Class 2 1 Adrian Cannon........................ 67 2 Ciaran Walsh........................... 49 3 James Brett............................ 39

Adrian Cannon

Class 2

Adrian Cannon claimed the class two title in this year’s drivers’ championship, but it was Gavin Kelly who moved in front after round one.

His victory there was followed by a second win in Kerry, but that was to be his final foray for the season.

Kelly’s absence allowed Cannon to play catch-up, and he battled with Ciaran Walsh during the remaining rounds. In the end, it was Cannon who emerged victorious from Walsh, with James Brett finishing third.

Meanwhile, Aidan Gannon claimed the navigators’ award.

Packie Duffy

Class 3

Packie and Colin Duffy continued their string of successes throughout the 2008 season. Six class victories out of seven starts ensured that the class title went home with them.

Raymond Gilleece was the best of the rest, finishing 26 points adrift, while Tom Cahill was third. Marie Claire Gallagher finished second behind Colin Duffy in the navigators’ class three championship.

The Group N battle is always closely contested and this season was no different. Five different drivers claimed category wins during the season, but the lion’s share of those victories were claimed by Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy.

Danny MacBride won the opening and closing rounds of the season, but it was Ring who took the Group N title. His victories in Cavan, Galway, Kerry, Carrick and Tipperary propelled him into the top spot.

In the end, he finished 14 points ahead of consistent points scorer Sean Flanagan. Fergal Costello arrived home in third position ahead of Danny MacBride, with Trevor Bustard fifth. In the navigators’ championship, Adrian Deasy picked up the award ahead of Brian Duggan, with Shane Gilhooly third, ahead of Kenny Bustard. Kevin Synott and Brian Doherty tied for fifth.

Class 3 1 Packie Duffy............................ 68 2 Ciaran Walsh........................... 42 3 James Brett............................ 28 Class 4 1 Alan Ring................................ 65 2 Sean Flanagan........................ 51 3 Fergal Costello........................ 43 Class 5 1 Eamonn McCafferty................ 50 2 Trevor Hutton.......................... 26 Class 6 1 Mark Sheahan......................... 80 2 Ian Roche............................... 52 Class 7 1 John Duffy................................ 7 Class 8 1 Patrick Elliott........................... 93 2 Niall Maguire........................... 68 3 Kevin Barrett........................... 47

dec/jan 2009 20 pacenotes.net

Eamonn McCafferty

Class 5

Only two drivers managed to score points in class five and it was Eamonn McCafferty who claimed the runaway victory. Despite retiring from three events, McCafferty notched up five wins to claim the class title by 24 points from Trevor Hutton. In the hunt for the navigators’ trophy, Clint Hutton was the sole competitor eligible for an award as he claimed the top spot.

Mark Sheahan

Class 6

This year’s tussle for the class six crown was all about two crews. Mark Sheahan and Jonathan McGrath fought with Ian and Paul Roche throughout the year. The Roche crew got off to a bad start with retirement at round one, allowing Sheahan to take immediate control.

On the following events, Roche consistently finished second behind Sheahan. He couldn’t seem to raise his game to finish in front of his rival, so by the end of the season, Sheahan and McGrath claimed the title by 28 points with the Roche crew in second position.

John Duffy

Class 7

A number of crews contested class seven throughout the season, but come the end of the year, John Duffy and John Egan were the only crew eligible for an award. Roger Kennedy and Wendy Blackledge did enough to secure the number one spot in points terms, but they didn’t contest any events in region two. As a result, Duffy and Egan claimed the top spot!

Class 8

Patrick Elliott and Paul Goodman claimed the top spot in class eight, ahead of Niall Maguire and Paul McLoughlin, with Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally third. See main review for more details.

Anthony Hand

Laurence Sherry

Class 10

Paul Clarke claimed maximum points in class 10 at round one in Mayo, but it was Laurence Sherry and Darren McCague who emerged on top at the end of the season. Consistent finishes, as well as two victories, ensured they collected enough points to hold the number one spot, finishing more than 20 points ahead of their nearest rivals.

Shane Maguire claimed second position, with Mike Daly taking third ahead of Paul Clarke and George Wiley. In the navigators’ championship, Darren McCague took the top spot ahead of Clodagh Madden, Kevin Wiley and Gary Copperthwaite.

Daniel Conaghan

Class 11

Raymond Conlon and James O’Reilly had a great start to the year with victories in Mayo, Monaghan and Cavan, but it was Anthony Hand and Emmet Sherry who topped the leaderboard at the end of the season.

They dominated the events in region two, with four victories propelling them to the top.

Another victory was secured in region one (Galway), allowing Hand to finish almost 30 points ahead of Keith Tierney, with Jason McSweeney third, ahead of Paul McDevitt. Emmet Sherry won the navigators’ award from Aoife Keogh, while Ruth Guest finished third ahead of JP Boyle.

Class 12

Daniel Conaghan was featured in last month’s Pacenotes for winning class 12, so there should be no surprises here! It was a hard fought season as he battled with Noel O’Donnell for the crown. O’Donnell entered the final event of the season with the upper hand, but engine problems caused his retirement, allowing Conaghan to nip in front and take victory.

O’Donnell had to settle for second in championship terms, while Eamonn McGuigan was third ahead of Kieran Murphy. Ronan Murrin claimed the navigators’ title ahead of Michael Moran and Aisling Grimes.

Dunlop National Season Review

Patrick Elliott

The battle for class nine honours almost went down to the wire, between Thomas Carolan and Noel Lappin. It was Carolan and navigator Declan Smith who made a perfect start to their year with victory in Thomas Carolan Mayo. They missed rounds two, as did Lappin, but when they returned to action in Monaghan, it was Lappin who took the win ahead of his rival.

Another victory for Lappin in Cavan put him ahead, but Carolan returned fire when Lappin missed a few events in region two. He managed to seal the class title before the final event of the season, so when he retired in Donegal and Lappin won, it made little difference to the standings. Carolan came out on top by seven points ahead of Lappin, while Declan Smith took the navigators’ award ahead of Matthew McKenna.

Dunlop National Rally Championship

Class 9

CLASS STANDINGS Class 9 1 Thomas Carolan...................... 53 2 Noel Lappin............................. 46 Class 10 1 Laurence Sherry..................... 65 2 Shane Maguire........................ 44 3 Mike Daly................................ 35 Class 11 1 Anthony Hand......................... 57 2 Keith Tierney........................... 28 3 Jason McSweeney.................. 24 Class 12 1 Daniel Conaghan..................... 60 2 Noel O’Donnell........................ 54 3 Eamonn McGuigan.................. 38

Seamus Doyle

Class 13

The points tables show another close battle for the class 13 crown, but Seamus Doyle had the title wrapped up before the final round. He didn’t need to enter the Donegal Harvest Rally, so victory for Victor Hunter at the final event allowed him to close the gap to his rival to just two points.

Hunter had to be content with second position, ahead of Gerry Casey and Jimmy Gillespie. Kevin Barry topped the co-drivers’ standings ahead of Michael Doherty, with Vincent Collins third, ahead of Jason Gillespie.

Maurice Moffett

Class 14

Maurice Moffett has plenty of fans lining the ditches, so his victory in class 14 should be a popular one. Navigated

by Jason McKenna, the crew secured another title success with five class victories throughout the season. They had a difficult start to the season when they only picked up one point at round one, but that was the only needle in their side. Trevor Mulligan and Lisa Roe had to settle for second position, 15 points adrift of their rivals. They also scored two victories during the season, but it wasn’t enough it place them at the top. Paddy O’Reilly finished third, ahead of Gary Reidy in fourth.

Jack Maguire

Class 15

Finally, class 15 saw Jack Maguire take the spoils. After Joe MacHugh took the early category lead, Maguire upped his game to claim a number of class wins. That put him ahead of the pack, allowing him to claim the title by 15 points from Andrew Mackeral, with Joe MacHugh third. Richard Cassidy won the navigators’ award by eight points from Paul Maguire.

Class 13 1 Seamus Doyle......................... 47 2 Victor Hunter........................... 45 3 Gerry Casey............................ 30 Class 14 1 Maurice Moffett....................... 58 2 Trevor Mulligan....................... 43 3 Paddy O’Reilly......................... 21 Class 15 1 Jack Maguire.......................... 56 2 Andrew Mackeral.................... 41 3 Joe MacHugh.......................... 40

pacenotes.net

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21

nicky’s notes

A Duet With Phil Collins…

nicky grist writes exclusively for pacenotes

After 18 years of reading pace notes, I was asked to co-drive for Phil Collins at the Roger Albert Clark Rally last month. That meant there was no recce, and no pace notes! I was going back to my roots, so I had to wipe the dust off my potty light and read a map!

The concept of the event was

excellent, with days of rallying across the northern part of the UK, using various forests, in historic cars. I think it was an event that was enjoyed as much by spectators as it was by the competitors!

Phil’s choice of car was very different to everyone else’s. Most cars used were BDA Escorts and Porsches, but Phil brought his Ascona 400 to the event. Coming more or less straight out of the workshop after being built, with no running time since retiring from the McRae Stages, it was a big ask of the Opel…

As for the ‘rusty’ co-driver, I fell back into map reading relatively quickly, but after a number of mechanical maladies - one in particular causing us to visit a ditch in Greystoke Forest on the Saturday night - we started the Sunday stages running down the order.

We were still very enthusiastic however, and the Forest of Ae went exceptionally well for us. We set two fastest times, and the map reading was going well too! Unfortunately, in the next stage in Twiglees, there was

a rogue right hand corner, which was approximately one and half times tighter than what was shown on the map…

We had no chance of getting around the corner, so we visited the ditch and had a heavy impact with a bank on the far side. That caused the car to pirouette on its front end, and we retired with the damage inflicted.

I came out of the incident totally unscathed, but unfortunately for Phil, the whiplash caused him some quite bad muscular neck pains. As a result, he has decided that he will never rally again without a HANS device!

In 2009, events organised under Motorsport Ireland jurisdiction will require competitors to use HANS devices. When you look at our accident in Twiglees, you can see that it doesn’t have to be a major impact for the HANS device to be effective and save the wearer. Had Phil been wearing one, he would have escaped without any whiplash injuries.

For Irish competitors, it is going to be an expensive start to the season.

They may not only have to buy a HANS, but also a helmet that is fitted

with the relevant connections for their device.

For rallying, the recommend HANS device is a 20 degree version, which ideally suits a road going seating position. They come in a variety of sizes to suit the size of the driver, but there are also a couple of different construction variations.

Carbon fibre is the lighter and more expensive option, and there is a new thermal plastic sports version coming, which while heavier, is some 20% cheaper.

There are variations in accessories and helmet attachments too, so I would recommend to everyone who is looking to buy one that they pick up a phone and get professional advice before they invest in their new device.

While it is expensive, I promise you it is a major step forward in preventing whiplash (and more serious) injuries in rallying.

On a final note for 2008, I hope you’ve had a successful season and I hope you enjoy even more safe and successful rallying in 2009. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

Professional On-board camera systems now available from £650 plus VAT. As used by Phil Collins in his escort with TV broadcast quality pictures. Ring for details.

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The BIG Interview

Fearless Frank...

Frank Kelly is well known in Irish and UK rally circles. From his days in the flying Fiesta, the Moy man has always been a crowd favourite, entertaining the masses with his flat out driving style!

Frank Kelly

Home: Moy Birth date: 25th December Occupation: Alarm Engineer Hobbies: I always say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;skydivingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to see if anyone asks me about it, but they never do!

Marital status: Married to Rosemarie.

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The BIG Interview

Those who were standing on the

ditches beside the famous double jump at the 2000 Bushwhacker Rally will probably never forget Frank’s flying Fiesta taking off on the first jump and landing on the second!

There have been numerous memorable moments such as that, and since then, he has become a multiple Irish Forestry two-wheeldrive champion, as well as the 2008 BTRDA Silverstar champion. So where did it all begin?

“I first got behind the wheel at the age of seven,” Kelly told Pacenotes. “It was a wreck of a Mini! My brothers and I raked about in it, up and down the road behind our house. We crashed it on a regular basis, and I eventually wrote it off at the age of eight, when I hit a lorry backwards and bounced into the wall of my dad’s garage!”

“I will never forget waiting to face the music when my dad came home,” Kelly continued. “He eventually arrived on the scene, surveyed the wreckage then turned to me and said, ‘Well, that’s a valuable lesson learned!’

How wrong he was!”

A few years later, Frank’s father started racing stock cars at a local quarry. Soon afterwards, fearless Frank was looking for a spin, so his dad allowed him to use his stock car in junior races. Those early races gave Frank a huge adrenaline rush, and he was hooked on motorsport for life.

“A few months later,” Kelly continued, “I had saved up and built my own VW Beetle. I went on to win the junior championship on three or four occasions. By the time I was 15, the stock car club put me into the senior races. Boy, they were rough buggers, but I held my own! There were some good wins, but equally some big, big offs. I even won a race one day as I passed the leader over the finish line on my roof!”

Frank went on to win the senior stock car championship on more than one occasion, and then, looking for a new challenge, he turned his attention to rallying. Money was scarce, so he sold his stock car as well as his road car.

“I headed to London to try to sell my road car,” Frank recalled. “It was an Alfa Romeo GTV, and at that time you couldn’t give them away! I went to an Alfa dealership and instead of buying the car, they offered me a job as a mechanic! So I ended up

spending eight years there. About three or four years later, in 1988, I imported Rosemarie and married her!

Then we moved to Australia for a year and it was all fantastic, but there was no motorsport at all.”

It was 1993 when Frank returned home, but with a busy work schedule, he had little time to build a car of his own. When he came across an ex-Brands Hatch Fiesta XR2, Frank decided to give it a go.

“She didn’t have much power and even less grip, but it was a start,” Frank recalled. “My brother Conor navigated for me at my first rally, which was held in Carn quarry and in a nearby forest. Everybody will tell you that I crashed on the first corner

Frank Kelly BTRDA Goldstar Champion

.

WE HAD SOME GOOD RESULTS, BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING BIG MISSING - FUN!

“Luckily Conor is a brilliant panel beater,” Frank continued, “and although he got seriously annoyed on a regular basis, he never let me down. We had some great results, a couple of top three overalls and even one outright win at a Ballynahinch forest event in ’98, with Rosemarie co-driving!”

Frank’s run in the Fiesta eventually came to an end in 2001, when he went “one tree too far.” The feisty Fiesta was dead and buried (into a tree), so Frank moved on to his first Mark 2 Escort.

For some reason, he didn’t take to the Escort straight away, so a few months later he traded it for an F2 Escort.

“I was back to front wheel drive, which was something that I was more

I HAD RUN OUT OF NAVIGATORS, AS MY BIG ACCIDENTS WERE MAKING IT VERY HARD TO TALK ANYBODY INTO GETTING IN THE CAR... of the first stage of my first rally, but that’s not true. To be honest, it was a total miracle I got around the first corner, then we crashed at the second corner!”

Frank gained a stage maximum but went on to finish the rally. Over the following years, Frank’s Fiesta grew horns and became the Baby Baboon.

Having fitted it with a two-litre, 16 valve Zetec engine, as well as a Quaife gearbox, Frank also lengthened the wheelbase by four inches and widened it by two inches!

“She had handling characteristics all of her own,” Frank laughed. “I had to drive it completely on the limit to get the times. If I made even a small mistake, which was fairly regular, it usually ended up in a tree or on its roof…or both!”

familiar with,” Frank admitted. “Again, we had some good results, but there was something big missing - fun!”

“By this stage, I had run out of navigators, as my big accidents were making it very hard to talk anybody into getting in the car,” laughed Frank.

“My cousin, Mickey Broderick, had navigated in the early years, but he wised up when the Fiesta went twolitre and hung up his helmet. Fintan McGuckin sat with me for most of the Fiesta two-litre years, and was probably there for most of the biggest accidents. But then he got married and that was that. Sean Ferris did some of the local events and there were loads of people in for one-offs.”

Frank decided to sell his F2 Escort in 2003 and promised his wife that there would be no more rallying. But pacenotes.net

jan/dec 2009

25

The BIG Interview Get your ass down here, Kelly - I will have a navigator ready to go!’ So that’s how I met Liam Brennan. I couldn’t understand a word he said between stages, but his notes were perfect and we hit it off immediately!”

11 days later, he had another Mark 2 Escort in his garage!

“I told The Mrs that was it, no more rallying,” Frank joked. “Then I heard about a yellow Mark 2 for sale at reasonable money. I enquired about it, drove it for 200 yards, and bought it!”

“Yet again, there were some major offs, but I loved the car and the fun was back,” Frank told Pacenotes. “We changed the colour and she became Baby Blue. Then, in 2005, Brian Lawlor convinced me to go down south for the Irish Forest Championship, and boy was it good craic!”

John Shelvin navigated for Frank, but he was unable to contest the entire series. When Frank didn’t submit an entry for the Moonraker Rally, Greg Shinnors phoned him the night before the rally to see why he hadn’t entered…

“I told him the story and he replied, ‘Get your ass down here, Kelly - I will have a navigator ready to go!’ So that’s how I met Liam Brennan. I couldn’t understand a word he said between stages, but his notes were perfect and we hit it off immediately!”

The new pairing contested the remainder of the championship, and the battle went right down to the wire. Kelly entered the final event two points adrift of Brian Lawlor, but pushed hard to claim third overall as well as the 2WD championship!

In 2006, Baby Blue was replaced with Tarzan, Frank’s current Mark 2.

With a two-litre Mountune engine installed, Kelly returned to the Irish Forestry series and almost claimed the 2WD title again.

“All I had to do was finish among the top 12 two-wheel-drive crews at the last round,” Frank said, “but like a dipstick, I went off while battling

26

pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

with Seamus O’Connell for the lead!

The championship was lost and I had nobody to blame but myself.

Then, in 2007, it went the same way, except I kept it on the road and regained the 2WD title!”

With the Irish Forestry series conquered for a second time, Frank decided that it was time for a change in 2008. After a chat with Seamus O’Connell and Adrian

rued. “We pushed her over the finish line but went OTL. To cap it all, Adrian had wrung a half shaft and didn’t finish either! So at that point, our championship didn’t look good, but they are great rallies over there, so we decided to go to Somerset anyway.”

Frank emerged victorious in Somerset, and claimed maximum points on the following three

“I’m not sure where we will be rallying next season but as long as the competition’s there and the craic is good, that’ll do for me!

Hetherington, they all decided to head for the BTRDA Silverstar Championship, and the Reindeers were on tour!

“My navigator Liam Brennan was unable to commit to a full season, so Aidan Friel joined me,” Frank said. “The first round went well and we scored top points, but we missed round two when I fell ill with meningitis. I thought the season was over, but luckily I recovered sufficiently for me to return for round three in Humberside. We were in a frantic battle all day with Adrian, and went into the last 9-mile stage two seconds behind him.”

“The stage went great right up to half a mile from the finish line, when the gearbox blew up,” Frank

events. Unfortunately, a heavy roll at the Woodpecker Rally dented his charge, but it had been 13 months since Frank was last on his roof - a record he seems to be proud of!

Returning to action at the final two rounds, Frank returned to winning ways. Another two maximum points hauls ensured the crew became the BTRDA Silverstar champions!

“It was a fantastic season,” Frank smiled. “Luck was on my side on many occasions throughout the year. We also had good results at our home rallies, and the Colin McRae Stages was just awesome.”

“The craic with Adrian and Seamus is really what it’s all about,” Kelly explained. “Either one of them

would give you any part out of their van to keep you in a rally. Thanks also must go to my brother Gary, who has kept me running all season with on-event servicing and has given me endless pep talks. My wife Rosemarie has not said a word when I have spent endless hours (along with all of our money) at night preparing the car for the next event.

“Both of my kids, Lauren and Jack, always clean the car and make sure it is looking good for the next rally,” Frank continued, “and of course my navigator Aidan has been in top form all season and has done a great job. Ali Burrows, John Crawford, Philip Hunter, Paul Bolton and Gerard O’Kane, as well as Gabriel and Nigel, have all lent a hand at rallies when the pressure has been on.”

So what’s on the cards for Frank in 2009? He isn’t too sure himself, although he has some changes planned for his car. But as for a championship, he has yet to decide what he is going to do.

“I’m not sure where we will be rallying next season,” Frank told Pacenotes, “but as long as the competition’s there and the craic is good, that’ll do for me! If the lottery numbers come up, I would love to go to Finland in the Mark 2. Imagine how much fun that would be…right up until I’d take off on a crest and land her somewhere in Germany!”

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07/10/2008 15:06:27

by Jonathan MacDonald

maiden victories

Virgin On Success!

2008 was a year of firsts for quite a few Irish crews, with a handful of competitors sealing their maiden rally victories and maiden championship titles.

Eamonn Boland is probably the most notable,

as he claimed his first Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, while Patrick Elliott took his maiden Dunlop National title.

Looking further north, young Connor McCloskey not only claimed his first rally victory, but he also went on to take the Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship title in what was his maiden season. In a battle that went down to the final round, the Kilrea driver emerged on top by a slender 4.5 seconds!

Then there was another up and coming rally star, Alistair Fisher, who took victory at the System Signs Clubman Stages Rally in his Ford Fiesta ST. Mark Donnelly can also be considered in the same light, as the recently turned 17-year-old claimed victory at the MDE Installations Omagh Rally Time Trial. And we can’t forget David Crossan who finished in front of a few former N.I. Rally champions to win the Ballyboley Rally Time Trial!

Of course, this article is by no means a concise record of all those who claimed their maiden successes during 2008 – there are simply too many to list! But there is one crew that deserves a special mention. Rodney White and Sorcha Kelly piloted their Talbot Sunbeam to success at the Carrick-on-Suir Mini Stages – marking the Sunbeam’s first victory in Ireland for more than 20 years!

Well done to everybody who has gained success during the 2008 season. And if you’re not one of the countless competitors that has a trophy in your cabinet, don’t let that get you down. It’s the taking part that counts, so hopefully we’ll see everyone back out next year, and don’t be afraid to contact Pacenotes to let us know how you get on!

Eamonn Boland

Rally car: Subaru Impreza WRC S12 First: Maiden Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship title.

Patrick Elliott

Rally car: Subaru Impreza WRC S11 First: Maiden Dunlop National Rally Championship title.

Connor McCloskey

Rally car: Ford Focus WRC / Subaru Impreza WRC First: Maiden victory at the McGillin Bushwhacker Rally, and maiden Pacenotes NI Rally Championship title.

Alistair Fisher

Rally car: Ford Fiesta ST First: Maiden victory at the System Signs Clubman Stages.

Mark Donnelly

Rally car: Ford Fiesta ST First: Maiden victory at the MDE Installations Omagh Rally Time Trial

David Crossan

Rally car: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo First: Maiden victory at the Ballyboley Rally Time Trial.

Rodney White / Sorcha Kelly

Rally car: Talbot Sunbeam First: Carrick-on-Suir Mini Stages winner – the Talbot Sunbeam’s first victory in Ireland in more than 20 years. Also navigator Sorcha Kelly’s first rally win.

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pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

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Performance Car Vauxhall Corsa VXR by Jason Craig dec/jan 2009 30 pacenotes.net

For A Smile That’s Arctic White…

Vauxhall has thrown caution to the wind in recent times as it strives to offer a range of affordable, well built, and dare I say it visually arousing cars. The all new Insignia for example - the direct replacement for the Vectra - is receiving rave reviews in the world’s press.

They also want to appeal to those

individuals who genuinely appreciate a good driver’s car, and Vauxhall offers a high performance version of almost every model it sells, either in SRI, GSI or VXR guise.

Vauxhall’s pocket rocket, the Corsa VXR, is now available in a limited production run of 500 individually numbered Arctic Edition models, all destined for the UK market.

Over and above the ‘standard’ Corsa VXR, the biggest change, as you would expect, is the price. A 3-door VXR costs £16,000 whereas a VXR Arctic Edition costs nearly a grand more, at £16,995. The price hike does little to improve the car’s outright performance, but it does add a few luxuries, including black 18 inch alloy wheels, a Remus Sports exhaust, an electrically operated sliding glass sunroof, dark tinted rear windows and a black

painted roof and door mirrors.

The thing that will without question get you and your car noticed though, is that each of the 500 special models come in only one colour: Glacier White.

Power comes from the 1.6-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine used in the Meriva VXR, tweaked from 178bhp to 189bhp. The addition of the Remus Sports exhaust takes the package up to a useful 208bhp.

With the slick-shifting six-speed ‘box, 0-60 can be achieved in 6.8 seconds, with a top speed of 140mph and Vauxhall claim a healthy combined 35.8 mpg figure, with CO2 emissions rated at 190 g/km.

The driving dynamics have rightfully been left untouched, because the Corsa VXR has already proven itself to be a surefooted all-rounder. The car’s chassis cuts body roll by 25 per cent, and although it is biased towards a sporty drive, comfort is

not sacrificed.

The Arctic Edition maintains the visual attraction of the VXR. Neat design touches complete the iconic hot-hatch appearance: flared wheel arches, a gaping front bumper, deep side sills and lowered ride height. At the rear, there is a prominent roof mounted spoiler, a triangular shaped central exit exhaust and a huge rear diffuser arrangement.

The ‘hot hatch treatment’ has also found its way inside the car, with a leather race-inspired steering wheel, full shell Recaro sports seats and a black piano fascia. The VXR badge makes several appearances and adds to the sense of occasion.

The £1,000 premium should in no way limit the appeal of this glacially cool Corsa VXR Arctic Edition, and being a limited edition, it should hold its value better than its multi-coloured siblings.

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Pacenotes NI Rally Championship

Townparks Rally

WORDS Jonathan MacDonald PICTURES neillpics.co.uk

Winners: Derek McGarrity & James McKee

McCloskey Crowned As McGarrity Wins…

Glengormley’s Derek McGarrity and James McKee won this year’s Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally, but it was 22-year-old Conor McCloskey and co-driver Francis Regan who walked away with the prestigious 2008 Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship crown!

RESULTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Derek McGarrity/James McKee Subaru Impreza.............. 45:38.4 Conor McCloskey/Francis Regan Subaru Impreza.............. 45:52.5 Sean Devine/Damien Duffin Subaru Impreza.............. 45:57.0 Cathal Rodgers/Eoighan Rodgers Mitsubishi Evo ............... 49:14.2 Wesley Patterson/Martin McGarrity Ford Escort .................... 49:14.5 Camillus Bradley/Danny O’Neill Ford Escort .................... 49:26.3 Andrew Bushe/Richard Hyland Citroën Saxo .................. 49:37.4 Gerard McFall/Brendan Boyle Ford Escort .................... 49:47.3 Rodney White/Sorcha Kelly Talbot Sunbeam ............. 49:47.8 Des Moore/Damian Connolly Ford Escort .................... 50:12.6 Fintan McGrady/Conal McCartan Ford Escort .................... 50:19.4 Alastair Cochrane/Gary McElhinney Ford Escort .................... 50:39.8 John Walker/Dessie Wilson Mitsubishi Evo ............... 50:40.8 Gary Cairns/Justin Coyle Mitsubishi Evo ............... 50:43.3 Aidan Toner/Damian Toner Ford Escort .................... 50:46.6 Adrian Hetherington/Gary Nolan Ford Escort .................... 51:02.0 Liam McFall/Ronnie Craig Mitsubishi Evo ............... 51:05.6 Alan Carmichael/Ivor Lamont Mitsubishi Evo ............... 51:10.3 Brian Muldoon/Sean Devlin Subaru Impreza.............. 51:11.2 William Smith/Victor Smith Honda Civic ................... 51:25.8

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pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

McCloskey finished 14 seconds

adrift of McGarrity, but more importantly he was 4.5 seconds in front of championship rivals Sean Devine and Damien Duffin, ensuring he became the youngest ever Northern Ireland rally champion!

It was a closely fought affair throughout the eight stage event, which was held on closed roads in County Antrim, and there was never any more than 6.5 seconds separating the two title contenders!

Indeed, it was a closely fought championship, with numerous changes for the lead throughout the season. But in the end, it was the

Championship Winners: Conor McCloskey & Francis Regan

Bushwhacker event, and promptly repeated that success with another win at the FM Contracts Down Rally.

Under huge amounts of pressure, he showed a maturity beyond

I WAS A BIT NERVOUS ON THE SATURDAY MORNING, BUT I FOUND THE IMPREZA EASIER TO DRIVE THAN THE FOCUS. IT WAS A GOOD RACE ALL YEAR AND IT’S GREAT TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP - CONOR MCCLOSKEY 22-year-old newcomer to the series who reigned supreme and held the number one spot when it mattered most.

McCloskey came of age when he claimed his maiden rally victory just five weeks earlier at the McGillin

his years by taking control from the start of the Townparks event.

Switching to a Subaru Impreza WRC hired from event leader Derek McGarrity (the same car which he used at the start of the season), McCloskey settled down

quickly. He held a consistent second position behind McGarrity throughout the event, but could never afford to relax, as Devine was only a few seconds adrift.

Devine tried hard to catch the flying Kilrea man, and one stage from home, he swiped more than two seconds out of his advantage, but for the Strabane pilot, it was too little, too late, as McCloskey and Regan held on to claim the championship laurels!

“I can’t believe it,” a jubilant McCloskey said after the event. “I was a bit nervous on the Saturday morning, but I found the Impreza easier to drive than the Focus. It was a good race all year and it’s great to win the championship. The best about it is, we went testing on the Friday morning and the road was white with frost - I wasn’t sure

Pacenotes NI Rally Championship

Townparks Rally

WORDS Jonathan MacDonald PICTURES Martin McCorriston

Winners: Derek McGarrity & James McKee

McCloskey Crowned As McGarrity Wins…

Glengormley’s Derek McGarrity and James McKee won this year’s Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally, but it was 22-year-old Conor McCloskey and co-driver Francis Regan who walked away with the prestigious 2008 Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship crown!

RESULTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Derek McGarrity/James McKee Subaru Impreza.............. 45:38.4 Conor McCloskey/Francis Regan Subaru Impreza.............. 45:52.5 Sean Devine/Damien Duffin Subaru Impreza.............. 45:57.0 Cathal Rodgers/Eoighan Rodgers Mitsubishi Evo ............... 49:14.2 Wesley Patterson/Martin McGarrity Ford Escort .................... 49:14.5 Camillus Bradley/Danny O’Neill Ford Escort .................... 49:26.3 Andrew Bushe/Richard Hyland Citroën Saxo .................. 49:37.4 Gerard McFall/Brendan Boyle Ford Escort .................... 49:47.3 Rodney White/Sorcha Kelly Talbot Sunbeam ............. 49:47.8 Des Moore/Damian Connolly Ford Escort .................... 50:12.6 Fintan McGrady/Conal McCartan Ford Escort .................... 50:19.4 Alastair Cochrane/Gary McElhinney Ford Escort .................... 50:39.8 John Walker/Dessie Wilson Mitsubishi Evo ............... 50:40.8 Gary Cairns/Justin Coyle Mitsubishi Evo ............... 50:43.3 Aidan Toner/Damian Toner Ford Escort .................... 50:46.6 Adrian Hetherington/Gary Nolan Ford Escort .................... 51:02.0 Liam McFall/Ronnie Craig Mitsubishi Evo ............... 51:05.6 Alan Carmichael/Ivor Lamont Mitsubishi Evo ............... 51:10.3 Brian Muldoon/Sean Devlin Subaru Impreza.............. 51:11.2 William Smith/Victor Smith Honda Civic ................... 51:25.8

32

pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

McCloskey finished 14 seconds

adrift of McGarrity, but more importantly he was 4.5 seconds in front of championship rivals Sean Devine and Damien Duffin, ensuring he became the youngest ever Northern Ireland rally champion!

It was a closely fought affair throughout the eight stage event, which was held on closed roads in County Antrim, and there was never any more than 6.5 seconds separating the two title contenders!

Indeed, it was a closely fought championship, with numerous changes for the lead throughout the season. But in the end, it was the

Championship Winners: Conor McCloskey & Francis Regan

Bushwhacker event, and promptly repeated that success with another win at the FM Contracts Down Rally.

Under huge amounts of pressure, he showed a maturity beyond

I WAS A BIT NERVOUS ON THE SATURDAY MORNING, BUT I FOUND THE IMPREZA EASIER TO DRIVE THAN THE FOCUS. IT WAS A GOOD RACE ALL YEAR AND IT’S GREAT TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP - CONOR MCCLOSKEY 22-year-old newcomer to the series who reigned supreme and held the number one spot when it mattered most.

McCloskey came of age when he claimed his maiden rally victory just five weeks earlier at the McGillin

his years by taking control from the start of the Townparks event.

Switching to a Subaru Impreza WRC hired from event leader Derek McGarrity (the same car which he used at the start of the season), McCloskey settled down

quickly. He held a consistent second position behind McGarrity throughout the event, but could never afford to relax, as Devine was only a few seconds adrift.

Devine tried hard to catch the flying Kilrea man, and one stage from home, he swiped more than two seconds out of his advantage, but for the Strabane pilot, it was too little, too late, as McCloskey and Regan held on to claim the championship laurels!

“I can’t believe it,” a jubilant McCloskey said after the event. “I was a bit nervous on the Saturday morning, but I found the Impreza easier to drive than the Focus. It was a good race all year and it’s great to win the championship. The best about it is, we went testing on the Friday morning and the road was white with frost - I wasn’t sure

5th: Wesley Patterson & Martin McGarrity

production category title and finished fourth overall. The father and son team entered the event on top of the championship tables, but it was Neil McCance and Sean Ferris who took the early lead.

Unfortunately, the Comber driver overturned his Mitsubishi during stage four, allowing Rogers into the top Group N position.

There he stayed until the finish, claiming fourth overall in the process.

“It’s my first championship victory in more than 30 years,” Rogers said afterwards. “Until now, anytime I started a championship, I always failed to finish the rallies!”

In the Superdrive two-wheeldrive category, Wesley Patterson and Martin McGarrity finished fifth

and topped the Superdrive 2WD crews. However, James Kennedy and John Rowan, who rolled heavily at the end of the opening stage, had already sealed the 2WD title.

The 2008 Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship prizegiving will take place at the Seagoe Hotel, Portadown, on Saturday 24th January. Tickets cost £30 but award winners receive one complimentary ticket for the event, which will feature a meal, raffle and live entertainment.

The evening precedes the beginning of the 2009 series, which will get underway a few weeks later at Kirkistown Race Circuit’s Eurocables Stages!

6th: Camillus Bradley & Danny O’Neill

7th: Andrew Bushe & Richard Hyland

Townparks Rally

if I was going to get a run in her or not!”

“We all went out with Sean (Devine) for a bit of craic on the Saturday night,” McCloskey continued. “We sort of made an agreement in the pub that we’d go to Bournemouth in February for the Sunseeker Rally, so there could be an influx of Irish talent over there next year!”

As expected, Sean Devine and Damien Duffin were disappointed at the finish, but congratulated McCloskey on winning the title.

With true sportsmanship, they joined the winning team in their celebrations on the Saturday evening.

Event winner and former champion Derek McGarrity was also in jubilant form at the finish.

He and navigator James McKee had lost time with a spin earlier in the day, but still brought their Impreza WRC home at the top of the leaderboard.

Outside the battle among the top three, Cathal and Eoighan Rogers claimed the Sunoco Fuels

4th: Cathal Rodgers & Eoighan Rogers

Pacenotes NI Rally Championship

3rd: Sean Devine & Damien Duffin

Townparks Class Battles Class 1

Peter O’Kane and Mark O’Connell took the early class one lead aboard their Type R Honda Civic, but through Torr Head, Desmond Henry and Crawford Henderson overhauled the leaders. Driving their Ford Fiesta ST, they also moved in front of John McKay and Alan Hewitt, leapfrogging both crews to move into first position.

McKay replied with fastest time through stage four, displacing Henry from the top spot, but Henry had a little bit extra up his sleeve, and he moved back in front after stage five. McKay hit trouble on the following test, losing almost 20 seconds to his rival. That gave Henry some breathing room, and he went on to claim the class spoils by 24 seconds from McKay, with O’Kane sealing third.

Class 2

Neil McCance and Sean Ferris led the Sunoco Fuels Group N crews after stage one, from Liam McFall and Ronnie Craig, who were a slender tenth of a second ahead of Brian Muldoon and Sean Devlin. It was a closely fought affair, with only a handful of seconds separating the leading crews. McCance continued to set the pace, while Cathal and Eoighan Rogers upped the ante through stage two and moved into second position.

Championship hopeful Alan Carmichael was almost immediately in the wars after hitting his Lancer on stage one. There was worse around the corner for the rally leader though, as McCance crashed heavily on Glendun, leaving the Rogers team on course for victory.

A string of fastest class times followed for Rogers, and when the

crew reached the finish line, they were well ahead of the rest of the pack. They claimed fourth overall as well as the category win, with John Walker and Dessie Wilson coming home more than one minute adrift in second position, ahead of Gary Cairns and Justin Coyle.

8th: Gerard McFall & Brendan Boyle

Class 3

Dermot O’Hagan and Pierce Doheny grabbed the early class three advantage, but it was Oran Donnelly and Paul Hughes who were destined to claim the spoils.

After a slow start, they started taking chunks out of their rivals over the ensuing stages. Easily the fastest in the pack over Torr Head and Glendun, they emerged victorious by one minute from O’Hagan and Doheny, with Declan Quigley and Paddy Duff y third.

9th: Rodney White & Sorcha Kelly

10th: Des Moore & Damian Connolly

pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

33

Pacenotes NI Rally Championship

Townparks Rally

1st CL1: Desmond Henry & Crawford Henderson

2nd CL2: John Walker & Dessie Wilson

1st CL3: Oran Donnelly & Paul Hughes

1st CL4: John & Gavin Devlin

1st CL6: Stephen McFerran & Cathal McGregor

3rd CL7: Fintan McGrady & Conal McCartan

Class 4

3rd CL8: Adrian Hetherington & Gary Nolan

Mervyn Wilson and Richard Gamble claimed the early class four lead, but John and Gavin Devlin made their intentions clear when they moved in front after stage two. The Devlins mounted a charge for victory, closely followed by Brian Crawford and Finnian Hannigan, while Wilson dropped out of contention.

Devlin had the edge over Crawford, but a problem over the penultimate stage saw him lose 14 seconds and with it the class lead! Crawford led by a slender three seconds going into the final Glendun test, but it was Devlin who claimed the category win. Fastest over the

final stage allowed him to nip in front by three-tenths of a second, leaving Crawford in second position, ahead of Alan Faloon and Andy Devlin.

Class 5

Andrew Bushe and Richard Hyland dominated class five in their Super 1600 Citroen Saxo, leading from start to finish. Jim McKenna was a close second after stage one, before retiring, and nobody else could come close to Busheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pace. He went on to claim victory by almost two minutes, with William and Victor Smith second, ahead of Robert Erwin and Chris Ragg.

Class 6

Paul Mogey and Rodney Torrington took the early lead from Eamonn McGuigan and Michael Moran, with James Wylie and Linda Norris not too far adrift. None of these crews were destined for victory, however. Wylie retired, while both Mogey and McGuigan lost ground to Stephen McFerran and Cathal McGregor. McFerran accelerated into the distance, claiming victory by 25 seconds from McGuigan, leaving Mogey to settle for third.

Class 7

The hotly contested class seven saw Camillus Bradley and Danny Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill add another winners trophy to their cabinet. Rodney White and Sorcha Kelly were never too far away, but Bradley had the edge and went on to claim the win by 21 seconds. White was happy with second position in his Sunbeam, and he finished comfortably ahead of Fintan McGrady and Conal McCartan.

Class 8

Wesley Patterson and Martin McGarrity moved to the top of class eight after stage one, but a problem on the second test saw them plummet down the order. That allowed Declan McNaughton and Sean Hayde out in front, but they later retired their Escort. There were a number of other retirements in the field, and Patterson recovered from his stage two problem to retake the category lead. He claimed victory by almost one minute from Des Moore and Damian Connolly, with Adrian Hetherington and Gary Nolan third.

Class 9

Derek McGarrity and James McKee topped class nine from Conor McCloskey and Francis Regan, with Sean Devine and Damien Duffin third. See main report for more details.

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2nd O/A Merrick Stages al) ec es DNF (M hanic g Lakeland Stag A O/ t 1s es ag St Fisher Engineerin cker Mc Gillen Bushwa A O/ t 1s wn Stages FM Contracts Do

d n a l e r I n r e h t r o N 8 0 20 n o i p m a h C y l l a R d O/A Easter stages 3r A Sperrins 4th O/ e Th Of ur To B KB DNF (Mechanical) e rn ou M d wry an Modern Tyres Ne 2nd es s of Antrim Stag Town Parks Glen

Connor

y e k s o l C c M nd Francis Regan to Congratulations

a

A Dogleap 3rd O/

3rd O/A New Year Stage 2nd O/A es ag Eurocables St 2nd O/A es ag St rt ou sc Bishop

We would also like to thank the following for their continued support throughout the year.

McGeehan Motorsport (Derek/Alan) DMG Motorsport (Derek McGarrity) Mc Kinstry Motorsport (Kenny/Sam/Paddy) Niall Murray (Pirelli) Donegal Oil (Shell) | MTEC Graphics

Marty’s Title

IRISH C2R2 Cup Review

Winner: Martin McCormack

McCormack

Takes It To The

Max!

Marty McCormack and Liam Moynihan were popular victors of the inaugural Citroen C2 R2 Irish Cup. After eight rounds, fought out across the length and breadth of the country, the crew only sealed the 2008 title at the final round of the season!

“I’m absolutely over the moon,”

2nd OA: Barry Evans

3rd OA: Martin Tynan Sam Moffett

McCormack said. “I’ve had so many phone calls it’s unbelievable! There have been guys who helped prepare the car at nights, sponsors who have helped all year and my team. It was such a tough start to the season with a lot of problems, but the whole thing turned around for us and it’s just wonderful!”

The series consisted of five events, with three of those events offering two points scoring opportunities.

The two-day rallies, namely the West Cork, Ulster International and Wexford events, offered registered competitors an opportunity to score points on each day.

March’s West Cork kicked the series off with a bang, and Marty McCormack started his championship on a high note with victory and maximum points after day one. Unfortunately, he retired during the second day, allowing Barry Evans to take the championship lead.

Another retirement for McCormack at his home event, the Tour of the Sperrins, really put him on the back foot, but strong

performances during the remainder of the season brought him back into contention. Victory at the Stonethrowers Rally was followed by a top three position at the end of the Ulster’s opening leg, before going on to secure maximum points on leg two.

The string of top results propelled the Maghera based driver to third in the championship standings, but with one event remaining, he knew he had to perform well on both legs of the Wexford Rally.

Trailing championship leader Barry Evans by 14 points going into the final event, day one in Wexford saw McCormack and Moynihan notch up maximum points, reducing the series leader’s advantage to nine points. Meanwhile, Martin Tynan finished fourth, dropping him to third behind McCormack in the championship tussle.

It was all down to the final day, and it was here that McCormack snatched the title out of Evans’ grasp.

It wasn’t an easy task, and in fact it was Adrian McElhinney who claimed maximum points. For McCormack though, second position was enough

to secure the spoils, as series rival Evans finished fourth. The result placed Evans ahead on total points scores, but with two dropped scores taken into account, McCormack sealed the title!

“We had to concentrate on securing the championship at the final round,” McCormack said afterwards. “We were pushing hard all the way, and we had a big scare going out of the last service with a fuel pump failure. It’s proof of the friendship in this Cup that the other team mechanics were all over my C2 to help me!”

McCormack received an extra surprise at the championship’s awards evening, which was held at County Meath’s City North Hotel. In addition to the promised prize of visiting Citroen Sport’s headquarters, a test drive in a C2 R2 Max was changed to a Max kit, worth almost £35,000 plus VAT! McCormack, who already had a kit on order, was overjoyed with the announcement and will receive his prize when visiting Citroen’s headquarters on Wednesday 10th December!

official citroën sport distributor Tel: (028) 9038 3512 Fax: (028) 9068 3730

36

pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

www.citroenpartsdirect.com

OFFICIAL PARTS VEHICLE ATTENDING ALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

Congratulations to Bren Winners of Round 1 - Ga

C2R2 & Evo Awards

Brendan Cum handed the keys to iskey is the EvoX which he will be driv ing in Rally Ireland 200 9

2008 MITSUBISHI RALLIART 2008 Calendar Evans is

Barry sented with

preFebruary - Galway 1 2/3 this award 2 15/16 March - West Cork 3 3/4 May - Killarney 4 14/15 June - Donegal 5 6/7 September - Wexford 6 27/28 September - Cork 20

A joint prize giving was held for this year’s Mitsubishi Ralliart Evo Challenge

Ireland and the Irish Citroen C2 R2 Cup at the City North Hotel, Co. Meath. There were plenty of beaming faces from each championship, but those shining brightest belonged to Brendan Cumiskey and Martin McCormack.

Cumiskey was handed the keys of the Evo X that he’ll be using at Rally Ireland, which will be run by James Foley. Meanwhile, it was announced that Marty McCormack would receive the C2 R2 Max kit, and will visit Citroen’s headquarters.

There were plenty of other happy class winners on the night too, and it marked the perfect end to a tough season for all.

2008 season winners

Irish stars come together for award celebration...

David Lyons collects his award

Shane Buckley being presented with his

award

pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

37

what a year for Daniel Barry

enniskerry young gun

The Only Way Is Up Enniskerry’s Daniel Barry raised more than a few eyebrows during this year’s UK Mitsubishi Ralliart Evo Challenge.

The 24-year-old Irishman, who only

started rallying in 2004, was one of the main contenders for the overall title, and led the series after round three!

Unfortunately, retirements at rounds four and five threw him on to the back foot. Top three scores at the final two rounds brought his tally of podium finishes to five, which propelled him back into contention. In the end though, he had to settle for third, just four points adrift of eventual winner David Bogie.

Barry could be forgiven for feeling slightly disappointed, after being so close to the title, but his rally résumé shows some strong performances during the 2008 season. He still managed to claim third overall, as well as the PIAA Junior Award, while navigator Martin Brady secured the co-drivers’ title!

“The goal was to win the Evo Challenge this year,” Barry admitted, “and if we hadn’t had the two accidents, we probably would have got it. The worst about it is one of the accidents wasn’t our fault. Someone put a log on the racing line, which put us off.”

“Apparently, it’s a well known corner where the locals do that sort of thing to Height: 6’1” make cars run wide,” Barry continued, “but being from Home: Enniskerry, Co. Ireland, we didn’t know that!

Wicklow We hit the logs which threw us Birth date: 29th August 1984 off the road, and that messed up Occupation: Driver for a our championship.” haulage company.

It was a bitter pill to swallow Road car: Nissan Navarra for the County Wicklow driver, Marital status: Single – any and as the end of season points girls can apply! tables show, he was one of the Hobbies: Keeping fit – I like most consistent drivers in this to go to the gym three or four year’s series. At least winning the PIAA Junior Award was some times per week. I think it consolation, and it’s rumoured definitely makes a difference that Barry will be invited to attend when rallying. If you’re a Mitsubishi works team test day physically fit, you’re also as his prize. mentally fit.

Despite having Sponsors: Irish Shipping just four years and Transport, Tech Plus, of competitive BPI Telecom, SC Signs. rallying behind him, Barry has numerous successes to his name. He was quick from the beginning of his fledgling career, which started behind the wheel of a Ford Ka.

Daniel Barry

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dec/jan 2009

“My first event was the Carlow Single Stage Rally and we won the class by two minutes,” Barry told Pacenotes. “That year, we won the forestry Ka championship and finished second in another championship.

I was also the youngest driver, so it was a good start!”

Barry progressed to Britain’s Peugeot 206 Cup, but his 2005 season was fraught with troubles. Of the five events he entered, he retired with mechanical trouble on four of them, so winning his class on the fifth was little consolation.

Frustrated with the 206, he swapped it for a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 and entered

rallies threw him down the order, but Barry can be happy in the knowledge that he was one of the quickest men out there.

“I’m happy with our pace this year,” Barry told Pacenotes. “We were battling for the top spot on every single round. It’s just a shame with what happened in Wales, but that’s the way it goes.”

Now Barry plans to build a new Evo 9 in time for the 2009 season, but he has yet to decide which championship he will contest. The Evo Challenge organisers have yet to announce firm plans for next year, but that could be an option for the Enniskerry driver, although he has also

I’D DEFINITELY LIKE TO SECURE A WORKS DRIVE IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO... BUT I’D ALSO CONSIDER PUTTING A BUDGET TOGETHER FOR THE PWRC OR THE IRC CHAMPIONSHIPS. a handful of events. He acclimatised to four-wheel-drive quickly, finishing sixth overall at the Birr Forestry, and 16th overall in Monaghan. Then it was time for an upgrade to an Evo 8, and in 2007, he contested the Evo Challenge for the first time.

“The first year was very much a discovery year,” Barry said. “I was there to learn the rallies, and at the time Phillip Morrow was the man to beat, so I was just trying to get close to his times. We finished sixth overall in the championship standings, so it was a good learning season.”

The experience stood him in good stead ahead of the 2008 season, and his results proved it. Second among the Evo Challenge runners at the opening two rounds, as well as third at round three, propelled him to the top of the tables.

Unfortunately, accidents at the Severn Valley and Swansea Bay

expressed an interest in other series.

“I really enjoy the Evo Challenge and it has been a great stepping stone for me,” said Barry, “but I’m going to wait and see what’s on the table and will probably make a decision in January when Birmingham’s NEC show is on. To be honest, if there was a works drive on offer as the prize for winning any championship, I’d support it!”

Indeed, a prize works drive is every rally driver’s dream, and that’s one of Barry’s aims. Securing a works seat in a team would be the ultimate achievement for the Wicklow man.

“I’d definitely like to secure a works drive in the next year or two,” Barry continued, “but I’d also consider putting a budget together for the PWRC or the IRC championships. The IRC seems to be more geared towards privateers, and they’re half the price, or maybe a quarter of the price of PWRC rounds. Either way, I’d like to enter a few of those rounds for the experience. You’re not going to get any quicker if you stay where you are - you always need to up your game!”

Barry, partnered by Martin Brady, proved to be an excellent performer in the British rally scene during 2008. So who knows what they can achieve with a new, faster car under their control during 2009? It won’t be long until we find out!

Motorsport Rally Preparation and car builds. New and used parts for sale

Many thanks to all our sponsors and team for 2008 success.

Barry Motorsport would like to thank all the following who contributed to our very successful and enjoyable 2008 rallying.

BPI Telecom . Techplus . Irish Shipping and transport . SC Signs . Henco Thanks also to Martin Brady, John O Sullivan, Donnie Lucey, Joe Mc Donald and everyone else who helped us.

Daniel Barry: PIAA Junior Champion Martin Brady: Winning Evo Co-driver

29th Jan-1st Feb

PACENOTES ROUGH GUIDE

RALLY SCHEDULE

Rally Ireland Revs Up…

Ceremonial Start in Enniskillen - Thursday 19.30 DAY 1 - FRIDAY SS1 Glenboy 1 08.13 SS2 Cavan 1 09.01 SS3 Aughnasheelan 1 09.42 Service A – In

11.44

SS4 Glenboy 2 13.02 SS5 Cavan 2 13.50 SS6 Aughnasheelan 2 14.31

Momentum is building towards

January’s Rally Ireland, the first round of the 2009 World Rally Championship. November 2008 saw Mark Henderson (above) from International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC), the global promoters of the WRC, train 40 timekeepers in the use of the ISC equipment for car tracking and timing during the event.

Assistant Clerk of the Course for Timings and Communications for Rally Ireland Robert McDaid said, “Our guys have a lot of experience from timekeeping in the Rally Ireland pilot events and in 2007 so they know what they are doing. There is a huge amount of pressure on them, because when the winning and losing margins are so small - hundredths of a second in some cases - a mistake might not just cost a team points, but a lot of money too!”

Rally Ireland 2009 takes place from 29th January to 1st February, travelling through seven counties in the north and south of Ireland. It is expected that in excess of 250,000 people will attend the event, which is replacing Monte Carlo as the first round of the World Rally Championship in 2009. dec/jan 2009 40 pacenotes.net

Following the event launch in Sligo in mid November, an Officials Briefing Day set out the guidelines and procedures that will be in place come the 29th of January. These procedures span a range of areas of expertise including marshalling, safety and rescue, communications, timekeeping, setting up and running stages and the recruitment of marshals to run the rally. It is expected that over 2,700 marshals will be used during Rally Ireland and they will come from all corners of the country.

John Naylor, Event Director for Rally Ireland, commented, “Today we have many of the top level officials here to be briefed on their roles and they are all volunteers.

But they will go back to their clubs and areas and recruit maybe 200300 people to volunteer with them.

These people are the heart and soul of the event and they do it simply for the love of rallying and helping Ireland put on a great show for the world. We couldn’t put the event on without them.”

The event shakedown will be held near Sligo on Thursday January 29th, followed by a Ceremonial Start at Enniskillen Town Hall at 7.30 pm that evening.

With a total of 19 special stages and a route covering 1407 km, the event will visit counties Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Cavan, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Donegal.

The Service Park will again be based at the 52 acre site of the Institute of Technology, Sligo, which the teams will visit twice daily for repairs and service on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A must for all rally fans, the Boyle Festival will take place on Friday 30th January 2009, with all Rally Ireland entrants passing through the town. A free outdoor concert will take place with Eddie Jordan and his band performing.

For more information log on to www.boylerallyfestival.com The final (1.5km) stage of Rally Ireland 2009 will be held in Donegal Town, ensuring that the area, already a mecca for rally fans, will be totally swamped on Sunday 1st February, 2009!

Look out for out event preview in our next edition on sale 26th Jan 09.

www.rallyireland.org

Service B – In

16.36

SS7 Murley SS8 Fardross

18.54 19.39

Parc Ferme – In

21.39

DAY 2 - SATURDAY Service D In

06.25

SS9 Sloughan Glen 1 08.13 SS10 Ballinamallard 1 09.06 SS11 Tempo 1 09.49 Service E In

11.54

SS12 Sloughan Glen 2 13.57 SS13 Ballinamallard 2 14.50 SS14 Tempo 2 15.33 Parc Ferme In

17.18

DAY 3 - SUNDAY Service G In

07.40

SS15 Geevagh SS16 Arigna SS17 Lough Gill

08.35 09.00 09.51

Service H In

10.41

SS18 Donegal Bay SS19 Donegal Town

12.09 13.10

Service I In

14.30

Podium Ceremony

15.10

Bundoran

SS 17

Lough Gill

Arigina

SS 16

Dromahair F

S

SS 15

Geevagh

S

F

N15

F

S

Dowra

/ nny L'Ke rom << F

DONEGAL TOWN SS 19

F

SS 18 SSDonegal 18 Bay

Donegal Town

S

SS 1 & 4

Lough Allen

Glenboy

Ballyshannon

Manorhamilton

S S

Drumkeeran

F S F

Drumshanbo

S

Lough Erne Lower

Cavan

SS 2 & 5

Belcoo

F

SS 3 & 6

Aughnasheelan

Ballinamore

Kesh

SS 9 & 12

Sloughan Glen

S

F

F

Irvinestown

S

ENNISKILLEN

Lough Erne Upper

S

Dromore

SS 10 & 13

Ballinamallard

F

Tempo

SS 11 & 14

Lisnaskea

Belturbet

OMAGH

Fintona

S

Fivemiletown

F

SS 7

Murley

F

S

/ M1 ast Belf om << Fr

SS 8

Fardross

<< Fr om D u b lin / N3

Clones

OUR REFERENCE MAPS ARE TO USED AS A GUIDE ONLY... BUY AN OFFICIAL MAP BOOK ON THE STAGES!

CAVAN

Maguiresbridge

5 >> y/A Derr From

Lough Gill

F

WHERE TO SEE THE ACTION! FRIDAY STAGES

30th JANUARY

SATURDAY STAGES 31st JANUARY

SUNDAY STAGES

1st FEBRUARY

Ballymote

SLIGO

RALLY HQ CLARION HOTEL SLIGO SERVICE PARK SLIGO TECHNOLOGY PARK

>> N17 ay/ alw mG Fro

DE

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rd gfo Lon rom << F / N4

Bundoran

SS 17

Lough Gill

Arigina

SS 16

Dromahair F

S

SS 15

Geevagh

S

F

N15

F

S

Dowra

/ nny L'Ke rom << F

DONEGAL TOWN SS 19

F

SS 18 SSDonegal 18 Bay

Donegal Town

S

SS 1 & 4

Lough Allen

Glenboy

Ballyshannon

Manorhamilton

S S

Drumkeeran

F S F

Drumshanbo

S

Lough Erne Lower

Cavan

SS 2 & 5

Belcoo

F

SS 3 & 6

Aughnasheelan

Ballinamore

Kesh

SS 9 & 12

Sloughan Glen

S

F

F

Irvinestown

S

ENNISKILLEN

Lough Erne Upper

S

Dromore

SS 10 & 13

Ballinamallard

F

Tempo

SS 11 & 14

Lisnaskea

Belturbet

OMAGH

Fintona

S

Fivemiletown

F

SS 7

Murley

F

S

/ M1 ast Belf om << Fr

SS 8

Fardross

<< Fr om D u b lin / N3

Clones

OUR REFERENCE MAPS ARE TO USED AS A GUIDE ONLY... BUY AN OFFICIAL MAP BOOK ON THE STAGES!

CAVAN

Maguiresbridge

5 >> y/A Derr From

Lough Gill

F

WHERE TO SEE THE ACTION! FRIDAY STAGES

30th JANUARY

SATURDAY STAGES 31st JANUARY

SUNDAY STAGES

1st FEBRUARY

Ballymote

SLIGO

RALLY HQ CLARION HOTEL SLIGO SERVICE PARK SLIGO TECHNOLOGY PARK

>> N17 ay/ alw mG Fro

DE

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Woodies

November has been a busy month, with my return to rear wheel drive in a Mk2 Escort RALLY DIARY historic car in GUY WOODCOCK the D3 class.

Will Onions very kindly had done a deal to hire me the car for the Roger Albert Clark Rally.

We had a shakedown on the Cambrian which was excellent fun, although it did take me a little bit of time to get back into it. I gave myself 1 out of 10 on stage one, but was happy with the times towards the end of the event - even though we were doing course car duties.

Two weeks of the logistical issues followed, as we got everything ready for the two car team on the Roger Albert Clark Rally. We set off with the luxury of a motor home, service vehicle, two chase cars - including the infamous Granada Estate chase car - for the event, which started from Leeds. We shared the motor home with Phil Collins and Nicky Grist’s crew, so it’s ‘well done, folks’ to Carol and Meinir, who catered for 19 hungry people over the weekend.

The event started reasonably well with a couple of stages in

Mark 2 Mayhem!

Temple Newsum. Although it was very slippery and muddy, we were lying 16th overall overnight and we continued in that position following the Langdale and Harewood Stages, growing in confidence as the day went on.

We then went back to tarmac - obviously my favourite surface - at Oliver’s Mount, and had a spin on the bottom hairpin on the first run through. Our stage time on the second run through was particularly good, keeping us in 15th place, only a few seconds behind our local rivals Rikki Proffit and John Roberts.

EuroRallye

The Butts, Barnoldswick, Lancashire, BB18 5HP. Telephone Iain on + 44 (0) 1282 854900 or + 44 (0) 7831 888082 E: iain@eurorallye.co.uk • www.EuroRallye.co.uk For a complete stock list & photographs please visit our website

Proton Rally Car

Photo courtesy of Writtle Photographic

Excellent HHMS seam welded shell, HHMS triangulated weld in cage, HHMS seat rails & jacking points. HHMS alloy sump & alloy tank guards, HHMS Kevlar underfloor floor & sill guards, HHMS M24 loom, steel braided & coated alloy fuel lines, Sparco Rev seats, TRS 6 point Magnum belts (FIA 2012), Lifeline electric extinguisher (new bottle Nov ‘08), Lifeline hand held (serviced Nov ‘08).

ENGINE

1600 16V engine with M24 cam, vernier, throttle bodies & Racetech management, kit airbox & intake, HHMS competition exhaust system. HHMS competition engine mounts.

GEARBOX

HHMS 5 speed dog gearbox & Group A 90% LSD, recent Group A driveshafts, Group A uprights & hubs.

SUSPENSION

Proflex 3 way adjustable suspension with gravel springs, overhauled by Proflex November 2008 with new top mounts. New engine subframe and new bottom arms with competition bushes Nov ‘08. Compomotive TH3 alloys.

BRAKES

pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

Tel: 074 9737152 Fax: 074 9737323 PHONE FOR A FREE CATALOGUE

www.longcom.ie

ENGINE

Very fresh Japanese specification Group N engine (approx 217 bhp) with Japanese ECu & loom, stainless steel competition exhaust, heavy duty engine mounts.

GEARBOX

Japanese specification Group N 6 speed gear kit with JAS 6.33 final drive and Spoon plate LSD unit.

rally magazine

SUSPENSION

Proflex 3 way adjustable suspension, running on Speedline 15inch alloys or 17 inch alloys for tarmac.

BRAKES

Group N brakes with Japanese calipers, Ferodo pads, Group N AP bias valves & hydraulic hand brake with twin AP cylinders, aeroquip brake lines throughout.

Nova rally shell with cage, 1600 8V engine with Bldenstein head and throttle bodies, OMEX management, F13 gearbox with 4.53 CWP & Quaife LSD, Leda struts, Bilstein rear shocks, Astra 16V front brakes, electric steering column, quick rack, fibreglass bonnet, perspex, Sparco seats, Quaife internal gear linkage with Quaife turret, alloy sump guard, etc

£14950.00

42

Seam welded shell with full weld in cage and professional seats rails. Heavy duty alloy sump guard, tank guard.

Flocked dash, Corbeau seats & alloy frames, Magnum 3 inch belts (FIA end 2014), Lifeline 4.0 electric extinguisher, Lifeline hand held extinguisher, Sparco deep dish suede steering wheel, carbon drivers & navigators foot rest

SPARES

This is my own rally car that has been hired though Andrew Wood Motorsport for the last 2 seasons and has been maintained regardless of cost. It has just undergone a major rebuild and is ready for its next event. It is a very tidy car with excellent build quality as you would expect from Harry Hockly.

Main Street, Dunkineely Co. Donegal, Ireland

SHELL

Ring for a quote

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS CAR

Ireland’s largest mail order stockist of CB, scanners & aerials. Main stockists of President CB & Uniden products

Honda Civic Type R (EP3) Group N Rally Car. This car is eligible for the FIA R2 class.

Works Alcon 4 pot alloy calipers & 295mm vents, Alcon 2 pot rear calipers & M24 discs, Works bias pedal box & dash adjuster, hydraulic hand brake, coated alloy brake lines.

Comes with lamp pod, spare alloys and spares package including Group A driveshafts etc.

Long Communications

For Hire: Honda Civic Type R

Proton Satria 1600 16V rally car built by Harry Hockly Motorsport (HHMS).

SHELL

On the stage I thought we had a minor problem with the carburettors fluffing, but it appears, following our next stage engine blow up that it was oil starvation. I thought that was an end our rally, however Iwan’s ingenuity saw an engine on its way from Richard Jarman in Newtown before we were even pulled out of the forest. The car was put on the trailer and towed across to Carlisle by the Granada. The boys worked throughout the night to refit the engine by 4am the next morning, ready for us to restart the rally at 7am!

We then had excellent runs

through the Ae stage and were on a charge - powered by a basic Cortina engine with a fast road cam in it - until the same problem occurred in the bottom end. We decided that enough was enough about a mile from the end of the Newcastleton stage and we retired from the event.

Will Onions, whose car we had borrowed, was out in his new D5 class car and drove to an excellent 6th overall. I must say that this was probably the most enjoyable weekend’s rallying I have had for some 20 years and that I will definitely be back next year, both in the historic championship and the RAC, subject to continued support from our sponsors, who have been marvellous over the past 12 months and longer.

Thanks to everyone - especially Kumho and CES UK Limited, and to the team of lads this year: Ken, Pete, Justin and others.

Now the enjoyment is over it’s back to the hard work of organising the Farrington Road Rally on 22nd and 23rd November, followed by a weekend off, and then I have been talked into doing the infamous Le Jog Rally with Howard Warren from CES. Find out how we fared in the next issue!

Just in: Nova Gte Rally car

May break. See website for details:

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200565_XC60_pacenotes.indd 1

12/11/08 16:24:33

Scottish Rally Championship

Scottish Season Review

2008 Scottish Rally Champions: Jimmy Girvan & Kirsty Riddick

1st

overall

Girvan Strikes Scottish Gold!

Words Phil James

PICTURES pro-rally.co.uk

The names of Jimmy Girvan and Kirsty Riddick are now written into the record books as the 2008 Scottish Rally Driver and Co-driver Champions, a success they achieved with one round still to run.

On paper that sounds as though

FINAL STANDINGS 1 Jimmy Girvan Subaru Impreza..................... 174 2 Mike Faulkner Mitsubishi Evo 6................... 161 3 David Bogie Toyota Corolla WRC.............. 148 4 Steven Clark Mitsubishi Evo 4................... 147 5 Barry Groundwater Mitsubishi Evo 9................... 144 6 John Morrison Mitsubishi Evo 9................... 136 7 Rory Young Mitsubishi Evo 5................... 120 8 Walter Henderson Subaru Impreza WRC N10..... 115 9 Steve Bannister Ford Escort Mk2................... 109 10 William Bonniwell Subaru Impreza..................... 102 11 Malloch Nicoll Mitsubishi Evo 9..................... 98 12 Shaun Sinclair Mitsubishi Evo 6..................... 97 13 Donnie Macdonald Mitsubishi Evo 9..................... 89 14 Gordon Murray Subaru Impreza....................... 88 15 Calum Mackenzie Ford Escort Mk11................... 86 16 Euan Thorburn Subaru Impreza....................... 77 17 Bruce McCombie Ford Puma.............................. 76 18 Mike Horne Ford Escort Mk2..................... 75 19 George McDonald Opel Corsa S1600................... 73 20 Alistair Thorburn Subaru Impreza....................... 63 dec/jan 2009 44 pacenotes.net

they had an easy ride to their title success, but in truth it wasn’t that simple….

In terms of entry numbers the 2008 County Saab MSA Scottish Rally Championship proved to be an astounding success. At a time when many events reported falling entry levels, those forming part of the SRC series constantly bucked the trend.

The championship continued its policy of allowing two-wheel drive cars first road use on selected rounds, something that doesn’t sit well with some four-wheel drive competitors. class

Seemingly though, it finds favour with the majority, so it’s not one to be knocked.

February’s traditional championship opener, Highland Car Club’s Snowman Rally, may have been short of the white stuff but the action was red hot! Inverness restaurateur Jimmy Girvan swept to victory on his home event in a closely fought contest with Neale Dougan and David Bogie. Bogie’s early lead disappeared with a second stage puncture whilst championship sponsor Dougan stuck doggedly to second place throughout the rally. class

1

class

2

Class 1 Champion: Alasdair Graham

class

6

Class 6 Champion: Alick Kerr

By the time the second round came about, the Jedburgh based Border Counties Rally, the championship had been rocked by news of Neale Dougan suffering a stroke. Bogie, who was Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 mounted this time, in his quest to accrue both Evo Challenge and Scottish Rally Championship points, was again quickest out the blocks. It wasn’t to last though as he went off in Ogre Hill allowing Girvan to grab another top points haul with Richard Cathcart finishing his closest rival.

The championship then headed back north to Aberdeen for the Granite City Rally. Bogie was back in the Toyota Corolla WRC and was happy to trail both Philip Morrow and Dave Weston, neither of whom was championship registered, to bag maximum points and put his title hopes back on track. It was close

3

Class 2 Champion: Frank MacDonald

class

Class 3 Champion: Mark McCulloch

class

7

8

Class 7 Champion: Mike Horne

Class 8 Champion: Barry Groundwater

2nd

overall

Scottish Season Review

Scottish Rally Championship

2nd Overall - Mike Faulkner 3rd Overall - David Bogie

3rd

overall

though as he only beat Girvan by virtue of his faster time on stage one. Further good scores from both Mike Faulkner and Steven Clark left the Mitsubishi pilots in strong positions should Girvan eventually falter.

By his own admission Girvan wasn’t confident of a top result on the championship’s only tarmac round, the Kelso based Jim Clark Reivers Rally. His reservations about a lack of tarmac experience proved unfounded as his Subaru Impreza was the top SRC registered four-wheel drive finisher behind the Escorts of Steve Bannister and Keith Robathan. Bogie’s bad luck continued when the Corolla retired, stuck in sixth gear, on the penultimate test whilst the leading registered contender.

Bogie revived his title hopes scoring maximum points on the Scottish Rally and when he repeated the feat on the following round, the Elgin based Speyside Stages, things looked far brighter for the Dumfries youngster.

Going into the Merrick Stages, the penultimate championship round, Bogie still trailed Girvan in the standings but with dropped scores to come into play his title prospects were looking good.

It would all end though with a massive

class

WITH Bogie, Weston Jnr and Thorburn, Scotland currently boasts three of Britain’s brightest rising stars. The prospect of all three contesting the 2009 SRC would be one to relish... accident in Glentrool, handing the title to Girvan on a plate and leaving the restaurant proprietor with the option of sitting out the final round.

Andy Horne finished the season with a maximum points haul on the Colin McRae Forest Stages where Faulkner did enough to claim runners-up position in the final standings ahead of Bogie. Clark finished a point behind in fourth whilst taking Group N honours, with Class 8 winner Barry Groundwater completing the top five places.

Kirsty Riddick became the first woman to win the co-drivers crown. class

4

5

Class 4 Champion: Bruce McCombie

class

Class 5 Champion: Michael Dymock

class

9

Hopefully it will prove a stepping stone to greater things, as like Bogie, she has youth on her side and should go far.

Martin Forrest was a double winner taking both the Group N and Class 8 co-drivers titles.

Group A honours went to Faulkner and his regular co-driver Peter Foy with the Weldex 2 Wheel Drive title going to Yorkshireman Steve Bannister and his Hawick based co-driver Louise Sutherland.

The F2 category was a closely fought affair between the Puma of eventual winner Bruce McCombie and George McDonald in his ex-Kris Meeke Opel Corsa S1600. Scoring was also tight in the Juniors where Class 3 winner Mark McCulloch did enough to beat Class 6 winner Alick Kerr despite losing out to him on the final round.

Other drivers topping the classes were Alasdair Graham, Frank MacDonald, Michael Dymock, Mike Horne, Gordon Murray, Jonathan Young, Donald Brooker and Rhona Mackin. Top co-driving awards went to Kenny McGuire, Billy Dixon, Craig Wallace, Michael Coutts, Christine Brown, Drew Sturrock, Robbie Mitchell, Corrine Yeaman, Susan Shanks and Rachel Brooker.

With Girvan setting his sights on the 2009 ANCRO series, next year’s Scottish Championship could see a new name added to the trophy. In David Bogie, Dave Weston Jnr and Euan Thorburn, Scotland currently boasts three of Britain’s brightest rising stars.

The prospect of all three contesting the 2009 SRC would be one to relish, let’s hope they do!

2WD overall

2WD Champion: Steve Bannister

GpN overall

class

10

11

2008 GpN Champion: Steven Clark

Class 9 Champion: Gordon Murray

Class 10 Champion: Jonathan Young

Class 11 Champion: Donald Brooker

pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

45

Round-Up of Clubman Rally Action

UK Clubman

Winners: Bob Grant & Peter Carstairs

Winners: Tony Thompson & Jon Dunning

Winners: Kevin Proctor & Paul McMullan

Grant Rules Kingdom!

Thompson Triumphs on Proctor’s Pace Puts Paid Muddy Malton! to Metros!

Alasdair Ewan

Mick Pattison

www.mandh-photography.co.uk

Event: Kingdom Stages. Date: 1st November, 2008. Venue: Crail Airfield, Fife. Surface: Tarmac. Stages: 6. Stage Miles: 46. Organisers: Glenrothes Motor Sport Club.

Championships: STRC; 205 Ecosse Challenge; Scottish Borders; Five of Clubs. Starters: 99. Finishers: 75.

Event: Malton Forest Rally. Date: 2nd November, 2008.

Venue: Pickering. Surface: Gravel. Stages: 8. Stage Miles: 44. Organisers: Malton Motor Club. Championships: Fiesta Sporting Trophy; ANCRO Rally Challenge; NHRC; ANECCC; ANCC; EMAMC; ANEMMC. Starters: 76. Finishers: 49.

Event: Lynn Charity Stages. Date: 2nd November, 2008.

Venue: Sculthorpe Airfield, Norfolk. Surface: Tarmac.

Stages: 8. Stage Miles: 85. Organisers: Kings Lynn & District Motor Club. Championships: AEMC; EMAMC; ANEMMC. Starters: 49. Finishers: 40.

Bob Grant and Peter Carstairs coasted their Subaru Impreza to victory after 2006 & 2007 winners John and Jim Rintoul retired their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 with gearbox problems whilst holding a healthy lead.

The Rintoul brothers had set a cracking pace from the off recording fastest time on the first four stages before being forced into retirement. Ross Hunter and Eildon Hall made an early challenge before dropping over a minute and a half on SS3 after suffering differential failure with their Lancer Evo4. They sourced a replacement part from Hunter’s road car then set a brace of fastest stage times on SS5 and SS6. It enabled them to climb back up to third at the finish and snatch sufficient points to claim the Scottish Borders Championship title.

David Hardie and John McCulloch had been third fastest through the opener but their rally ended on the following test when they inflicted severe damage to the rear of their Impreza after clouting a bank.

Bruce Edwards and Jim Smith had also been quick off the mark in their Darrian Honda S2000 but their day ended with three wheels on their wagon! Still, at least they had the consolation of being crowned 2008 Scottish Tarmack Rally Champions.

Grant had started slowly in the wet conditions completing SS1 in sixth place almost half a minute behind the leaders. He gained three places on the next test and once Hunter and Rintoul had problems the Impreza pilot hit the front, remaining there to the finish. Graham Clark and Amy McKinnon just held off the charging Hunter to finish runners-up making it an Impreza one-two.

Billy McLelland and Helen Brown had been second on times but their Lancer Evo3.5 was later excluded for a technical infringement.

Class 5 winners Gordon Winning and Robin Laird finished fourth overall in their Ford Escort Mk2 with Jim Sharp and Mark McCulloch completing the top five in their Impreza.

Just to complete a day best forgotten for the Rintoul family, young Graeme and co-driver Dayle Bousie rolled their Fiesta close to the finish of the final stage. That’s rallying for you!

Torrential rain throughout the day made for some atrocious conditions, resulting in a high rate of retirements as Tony Thompson and Jon Dunning repeated their 2005 success, guiding their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 to victory.

It was the 2007 winners Dave Weston and Dave Robson who were quickest through the opening Pickering Showground stage, steering their Ford Focus WRC05 around the half-mile test two seconds quicker than the eventual winners.

The rally then moved into the woods, starting with a seven miler in Cropton, where Charlie Payne and Craig Thorley were fastest in their Mitsubishi Lancer WRC Step2.

Weston’s run faltered when he stalled the Focus at a chicane 200 yards from the stage finish and the starter refused to engage. The car eventually fired-up again but he was now third, 18 seconds behind Payne, with Thompson sandwiched in between.

Weston was quickest through Gale Rigg, reducing Payne’s lead to four seconds, as Thompson established a 17 second buffer zone ahead of Steve Petch and John Richardson’s Hyundai Accent WRC. By the time crews emerged from Langdale Weston headed the standings ten seconds up on Payne with Thompson a further four seconds back.

There then followed a repeat of the first four stages starting at Pickering where differential problems ended Payne’s rally and another fastest stage time saw Weston extend his lead, now ahead of Thompson, to 29 seconds.

Weston then survived a sideways moment in Cropton 2 to add a further 11 seconds to his lead which now seemed unassailable. Sadly for the Scots crew their charge was halted in Gale Rigg when the fuel pump failed, allowing Thompson to cruise to victory, with Petch finishing second.

Tony Arnsby and Chris Purvis suffered gear selection problems and a misting screen but made a podium finish in their Lancer Evo8, ending the day 15 seconds ahead of Philip and Graham White’s Evo8. Jeff McNeill and Fred Roberts had been third after SS6 but the Impreza crew had to settle for fifth.

Fiesta ST honours went to Alastair Fisher and Barry McNulty after Kris Hall and Stephen Clark ran out of fuel on the final road section.

Kevin Proctor and Paul McMullan powered their Subaru Impreza WRC to victory with a late charge and string of fastest stage times, to head off of the challenge from a posse of MG Metro 6R4s.

It was the Metro of John Stone and Lee Carter that took the early lead, with a brace of fastest stage times, to establish a 14 second advantage over the similar car of Mark Jasper and Don Whyatt. Robert Lowe and Stephen Shephard completed the Metro 1-2-3, a further five seconds in arrears with the Impreza WRC of Ray Brammer and Matthew Whattam, who had been closest to Stone on the opener, holding fourth. Proctor meanwhile seemed to be struggling on the slippery stages, lying in fifth place and already 50 seconds behind Stone.

Then as Brammer’s run ended with gearbox problems, Proctor began a sequence of six fastest stage times to eat into Stone’s lead. By the end of SS4 he had overhauled Lowe and reduced his deficit to Stone to 35 seconds but Jasper was still holding second place, 23 seconds ahead of the Subaru pilot.

At the finish of SS6, Proctor had moved ahead of Jasper and closed to within six seconds of Stone, before reducing the gap to just two seconds with one stage to go. By this point Proctor, fresh from his rallycross success at Mondello Park the previous weekend, was well in his stride and completed the test 16 seconds faster than Stone to clinch a well earned victory.

Jasper completed the podium places whilst Lowe, who dropped a minute with a puncture on SS5, had to settle for fourth. Top two-wheel drive of the day came from Peter Rayner and Richard Bonner who finished fifth after setting top ten times on every stage in their Ford Escort Mk2.

Brett Griffin and Louise Earthy dominated class B, winning by over three minutes, whilst finishing 12th overall in their Peugeot 106.

Class A saw Chris Dakin and Ade Boler take the honours after the early leaders Dale Glover and Sean Ward, also Nova mounted, slipped to third behind the 106 of Jim Bowie and Ben Scott.

Results 1 Bob Grant/Peter Carstairs (Subaru Impreza) 55m56s; 2 Graham Clark/Amy McKinnon (Subaru Impreza) 56m57s; 3 Ross Hunter/Eildon Hall (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4) 57m02s; 4 Gordon Winning/Robin Laird (Ford Escort Mk2) 57m36s; 5 Jim Sharp/Mark McCulloch (Subaru Impreza) 57m50s; 6 Chris Able/Will Philip (Ford Escort Mk2); 57m56s; 7 Ian Forgan/Kathryn Forgan (Ford Escort RS200) 58m23s; 8 Brett Mitton/Derek Blyth (Ford Escort Mk2) 58m26s; 9 Iain MacKenzie/Angus MacKenzie (Peugeot 106) 58m45s; 10 Alasdair Graham/Michelle Falconer (Ford Escort Mk2) 58m45s.

Class Award Winners: 1: Stephen Lockhart/Phil Coulby (Vauxhall Nova); 2: Euan Duncan/Craig Chapman (Peugeot 205); 3: Iain MacKenzie/Angus MacKenzie (Peugeot 106); 4: Chris Able/Will Philip (Ford Escort Mk2); 5: Winning/Laird.

dec/jan 2009 46 pacenotes.net

Results 1 Tony Thompson/Jon Dunning (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 43m59s; 2 Steve Petch/John Richardson (Hyundai Accent WRC) 45m16s; 3 Tony Arnsby/Chris Purvis (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo8) 46m23s; 4 Philip White/Graham White (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo7) 46m38s; 5 Jeff McNeill/Fred Roberts (Subaru Impreza) 46m45s; 6 Chris Firth/Karen Watts (Subaru Impreza) 47m01s; 7 Alex Taylor/Barry Massey (Subaru Impreza) 47m22s; 8 Donovan Jenkin/Ian Bass (Subaru Impreza WRC) 47m43s; 9 Keith Turner/Steve Ward (Subaru Impreza) 48m06s; 10 Phil Pickard/Simon Pickard (Ford Escort Cosworth) 48m24s.

Class Award Winners: 1: John Lowe/Gaz Green (Vauxhall Corsa); 2: Malcolm Davey/Paul Slingsby (Ford Escort Mk1); 3: Alastair Fisher/ Barry McNulty (Ford Fiesta ST); 4: Steve Sanderson/Michael Blenkinsop (Ford Escort Mk2); 5: White/White.

Results 1 Kevin Proctor/Paul McMullan (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1hr39m51s; 2 John Stone/Lee Carter (MG Metro 6R4) 1hr40m05s; 3 Mark Jasper/Don Whyatt (MG Metro 6R4) 1hr40m36s; 4 Robert Lowe/Stephen Shephard (MG Metro 6R4) 1hr45m33s; 5 Peter Rayner/Richard Bonner (Ford Escort Mk2) 1hr46m47s; 6 Steve Tillbrook/Tom Peddle (Ford Escort Mk1) 1hr47m36s; 7 Mark Wilkinson/Kevin Ryalls (Subaru Impreza) 1hr47m59s; 8 Chris Cawthorne/Dave Machlallan (Subaru Impreza) 1hr48m22s; 9 Justin Oliver/James Crook (Subaru Impreza) 1hr48m35s; 10 Stephen Tilburn/Robert John (Ford Escort Mk2) 1hr49m09s.

Class Award Winners: A: Chris Daykin/Ade Boler (Vauxhall Corsa); B: Brett Griffin/Louise Earthy (Peugeot 106GTi); C: Rayner/Bonner; D: Tillbrook/Peddle; E: Lowe/Shephard.

WINNING COLOURS

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The perfect Christmas pressie for

your other half - Duke Video have released three new titles. Nobody will ever forget this year’s Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally, but if you didn’t make it to the event, make sure you get your hands on the DVD. And if you were there, buy it as a memento to remember the occasion! Price: £16.99, www.dukevideo.com.

There’s also a World Rally box set collection, with 10 discs

Dear Santa...

Get Those Last Minute Stocking Fillers! covering the 1990-1999 World Rally Championship. Complete season reviews from each year are included, and is priced at £99.99.

Alternatively, if the British championship is more your scene, then why not try the 2008 British Rally Championship official DVD review. Complete with in-car footage, interviews and behind the scenes clips, this is a concise review of the season. Price: £19.99.

We can’t forget some of the premier Irish DVD action, and RPM has a number of new productions released in time for Christmas. ‘Modified 2008: Tail out Talent’ is one of the latest in their series, following the modified men at various events across the country.

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dec/jan 2009

49

Dear Santa...

There’s also the 2008 Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship review, and it does what it says on the tin, as it follows the Tarmac contenders as they vie for championship laurels.

RPM has also launched ‘Circuit of Ireland Heroes 1’, covering the first 50 years of Ireland’s legendary event. All of RPM’s DVDs are available from www.rpm-motorsport.com and are priced at £22 each.

Continuing with the DVD theme, a Citroen C2 R2 Irish Cup DVD is also available in time for Christmas. It would make a great end of season gift for sponsors and family! Priced at £12.50/€15, it can be purchased from the

dec/jan 2009 50 pacenotes.net

Citroen parts team on +44 (0) 28 9038 3512.

Then there’s ‘Irish Rallying - volume one’.

Although it’s not a new release, this collection of clips from various events during the 2002 rally season is worthy of any rally fan’s collection.

Complete with bonus in-car footage, the DVD can be purchased online for £20 from www.rallyvideos.com.

For the passionate gamers out there, a GameRacer package is essential! Stocked by Co. Monaghan’s KT Communications, the package features a seat, steering wheel and gearbox which can be connect to a range of consoles, including Playstation and XBox. Prices

vary depending on the package chosen, so visit www.gameracer.ie for more information!

If you prefer looking at static cars, or are an avid collector, then why not consider some rally models? P&J Models offer some high quality examples, with everything from Escorts to Subarus and more. Log on to www. pjrallymodels.com for more details.

Of course, you can’t beat a good rally calendar for the season ahead, and Seamus Counihan’s popular Irish rally calendar fits the bill nicely. Priced from €32, it features 25 top class photos taken throughout the 2008 season, and is available from www.crspics.com.

Perhaps you fancy a decent rally read, so how grabbing a copy of the Donegal Experience? Billed as the ultimate guide to the Donegal International Rally, the book is priced at €30 and is available from www. donegalmotorclub.com.

If you want to spend a bit more on your loved one, then the hot topic at the moment is a HANS Device. Competitors have no option but to use these when rallying in Ireland

Dear Santa...

Alternatively, if you see enough Irish rallying throughout the year, then McKlein’s World Rally Championship offering should tick all the boxes. Once again in the popular wide format, the 2009 calendar costs €47, and is also available from www.crspics.com.

next year, so it would definitely be a worthwhile present to give.

There are a range of outlets offering the devices, and quick search through this edition of Pacenotes should give you a few ideas of where to buy them.

For the ultimate rally fan, you can’t beat taking a real rally car out for a spin! Rally Connection, based in Co. Waterford, gives the ideal opportunity to drive a rally car in a safe environment. Prices start from €245, but be careful, you might catch the ‘bug’ and want to buy a rally car of your own! Check out www.Rallyconnection.com

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pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

51

Endurance Rally round-up

Lombard Rally

Winners: Nigel Bramall & Roger Close

From Harrogate it Started In rallying terms, the film of the 1971 RAC Rally ‘From Harrogate it Started…’, was the equivalent of a Hollywood classic. Thirty-odd years on, this Barrie Hinchcliffe production is still an iconic record of one of the toughest rallies ever run on these shores.

Words Phil James PICTURES pro-rally.co.uk

3rd: Rob Navin & Ian Varney

The film follows a 2,500 mile

journey through forests, stately homes and even a sewage works and includes an interview with a young Tony Mason after his rally ended in a pond!

To replicate such an event today would be nigh on impossible but the aim of the 2008 Lombard Rally was to get somewhere close to it, albeit whilst running only half the mileage. Even so, a 1,250 mile rally isn’t one for the faint hearted and just as promised, it proved a tough event.

the 286 mile leg at Glasgow around 11pm.

Standings at Glasgow - End of Leg 1:

Endurance Top 5: 1. Doug Brown/Graham Raeburn (Vauxhall Nova) - 01h05m26s, 2.

Martin Kernahan/Simon Lassam (MG ZR) 01h06m13s, 3. Karl O’Donoghue/Alan Dorman (Rover 200) - 01h06m24s, 4. Rob Navin/Ian Varney (Nissan Micra) - 01h07m43s, 5. Nigel Bramall/Roger Close (Vauxhall Corsa Sri) - 01h07m44s Historics Top 5: 1. Kevin Clark/Tom Leeming (Avenger Tiger) - 01h17m15s, 2. Rob Dance/Graham Dance (Ford Escort Sport) - 01h18m18s, 3. Stuart Cariss/Linda Cariss (Ford Escort) - 01h19m36s, 4. Clive Martin/ Anji Martin (Escort Mk1 Sport) - 01h19m37s 5. Jack Curran/David Bardwell (Lancia Coupe Rallye) - 01h19m39s

Day 1 Harrogate - Glasgow:

1st Hist: Jack Curran & David Bardwell

2nd Hist: Rob Dance & Graham Dance

3rd Hist: Kenny MacEwan & John Ingham

dec/jan 2009 52 pacenotes.net

The action got underway on a cold, wet and misty Thursday morning when crews were flagged away by the Mayor of Harrogate and a more mature Tony Mason. Crews were quickly into the first selectif at the Yorkshire Event Centre where Ben and Mike Dawson’s Rover 214 topped the standings. Boltby came next and the slippery, misty conditions caught out Frank Fennell and Kevin Savage who having damaged the radiator of their Rover 214 wouldn’t get much further.

Following a pair of selectifs in Stang, where Ross Butterworth and Ali Proctor put their Ford Escort Mk1 off, the rally headed to Slaley via Stanhope Ford before reaching the Hexham rest halt.

The rally then headed further north into Kielder and on into Kershope before crossing the border to tackle Castle O’er ending

2nd: Karl O’Donoghue & Alan Dorman

Day 2 Glasgow – Glasgow:

A 6am start saw crews head north along the shores of Loch Lomond to tackle Drimsynie prior to the daunting eight miles of Rest and Be Thankful. Neither of the two overnight leading crews would reach the famous hill climb as gearbox problems sidelined Brown’s Nova, and an altercation with a rock that broke a TCA finished Kernahan’s ZR. Those that did make it to the top then turned south down the Cowal Peninsula taking in a trio of selectifs, Glenbranter, Ardentinny and Innellan, before

reaching Dunoon around mid-day.

There then developed a threeway fight for top honours with Karl O’Donoghue holding pole position by the time crews reached Loch Fyne after completing the Allt Na Blathaich and Invernoaden selectifs.

Bramhall and Dawson weren’t far behind the Irishman as less than 40 seconds separated the top three crews.

An off road excursion saw Clark slip to second in the Historics who were now headed by the Escort Mk1 of husband and wife team Stuart and Linda Cariss. Worse would follow for Clark as another incident would see the Avenger beached on some rocks needing to be winched free by a recovery vehicle. They then cut and run missing a trio of tests and ruining any chance of a Historic victory.

Crews now faced a loop of seven selectifs plus return visits to Drimsynie and Rest and Be Thankful in pitch darkness before heading back to Glasgow for a well-earned rest. As they checked into parc ferme around midnight O’Donoghue had extended his lead to almost two minutes over Bramhall who in turn had a 15 second advantage over Dawson.

Standings at Glasgow – End of Leg 2:

Endurance Top 5: 1. Karl O’Donoghue/ Alan Dorman (Rover 200) - 03h52m06s, 2.

Nigel Bramall/Roger Close (Vauxhall Corsa Sri) - 03h54m05s, 3. Ben Dawson/Mike Dawson (Rover 214i) - 03h54m20s, 4. Robin Eyre-Maunsell/Peter Scott (Nissan Micra) - 03h57m42s, 5. Philip Boothroyd/Colin Child (Vauxhall Corsa) - 03h58m20s Historic Top 5: 1. Stuart Cariss/Linda Cariss (Ford Escort) - 04h20m55s, 2. Ross

Another 6am start signaled a change of direction as the rally now headed south starting with the Greskine selectif where Dawson dropped time after taking the wrong route. There then followed a pair of selectifs in Ae totaling almost 17 miles before competitors reached the ‘Colin McRae’ selectif in Dalry.

Four further selectifs, two each side of Castle Douglas, followed by two longer runs through Ae and visits to Castle O’er and Kershope completed the days schedule.

By the time crews reached Carlisle, Bramhall had overhauled O’Donoghue, who had slipped off the road on Ae 4, to hold a four plus minute lead heading into Sunday’s short leg.

Some frantic activity amongst the historic runners saw another change at the top as a broken exhaust way-laid Carris promoting

Standings at Carlisle – End of Leg 3:

Endurance Top 5: 1. Nigel Bramall/Roger Close (Vauxhall Corsa Sri) - 06h10m24s, 2.

Karl O’Donoghue/Alan Dorman (Rover 200) - 06h14m49s, 3. Rob Navin/Ian Varney (Nissan Micra) - 06h15m00s, 4. Ben Dawson/Mike Dawson (Rover 214i) - 06h16m12s, 5. Robin Eyre-Maunsell/Peter Scott (Nissan Micra) - 06h19m57s Historics Top 5: 1. Jack Curran/David Bardwell (Lancia Coupe Rallye) - 07h56m56s, 2. Rob Dance/Graham Dance (Ford Escort Sport) - 08h02m33s, 3. Kenny MacEwan/John Ingham (Alfa Giulia Super) - 08h03m02s, 4.

Peter Barker/Willy Cave (Morris Mini Cooper ‘S’) - 08h08m57s, 5. Ross Butterworth/Ali Proctor (Ford Escort ) - 08h11m00s

Day 4 Carlisle – Harrogate:

unchanged from that finishing the previous night.

From Harrogate it started and in Harrogate it finished. Those that lasted the course knew they had been in a tough event, not as tough as that 1971 epic, but by today’s modern rallying standards it was tough, very tough!

Lombard Rally

Day 3 Glasgow – Carlisle:

Butterworth to pole position. When he suffered similar problems late in the day Curran grabbed a lead he would hold to the finish. Clark, having clawed his way back up to third, then slipped back down the standings after breaking a stub axle.

Endurance Rally round-up

Butterworth/Ali Proctor (Ford Escort ) - 04h21m27s, 3. Jack Curran/David Bardwell (Lancia Coupe Rallye) - 04h53m39s, 4. Kenny MacEwan/John Ingham (Alfa Giulia Super) 04h54m40s, 5. Peter Barker/Willy Cave (Morris Mini Cooper ‘S’) - 04h59m25s

Endurance - Final OA Positions at Harrogate Finish

1. Nigel Bramall/Roger Close (Vauxhall Corsa Sri) - 06h37m38s, 2. Karl O’Donoghue/ Alan Dorman (Rover 200) - 06h41m06s, 3. Rob Navin/Ian Varney (Nissan Micra) - 06h41m39s, 4. Ben Dawson/Mike Dawson (Rover 214i) - 06h42m33s, 5. Paul Heal/ David Harris (MG ZR) - 06h46m37s, 6. Stephen Sawley/Rob Johnson (MG ZR) - 06h46m55s, 7. Robin Eyre-Maunsell/Peter Scott (Nissan Micra) - 06h47m09s, 8. Philip Boothroyd/Colin Child (Vauxhall Corsa) - 06h51m53s, 9.

Constant Busch/Yasar Jabbar (Daihatsu Sirion ‘S’) - 07h07m10s, 10. Tom O’Connor/Vincent Fagan (MG ZR) - 07h16m43s.

Historic - Final OA Positions at Harrogate Finish

With only a handful of selectifs remaining the overnight top four completed the final leg in unchanged order though Navin feared the worst after collecting a puncture on Stang 4. It was a similar story in the Historic category where the final finishing order remained

1. Jack Curran/David Bardwell (Lancia Coupe Rallye) - 08h30m21s, 2. Rob Dance/Graham Dance (Ford Escort Sport) - 08h32m11s, 3.

Kenny MacEwan/John Ingham (Alfa Giulia Super) - 08h34m23s, 4. Peter Barker/Willy Cave (Morris Mini Cooper ‘S’) - 08h39m12s, 5. Ross Butterworth/Ali Proctor (Ford Escort ) - 08h40m14s, 6. Clive Martin/Anji Martin (Escort Mk1 Sport) - 09h28m52s, 7. Dave Whitaker/Peter Whitaker (Cortina GT Mk1) - 09h33m10s, 8. Kevin Clark/Tom Leeming (Avenger Tiger) - 09h33m14s, 9. Stuart Cariss/ Linda Cariss (Ford Escort) - 10h12m17s

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Goodbye 2008!

Steve Perez â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;kicksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; his glorious sounding Stratos down a stage on the recent RAC Rally.

Image by Mick Pattison

dec/jan 2009 54 pacenotes.net

Freeze Frame the best images captured...

rally magazine

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dec/jan 2009 56 pacenotes.net

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Round 1

Safety Direct Galway International Rally It all started back in February when the country was in the midst of a cold snap. The Safety Direct Galway International Rally received a healthy entry, and with 14 World Rally Car crews starting the event, it was clear that the looming credit crunch had yet to take a firm grip of the Celtic Tiger.

Gareth MacHale and Allan Harryman started with number one on their doors, but they retired their Ford Focus WRC on the opening stage after hitting a rock.

Eugene Donnelly struggled with a faulty throttle body throughout day

one, and Mark Higgins was also in trouble as he lost time with a misted windscreen and a puncture.

It was Tim McNulty and navigator Eugene Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell who topped the timesheets at the end of day one, but Mark Higgins had put in a superb recovery drive to occupy second.

Boland was third ahead of Aaron MacHale, while Eugene Donnelly struggled into fifth position.

Meanwhile, Andreas Mikkelsen had been forced to retire with a broken steering arm.

The final leg of the event saw Higgins and co-driver Rory Kennedy continue their charge towards the number one slot. 34 seconds adrift at the start of the day, they overhauled

2nd

overall

McNulty on the penultimate stage and went on to win the event by 15.7 seconds. Tim McNulty and Eugene Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell had to settle for second on this occasion, with Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey third.

Aaron MacHale and Killian Duff y were the last of the WRC crews inside the top 10, as they sealed fourth in their Ford Focus WRC. Eugene Donnelly and Paul Kiely had looked set to take a top five result, but a pressure problem with their Subaru signalled an end to their rally. Nobody realised it at the time, but it also signalled an end to their attempts at retaining the championship title, as they were forced to call time on their campaign due to a lack of budget.

Irish Tarmac Season Review

2008 will be a year to forget for many, but for Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey, the season will be held close to their hearts for many years to come. At the beginning of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, Boland had just one victory to his name.

But 10 months further down the line, he can now lay claim to another five wins, as well as the prestigious ITC crown!

Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship

Boland Top After Tough Season

WORDS Jonathan MacDonald PICTURES Seamus Counihan John Bayly neillpics.co.uk

Round 2

UAC Circuit of Ireland International Rally

Gareth MacHale

In stark contrast to the Safety Direct Galway event, only 28 crews started the 2008 UAC Circuit of Ireland International Rally. And of those 28, eight WRC crews were vying for the top spot.

Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey surprised everyone by topping the timesheets over the 16-

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Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship

Irish Tarmac Season Review

report in association with

FINAL STANDINGS 1 Eamonn Boland.................. 104.5 2 Gareth MacHale...................... 52 3 Mark Higgins........................... 50 4 Kevin Kelleher......................... 50 5 Aaron MacHale....................... 41 6 John McGlaughlin................ 37.5 7 Tim McNulty........................... 29 8 Kevin Lynch............................ 24 9 Brendan Cumiskey............... 20.5 10 Derek McGarrity...................... 20 11 Martin O’Donnell..................... 18 12 Denis Biggerstaff..................... 18 13 Eugene Donnelly..................... 15 14 Jason Pritchard....................... 14 15 Stanley Ballantine.................... 14 16 Tommy Doyle....................... 13.5 17 Garry Jennings....................... 12 18 Mark Nangle........................... 10 19 Philip Conneely....................... 10 20 David Randles........................... 8

4th

3rd

5th

overall

overall

Mark Higgins

Kevin Kelleher

mile rally opener, but Mark Higgins was just beginning to get settled in.

After stage two, the Manx-born driver transformed a four second deficit into a 23 second lead!

The Circuit trophy was not destined to go home with Higgins though, as a broken front differential at the start of stage four relegated him to the sidelines. That left Boland in charge, ahead of Derek McGarrity, while Tim McNulty was third - in front of Gareth MacHale - at the end of the leg.

Leg two saw Gareth MacHale mount a huge charge for the top spot, while Derek McGarrity retired with an engine problem. So the final leg of the event saw a battle between Eamonn Boland and Gareth MacHale.

Going into the last stage, just four seconds lay between him and rally leader Boland. On this occasion, it was Boland that claimed victory, giving the Impreza S12B its first international rally success in the process.

MacHale had to settle for second ahead of Tim McNulty, while reigning National champion Aaron MacHale finished fourth. Denis Biggerstaff and Alistair Wyllie completed the class A8 finishers by taking seventh overall, after a drama filled rally which saw them encounter punctures, spins and gearbox problems.

Impreza WRC out of the event.

McNulty set a string of fastest times to lead the event but then he crashed out at high speed on stage seven, leaving Boland at thefore. And in an almost identical situation to Easter’s Circuit of Ireland, Gareth MacHale was chomping at his heels!

Third placed Donie O’Sullivan crashed out of the event on Moll’s Gap on the Sunday morning, leaving Boland and MacHale to battle for victory. Sadly, MacHale’s challenge also came to a premature end on stage 14 when he crashed his Ford Focus WRC. He had reduced Boland’s advantage to less than three seconds when the incident happened, and the impact hurt navigator Craig Parry’s back.

Denis Biggerstaff rolled his Impreza WRC, but at the head

Round 3

of the field, Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey were the image of consistency. They held on to claim their second consecutive victory, while Derek McGarrity finished second ahead of an overjoyed Dessie Keenan in third. Aaron MacHale and Killian Duffy finished fourth, in front of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle, who put in a stunning drive to take fifth in their hired Super 1600 Renault Clio.

Ordnance Survey Killarney Rally of the Lakes There was plenty of drama at the 2008 Rally of the Lakes. Mark Higgins was forced to miss the event due to commitments as a stunt driver for the James Bond film Quantum Of Solace, but there was no shortage of competition among the field. 15 World Rally Car crews turned out to sample Killarney’s finest stages, and there were one or two new faces on the scene.

It was Circuit winner Eamonn Boland who grabbed the early lead, only for Tim McNulty to move ahead after stage three. That same stage claimed Kevin Lynch, who crashed his

overall

Aaron MacHale

Higgins was still capable of taking points away from the big guns, but he was in a Group N Subaru, putting him on the back foot.

Gareth MacHale immediately hit trouble on the opening stage with a puncture, while Eamonn Boland had a high speed spin. Amid all the drama, Tim McNulty was staying cool, calm and collected as he led from the start.

After his early spin, Boland settled into the groove to finish the opening leg 24 seconds behind McNulty.

Meanwhile, Gareth MacHale had set a few fastest times, to climb into third overall, but he was still more than one minute adrift. Mark Higgins finished the opening leg in fourth, while Aaron MacHale held fifth.

The final leg comprised of five stages and Eamonn Boland immediately mounted a charge for

6th

overall

John McGlaughlin

Round 4

Jim Clark Rally Only four Irish WRC crews started Scotland’s Jim Clark Rally, with Eamonn Boland, Gareth MacHale, Aaron MacHale and Tim McNulty making the journey. Of course, Mark

victory. Three stages later, he was in front of McNulty, and for the second time this year, McNulty had to concede victory almost within sight of the finish!

Boland and Morrissey won the event, making their championship challenge even stronger, but McNulty had more problems to worry about.

They were dealt another blow when they received a 15 minute time penalty for a ‘prohibited service’ infringement. As a result, he finished outside the top 10, allowing Gareth MacHale and Brian Murphy to finish second overall, ahead of Mark Higgins and Rory Kennedy, while Aaron MacHale retired at the end of the final stage.

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Sadly, the 2008 Topaz Donegal International will not be remembered for titanic battles on the stages.

During stage 11 of the event, Richard McGrath was struck by a competing car and fatally injured. Donegal Motor Club brought an immediate halt to the rally and later announced the event’s cancellation.

Before the tragic accident occurred, there was a tremendous battle taking place as numerous crews were vying for outright honours.

Reigning champion Eugene Donnelly had returned to the fray with a Skoda Fabia WRC, while former champion Derek McGarrity was also back with an Impreza WRC. Kevin Lynch was also in action, as were Paul Harris and Daniel Doherty, not to mention the championship regulars.

McGarrity was the man in front after stage one but it was ‘The Genie’ who took control shortly afterwards.

With a lot of development work on the Fabia’s suspension completed, Donnelly brushed off the cobwebs and when the event was tragically cut short, he claimed the win.

Derek McGarrity, Tim McNulty and Patrick Elliott all retired, while Kevin Lynch moved in front of Gareth MacHale to claim second. Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey finished fourth ahead of Daniel and Michael Doherty in fifth.

Round 6

Rally Isle of Man Eamonn Boland was the only man with a World Rally Car to travel to the 2008 Rally Isle of Man, so you would be forgiven for thinking that he ran away with the event victory – but he didn’t. A victory here would have resulted in his maiden ITC crown, but a combination of the weather conditions and a certain local driver ensured Boland had to wait that bit longer.

Caught out on slick tyres, Boland spun his Impreza during the opening leg and combined with a 10 second penalty, he finished the day 40 seconds behind Mark Higgins and Rory Kennedy. Despite being in a lesser powered Group N car, Higgins was on a mission as he piloted his Subaru around his familiar homeland.

Day two saw Boland fail to make any inroads into Higgins’ lead, but on

Round 7

ToddsLeap.com Ulster International Rally Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey entered the Ulster on the verge of claiming the 2008 Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship title. Only Mark Higgins had a mathematical chance of winning, although the Group N Subaru pilot insisted that even if he did win the event, he wouldn’t contest the final

Ulster, and despite complaining of bad eyesight, King Kenny made a successful return to Ulster’s lanes by finishing sixth. The same couldn’t be said for his daughter Emma, who retired her Impreza WRC with mechanical troubles after stage 14, while Peadar Hurson crashed his Subaru shortly after the start of stage one.

Round 8

Murphy Construction/ Weathermaster Cork ‘20’ International Rally Towards the end of the year, it looked as though the ‘credit crunch’ was beginning to have a profound effect on the rally entry lists. After a number of withdrawals from the Cork event, just five WRC crews made the start.

Five quickly became four when Eugene Donnelly retired his Skoda Fabia WRC with a broken connection to his alternator. That was one less for Eamonn Boland to worry about, as he led the event from Gareth MacHale.

As it transpired, Cork was another battle between Boland and MacHale, and like most of their battles in 2008, it was Boland who emerged on top

7th

8th

overall

Tim McNulty

round as it clashed with a British event.

Nonetheless, Boland ensured that Higgins didn’t have that choice.

He secured the 2008 title in style by taking a start to finish win at the Armagh based event. Kevin Lynch was his closest challenger throughout the rally, but the Dungiven pilot took some time to settle in. By the time he found his form, the damage had already been done as Boland was too far ahead.

Derek McGarrity had also entered the event but a double puncture didn’t help his cause. He was never any higher than fourth overall throughout the weekend, and at the finish ramp, he was placed fifth behind the leading Group N pilots Mark Higgins and Guy Wilks.

Kenny McKinstry and Noel Orr also returned to action at the

Irish Tarmac Season Review

Topaz Donegal International Rally

the final day, a rejuvenated Wexford man came to life. After starting the leg more than one minute adrift of the rally leader, a string of fastest times saw the Manxman’s advantage shrink to 15 seconds with two stages remaining.

The momentum was in Boland’s favour, but Higgins managed to up his pace and stem the tide. Victory for the British star was hanging on a knife edge but he held on to claim the rally win in what was the closest finish in the event’s history. Second position for Eamonn Boland ensured he had to wait another few weeks before he could lay claim to the 2008 ITC crown.

Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship

Round 5

overall

Kevin Lynch

once again. MacHale tried to reel in his rival during the final leg, and reduced the deficit to less than 14 seconds with one stage remaining.

But it was Boland who emerged on top for the fifth time this season.

Like a true champion, he raised the bar when he needed to, and the victory champagne in Cork - where he had taken his first rally win - tasted sweeter than ever!

As for Gareth MacHale and Brian Murphy, they had to settle for second overall, but it’s only a matter of time before Gareth tops the podium at an Irish Tarmac Championship event.

Meanwhile, Aaron MacHale and Killian Duffy finished third overall, with Liam McCarthy and Kieran Murphy completing the WRC finishers in sixth.

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Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship

Irish Tarmac Season Review

report in association with

CLASS STANDINGS Class N2 1 Martin O’Donnell .................... 87 2 Joseph McGonigle.................. 57 3 Philip Conneely.................... 56.5 Class N3 1 Ian Hynes............................... 40 2 Billy Hayes.............................. 30 3 Fin McCaul.............................. 27

Tar Wars…

Class N3

1st CLN2: Martin O’Donnell

Class N2

Martin O’Donnell ran away with the class N2 honours in this year’s series. Victory at round one of the championship in Galway was only a sign of things to come, as he went on to take the class spoils in Killarney, Scotland, Donegal and the Isle of Man! Those victories, combined with second position at the Circuit of Ireland, were more than enough to ensure that he sealed the class title.

Joseph McGonigle was the best of the rest, sealing the runner-up spot by half a point from Philip Conneely. In the navigators’ category, Leona O’Donnell secured the top spot ahead of Michelle Crowley and Stephen Cooney.

Class N3a 1 Roy White............................... 30 Class N4 1 Kevin Kelleher...................... 98.5 2 John McGlaughlin................... 75 3 Brendan Cumiskey.................. 49 Group N overall 1 Kevin Kelleher...................... 98.5 2 John McGlaughlin................... 57 3 Mark Higgins........................... 45

2nd CLN2: Joseph McGonigle

Class A5 1 Andrew Stewart ..................... 42 2 Andrew Gamble...................... 30 Class A6 1 John Keon.............................. 42 2 Jason Pritchard....................... 30 3 William White.......................... 12 Class 6a 1 Ian Roche............................... 45 Class A7 1 Tommy Doyle....................... 64.5 2 Toni Kelly................................ 62 3 David Randles......................... 33

Class N3a

Ian Hynes powered his Honda Civic to the top of class N3, but it was Billy Hayes who took the early lead at the start of the year.

Hayes, also in a Civic, claimed maximum points at the opening round in Galway, and followed that with another victory in Killarney!

Fin McCaul joined the

1st CLN3: Ian Hynes

winners’ list with victory in Scotland, and it was only towards the end of the year that Hynes became a contender. Victories at the Donegal and Ulster rallies saw him move 10 points ahead of Hayes to claim the title, with McCaul finishing third. Des Sherlock won the navigators’ trophy, with Pierce Doheny Jnr in second position.

2nd CLN3: Billy Hayes

Class N4

The battle among the class four crews quickly became a story about two men during the season: Kevin Kelleher and John McGlaughlin. Kelleher grabbed the early advantage with victory in Galway, but the tables turned at the 1st CLN4: Kevin Kelleher Circuit of Ireland when McGlaughlin emerged victorious.

The Cookstown driver’s win allowed him to move to the head of the championship tables, but it was Kelleher who was back on top once again in Killarney. McGlaughlin was heading for a solid result in Scotland 2nd CLN4: John McGlaughlin when a wheel fell off his car, allowing Kelleher to move further ahead.

It seemed that luck was in Kelleher’s favour as he continued to collect more points than the Cookstown man, and in the end, he claimed the class crown as well as the overall Group N title. McGlaughlin had to settle for second with Brendan Cumiskey third, ahead of Mark Higgins. Martin Kelleher picked up the navigators’ award ahead of Rory Kennedy, with Crawford Henderson third.

1st CLN3a: Roy White

Roy White and Stephen McAuley were the sole entrants in class N3a, and victories in Galway and Donegal ensured they claimed the class trophy.

Class A8 1 Eamonn Boland.................. 107.5 2 Gareth MacHale...................... 52 3 Aaron MacHale....................... 41

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Class A6

Nobody scored any points in class A6 until the third round of the championship in Killarney, where John Keon took the spoils ahead of William White. Keon backed up his win with another victory in Donegal, and combined with second position at the Ulster, it was enough to seal the class title.

Jason Pritchard won the category at the Manx and Ulster rallies, so he took second in championship terms ahead of William White. Michael Ward won the navigators’ trophy, with George Gwynn in second position.

1st CLA5: Andrew Stewart

2nd CLA5: Andrew Gamble

win for Stewart at the Ulster allowed him to seal the title. In the navigators’ standings, Tony Gallagher took the class award,

with Mark Vaughan in second position.

Class 6a

1st CL6a: Ian Roche

Class A7

The battle among the class A7 crews went right down to the wire in Cork as Tommy Doyle and Toni Kelly battled to earn the title. It was Garret McMonagle who took the championship lead after round one, but both Doyle and Kelly moved ahead a few rounds later.

Doyle held the upper hand

1st CLA7: Tommy Doyle

Ian and Paul Roche were the sole points scorers in the Super 1600 category, so there was little surprise when they claimed the category honours!

after Donegal, leading Kelly by 11 points, but his failure to score at the Ulster allowed Kelly to move in front with one round remaining. Doyle regained the advantage though, with victory in Cork, ensuring he won the class title by 2.5 points from Kelly, with David Randles third. Tony McDaid took the navigators’ title by half a point from Joe Hunter, with John Young third.

Irish Tarmac Season Review

Just two crews contested class A5, with Andrew Stewart and Andrew Gamble going head to head. Gamble claimed the initial advantage, with victory aboard his Nissan Micra in Galway, only for Stewart to draw level after a win in Killarney.

Gamble moved in front once more after finishing in front of his rival in Donegal, but another

Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship

Class A5

2nd CLA7: Toni Kelly

Class A8

Eamonn Boland topped class A8 from second placed Gareth MacHale, while Aaron MacHale finished third. Damien Morrissey finished first among the navigators, with Killian Duffy second ahead of Eugene O’Donnell. See main report for more details.

1st CLA6: John Keon

2nd CLA6: Jason Pritchard

1st CLA8: Eamonn Boland

2nd CLA8: Gareth MacHale

READY FOR 2009 ARE YOU? pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

61

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR 2008 CHAMPIONS

CONNOR McCLOSKEY

2008 NORTHERN IRELAND RALLY CHAMPION

ELFYN EVANS

READY FOR 2009 ARE YOU?

2008 IRISH & UK FST CHAMPION

DAVID BOGIE

UK EVO CHALLENGE CHAMPION

BRENDAN CUMISKEY

IRISH EVO CHALLENGE CHAMPION

www.pirelli.co.uk

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR 2008 CHAMPIONS

CONNOR McCLOSKEY

2008 NORTHERN IRELAND RALLY CHAMPION

ELFYN EVANS

READY FOR 2009 ARE YOU?

2008 IRISH & UK FST CHAMPION

DAVID BOGIE

UK EVO CHALLENGE CHAMPION

BRENDAN CUMISKEY

IRISH EVO CHALLENGE CHAMPION

www.pirelli.co.uk

The historic, post-historic and classic categories have plenty of fans, and this year’s championship tussles were electric on the stages.

Richard Hall

his fifth of the season, and with it he claimed the 2008 Irish Historic Tarmac Championship. Philip Kerlin claimed second ahead of Niall Creighton, while Wendy Blackledge claimed the navigators’ award ahead of Noel Anderson and Gregory Roberts.

Post-Historic Category The result at the opening round of this year’s post-historic category was very appropriate as Richard Hall took the win from Denis Moynihan. That set the scene for the year, as these two drivers went head to head for the championship spoils in a battle that went right down to the wire.

Hall extended his lead with another win at round two, where Moynihan finished third behind Derek Boyd.

Then it was Moynihan’s turn to gain the upper hand with a win in Killarney

over Hall, but Moynihan later received a blow when he retired from the Manx.

It was Derek Boyd who claimed the win on the Isle of Man from Richard Hall, ensuring Boyd also remained in the hunt. Then at the Ulster Rally, Hall retired from the event while Keith McIvor won from Alan Jardine and Denis Moynihan. So the tussle went down to the final round, with Hall holding a seven point advantage over Moynihan, and Boyd two points further behind.

In the end, it was Richard Hall who claimed the Cork win as well as the 2008 Post-Historic title, while Denis Moynihan finished second, 10 points adrift of his rival. Derek Boyd retired from the final round of the season, but he still managed to claim third in the series standings. Meanwhile, Sam McMullan took the co-drivers’ award, with Dan Moynihan second ahead of Roisin Boyd.

Classic Category Entries by the classic category competitors were few and far between during the 2008 season. In fact, two victories for Ernie Graham were enough to seal the title! Maximum points at the Killarney and Ulster rallies placed him ahead of his rivals, while a win for Adrian Kermode in Galway put him in second position after winning a tie-break with David Meeke, who secured the top spot at the ‘Circuit’. Maurice Beckett was the sole registered navigator, so he took the co-drivers’ title.

RESULTS 1 2 3 4 5 6

Mervyn Johnston ................... 60 Philip Kerlin ............................ 37 Niall Creighton........................ 15 William Stevenson.................. 12 William Todd .......................... 12 Michael Nutt............................. 8

Post-historic overall 1 Richard Hall ........................... 69 2 Denis Moynihan ..................... 59 3 Derek Boyd ............................ 45 4 Keith Ivor ............................... 29 5 Desmond McCartney ............. 25 6 Alan Jardine ........................... 12 Classics overall 1 Ernie Graham ......................... 30 2 Adrian Kermode ..................... 15 3 David Meeke .......................... 15 4 Kieran O’Neill ......................... 12

Ernie Graham

NG

D WINN I AR

ADVANCED

FORMULATIONS H IG

H

E

73-year-old Mervyn Johnston got off to the best of starts with victory at the opening round in Galway. Both Philip Kerlin and William Todd retired at the event, allowing Johnston to coast to an unassailable win. He continued his run of form with another win at round two’s Circuit of Ireland, where William Stevenson claimed second from Philip Kerlin.

Philip Kerlin and William Todd were back in action for Killarney, but again it was Johnston who claimed the top award. Johnston led from the start, so when both Kerlin and Todd retired once again, it was the Fermanagh man who was able to coast to the finish line.

The championship was quickly swinging in Johnston’s favour. Donegal was cancelled for the historic crews as a result of a tragic accident which claimed the life of a spectator (see main ITC report), so it was the Isle of Man where they returned to action. Here it was Niall Creighton who claimed the top spot from Philip Kerlin.

That was to be Creighton’s only points haul of the season, and despite Kerlin’s score, he was still more than 20 points adrift of the leader. However, a victory for the Mini pilot at the Ulster

P ER

NC

Historic Category

Rally, where Johnston retired, put him right back into the hunt, leaving eight points between the two crews going into the final round.

Cork marked the final round of the season, and the battle between Mervyn Johnston and Philip Kerlin resumed.

Unfortunately for Kerlin, his rally didn’t last very long, allowing Johnston to sail to another category victory. It was

AW

It was Mervyn Johnston who once again claimed the top spot in the historic championship, while Richard Hall took the post-historic award and Ernie Graham sealed the Classic category. This is how it panned out…

Season Review

It’s All History Now…

Global Group Irish Tarmac Historic Championship

report in association with

Mervyn Johnston

FOR M

A

Tel:

+44 (0)1484 713201

millersoils.co.uk pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

63

Co Wi

Stage Notes

20

great co-driver tips from shelley rogerson

Well folks, I’m back after a wee break

- quite literally - ‘cos as I type this I’m nursing a broken foot in a cast, and I’ve had to sit out the last few rallies of the season.

As it’s quiet in rally terms over the festive period, there are few jobs that can be done in December and January.

Let’s get the priorities sorted! When asked by your other half, mother, brother, significant other, what you want for Christmas, check if you need anything rallying wise! More than likely it’ll be expensive, so perhaps asking for money towards it may be a better option.

A cheap present idea for someone you love in rallying is a DVD of an event they may be planning to do in 2009.

Remember to get your licence sorted out for 2009. If you are going for an international licence, you need to book a medical exam with your doctor (unless you have a valid medical from 2008). Also, you need to renew your car club membership for the year and put this with your new licence, ready in your bag.

Get yourself along to winter motor shows and car club events to find out what’s going on in 2009. These give you a chance to meet people and you can sign up for championships. Another social aspect over Christmas are the various car club awards nights.Be sure to support your car club even if you haven’t won an award. If you have won an award requiring a speech, do some research using the internet. Don’t forget to invite members of your service crew and also your sponsors. way A good idea in January is to get a calendar together of all the events in 2009, so you can see when and where everything t Cork is. After all those mince pies you may need to re-measure your team if you are y planning on new teamwear for 2009. Make sure you order as early as you can.

Be sure and have any websites you egal feature on updated and make sure you keep everyone updated with your plans for exford next season.

If you are really bored over the Christmas period, then have a big clean - Cork 20 out of your work shop or office, so everything is sorted and organized. Tool boxes are the worst offenders!

Well, that’s it for 2008 from me. I hope all Pacenotes readers have a great Christmas and a happy New Year!

2008 Irish Evo Champion Brendan Cumiskey who will drive a JFR Evo X on Rally Ireland

A Successful Recipe...

2008 Calendar

1 2/3 February - Galway

After eight consecutive

Cumiskey, Tourish and Murphy on time, his early exit for the in the sixth and final round, the final round resulting in and end seasons in the UK, 2008 saw Cork “20” Rally at the end of of season position of fourth. the popular and high-profile 15/16 March - West C September.

Behind2all this front-line Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Although doing all he could, activity, the first year of the Irish Challenge launched in Ireland. buy taking his third victory Mitsubishi series has witnessed Since it first began in 2001, in a row, Tourish’s perfect some great from Dublin’s the official series for Group N 3drives 3/4 May - Killarney performance in the second Colm Murphy, who led four of Lancer Evolutions has earned half of the season was still not the six rounds before misfortune itself a well-deserved reputation enough to claim the series title. stepped-in.

Ballentine for being one of the most 4 Stanley 14/15 June - Donega Cumiskey had to finish fifth from Strabane has been a competitive and professional or higher and, although this consistent performer, as has rally championships around, appeared easy on paper, in reality Oranmore’s Tom Curley, whilst with crews competing for an 5 6/7 - Wexf it soon became a different matter Michael Murray fromSeptember Longford, extensive prize fund in similar when about four kms before the Liam McFall from Antrim and specification Production Class end of the first stage, he planted Darren Caldwell from Navan Mitsubishis. his Mitsubishi into a hedge. have also 6 enjoyed impressive The inaugural season in 27/28 September - Co With significant damage to the Evo Challenge appearances this Ireland featured six all-asphalt front of his car, coupled with a season. events, the first of which was leaking radiator, he was lucky to The Irish Evo Challenge has the Galway Rally in February, make it back to the service area a first prize of an expenses paid Brendan Cumiskey mastering for repairs. drive in a James Foley Rallysport the wintery conditions to Continuing for the rest of the prepared Group N Evo IX in the become the very first Irish Evo event in a somewhat subdued 2009 Rally Ireland. There are also Challenge winner. Having to manner, Cumiskey finally plenty of other prizes on offer, miss round two, the Dundalk crossed the line to become very including Pirelli tyres, vouchers driver lost the championship first Irish Evolution Challenge for Sunoco fuel and an award lead to Ballemena’s Alan Champion. for junior (under 25) drivers, Carmichael, who was delighted “When we went off on stage presented by PIAA lights. to take his first series victory in one I thought that was it”, said (Check out our news pages on round two, March’s West Cork Cumiskey. “But you must never 2009 details - ED) Rally.

2008 Calendar give up and I’m delighted to have Round three took place on made it to the finish and become the classic Killarney stages in 1 2/3 February - Galway the first ever Evo Challenge May, where Cumiskey recorded Champion.” win number two - a last-stage Drivers By claiming the Evo Challenge push seeing him snatch the lead 2 15/16 March - West Cork 1 Brendan Cumiskey ................. 48 2 Damien Tourish ...................... 46 title, Cumiskey wins an entry from Donegal’s Damien Tourish.

3 Alan Carmichael ..................... 41 into Rally Ireland driving a James However, Tourish fought back 4 Stanley Ballentine ................... 34 3 3/4 round May -four, Killarney Foley Rallysport prepared Group in July’s the County 5 Owen Murphy ........................ 30 6 Tom Curley ............................ 21 N Mitsubishi. Tourish finishes Meath based ALMC Stages to 7 Michael Murray ...................... 16 second in the series and becomes claim a well-deserved win from 4 14/15 June - Donegal 8 Liam McFall ............................. 6 PIAA Junior Champion.

Cork’s Owen Murphy.

9 Colm Murphy ........................... 4 Carmichael’s consistent 2nd: Owen Murphy & Greg Shinnors Following a two-month break, Co-drivers 5 September - Wexford performance during the season the6/7 championship re-convened 1 Domhall McAllaney ................ 46 netted him third place in the in Wexford just a few weeks 2 Ivor Lamont ........................... 44 3 Conor Foley............................ 36 standings, whilst for Owen ago and, boosted by his pace 6 27/28 September - Cork 20 4 Richard Hyland ...................... 34 Murphy, the final round in Cork in round four, Tourish was 5 Aidan Mannion ....................... 18 was not as successful as he had 6 Peter O’Toole.......................... 12 unstoppable and went on to win 7 James O’Brien ....................... 10 hoped. Two punctures and an his second Evo Challenge round.

8 Paul Horan .............................. 8 electrical failure following the The upshot of his victory meant 9 Pat Cashman ........................... 8 10 Brian Miller............................... 6 second stage meant he didn’t there was a four-way shoot-out 11 Brian Duggan ........................... 4 make it back to the service area for the title between Carmichael,

Congratulations to Brendan Cumisk Winners of Round 1 - Galway Intern Congratulations to Brendan Cumiskey & Peter O’Toole

Winners of Round 1 - Galway International Rally

2008 MITSUBISHI RALLIART EVOLUTION C

2008 MITSUBISHI RALLIART EVOLUTION CHALLENGE IRELAND

dec/jan 2009 64 pacenotes.net

Championship Positions

3rd: Alan Carmichael & Ivor Lamont

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dec/jan 2009

65

Pacenotes NI Rally Championship

NIRC Season Review

Connor McCloskey

WORDS Jonathan MacDonald PICTURES Martin McCorriston

The 2008 Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship was one of the closest fought battles in recent years. In the end, it was the young gun newcomer, Connor McCloskey, who claimed the prestigious title - an award that was only sealed when he won a final round battle with Sean Devine by 4.5 seconds!

Connor Takes Pacenotes Honour…

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

The season kicked off with the Eurocables Stages at Kirkistown Race Circuit and it was here that Sean Devine claimed the first victory of the year. Navigated by Damien Duffin, they sprayed the winners’ champagne, but it was a close fought affair which went down to the wire.

Connor McCloskey and Francis Regan were the early leaders in their Ford Focus WRC, but Devine fought back and after stage three, he had assumed the lead. While Craig Bennett and Alan Shilliday retired their Skoda Fabia WRC with centre differential failure, McCloskey returned fire to move back into the number one slot.

McCloskey and Devine dominated the timesheets and going into the final two stages, there was still everything to play for. Devine moved in front once again after stage five and McCloskey did all he could to overhaul the Strabane pilot. Fastest time on the final stage saw him close the gap, but it wasn’t enough to claim the rally win.

Devine emerged victorious on this occasion, by a slender seventenths of a second, with 21-yearold McCloskey arriving home in second. George Robinson and Derek Murdoch had another solid drive to take third ahead of New Year Stages winner, Denis Biggerstaff, who had sponsor Shane Braniff calling the notes on this occasion. Reigning champions and 2007 event winners Glenn Allen and Damien Connolly completed the top five, with Sean McArdle and Jim Feenan sixth.

At round two of the series it was former champion Derek McGarrity who dominated the proceedings. In what was his first rally win since his huge accident on the Isle of Man in 2006, he and navigator Dairmuid Falvey tasted the victory champagne after winning the event by more than half a minute. McGarrity insisted however, that he had no plans to contest the entire series.

In second position, Connor McCloskey and Francis Regan tried hard to match the pace of the leading Subaru, but it wasn’t to be. They stayed in second throughout the day,

The first closed road event of the year saw Sean Devine return to the top of the podium with victory at the Castlewellan-based Easter event.

He led from the start, only for a puncture to allow Glenn Allen out in front. Connor McCloskey was less than half a minute behind second placed Devine, so a thrilling final day battle was on the cards.

McCloskey, who had switched his Focus for an Impreza WRC S12, set his first fastest time on the Sunday morning, but two stages later, Devine had regained the rally lead.

He continued to set fastest times,

Eurocables Stages (Kirkistown)

RESULTS Top 10 Drivers 1 Connor McCloskey ................. 96 2 Sean Devine ........................... 94 3 Glenn Allen ............................ 81 4 Cathal Rogers ........................ 47 5 Derek McGarrity ..................... 42 6 Neil McCance......................... 34 7 Peadar Hurson ....................... 30 8 Wesley Patterson ................... 27 9 Alan Carmichael ..................... 26 10 John Walker ........................... 24 Top 10 Co-Drivers 1 Francis Regan ........................ 96 2 Damien Duffin ........................ 84 3 Damien Connolly .................... 71 4 Eoighan Rogers...................... 47 5 James McKee ........................ 27 6 Sean Ferris............................. 24 7 Dessie Wilson ........................ 24 8 Gerard McMonagle................. 16 9 Diarmuid Falvey ..................... 15 10 Allan Harryman ...................... 15

dec/jan 2009 66 pacenotes.net

McGrady Insurance Bishopscourt Stages

2nd

overall

NI247.com Circuit of Ireland National Rally

Glenn Allen

3rd

overall

Sean Devine

while round one winner Sean Devine had a difficult event. He burrowed an Impreza shaped hole in a tyre wall after the jump on the opening stage, before retiring with mechanical troubles a few stages later.

Denis and Stuart Biggerstaff retired with gearbox problems, so the battle for third was between Raymond Johnston and Glenn Allen.

The tussle was only resolved on the final test when Johnston spun off the road, while Allen completed the stage with smoke billowing from his car after collecting one of the circuit’s safety tyres.

and in the end, he sealed his second victory of the year by six seconds from Glenn Allen. On this occasion, Connor McCloskey wasn’t going to get an early birthday present and he had to settle for third.

Round 4

KBB Tour of the Sperrins Magherafelt Motor Club managed to get hold of a road closing order for their KBB Tour of the Sperrins, so there was another solid entry for the Maghera based event. After three rounds of the Pacenotes

Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally Impressed by the one day format of the Sperrins event, Peadar Hurson returned to action for the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally. Former champion Derek McGarrity also returned to the fray, and these two

Round 7

Fisher Engineering Lakeland Stages Rally There was another new name at the top of the podium for this year’s Fisher Engineering Stages Rally, as Richard Cathcart, co-driven by Martin Brady, powered a hired Impreza WRC to victory. They dominated the event, setting fastest times on seven out of eight stages, to win by 12 seconds.

Meanwhile, Sean Devine and Damien Duffin were the best of the rest, and with Connor McCloskey forced into retirement, Devine moved

4th

5th

overall

Cathal Rogers

pilots fought tooth and nail for rally victory.

Both men lost time with punctures, as well as some road penalties, but in the end it was Hurson who claimed his second consecutive win, ahead of McGarrity. Only for the penalties, McGarrity may have secured the win by four seconds.

Glenn Allen and Damien Connolly topped the standings ahead of the series regulars, with fourth placed Sean Devine moving to the head of the championship tables after Connor McCloskey retired with gearbox problems

Round 6

North West Motor Factors Dogleap Stages Another former champion returned to the fray at the 2008 NW Motor Factors Dogleap Stages, with Dungiven’s Kevin Lynch wheeling out

overall

Derek McGarrity

to the top of the series standings once again. McCloskey had initially tied for second with Glenn Allen, only for a problem with the fly by wire motor to bring an end to his day.

Devine had already moved in front of both McCloskey and Allen by that stage though, and Allen could seemingly do little about the Impreza driver in front. In the end, he had to settle for third overall, and a healthy helping of championship points. That put him in front of McCloskey, and just one point behind Devine.

Round 8

McGillin Bushwhacker Rally Connor McCloskey was 10 points adrift of series leader Sean Devine, at the start of the McGillin Bushwhacker Rally. He knew he needed a victory to close the gap, but they say your first win is always the hardest, and McCloskey had yet to break his duck.

But Saturday 27th September, 2008, is a day that will be permanently etched in McCloskey’s mind, as he set fastest or equal fastest times on nine out of 10 stages to claim his maiden rally victory! The result threw him right back in to the title hunt, but it was Sean Devine who continued to hold the top spot after finishing second, ahead of Glenn Allen.

NIRC Season Review

Round 5

his Ford Focus WRC. Navigated by Martin McNicholl, the crew promptly returned to winning ways, sealing victory at the Limavady based event.

As for the series regulars, championship leader Sean Devine suffered a major blow to his campaign when he rolled out of the event. He hit the same tree stump which put an end to Richard Hogg’s rally a few years earlier. Devine’s retirement allowed both Glenn Allen and Connor McCloskey to move up, with Allen claiming second ahead of McCloskey.

Third position for 22-year-old Connor, who had returned to a Focus WRC, was enough to allow him to regain the top spot in championship terms, while Allen moved one point in front of Devine. Richard Hogg finished seventh overall, behind a trio of Group N crews in his Octavia WRC, with Seamus Devine ninth ahead of Emma McKinstry in 10th.

Pacenotes NI Rally Championship

championship, it started to become clear that there was going to be a three-way fight for the title between Sean Devine, Glenn Allen and Connor McCloskey.

Yet, none of those men were on top of the timesheets come the end of this year’s Tour of the Sperrins. Instead, it was Peadar Hurson and Allan Harryman who topped the results, the first time for the Newry driver to do so in almost seven years. Despite having only completed one day of rallying during the previous 18 months, he sped home in first position.

Glenn Allen failed to make the start in his Corolla, while both George Robinson and Raymond Johnston retired. Charlie Donnelly and Sean Devine were Hurson’s nearest contenders, and this battle went down to the wire, with Devine emerging in second position ahead of Donnelly. Fourth position for Connor McCloskey allowed him to hold on to the top spot in championship terms, but he was forced to share the position with Sean Devine. Scottish visitor David Bogie completed the top five in a Corolla WRC.

Round 9

FM Contracts Down Rally The 2008 FM Contracts Down Rally was full of drama, as Sean Devine retired from the event in unusual circumstances while Connor McCloskey went on to claim his second win on the trot.

The event saw a selection of the two-wheel drive classes run at the head of the field, and when one of these cars became stuck in the middle of the road, Devine tried to drive around it. Unfortunately, he spun into a ditch and damaged his steering in the process, bringing an end to his rally with one stage remaining.

Connor McCloskey had no such troubles, and he led from the start in his Ford Focus WRC. With Devine forced into retirement, another victory for McCloskey ensured that the battle for the Northern Ireland Championship crown went down to the wire. With Glenn Allen deciding not to start the event, it was now a two-way tussle between McCloskey and Devine.

Round 10

Townparks Glens of Antrim Torr Head, Glendun, Glentaisie and Glenshesk were the four stages ready to sort the men from the boys at this year’s Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally. Two loops of the tests were on the cards, and the prestigious championship title was up for grabs!

Derek McGarrity returned to the fray in an Impreza WRC for the event, and he claimed a start to finish victory. But all eyes were on Connor McCloskey and Sean Devine.

McCloskey had switched back to an Impreza WRC for the rally, and the decision proved fruitful.

There were never any more than 6.5 seconds separating Devine and McCloskey throughout the event, but in the end, it was 22-year-old Connor who claimed the 2008 title by finishing second overall. In doing so, he became the youngest ever winner of the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship!

Third overall for Sean Devine allowed him to finish second in the series standings, just two points adrift of McCloskey, while Glenn Allen finished third, despite not contesting the final two events of the season.

It was a close fought championship throughout the year, and we can only hope that 2009 will be every bit as exciting!

6th

overall

Neil McCance

7th

overall

Peadar Hurson

8th

overall

Wesley Patterson

class review & images

pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

67

Pacenotes NI Rally Championship

NIRC Season Review

RESULTS Class 1 1 Peter O’Kane .......................... 55 2 John McKay........................... 27 3 John Quigley .......................... 25

Class Performers Shin Class 1

Peter O’Kane and Mark O’Connor were the only eligible competitors

1st CL1: Peter O’Kane

Class 2

The battle among the Sunoco Fuels Group N crews was only settled at the final round where Cathal and Eoighan Rogers claimed the class title. It had been a long, difficult season, with numerous changes for the lead. John Walker held the initial advantage after victory at round one, and only lost the championship lead when Alan Carmichael moved in front after round five.

When the series moved to gravel, Cathal Rogers was next to move in front after his victory at his home event, the Dogleap Rally.

Neil McCance was next to hold the number one position, albeit sharing

that could claim class one trophies at the end of the season. Despite more than 20 crews scoring points, O’Kane

was the only registered driver to score on three rounds or more, while O’Connor was the only navigator to achieve the same feat.

Nonetheless, both O’Kane and O’Connor were ahead of their rivals.

Four top four finishes were enough for O’Kane to seal the drivers’ title, while O’Connor picked up the navigators’ award after three podium finishes.

2nd CL1: John McKay (not eligible for class award)

with Rogers, then another win for Rogers at the penultimate round saw him make the spot his own once again.

Going into the final event of the season, five drivers were in with a chance of taking the spoils. Neil McCance crashed out of contention but there were no such troubles for Cathal and Eoighan Rogers.

Another maximum points haul ensured that they secured the title - Cathal’s first championship win in more than 30 years - while John Walker finished second ahead of Carmichael. Dessie Wilson claimed second in the navigators’ battle, with Ivor Lamont third.

1st CL2: Cathal Rogers

2nd CL2: John Walker

Class 2 1 Cathal Rogers ........................ 78 2 John Walker ........................... 65 3 Alan Carmichael ..................... 63 Class 3 1 Dermot O’Hagan .................... 98 2 Oran Donnelly ........................ 97 3 Shane McGirr ......................... 70 Class 4 1 John Devlin .......................... 109 2 Mervyn Wilson ....................... 76 3 Alan Faloon ............................ 58 Class 5 1 Robert Erwin.......................... 92 2 William Smith ......................... 52 3 Nigel Simpson........................ 50 Class 6 1 Paul Mogey ............................ 90 2 Glenn Williamson ................... 77 3 Alan Simms ........................... 35 Class 7 1 James Kennedy...................... 97 2 Fintan McGrady ...................... 35 3 Aidan Toner ............................ 31 Class 8 1 Wesley Patterson ................... 70 2 John Waring........................... 64 3 David Armstrong .................... 34 Class 9 1 Connor McCloskey ................. 96 2 Sean Devine ........................... 94 3 Glenn Allen ............................ 81

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68 dec/jan 2009

1st CL3: Dermot O’Hagan

Class 3

The battle among the class three crews also went down to the wire, with Dermot O’Hagan and Oran Donnelly taking the tussle to the finish line. It was O’Hagan who led from the start of the season, with victories at Kirkistown and Bishopscourt. Then Donnelly moved in front when his rival failed to score at the Easter Stages, which was the beginning of a solid run for the Fiesta pilot.

The latter half of the season saw O’Hagan close the gap, as Donnelly struggled with mechanical troubles at a number of events. Retirement at rounds six, seven and nine allowed O’Hagan back in front, and going into the final round, he held an 11 point lead over Donnelly.

Despite Donnelly claiming maximum points, O’Hagan finished second to claim the category spoils.

Shane McGirr finished third in championship terms, while Paul Hughes claimed the navigators’ trophy, ahead of Niall Connelly 2nd CL3: Oran Donnelly and Ian Crozier.

1st CL4: John Devlin

Class 4

David Kerr took the early class four championship lead after his victory at round one, but that was the only event that he finished, so it was John and Gavin Devlin who moved in front after round two, and stayed there until the end of the year, claiming the class four championship laurels.

A late surge by Mervyn Wilson and Richard Gamble saw them close the gap to Devlin. Victories at the Dogleap and Lakeland Stages, as well as second position at the Bushwhacker, saw them close the gap to just three points, but they failed to score at either of the final two events, so the Devlins claimed victory ahead of Wilson and Gamble. Alan Faloon finished third among the drivers, while Andy Devlin completed the top three navigators.

2nd CL4: Mervyn Wilson

Robert Erwin and Chris Ragg finished the year as they started it

- in the number one spot! Victory at Kirkistown and the Circuit of Ireland National Rally, combined with consistent top four finishes, allowed

1st CL5: Robert Erwin

2nd CL5: William Smith

1st CL6: Paul Mogey

Class 6

Class 8

Midway through the season, it looked as though John Waring was on course to seal the class eight spoils. While Wesley Patterson claimed victory at round one, he failed to score at the following two events, ensuring that Waring moved to the top of the championship standings.

Another victory for Patterson at the Tour of the Sperrins saw him bounce back into contention, but it was still Waring who held control. However, third position

them to surge ahead of the rest of the pack. In the end, they comfortably claimed the honours in the flying yellow Sunbeam, while Erwin also claimed the Junior title!

Coming home in second position, William Smith just nipped in front of Nigel Simpson by two points to claim the runner-up spot. A healthy points haul at the final round ensured he moved in front, while in navigator terms, Ian Hull claimed second ahead of Austin Grimes.

1st CL7: James Kennedy

Class six saw another battle which went down to the wire, this time between Paul Mogey and Glenn Williamson. It was Mervyn Williamson who claimed the early class lead after his round one victory, but Mogey moved in front after the second event of the season.

Alan Simms came close to snatching the lead, but a victory for Mogey at the Tour of the Sperrins allowed him to cement his position. The latter half of the season saw Glenn Williamson make a charge for the top spot, and he shared first position with Mogey after round seven.

In the end, Williamson scored more points, but with dropped scores taken into account, Paul Mogey claimed the title by six points from Williamson, with Alan Simms third.

Michael O’Neill claimed the navigators’ trophy, with Mervyn Hawthorne second ahead of Keith McEvoy.

2nd CL6: Glenn Williamson

NIRC Season Review

Class 5

Pacenotes NI Rally Championship

Shine Through…

Class 7

James Kennedy and John Rowan dominated the class seven category throughout the season, with consistent top three finishes over most events. Unfortunately, their season ended with a nasty accident during the final round, but they had already done enough to secure the class seven title, as well as overall Superdrive two-wheel drive honours!

Coming home in second position, insurance mogul Fintan McGrady claimed the runner-up spot, courtesy of finishing third at the final round of the season. He nipped in front of Aidan Toner, who failed to receive 10 bonus points for marshalling. John Rowan claimed the navigators’ award, while Conal McCartan only finished two events, so he sacrificed the runner-up position to Ellen McFerran.

Frank Conville also sacrificed his position, leaving Jonathan Charlesson to take the final 2nd CL7: Fintan McGrady trophy.

for the building contractor at the Mourne Rally was to be his final points score of the season. Two more victories for Patterson at the Lakeland and Townparks rallies ensured he claimed the win, as well as second among the Superdrive two-wheel drive crews!

John Waring had to settle for second in the end (and third overall among the two-wheel drive men), with David Armstrong claiming third. In terms of the navigators’ championship, only Mo Downey was eligible for an award, so he claimed the class title.

1st CL9: Connor McCloskey

Class 9

The main championship contenders topped the class nine tree, with Connor McCloskey claiming the title from Sean Devine and Glenn Allen. Francis Regan sealed the navigators’ award ahead of Damien Duffin and Damien Connolly. See main review for more details.

2nd CL9: Sean Devine 1st CL8: Wesley Patterson

2nd CL8: John Waring

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69

Just James assistant editor (uk) phil james phil@pro-rally.co.uk

At world level Sebastien Loeb

continues as the force to be reckoned with and I’d be surprised if anything changes in that respect in 2009. It’s to be hoped that British interest in the series may be stimulated by regular appearances by Guy Wilks… watch this space!

Mention of Mr Wilks takes me nicely to the British Rally Championship. It’s been a controversial year particularly for the Mitsubishi team whom many pundits predict won’t be back for 2009. However, as Pacenotes goes to press, unconfirmed reports are reaching our office that they will be back, and if that’s true, surely it can only be good for the series if manufacturer involvement is retained. What has been confirmed is plans to perpetuate the ever-popular Evo Challenge with a BRC related prize for 2010.

It’s good to hear in these hard economic times that at least one manufacturer has confidence in the future of British rallying. Let’s hope more follow and help restore pride and interest in our sport.

Despite the credit crunch historic rallying has continued to thrive but what will the

GPR_WEB_PACENOTES_v3.indd 1

A Fine Vintage?

As another year draws to a close with only a hand full of events remaining it seems like a good time to reflect on the season ending and consider what 2009 might have in store for everyone in rallying. introduction of a control tyre mean in 2009? Certainly some championships going down the one make only tyre route have seen a fall in entry numbers, but if as has been suggested, most HRCR competitors run the tyre (Dunlop) in question anyway, the effect should perhaps be controlled!

The Scottish Rally Championship has enjoyed a most successful year in terms of entry numbers culminating with a ‘full house’, though for obvious reasons, on the Colin

McRae Forest Stages. Will 2009 bring more of the same? We hope so but to be fair to Coltness Car Club it would be a tall order expecting them to top this year’s entry list! News of a sponsorship deal with Hankook may set alarm bells ringing with some entries secretaries but perhaps unnecessarily. Most contestants aren’t effected as there were less than ten registered crews in both Group N and the Junior Class who competed regularly in 2008. The deal also extends to the Ecosse 205 Challenge but if you draw parallels

with the similar series run south of the border that too should have little impact on entry numbers.

Who knows, with the prizes on offer entry numbers may rise!

Other championships haven’t enjoyed such healthy levels of entries so news that some events are moving towards a multichampionship formula, such as the Woodpecker which will run under both ANCRO and BTRDA banners, must be the way forward. This isn’t a new concept but it’s likely to become more commonplace as the economy, and disposable income, slip to greater depths.

What is new for 2009 is the introduction of the Junior Rally concept whereby 14 to 16 yearolds can get behind the wheel and compete. It’s an interesting innovation that will hopefully launch some lucky youngster(s) on a successful rally career. The success of a scheme like this won’t be proven for some years, so it must be given time and no one should be too quick to judge.

So will 2009 prove a vintage year for British rallying? Time will tell, but we certainly hope so!

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dec/jan 2009

71 ®

Silverstone Tyres BTRDA Rally Series

Cambrian Stages Rally

Winners: Hugh Hunter & Andy Marchbank

Home win puts Hunter on High!

A win on home ground for Hugh Hunter and Andy Marchbank earned the Ford Focus WRC crew the BTRDA Gold Star Championship Driver & Co-Driver titles in a thrilling series finale.

At the start of the event a trio

Event: Cambrian Rally. Date: 1st November 2007. Location: Llandudno.

Surface: Gravel. Stages: 6. Stage Miles: 41.6. Organisers: North Wales Car Club. Championships: BTRDA; Tesco 99 Octane 1400; WAMC; ANWCC; F1000. Starters: 106.

Finishers: 73.

Words Phil James PICTURES pro-rally.co.uk

of drivers had set their sights on returning to Llandudno as 2008 champions. Only three points separated Will Nicholls (170), Damian Cole (168) and Hugh Hunter (167) after eight rounds so it was all to play for in the snow covered forests of North Wales.

The tracks themselves were virtually snow free but remained

extremely slippery in readiness to catch out the unwary. Hunter stamped his authority on proceedings setting fastest time through the opening five miles of Claocaenog East. Tied for second, nine seconds in arrears was the Subaru Impreza WRC of Will Nicholls and Nick Broom with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 of Matt Edwards and Glenn Latham.

Shaun Gardener and Ben Innes

were a further second back in their Lancer Evo5.9. Joint fifth, another five seconds behind were Damian Cole and Ian Allsop in the Hyundai Accent WRC and Michael O’Brien and Paul Spooner in the Focus WRC. Nicholls was then quickest through Clocaenog Main closing the gap to five seconds on Hunter who suffered a drop in power when a pipe blew off the EGR. Gardener

RESULTS 1 Hugh HUNTER/Andy MARCHBANK Ford Focus WRC............. 0:43:59 2 Shaun GARDENER/Ben INNES Mitsubishi Evo................ 0:44:24 3 Matt EDWARDS/Glenn LATHAM Mitsubishi Evo IX............. 0:44:33 4 Simon HUGHES/Dave ROBSON Mitsubishi Evo IX............. 0:44:35 5 David WRIGHT/Rob FAGG Mitsubishi Evo IX............. 0:45:31 6 Michael O’BRIEN/Paul SPOONER Ford Focus WRC............. 0:45:53 7 Ieuan ROWLANDS/Emyr HALL Ford Escort..................... 0:46:10 8 Thomas NAUGHTON/Horace SAVILLE Mitsubishi Evo IX............. 0:46:50 9 Stephen SIMPSON/Patrick WALSH Hyundai Accent WRC...... 0:46:54 10 Will NICHOLLS/Nick BROOM Subaru Impreza WRC...... 0:47:02 11 Paul DAVY/Roger ALLAN Subaru Impreza............... 0:47:37 12 Alex ALLINGHAM/Mark GLENNERSTER Subaru Impreza ............. 0:47:46 13 Jimmy CHRISTIE/David MACFADYEN Mitsubishi Evo IX............. 0:48:15 14 Chris FIRTH/Karen WATTS Subaru Impreza............... 0:48:17 15 Paul WALKER/Vernon BROWN Subaru Impreza............... 0:48:24 16 Steve HOLDER/Steve McPHEE Subaru Impreza............... 0:48:36 17 Neville JONES/Ian CAPEWELL Subaru Impreza............... 0:48:38 18 Frank KELLY/Aidan FRIEL Ford Escort Mk2............. 0:48:43 19 Terry BROWN/Den GOLDING Ford Escort RS1800....... 0:48:52 20 Keith PARRY/Aled LOVELUCK Subaru Impreza............... 0:49:14

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1.4C: Rob Jones & Peter Buckley

1.4L: Harry Portlock & John Jarrett

Class RF1.0:

Alistair Sutherland and Gill Cotton’s winning run came to an end as they finished 27 seconds behind Nigel Humphreys and Simon Rogers. Dan Grey and Will Rogers finished a distant third. All three crews were Nissan Micra mounted.

Class RF1.4:

David Bennett and Alistair McNeil were looking for a fifth straight win but a three minute penalty for booking in early at a time control scuppered the Vauxhall Corsa crew’s chances. Honours went to the VW Lupo of Jason Hopkins and Chris Jones with third placed Peter Scott and Martyn Taylor guiding their Diahatsu Sirion to within a second of Bennett’s Corsa.

Class 1.4L:

Harry Portlock and John Jarrett

1.4S: Jamie Burton & William Kelly

took their sixth win of the season underlining their class dominance. Their only scare came in Penmachno where Portlock thought he’d ripped a wheel off their VW Polo on a rough section of track. Having survived the moment they recorded a 43 second winning margin over Jayne and David Auden’s MG ZR with Adam Clews and Peter Williams completing the top three in their Ford Ka.

Class 1.4C:

Rob Jones had to be the most popular class winner on the day.

Contesting his home event for the 21st consecutive year in the same British Leyland Mini must be a record in itself so when he and codriver Peter Buckley took the class honours it really was the icing on the cake! It wasn’t all plain sailing though as a leaking carburettor and a problematic battery cut out switch

1st 1400: Malcolm Hague & Dave Read

threatened to ruin their day. Ewan Bell and Jo Foley finished second, over 22 minutes behind, in their Skoda Felicia.

Class 1.4S:

With Malcolm Hague and Dave Read collecting the prizes for finishing 1st 1400 overall the class awards went to Jamie Burton and William Kelly in another Ford Escort Mk2. Burton could count himself lucky to finish as a posse of spectators lifted the Escort back onto the road on SS2. Corsa crew Shaun and Andrew Bolt took second in class awards with third going to Kelvin Evans and Ifan Rowlands in the Micra.

Class N3:

A close fought fight between a pair of Ford Fiesta STs finally went in favour of Luke Francis and Jon Madoc-Jones who finished eight

1st Hist

eased in front of Edwards who lost time with a spin but Cole was really struggling with a revised suspension set up slipping to ninth in the standings.

Hunter and Nicholls matched times in Penmachno North retaining their positions at the top of the leader board whilst being out paced by a trio of cars. Equal fastest were Gardener and Edwards hotly pursued by Simon Hughes and Dave Robson who had malfunctioning throttle with their new Lancer Evo9.

Despite problems with a misting screen Hunter was quickest through Penmachno South increasing his lead over Nicholls to six seconds.

Gardener, Edwards and Hughes all held station though the later two were now only three seconds apart.

Ieuan Rowlands and Emyr Hall now moved their Volvo powered Ford Escort Mk2 into an amazing sixth place whilst Cole’s misery was complete when a blown head gasket forced retirement.

The rally then moved back to Clocaenog for a pair of stages that were variants of the day’s openers.

On the first Hunter set a third

1st Hist.: Terry Brown & Den Golding

B10: Paul Edwards & Shaun Baker

seconds clear of Tony Jardine and David Smith. Steve Blunt and Rob Duck finished third in a similar car.

Class N4:

Edwards/Latham; Hughes/Robson; Naughton/Saville (see main report).

Class B10:

Only a second separated the Peugeot 205 of Paul Edwards and Shaun Baker from the similar car of Dai Lloyd and Andrew Richardson going into the final pair of Clocaenog stages. A late push saw Edwards clinch victory by 14 seconds over Lloyd who headed the Nova of James Hutchings and James Hood by almost three minutes.

Class B11:

fastest stage time to all but cement victory with Nicholls now dropping to third behind Gardener after suffering a misfire caused by low fuel pressure.

The final 8.7 mile test was the longest of the day and despite setting fastest time Hughes had to settle for fourth place two seconds behind Edwards. Hunter reckoned he’d “Never been so nervous” but extended his lead over Gardener to win both the rally and the championship. Nicholls meanwhile crawled through the stage with his hazards on dropping over two minutes and slipping to tenth place.

As a consequence David Wright and Rob Fagg inherited fifth in their Lancer Evo9 and O’Brien took sixth after overhauling Rowlands who was slowed by a misting screen.

A last stage charge saw Thomas Naughton and Horace Saville finish eighth in another Evo9 ahead of the Accent WRC of Stephen Simpson and Patrick Walsh.

Paul Davy and Roger Allan could point to an overshoot in SS5 as reason for not getting a top ten finish in their Impreza. Alex

Another win for Frank Kelly and Adrian Friel saw the Moy driver crowned 2008 Silver Star Champion at his first attempt. The Escort Mk2 crew took a cautious approach from

B11: Frank Kelly & Adrian Friel

the outset with Friel even refusing to travel with the team as on the occasions he had done they’d failed to finish. Their only scare came on the final stage when Kelly lost all sight of the road having been blinded by the low sun. “It was probably only a matter of five seconds but it seemed like minutes” said Kelly.

Jason and Peter Nash finished class runners-up in another Mk2 with third place going to the Astra of Cyril Crook and Mike Wilding.

Championship contenders Jon Ballinger and Alistair Douglas finished a lowly 57th overall and fifth in class after rolling their Opel Manta in Penmachno. Strabane’s Aidan and Damian Caldwell were classified OTL in their Escort Mk2.

Class B12:

Rowlands/Hall were a class apart (see main report) finishing over four

Allingham blamed an aching tooth that had him wincing every five seconds for not bettering 12th in his new Impreza N10 with Mark Glennerster on the notes. Jimmy Christie and David MacFadyen lost time with a puncture on SS2 eventually edging their Evo9 home two seconds ahead of the Impreza of Chris Firth and Karen Watts.

Malcolm Hague and Dave Read suffered a catalogue of problems with their Escort MK2 that included a malfunctioning heated screen, a broken alternator bracket and a misaligned rear axle after clouting ‘something hard’. If that weren’t enough they managed to lose four fan belts and were stopped by the police who made them clean their number plates. Despite all that they finished 22nd overall and collected the prizes for finishing first 1400 so all things considered they didn’t have a bad day!

However it was Hunter and Marchbank who had the best day of all. “Unbelievable” said Hunter at the finish, maybe, but it’s true!

B12: Ieuan Rowlands & Emyr Hall

Silverstone Tyres BTRDA Rally Series

3rd: Matt Edwards & Glenn Latham

Cambrian Stages Rally

ead

2nd: Shaun Gardener & Ben Innes

WR1: Michael O’Brien & Paul Spooner H2: Rupert Lomax & David Alcock

H3: David Lloyd Roberts & Dei Jones N3: Luke Francis & Jon Madoc-Jones

minutes ahead of the Escort G3 of Andrew Bowen and Andrew Sankey.

Henri Grehan and Chris Ridge had a lucky escape after hitting a telegraph pole in their Escort Mk2.

Class B13:

Ist Gardner/Innes; 2nd Wright/Fagg; 3rd Keith Parry/Aled Loveluck (Impreza).

Class WR1:

O’Brien/Spooner; Simpson/Walsh; Nicholls/Broom (see main report).

RF1: Nigel Humphreys & Simon Rogers RF1.4: Jason Hopkins & Chris Jones

Historics:

Terry Brown and Den Golding were top finishers bringing their Escort RS1800 home in 20th place. Escort Mk1 pairing Rupert Lomax and David Alcock collected the H2 prizes whilst Mk2 incumbents David Lloyd Roberts and Dei Jones collected the H3 awards. pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

73

Round-Up of Clubman Rally Action

UK Clubman

Winners: Rob Dick & Barry Green

Winners: Andy Davison & Mike Curry

Winners: Richard Edwards & Paul Brown

Dick Dominates Darrian Double Header!

Kwik Beemer outpoints Boxster!

Edwards Edges Escort to Longcross Win!

Duncan Littler

www.pro-rally.co.uk

www.mandh-photography.co.uk

Event: Glyn Memorial Trophy Stages. Date: 08-09/11/08.

Location: Anglesey. Surface: Tarmac. Stages: 14.

Organisers: Caernarvonshire & Anglesey Motor Club.

Championships: Welsh National Tarmac; ANWCC; F1000; Glyn Edwards Memorial. Starters: 90. Finishers: 72.

Event: Kall Kwik Bradford Rally. Date: 14-15/11/08. Location: Leeds - Pickering. Surface: Mixed. Stages: 8. Stage Miles: 44. Organisers: De Lacy Motor Club. Championships: 205 Challenge; BMW RWD Challenge. Starters: 44. Finishers: 29.

Event: Carfax Stage Rally. Date: 23/11/08. Location: Longcross Test Track, Nr Chertsey, Surrey. Surface: Tarmac.

Stages: 10. Stage Miles: 55. Organisers: Oxford Motor Club. Championships: ACSMC/ASEMC; CMSG. Starters: 62.

Finishers: 41.

Rob Dick and Barry Green completely dominated proceedings leading from start to finish, recording 11 fastest stage times in their Darrian T9. Nigel Gibbard clinched the Welsh Tarmac Championship Driver’s award after he and co-driver Neil Thomas guided their Darrian T90 to second overall.

The action had barely started when the first stage had to be stopped with many crews receiving a notional time after the Renault Clio of Ben Wood and Chris Griffin rolled.

Dick had been quickest from the off whilst Gibbard was embroiled in an early battle for second with the Lotus Banks Europa of Stuart Deeley and Alistair Dodd. The T90 driver claimed second place on the final stage of the opening day’s agenda that was run in darkness and awash with standing water. The conditions caught out Darren Doherty and Peter Grant who aquaplaned their Subaru Impreza off the track dropping from sixth to tenth place as a consequence.

Sunday brought a welcome change in conditions with dry and sunny weather greeting the starters and Robert Tout and Dan Hollis were soon on the pace guiding their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 up to third place.

Deeley also came under attack from Doherty but only after the Impreza had a broken shaft replaced. With the onset of rain bringing more off track dramas, Deeley started SS15 with a nine second advantage over the tying Doherty and Tout. It was a sufficient margin with Doherty having to settle for fourth after taking two seconds from Tout.

Tout’s fifth place came under threat from Carwyn Ellis and Edgar Jones who were only two seconds in arrears as they headed a trio of Ford Escort Mk2s. Gavin Edwards and Rob Hopewell finished two seconds ahead of Will Owen and Angharad Mai Davies who had lead the Mk2 trio at the start of the final stage.

Gwyndaf Jenkins and Kath Curzon finished ninth in the Darrian T90 holding off a late challenge from the Escort Mk2 of Neil Arden and Giles Corbett.

Peugeot 106 crew Chris Phillips and Sarah Hughes took 1600 honours after fending off a challenge from the Honda Civic of Geoff McQuilling and Aled Jones.

Andy Davison and Mike Curry brought their BMW 325i to a three second victory after a tough scrap with the Porsche Boxster of Ian Jemison and Graham Wride.

Friday night’s opening Temple Newsam stage claimed the first retirements of the rally with a pair of 205s suffering accident damage.

Martin Auskerin and Jon Ross were the first victims soon to be followed by Chris Boffin and James Waller, fortunately all escaped with only minor injuries. Having set fastest time here Dave Brick and Rob Woodhouse repeated the feat on Saturday morning’s second visit to the parkland stage. This left the Ford Escort Mk2 crew with a 10 second lead ahead of the Peugeot 205 of Dan Corner and Will Rutherford. Unfortunately for the Ford pairing, once the rally moved into the forests mechanical problems prompted their retirement.

The first visit to Langdale saw the BMW 316i of Toni Carannante and Ella Flynn, who had been lying fourth, beached near the stage finish. Davison set fastest time storming into a nine second lead ahead of Corner, who had an excursion onto a bank, before adding a further two seconds in Harwood Dale.

A change of surface brought a change at the top of the leader board when the first run over Olivers Mount saw Jemison head the Opel Manta of Gareth Hooper and Michael Calvert by three seconds. Davison, who had run on gravel tyres was a further second back, three seconds up on Corner as the rally now headed back to Langdale. Hooper’s run ended here in a ditch whilst Chris Hellings and Nick Farmer totally destroyed their 205 in a massive multiroll accident. Davison recaptured the lead with a four second advantage over Jemison with the 205 of Mat and Darren Smith now third after matching times here with the Porsche.

Re-visits to Harwood Dale and Olivers Mount left the top ten order unchanged leaving Davison the RWD Champion and Smith the 205 Champion after beating Corner by just three seconds. Returning to the forests following a ten year absence Mark and Ed Bentley completed the top five in their Escort Mk2.

Richard Edwards and Paul Brown staved off the challenge from the Toyota Celica GT4 of Gary Le Coadou and Paul Hollingham to guide their Ford Escort Mk2 to a ten second victory at a wet Longcross.

Edwards and Le Coadau shared fastest stage time on the opening test, 11 seconds quicker than the Escort Mk1 of Dave Parnell and Peter Bold. Kev Carr and Brett Wookey were already out at this point, their Escort Mk2 succumbing to differential failure mid-stage.

Edwards set fastest SS2 time as Le Coadau and Parnell set joint second quickest time eight seconds slower. These three were now pulling clear of the pack headed by the Escort Mk2 of Adrian Brown and Chris Jarman who were almost half a minute in arrears. Guy Anderson and Dave Taylor now retired their Mitsubishi Galant VR4 with turbo trouble whilst an electrical fire finished the day for Lara Bennett and Joe Abernethy’s Peugeot 205. Robert Dennis and Alun Griffiths hit a tree trunk putting their Escort M2 into instant retirement.

A brace of fastest stage times saw Edwards increase his lead to 21 seconds by the end of SS4 whilst Le Coadau opened up a 24 second cushion ahead of Parnell. Brown was then quickest on SS5 as Le Coadau pulled back a couple of seconds on the leader.

Le Coadau stepped up the pressure swiping a massive 13 seconds from Edwards on SS6 before going one step further on the following test to take a one second rally lead. Brown’s run ended with suspension damage after clouting a kerb whilst a broken propshaft called time on Stuart and Trevor Gilks, as they were forced to retire their Nissan Micra RWD. Edwards responded to Le Coadau’s attack by being quickest through SS8 to regain the lead with a 15 second advantage. Le Coadau retaliated with fastest time on each of the last two stages but was still 10 seconds adrift at the finish. Parnell’s third place had looked under threat as the Escort Mk2 of James and Amy Thompson had been consistently quicker through the afternoon stages before the Mk1 pilot showed who was boss on the final test.

Results 1 Rob Dick/Barry Green (Darrian T9) 55m09s; 2 Nigel Gibbard/Neil Thomas (Darrian T90) 55m55s; 3 Stuart Deeley/Alistair Dodd (Lotus Banks Europa) 56m38s; 4 Darren Docherty/Peter Grant (Subaru Impreza) 56m45s; 5 Robert Tout/Dan Hollis (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6) 56m47s; 6 Carwyn Ellis/Edgar Jones (Ford Escort Mk2) 56m49s; 7 Gavin Edwards/ Rob Hopewell (Ford Escort Mk2) 57m09s; 8 Will Owen/Angharad Mai Davies (Ford Escort Mk2) 57m11s; 9 Gwyndaf Jenkins/Kath Curzon (Darrian T90) 57m18s; 10 Neil Arden/Giles Corbett (Ford Escort Mk2) 57m22s.

Class Award Winners: 1: Richard Davies/Gareth Wilcox (Ford Escort Mk2); 2: Chris Phillips/Sarah Hughes (Peugeot 106); 3: Gibbard/Thomas; 4: Deeley/Dodd; 5: Carwyn Evans/Paul Roberts (Ford Escort); 6: Darren Whitworth/Alan Brown (Nissan Micra).

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pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

Results 1 Andy Davison/Mike Curry (BMW 325i) 49m33s; 2 Ian Jemison/Graham Wride (Porsche Boxster) 49m36s; 3 Matthew Smith/Darren Smith (Peugeot 205) 50m06s; 4 Dan Corner/Will Rutherford (Peugeot 205) 50m09s; 5 Mark Bentley/Ed Bentley (Ford Escort Mk2) 50m23s; 6 Russ Thompson/Andy Murphy (Peugeot 205) 51m03s; 7 Andrew Fox/JamieLee Fox (BMW 325i) 51m16s; 8 Jamie Anderson/Jon Scott (Peugeot 205) 51m24s; 9 Philip Welch/Plug Pulleyn (VW Golf Kit Car) 51m24s; 10 Chris Woodward/Richard Pover (Peugeot 205) 51m37s.

Class Award Winners: F1: Mick Smith/Paul Osmond (Nissan Micra); F2: Matthew Smith/Darren Smith; F3: Mark Bentley/Ed Bentley; F4: Ian Jemison/Graham Wride.

Results 1 Richard Edwards/Paul Brown (Ford Escort Mk2) 58m30s; 2 Gary Le Coadou/Paul Hollingham (Toyota Celica GT4) 58m40s; 3 Dave Parnell/Peter Bold (Ford Escort Mk1) 59m35s; 4 James Thompson/Amy Thompson (Ford Escort Mk2) 59m59s; 5 Jon Tainton/Aled Davies (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1hr00m21s; 6 David Wilkes/Julian Wilkes (Vauxhall Corsa RWD) 1hr00m21s; 7 Ray Read/Stuart Anderson-Peters (Audi Quattro) 1hr01m12s; 8 Julian Jones/Anthony Hackett (Ford Escort Mk2) 1hr01m13s; 9 Kevin Tappin/Charles Tappin (Ford Escort Mk2) 1hr01m34s; 10 Neal Cuss/Tonya Heap (Subaru Impreza) 1hr01m57s.

Class Award Winners: A: James Hunt/Richard Knowlton (Vauxhall Corsa); B: Tappin/Tappin; C: Thompson/Thompson; D: Parnell/Bold; E: Coadou/Hollingham.

PRO TEC

visit: www.pro-tecmotorsport.com R A L LY P R E P A R AT I O N & P A R T S S U P P L I E R S

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Brake bias remote adjusters..................................................................... £30.00 Mintex brake pads .................................................................................... £55.00 Steel braided brake & fuel lines made to order ...........................................£POA NEW STEERING COMPONENTS Nova Quick rack kits ............................................................................... £110.00 Alloy Steering rack mounts to fit Nova ..................................................... £50.00 Alloy adjustable strut top mounts with spherical bearings ................ £130.00pr.

Works type uniball kit to replace std. lower control arm ball joint (a must on all Novas) ................................................... £237.00 kit Rosejointed tie bar bkt. Kit, complete with all fittings and lowering plates to reduce bump steer ......................................... £160.00pr.

NEW SUSPENSION COMPONENTS Bilstein front struts std. platform complete ....................................... £150.00ea.

Bilstien 2.5 adjustable height rally front struts tar or gravel spec.complete with choice of springs ................................. £600.00pr.

Bilstien GpA think tube rear shocks ................................................... £110.00ea Bilstein rear shocks clubman spec gravel or tar ................................. £90.00ea.

Bilstein front inserts gravel or tar rates............................................. £130.00ea.

Front strut casings for 2 1/4” adjustable ride height springs to fit 40mm Bilstein inserts..................................................... £95.00ea.

2 1/4” springs all lengths all rates ........................................................ £60.00pr Tarmac std. platform front springs lowered 30mm .............................. £65.00pr Tarmac rear springs lowered 30mm..................................................... £65.00pr.

Gravel front springs std. ride height ..................................................... £65.00pr.

Gravel rear springs std. ride height ....................................................... £65.00pr Strengthened lower control arms ......................................................... £90.00pr.

Corsa GpA lower control arms & tie bars, complete kit with all fittings, rose joints ect ............................................................... £850.00 Nylon rear beam bush kit (2 halves for easy fitting) ................................. £30.00 Nylon TCA bushes ..................................................................................... £30.00 Nylon tie bar bush kit ............................................................................... £20.00 ASSTD. PARTS 12 piece Nova chassis strengthening kit, all plates pre cut & shaped, includes fitting diagram ........................................................... £75.00 Clubman competition exhaust system.................................................... £155.00 10MM alloy sump guard with all fittings ................................................ £170.00 10MM alloy Corsa Sump Guard .............................................................. £180.00 GpA wheel studs ................................................................................... £5.50 ea.

Wheel nuts for above ............................................................................ £4.25 ea.

Facet electric fuel pumps ............................................................... From £45.00 Fuel pressure regulators.................................................................From £26.50 TRS harnesses FIA .......................................................................... From £80.00 Alloy adjustable seat frames .................................................................... £60.00 Motordrive seats ............................................................................ From £120.00 Perspex window kits ..................................................................... From £180.00 All major credit cards / debit cards accepted. All parts +VAT. Worldwide Mail Order

NEW FIBREGLASS & KEVLAR COMPOSITE PRODUCTS CORSA 93 ON. Gsi type front bumper ............................................................................. £150.00 Corner lamp pods ................................................................................. £60.00pr Lamp pod GRP .......................................................................................... £70.00 Tank guard GRP ........................................................................................ £80.00 Tank guard Kevlar ................................................................................... £130.00 Carbon Under bonnet inner wing filler panels ...................................... £75.00pr.

Complete Underside protection trays moulded in Kevlar to pattern of floor & chassis ............................................... £450.00set Co-drivers dash panel, carbon.................................................................. £55.00 Centre console, carbon ............................................................................. £55.00 Inner floors complete with foot braces, carbon ...................................... £120.00 Roof vent kit, carbon.............................................................................. £130.00 Bonnet GRP ............................................................................................. £120.00 Tailgate GRP............................................................................................ £130.00 Corsa “kit Style rear tailgate spoiler......................................................... £60.00 Corsa “B” Homologated “Kit” style body panels/bumpers/rear spoiler.. £800.00 Corsa “C” full wide body kit.................................................................... £950.00 Outer sill guards in Kevlar ................................................................... £160.00pr NEW PRODUCT CORSA KIT SPEC. Carbon Air induction kit including lowered slam panel, bonnet inlet section, under bonnet air ducting tray, ‘more cold air more power gain’, much more effective than under bonnet air filter system ......................................... £550.00 NOVA Fibreglass bonnets ................................................................................. £120.00 Fibreglass tailgates ................................................................................ £120.00 Gsi rear hatch spoiler ............................................................................... £35.00 Lamp pod .................................................................................................. £75.00 Tank Guard GRP (moulded to tank shape) ................................................ £80.00 Tank Guard Kevlar (moulded to tank shape) ........................................... £130.00 Kevlar moulded Sill & lower rear quarter guards ................................ £160.00pr Complete underbody protection trays moulded in Kevlar to pattern of floor & chassis .............................................................. £450.00set Pro-Tec Motorsport - 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge Championship Winning Team. In addition to our above listed Vauxhall Range of Parts/Services, we offer a Full range of Mitsubishi GpN Parts Please call or visit our web site for more information.

Pro-Tec Performance, Unit 6, Clifton Business Park, Preston New Road, Clifton, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 0XQ Tel: +44 (0)1772 633777 Fax: +44 (0)1772 633792 Email: protecmotorsport@btconnect.com www.pro-tecmotorsport.co.uk

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WEB: www.lipsettmotorsport.co.uk EMAIL: lipsett-motorsport@hotmail.co.uk pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

75

Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship

ANCRO Season Review

Winner: Marcus Dodd

Dodd’s Accent on Winning!

The 2008 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship went right to the wire as Marcus Dodd clinched the title with success on the Bulldog Rally following Jon Ingram’s withdrawal for family reasons.

Words Phil James PICTURES Phil James

FINAL STANDINGS 1 Marcus Dodd Hyundai Accent..................... 111 2 Jon Ingram Subaru WRC......................... 110 3 Julian Reynolds Subaru Impreza....................... 97 4 Nik Elsmore Mitsubishi Evo IX..................... 81 5 Neil McCance Mitsubishi Evo IX..................... 81 6 Steve Perez Ford Focus WRC..................... 80 7 Roger Duckworth Subaru Impreza....................... 77 8 Stephen Petch Hyundai Accent....................... 76 9 Daniel Barry Mitsubishi Evo IX..................... 71 10 David Bogie Mitsubishi Evo IX..................... 69 11 Richard Cathcart Mitsubishi Evo IX..................... 68 12 Andy Burton Peugeot Cosworth.................. 63 13 Charlie Payne Mitsubishi WRC...................... 59 14 Stephen Moore Ford Focus WRC..................... 53 15 Alan Cookson Subaru WRC........................... 44

Ingram had headed the standings for most of the season but when he elected to miss the final two rounds, as his wife was hospitalised as a result of a horse riding accident, the title race was thrown wide open.

A previous three times championship winner in 2000, 2001 and 2007, nothing short of a Bulldog victory would be enough for Dodd to clinch a fourth title. He duly finished the season, as he had started it on his home event Rallye Sunseeker, in winning style!

It was back in February on the Bournemouth based event that Dodd, in taking his sixth Sunseeker win, set the standard others had to beat. Ninety crews contested the event that began on the Friday with a pair of spectator specials in Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens before heading into the New Forest for Saturday’s tough schedule.

Closest to Dodd at the finish was Andrew Burton in his unique Peugeot Cosworth, followed by Stephen Moore’s Ford Focus WRC

2nd

overall

Ian Ingram

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pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

with Ingram’s Subaru Impreza WRC finishing fourth.

The second round saw crews head north into Scotland, but only for the Border Counties Rally start and finish in Jedburgh, as the stages were all run on English soil.

Rally winner Barry Johnson wasn’t registered for points so it was Ingram, who finished second on the day, who collected a maximum points haul to top the standings as his rivals hit trouble. Dodd got no further than the first stage after clouting a bank, whilst engine problems slowed Burton through the final test leaving him in tenth place at the finish. Moore was also a last stage casualty leaving Richard Cathcart to uphold Irish honours.

The Enniskillen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 pilot grabbed not only the second best haul of championship points but also finished first N4 competitor.

David Bogie, who had topped the showroom category on the Sunseeker, lost over seven minutes

Julian Reynolds

as he required a small army of spectators to lift his car back on the road following a second stage roll. He eventually finished 24th collecting four important championship points.

Round 3 took competitors over to the Isle of Man for the RBS International Manx Rally where Roger Duckworth made his first championship appearance of the season. In finishing second behind Melvyn Evans, who wasn’t championship registered, Duckworth took the top allocation of points whilst third placed Ingram enhanced his position at the head of the championship standings. Keith Cronin and Neil McCance both had impressive runs increasing their respective tally of points, whilst top ten finishes put both Moore and Dodd’s championship hopes back on track. No points for Bogie who suffered another accident before going OTL. The series then moved into Wales for two rounds the first of

Tom Walster

which was the Builth Wells based Severn Valley National Rally.

Bogie got his season back on track with N4 success and Burton took what proved to be his only win of the series with Ingram finishing second ahead of Dodd. This left Ingram with a 25 point advantage over Burton with Dodd a further two points in arrears as the championship headed south into the Neath Valley for the Swansea Bay National Rally.

The rally win went to another non-registered championship competitor, in this instance Dave Weston, allowing second placed Dodd to close the points gap on Ingram who finished third. Burton’s retirement was to mark his last championship appearance as engine problems forced a re-think in his programme. Bogie was top N4 finisher for the second rally in succession, moving him a point above Cathcart, who finished 3.2 seconds behind him, in the showroom category standings.

For the penultimate round of the series competitors headed into the North Yorkshire Forests for the Trackrod National Rally where Ingram’s absence offered Dodd a gilt-edged opportunity to lay claim to the title. A blown engine soon put paid to Dodd’s hopes as Steve Perez recorded his sole series win bringing his Focus WRC home ahead of Duckworth. With Bogie absent and Cathcart electing not to continue in the series Nik Elsmore was the top N4 finisher giving himself a title chance on the final round.

As crews assembled in Oswestry at the start of the Bulldog Rally the final championship outcomes had still to be determined. Despite Ingram’s continued absence Dodd needed a maximum points haul in order to pip his rival by just one point. Following his Trackrod retirement the engine of his Accent WRC had undergone a complete rebuild and accordingly a pre-rally test session was arranged at Sweet Lamb just a couple of days before

David Bogie

the event. It didn’t go to plan as a damaged piston curtailed the test leaving Dodd in a quandary.

Fortunately Peter Egerton stepped forward with the loan of his similar car and with his own gearbox and suspension set up switched onto this, Dodd was ready to rally. It proved a worthwhile effort as Dodd recorded the necessary win to snatch the title from Ingram who ended the series championship runner-up and class A8 winner with Julian Reynolds finishing third.

In the showroom stakes Bogie started the rally tied on points with Elsmore but with dropped scores

championship success on the final round after Rod Bennett retired his Fiat Punto with driveshaft problems. Nathan Crewe took B9 honours after securing top class points in his MG ZR on each of the championship’s opening five rounds. Kit Leigh took the B11 prize with just three wins in his Ford Fiesta ST. Co-driving awards went to Andrew Bargery, won the overall title, with others going to Martin Brady (N4); Dan Pearce (A6); Ian Allsop (A8); John Connor (B9); Tim Leigh (B11).

A6

Andrew Coley

winner

B9

winner

ANCRO Season Review

N4

winner

Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship

1st

challenge

Kit Leigh

B11 winner

Nathan Crewe

to come into effect the Dumfries youngster needed to finish fifth or higher to claim the top prize. He suffered a combination of brake and head gasket problems leaving the outcome in doubt right up to the finish but by replenishing the water levels at the end of each stage he did it… just! On the day Elsmore had done as much as he could in finishing first in class but in the final analysis one point made the difference between first and second and it was in Bogie’s favour.

Competition in the other classes wasn’t as fierce but Andrew Coley guided his Peugeot 206 to A6

The ANCRO Clubmans Gravel Rally Championship followed a six round programme with the outcome also going to the wire as Tom Walster took the title on the Malton Forest Stages Rally. A trio of drivers started the North Yorkshire event in with a shout of claiming the challenge crown, as both Kris Hall and David Hull vied with Walster for success.

A dramatic ending to the rally saw Hull retire on the final stage with gearbox problems and Hall excluded for accepting outside assistance when he ran out of petrol on the final road section.

pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

77

Round-up from Southern 4 Championship

Skibbereen Fastnet Stages

Words Jonathan MacDonald PICTURES Patrick Doyle

Winners: Liam McCarthy & Kieran Murphy

McCarthy Powers To Southern 4 Title…

The 2008 Skibbereen Fastnet Stages Rally marked the final round of the Southern 4 Rally Championship, and victory for Liam McCarthy and Kieran Murphy behind the wheel of their Toyota Corolla WRC was enough to hand them the championship crown!

There was a severe lack of WRC

5th: James Stafford & Frank O’Dwyer

7th: Fergus O’Meara & Liam Brennan

RESULTS 1 Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy Toyota Corolla WRC........ 1:06:31 2 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy Mitsubishi Evo 9............. 1:07:26 3 Kevin Kelleher/Martin Kelleher Mitsubishi....................... 1:07:43 4 Washington James/Eurig Davis Darrian T90 GTR............. 1:08:04 5 James M Stafford/Frank O’Dwyer Darrian T90..................... 1:08:09 6 Simon Kehoe/Enda Kennedy Opel Astra GSi................ 1:10:02 7 Fergus O’Meara/Liam Brennan Ford Escort..................... 1:10:08 8 Tommy Doyle/Colin Fitzgerald Renault TBA.................... 1:10:09 9 Leonard Downey/Mark Murphy Ford Escort Mk2............. 1:10:10 10 Ger O’Donovan/Steve O’Donovan Subaru Impreza N12B..... 1:10:44 11 Aaron Burkart/Jorn Limbach Citroen C2...................... 1:10:51 12 Eoghan Calnan/Conor Calnan Ford Escort..................... 1:11:07 13 Jason Kinsella/Brian O’Neill Honda Civic.................... 1:11:31 14 Diarmuid Keohane/Peter Keohane Ford................................ 1:11:44 15 David Guest/Eamon Hayes Honda Civic.................... 1:12:26

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opposition after Melvyn Evans retired his Impreza with a broken driveshaft on the opening stage, but to finish first, first you have to finish, and McCarthy put in a faultless drive. Leading the event from start to finish, he emerged victorious by almost one minute, ensuring he had a perfect end to his season.

Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy acted as McCarthy’s nearest rivals, although they were briefly headed by Shaun Gallagher and MJ Morrissey after stages two and three. Unfortunately for the Super 1600 pilot, he retired on stage four, allowing Ring back in front.

It wasn’t a good stage for Eugene Donnelly and Paddy Toner either, as they also retired. Donnelly had been sampling front-wheel drive for the first time in his long and illustrious rally career, but his rally came to a premature end with a broken drive shaft.

With Ring in second position, newly crowned Irish Tarmac Group N champions Kevin and Martin Kelleher held third position, ahead of a duo of Darrians. James M Stafford and Frank O’Dwyer were battling for the top two-wheel-drive position with Washington James and Eurig Davies, and just a handful of seconds separated the two pilots.

With Bob Fowden and Jerry Hynes in sixth with their Impreza

WRC, Simon Kehoe and Enda Kennedy were the leading frontwheel drive exponents. Piloting their Astra, they led JWRC contender Aaron Burkhart, who was sampling a taste of Irish rallying ahead of Rally Ireland.

Back at the head of the leaderboard, there were few troubles for the rally leaders. Liam McCarthy and Kieran Murphy survived a scare when they hit a wheel, and eased off over the remaining stages to ensure that they claimed their third Fastnet rally victory.

2nd: Alan Ring & Adrian Deasy

Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy arrived home in second position with their Group N Lancer, while Kevin and Martin Kelleher completed the top three.

Washington James and Eurig Davies managed to overhaul James M Stafford to take top two-wheel drive honours, leaving Stafford and O’Dwyer to settle for fifth overall.

Simon Kehoe and Enda Kennedy completed the top six, while Aaron

Burkhart dropped outside the top 10.

Class Battles…

There were no entrants in class one, so Stephen Carey and Mark Lee claimed the class two spoils. Carig Breen and Andrew Purcell were the sole finishers in class three, while Ger and Steve O’Donovan took class four honours after both Ring and Kelleher sacrificed their award.

Aaron Burkhart and Jorn Limbach won class six and finished 11th overall, while Tommy Doyle and Colin Fitzgerald took class seven honours. Niall Guinevan and Leslie Stanley claimed class eight, with Batt O’Donoghue and Pat Nolan taking their Nova to the class nine trophy. Class 9a was awarded to Ray O’Sullivan and Derek O’Brien.

Victor and Susan Beamish added another trophy to their cabinet with victory in class 10, while Jason Kinsella and Brian O’Neill won class 11. Gerard O’Connell and Ken Carmody won class 12, while James Stafford and Frank O’Dwyer took class 13 honours. Washington James and Eurig Davies won class 14, with Lee Perry and Mike Jones on top in class 15. Finally, the Junior category was won by David Fleming and Kieran Doherty, while Ed Murphy and Shane Devane won the Historic category.

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pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

79

Ranault Megane R26 by Jason Craig

Performance Car

The Mega Mégane…

dec/jan 2009 80 pacenotes.net

Since it was set up in 1995 and launched the Spider roadster, Renaultsport has been behind the development of some of the finest driver’s cars of recent times. If you like your transport totally uncompromising and driver focused, then Renault’s latest offering - the Mégane R26.R - could well be for you.

The R26.R has the Mégane

Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26’s 2.0-litre engine, six-speed gearbox and limited slip differential, but significant extra performance comes from the reduction of the R26.R’s overall mass.

A strict diet has shed 123kg from the car, and this has meant the removal of the rear passenger seats, passenger and curtain airbags, Radio/CD player, the front fog lamps, and even the soundproofing. With less kit, some will question how Renault can justify asking for an extra £2,450 over the more lavishly equipped R26 Mégane.

The fittest Mégane yet is a limited edition model. 450 examples will be built at Renault’s Alpine factory at Dieppe and sold worldwide. Each R26.R will bear a unique plaque which shows the production number for each country: 230 are destined for the UK market, 126 for France with the remainder split between Germany, Spain and Switzerland - so there is a rarity value.

The 0-60mph time has been slashed by 0.3 seconds to 6 seconds dead, with 90% of the 230bhp turbocharged engine’s 31Nm of torque available from 2,000rpm to 6,000rpm. Double titanium exhausts and a short-shift gear linkage will keep the music coming, but at a healthy 33 mpg!

The suspension has been uprated to handle the extra ‘oomph’ and the already hefty 312mm ventilated discs brakes are now grooved rather than cross-drilled to maximise faderesistance under heavy braking.

Torque steer is avoided by the addition of independent steering-

side window. During the summer, Renault test pilots managed to hurl the car around the circuit in a time of 8 minutes and 17 seconds - a new lap record for a front wheel drive production car.

The R26.R comes in a choice of seven colours, three of which

axis front suspension.

The bonnet cover – graced with R26.R decals and logos – is now constructed from carbon fibre (saves 7.5kg), the tailgate and rear side windows are polycarbonate rather than glass (saves 5.7kg), and unique Sabelt seats with carbon fibre shells, aluminium bases and six-point harnesses for driver and passenger save 25kg. Incidentally, Renault claims that this is the first time the race-derived restraints have been homologated in a production car.

Look closely and you will notice the famous outline of the Nürburgring in Germany etched with some figures into the rear

are new, and include Racing Blue, Lunar Grey and Pearlescent White.

On the options list is a roll cage and 225/40R18 Toyo Proxes tyres (£700), climate control (£460), and metallic paint (£375).

After the car’s world premiere at the British International Motorshow in London, Renault has opened its order book for potential customers. The changes which have been implemented by Renaultsport all add up, improving what was already an extremely accomplished performance saloon.

It’s a bit of a cliche, but on this occasion, less really is more.

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Clubman rally action from Nutt’s Corner

NAMCC Time Trial

Winner: Mark Massey

Massey Goes Nutt’s For Maiden…

Rallying returned to Nutt’s Corner for the first time in more than four years on Saturday 8th November with the Coulter Demolition and Recycling (Hillsborough) Rally Time Trial!

Words Jonathan MacDonald PICTURES Martin McCorriston

4th: Derek Lipsett

5th: Gary Armstrong

RESULTS 1 Mark Massey Mitsubishi Evo 9.............. 124.49 2 Derek McGeehan Subaru Impreza N12........ 125.28 3 Trevor Ferguson Subaru Impreza N12........ 125.97 4 Derek Lipsett Mitsubishi Evo 6.............. 127.69 5 Garry Armstrong Ford Escort Mk II.............. 129.22 6 Gerard Mc Polin Ford Escort 6................... 129.62 7 Rodney Mc Knight Ford Escort Mk II.............. 130.15 8 Derek Gurney Ford Sierra....................... 130.24 9 Anthony McGuinness Mitsubishi Evo 9.............. 130.57 10 Gareth Sayers Vauxhall Nova.................. 130.59 dec/jan 2009 82 pacenotes.net

Featuring a 1.7 mile stage and

a low entry fee, North Armagh Motorcycle & Car Club struggled to accommodate the influx of entries received for the event! Such was the popularity, a reserve list was created, and there were a few disappointed faces when some didn’t get a run.

Those that had their entries submitted early, however, slipped and slid their way around the popular motorsports venue! Open to Group N and two-wheel-drive cars only, it was the Group N men that topped the timesheets at the end of the day, but that was after early 2WD domination!

Gareth Sayers pulled a surprise out of his hat when he set fastest time on the event opener. Driving a Vauxhall Nova, the number 68 seed was a few tenths quicker than Derek McGeehan’s Impreza, with Trevor Ferguson, Derek Lipsett and Mark Massey not too far behind.

Sayers’ reign ended on run two when the Group N men made full use of their four-wheel-drive power.

McGeehan went fastest on this occasion to snatch the event lead, while Mark Massey moved into second position ahead of Trevor Ferguson, and Gerard McPolin claimed the top 2WD spot in his Ford Escort.

The track was continuing to dry out from a greasy start, and times were becoming faster. It was still

2nd: Derek McGeehan 3rd: Trevor Ferguson

anyone’s game as the fastest time of the day was to seal the outright victory, and on run three, Mark Massey moved to the head of the pack in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9.

Massey set a blistering time through the stage, almost one second faster than Draperstown preparation expert Derek McGeehan. He went quicker again on run four, when he was the only man to break the 125 second barrier. With dark clouds looming, rain descended onto the circuit before the final run, so Massey’s spot at the top of the leaderboard was safe. He claimed his maiden event victory behind the wheel of his Lancer, with Derek McGeehan coming home in second position, ahead of Trevor Ferguson and Derek Lipsett.

Garry Armstrong sealed top twowheel-drive honours after his third timed run put him ahead of the rest of the pack. Gerard McPolin was

next in line, with Rodney McKnight seventh, ahead of Derek Gurney.

Anthony McGuinness and Gareth Sayers completed the top 10.

In terms of the class battles, Liam Regan took his Ford Fiesta ST to the top of class one with J.P. McSorley in second position. Event winner Mark Massey topped class two ahead of Derek McGeehan, while Marc Johnston won class three from Brian Carson. Early leader Gareth Sayers won class 3B from Raymond Dennison, while Gary Sheridan won class four ahead of Simon Gordon.

In class five, Stephen Lipsett claimed the win in his Citroen C2R2 from David Laird, while Gerard McPolin won class six ahead of William Armstrong. Garry Armstrong topped the class seven tree ahead of Rodney McKnight, and finally, Gareth Nevin took the class eight spoils ahead of Jonathan Nevin.

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Hankook National Forest Championship

Irish Forestry Season Review

Breen Branches Out For Forest Glory…

For someone that didn’t intend to contest the 2008 Hankook irish Forestry series, Ray Breen acquitted himself well against the regulars. In his first full forestry championship, he claimed victory from John Reid, with Denis Cronin third...

Round 1

Sean Conlon Memorial Forest Rally

FINAL STANDINGS Top 10 Drivers 1 Ray Breen ........................... 122 2 John Reid ............................ 103 3 Denis Cronin .......................... 90 4 Colin Britton ........................... 87 5 Sean Heaney .......................... 83 6 John Reddington .................... 65 7 Connie Smith ......................... 64 8 Andrew Purcell....................... 52 9 Patsy Keenan ......................... 47 10 Ollie Williams ......................... 44 Top 10 Co-Drivers 1 Enda Shiels .......................... 103 2 Helen O’Sullivan ..................... 89 3 Arthur Kierans........................ 87 4 Liam McLaughlin.................... 87 5 Martin Brady .......................... 68 6 Breen McNamee .................... 65 7 Craig Breen ............................ 57 8 Steve Quinn ........................... 55 9 Mick Courtney ....................... 53 10 Michael Walsh ....................... 50

The Hankook Tyres National Forest Championship kicked off in February with the Sean Conlon Memorial Tipperary Forest Rally, and with the new season, some new faces were on the scene.

2007 National champions Ray and Craig Breen decided to try their hand in the forests, and despite it being Breen’s first gravel rally in more than 15 years, he acquitted himself well.

It was Andrew Purcell and Mick Courtney who emerged on top

Carrick-on-Suir Willie Loughman Forest Rally Round two saw Andrew Purcell and Mick Courtney start where they left off at the opening round of the series. Fastest time on stage one saw them propel themselves to the top of the standings, while Ray and Craig Breen were just three seconds in arrears.

4th

Colin Britton

while Purcell claimed second ahead of the leading Group N crew, Colin Britton and Arthur Kierans.

James Murphy retired his Focus with engine trouble, as did Kevin O’Kane, Denis Cronin and Emma McKinstry, so John Reid and Enda Shields finished fourth in their Toyota Corolla WRC.

Round 2

5th

overall

in their Subaru Impreza WRC, however. They came under pressure from reigning champions Stephen Moore and Tony McHugh, but Moore lost ground with a spin on stage one, then a puncture on stage five.

The champs tried to fight back, and in a thrilling finale, they finished within one second of Purcell. However, it was Purcell’s dec/jan 2009 84 pacenotes.net

rally, as he claimed the honours from Moore, with Ray and Craig Breen a creditable third. Denis Cronin and Helen O’Sullivan arrived home in fourth ahead of John Reid and Enda Shiels.

overall

Sean Heaney

Then Breen upped the ante to move into a 13 second lead, and the Ford Focus WRC crew started closing in on their maiden series victory. Purcell trimmed their advantage to eight seconds, but Breen was confident enough to ease off through the remaining miles.

He nearly eased off too much, as Purcell finished just three seconds in arrears, but he had done more than enough to secure the win,

Round 3

Tom White Memorial Limerick Forest Rally Championship leader Andrew Purcell entered the third round of the championship with number one on his doors, but it was to be a fraught event for the crew. Prior to the rally, their Impreza WRC’s cam belt failed, so Purcell was lucky to reach the start ramp.

Purcell took an early lead, but on stage two another car pulled on to the stage in front of him, which he was unable to avoid! His car’s cooling pack was damaged in the impact, and more time was lost with a puncture on stage four.

Unfortunately, that was the least of his worries as the car’s replacement cam belt expired, bringing a premature end to his rally.

With Purcell out of the event, Breen moved into the rally lead after setting fastest time by eight seconds. That gave him an eight second advantage over Keith Cronin and Greg Shinnors, and Breen held on to the finish to record his second victory on the

John Reid

trot. Cronin finished second ahead of Kenny McKinstry and Sean Mullally, with Denis Cronin and Helen O’Sullivan fourth, ahead of John Reid and Enda Shields. Emma McKinstry and Kenny Hull rounded off the top six despite a puncture.

Round 4

Moonraker Forestry Rally Despite being a newcomer to the Hankook Forestry Championship, Ray Breen entered the fourth round of the series at the head of the championship standings. His son Craig was unable to navigate at this event, so Martin Brady stepped up to the mark, and together the crew proved to be a winning combination.

In spite of a puncture on stage one, they still managed to set fastest

6th

time from Kenny McKinstry and Sean Mullally. That set the scene for the day, with Breen accelerating away from the pack, eventually claiming the rally win by almost two minutes!

Kenny McKinstry and Sean Mullally were the best of the rest in their Impreza, and they claimed second ahead of the top Group N crew, Peter McCullagh and Alan Dolan. Denis Cronin and Helen O’Sullivan finished fourth ahead of Colin Britton, with James Murphy and Francis Kenny sixth, ahead of John Reid and Enda Shields.

Andrew Purcell and Mick Courtney completed the top eight after switching to a hired Mitsubishi.

Round 5

Wexford Forestry Rally Wexford’s forestry rally returned to the championship calendar for the first time in eight years, and with a new event on the 2008 calendar arrived a new face at the top of the leaderboard. Trevor Harding returned to winning ways, and with Andrew Purcell calling the notes

Denis Cronin

on this occasion, they succeeded in taking victory.

It was Ray Breen and Martin Brady who led from the start though, as they powered their Ford Focus WRC to the top once again.

Breen topped the timesheets ahead of Harding, while third placed James Murphy joined the retirement list with transmission problems.

A number of bogey times were broken throughout the day, but Breen still managed to create a 50 second lead going into the final stage. However, his rally was set to be turned on its head - literally.

The crew rolled during the final test, handing the rally win to Trevor Harding and Andrew Purcell.

Denis Cronin and Helen O’Sullivan finished second overall,

7th

overall

John Reddington

3rd

overall

overall

Connie Smith

with Pat O’Connell and Mark Wiley topping the Group N leaderboard and finishing third, in front of John Reid and Enda Shields.

Round 6

Tadhg O’Conaill Heating & Plumbing Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally The organisers of the Cork Forest Rally had made some changes to the format of this year’s event. The twoday event was compacted into one long day of rallying, in an attempt to reduce costs for competitors.

The formula worked well, particularly for Ray Breen and Martin Brady. They returned to winning form, and with a total of six fastest times, claimed a start to finish victory with their Ford Focus WRC. The result propelled Breen back to the head of the championship standings. John Reid and Enda Shields had led the series going into the event, but on this occasion they could only manage fifth overall, behind a number of Group N and two-wheel drive crews. They

included Owen Murphy and Rodney Hicks, who finished second overall in their Lancer ahead of Frank Kelly and Liam Brennan, with Colin Britton and Arthur Kierans fourth.

Round 7

Birr Forest Rally Ray Breen entered the final round of the season with one hand on the championship title. Only John Reid and Enda Shields were capable of throwing a spanner into the works, but they had to hope that Breen retired, to have any chance of taking the crown.

Breen’s luck held in the end, and he finished his year in style with victory on the event. In doing so, he claimed his maiden Hankook National Forestry Championship title, becoming only the second person to win this coveted series as well as the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

On the event itself, Breen grabbed the lead from the start, with Trevor Harding chasing him in a Group A Subaru. John Reid was an early third, while Denis Cronin held fourth after a spin. It was by no means an easy ride for Breen, as he slipped off the road during the second stage!

The incident gave Harding an opening, and he shot into the rally lead. Meanwhile, John Reid also had a scare, as an electrical problem saw his car refuse to restart at the end of stage three. Eventually, the problem was sourced and he was underway again with his title aspirations still alive.

Going into the final stage, Trevor Harding held a seven second lead over Breen. It looked as though he was set to take his second victory, but smoking oil caused by a leaking gearbox did little for his concentration. He dropped eight seconds to Breen, handing the new champion victory at the last gasp.

Harding had to settle for second ahead of Denis Cronin and Helen O’Sullivan, while Colin Britton and Arthur Kierans won Group N and finished fourth overall. They just pipped John Reid on the final stage after the Corolla WRC pilot lost time with a spin, but Reid still managed to claim the runner-up position in championship terms.

Irish Forestry Season Review

overall

Hankook National Forest Championship

2nd

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Hankook National Forest Championship

Irish Forestry Season Review

Fastest In The For 1st CL1: Seamus Cooke

Class 3

2nd CL1: Ben Donnelly

Class 1

Seamus Cooke emerged as the class one champion at the end of the season, as well as being Superdrive two-wheel drive champion! Numerous victories saw him accelerate away from the pack, with his first claimed at the opening round of the championship. This win was followed by another at round two, and by the end of the year, he had notched up five wins out of seven events!

Paul Archer was the best of the rest, finishing 21 points adrift, while Tristan Horan finished third, but neither of these men were eligible for a class award so fourth placed Ben Donnelly claimed the runner-up trophy.

Gerard Hyland topped the points tables among the navigators, with Keith Murray second, but only Patrick Smyth was eligible for the trophy.

Class 2

Michael Nevin proved difficult to beat in class two. In fact, he also claimed five class victories out of seven events this year, putting him ahead of the pack. He claimed the class spoils in the process, with Kevin Fowler finishing second,

ahead of Emmet Cronin.

In terms of the co-drivers’ championship, Des Moran emerged on top. With a total of 50 points, he claimed the title ahead of Darren Walsh, with Rachel Fagan third but she wasn’t elgible for an award, so Joe Fitzgibbon claimed the final trophy.

CLASS AWARDS

Ciaron Mahon took the early class three lead, with victory at the opening round of the season, but that was to be his only points haul of the year.

It was Darragh Raftery who was in front after victory at round two, and another second position at the third event boded well for the pilot.

Richard Scallan was also scoring highly, and he entered the final round with a chance of lifting the class honours.

Raftery put paid to those ideas though, as he finished second and with it claimed the title. Scallan had to settle for second, with Clement Lonergan third. Dean Raftery took the navigators’ award, ahead of Tony Dineen.

1st CL3: Daragh Rafferty

Class 1 1 Seamus Cooke........................ 55 2 Ben Donnelly........................... 23 Class 2 1 Michael Nevin......................... 64 2 Kevin Fowler........................... 43 3 Emmet Cronin......................... 29 Class 3 1 Darragh Raftery...................... 37 2 Richard Scallan....................... 28 3 Clement Lonergan................... 27 Class 4 1 Sean Benskin.......................... 57 Class 5 1 Ollie Williams.......................... 49 2 James Coleman...................... 29 Class 6 1 Declan Cuddy......................... 52 2 Connie Smith.......................... 50 3 Gerard Lucey.......................... 46 Class 7 1 Ray Breen............................... 63 2 John Reid............................... 54 3 Denis Cronin........................... 44 4 James Murphy.......................... 8

1st CL2: Michael Nevin

Class 4

Darren Donnelly was the first man to top class four, but it was the consistent scoring of Sean Benskin that saw him rise to the top. He failed to finish the opening round, but consistently finished inside the top three on each of the remaining events. As a result, he finished at the top of the standings, 17 points ahead of his nearest rival, and third among all two-wheel-drive crews.

With Sean Benskin claiming the title, Ray Benskin finished second in class, ahead of Alan Commins, but neither of these men were eligible for class awards.

Bobby Nugent topped the co-drivers’ standings but he finished in the top three overall among 2WD crews, so sacrificed the class award.

Class 8 1 Colin Britton............................ 53 2 Sean Heaney........................... 51 3 John Reddington..................... 47 Class 9 1 Aidan Mulcahy........................ 16 Above winners are those eligible for class awards (i.e started the minimum of 5 events) 1st CL4: Sean Benskin

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2nd CL2: Kevin Fowler

2nd CL3: Richard Scallan

Class 5

James Coleman took class five by storm at the start of the year - with two victories on the trot at rounds one and 1st CL5: Ollie WIlliams two. He followed 2nd CL5: James Coleman that with third in class at round three, but Ollie Williams was in hot pursuit!

Coleman failed to finish round four, and missed rounds five and six, so that allowed Williams to play catch-up. He won round five, and second position at the final event allowed him to claim the class spoils as well as second overall among all two-wheel drive crews.

Although not eligible for an award, James Coleman settled for second, ahead of David Dunne, while Michael Walsh topped the navigators’ tree but finished among the overall crews so Michael Haley took the win.

The battle for class six spoils went down to the wire, with three crews in with a shout of the class title going into the final round. At the start of the season, it was Connie

Smith who was quickest out of the blocks, but he was overhauled in championship terms by Declan Cuddy after round two.

Smith had missed round two, but he was back in action and

1st CL6: Declan Cuddy

2nd CL6: Connie Smith

1st CL8: Colin Britton

returned to winning ways at the third event of the season. The battle continued, with Gerard Lucey also in the hunt. The tussle was eventually decided at the final round, where fourth place for Cuddy, and the inclusion of five bonus points for starting each round, was enough for him to claim the award. Smith had to settle for second ahead of Lucey, while Nigel Moody won the codrivers’ trophy ahead of Breen McNamee and James Lucey.

2nd CL8: Sean Heaney

Irish Forestry Season Review

Class 6

Hankook National Forest Championship

Forests…

1st CL7: Ray Breen

Class 7

Ray Breen topped the class seven standings from John Reid, with Denis Cronin third. Enda Shiels emerged on top of the navigator standings, ahead of Helen O’Sullivan but as they finished among the overall navigator standings, Martin Brady took the class award. See main review for more details.

2nd CL7: John Reid

Class 9

Class 8

The tussle among the class eight crews also went down to the wire, with Colin Britton, Sean Heaney and John Reddington going head to head at the final event of the season. It all started months earlier when Brian Lawlor won the opening round, but after a couple of retirements, he faded out of contention.

Instead, Colin Britton surged to the front, ahead of Sean Heaney, but two retirements from Britton put him on the back foot. That also allowed John Reddington to close the gap to the front, and going into the final round, these three drivers were separated by two points!

Unfortunately for Reddington, he failed to start round one and that resulted in his downfall, as he didn’t receive the five bonus points on offer.

That put him on the back foot, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered, as Britton claimed victory at the final round, and with it claimed the championship trophy.

Heaney finished two points adrift in second, with Reddington a further four points behind. Liam McLaughlin claimed the navigator spoils while Arthur Kierans sacrificed his award so Steve Quinn took second placed award from Barry McNulty.

1st CL9: Aidan Mulcahy

Plenty of crews registered for class nine, but in the end there could only be one winner.

Unfortunately the first six drivers in the series standings weren’t eligible for an award, as they all started less than five events. So Jason Ryanmissed out on top honours, and in fact it was seventh placed Aidan Mulcahy who took the class title.

In the navigators’ category, Tadgh O’Sullivan claimed the top spot ahead of Martin Cunningham and John Kilmurray, but none of them were eligible for an award - instead, Des Flynn claimed the trophy. pacenotes.net

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87

Ray Breen 2008 Irish National

Forestry Champion!

Ray would like to thank all the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marshals and competitors for a great championship.

Thanks especially to my family:

Jackie, Kellie & Craig, and to Martin Brady, Tom Gahan & his crew and also to the support of M Sport and Kumho Tyres.

www.keltechengineering.com

Forestry Champion Interview with Ray Breen

Breen There,

Done That!

Involved in Irish rallysport for over twenty years and now with tarmac and forestry titles to his name, Ray Breen can honestly say he’s ‘been there, done that…and got the t-shirt!’

Involved in Irish rallysport for over twenty years and now with tarmac and forestry titles to his name, Ray Breen can honestly say he’s ‘been there, done that…and got the t-shirt!’

The Kilkenny driver sealed the Dunlop National Rally Championship title just three years ago, and at the end of the 2008 season, he added the Hankook Irish Forestry series title to his collection!

Winning this year’s title happened almost by accident. Breen had never intended to contest the full series, as his navigating son, Craig, was unable to commit to the full championship due to his circuit racing exploits.

However, after claiming victories on two of the opening three rounds, Breen simply had no option but to continue his assault on the championship, with Martin Brady on board.

“I had planned 2008 as a year out, as Craig was doing so much racing abroad,” Breen admitted. “I wanted to be with him during his races, but I’d also promised to take him out in the

Focus. So we had only planned to do the first two rounds, and we ended up winning the second event.”

“Then Craig was available for round three,” Breen recalled, “so we decided to go and see if we’d won round two by a fluke! We ended up winning again and by that point I was pretty much sucked into the championship. Then I got the expertise of Martin Brady on board, and I had to let Craig go and do his own thing.”

It was what can only be described as a dream debut, as Breen immediately adapted to the forestry driving style from the start of stage one in Tipperary. With his son having only navigated on two previous occasions, it was all intended to be a bit of fun, and Breen took his switch to loose surfaces in a relaxed manner.

When they followed third position at round one with victories at rounds two and three however, it suddenly became a more serious affair!

The Breen steamroller didn’t stop there, and with Martin Brady on

board from round four, they claimed another rally victory. The Wexford Forestry Rally told a different story, as the crew rolled out of almost certain victory on the final stage of the event.

It turned out to be a brief blot in their copybook though, as the crew returned to winning ways at the final two rounds.

I HAD PLANNED 2008 AS A YEAR OUT, AS CRAIG WAS DOING SO MUCH RACING ABROAD,” BREEN ADMITTED. “I WANTED TO BE WITH HIM DURING HIS RACES, BUT I’D ALSO PROMISED TO TAKE HIM OUT IN THE FOCUS. With another two victories to his name, Breen claimed the Hankook Irish Forestry Championship, and in doing so, he became only the second driver to win both the National Tarmac and Irish Forestry championship titles. Adding to the feat, he claimed both titles with the same Ford Focus World Rally Car! pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

89

Forestry Champion

Ray’s exploits of late have been in stark contrast to his early rally career, when he piloted an Avenger. That was more than 20 years ago, when he started his now thriving business, Kel-Tech Engineering. In fact, Ray has added a second business, Turnex, to his resume, and as both of his companies have grown, so too have his exploits on the stages.

Ray Breen

Height: 5’10” Home town: It’s an ongoing battle between me and my wife - she’s from Waterford but I like to say Kilkenny just to rise her!

Date of birth: 5th September, 1959 Occupation: Company Director of Kel-Tech Engineering and Turnex Marital status: Married to Jacki, with two children, Craig (18) and Kellie (21) Rally car: Ford Focus WRC Hobbies: Motorsport, swimming and game shooting.

Running on a shoestring budget from his own garage during the mid-80s, the Waterford man could only afford to enter a couple of events per year. It was purely for the craic though, and while his initial outings didn’t bring much success, Ray was bitten by the much talked about ‘rally bug.’

Ballina and were second overall after six stages behind Stephen Murphy,” Breen continued. “Unfortunately, we broke the gearbox after that, but it was a great start to the championship.

Sadly we didn’t finish enough rounds to do really well.”

leading the rally, then I made a stupid mistake. Out of eight or nine events, I only finished about two or three in that car!”

After limited success with his 6R4, Ray decided to purchase the first Malcolm Wilson-built World Rally Escort, M10 MWM, from Eamonn Boland.

acquisition of an ex-Bruno Thiry, fully active, Group A Impreza. With the help of rally preparation supremo Stan Harper, Ray bought the car from Futureworld in Belgium.

“I had an absolute disaster of a year,” he recalled. “I crashed it more times than I finished rallies in it!

On the very first event we were

“It was the first car that started to turn things around for me - the car just worked really well,” said Ray. “We started to do the National

With a disastrous season behind him, better times followed with the

“My first rally was the Willie Loughman Memorial Rally in the Avenger,” Ray told Pacenotes. “The engine blew, so that was the end of that! I probably did two or three tarmac rallies each year after that - I just couldn’t afford to do any more!”

Ray fondly remembers one of his best results - at the Raven’s Rock Rally - during the mid-80s, where he finished just outside the top ten.

Then, from the Avenger, he moved to a Toyota Starlet, complete with BDA engine.

“I couldn’t afford to run it,” Ray laughed. “I put the Avenger running gear into it and I think we finished something like 11th overall in Skibbereen! That was during the early 90s, and from there, I bought my first Metro 6R4 - the green, white and red one. I think I bought it in ‘95, then did the full National Championship in ‘96 and finished fourth overall.”

“In fact, we went to the first rally in

dec/jan 2009 90 pacenotes.net

MY FIRST RALLY WAS THE WILLIE LOUGHMAN MEMORIAL RALLY IN THE AVENGER,” RAY TOLD PACENOTES. “THE ENGINE BLEW, SO THAT WAS THE END OF THAT! I JUST COULDN’T AFFORD TO DO ANY MORE!”

Forestry Champion

TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP, OR EVEN TO WIN A RALLY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FULL PACKAGE BEHIND YOU

Four years passed until Ray returned to the hot seat. After his long sabbatical from the sport, he couldn’t resist the rally bug any longer. As his business continued to grow, he decided to buy a ‘99 specification World Rally Car in 2003.

“When I bought the car I didn’t have any intention of doing the full championship,” recalled Ray. “I did a couple of sporadic events here and there, and we knocked out some very good results. So I suppose that led me on to buying the Focus for the 2005 season. I knew I wasn’t getting any younger, so I thought if I was ever going to do the National Championship again, it would either be in 2005 or 2006.”

Ray used the opening rounds of the Dunlop-backed National series to settle in with his new mount, and as his confidence increased, he gradually picked up the pace. His long-awaited maiden National victory came at his home event, the Raven’s Rock Rally, and it was the first of a flurry of wins! The four victories that followed, as well as a maximum points haul in Galway, were enough to secure the 2005 National title!

“Victory at the Fastnet wrapped up an absolutely super-duper year for us,” Ray said. “The Focus is an unbelievable

car to drive. It’s a very friendly car. For years people have been saying that the Subaru is a nimble car, and rightly so, but I have to say the Focus is probably the most nimble car that I’ve ever driven.”

The 2005 season was simply a dream come true for the successful businessman. Taking his first National victory at his home event is something that Ray will remember for many years to come. It was the kick-start he needed for his National campaign, and ultimately led to his championship success.

“Until that point, I thought it was going to take a full two years to have the chance to win the title,” said Ray. “With a win at the Rock however, we really got an injection that spurred things on. But I think each and every one of our wins was a fair achievement, because they were races right to the end. Sligo was a three-second win, Carlow was a two-second win and the Fastnet was a one-second win!”

After his Dunlop National Championship success, Breen returned to defend his title in 2006, but a number of mechanical problems and accidents put paid to any chance of a double success. In fact, he had to wait until 2008 before he returned to championship winning ways. He claimed a few more rally wins here and there, but 2008 marked an almost perfect season for the former National champion.

“To win a championship, or even to win a rally, you have to have a full package behind you,” Breen told Pacenotes. “It’s not just about driving well. My son, Craig, and Martin Brady were superb calling the notes, and

obviously the guy that looks after the car, Tom Gahan, is a major part of the team. He turns out the car in absolutely perfect fettle at every event and when we come into service, it’s generally just for a check over and to put fuel into it.

There’s also a team of voluntary guys that come to each event. There are too many of them to mention, but they know who they are!”

As for Ray’s son, he is also set to follow in his father’s footsteps and try his hand at rallying. Craig, a former karting champion, has purchased a Ford Fiesta ST. He will use the car at the Grizedale and Galloway Hills rallies in December, before going on to contest the UK and Irish Fiesta championships in 2009.

“Craig was involved in a lot of European and UK karting during 2008,” Ray explained. “He had mixed year, with some very good results that were marred by mechanical failures and poor driving by others. Now Ireland’s only Rally Newspaper he has actually decided to move on to rallying your great value guide to rallys port in ireland – but not in my car! He has already driven my Focus at a Breen there, done that...

Ravens Rock & Sligo victories! couple of track days, but I’ve told him that he can only rally it when he can afford to fix it!”

Interview with Ray Breen

Championship and had two or three podium finishes. Unfortunately, we then had a big accident at the Circuit of Munster, which aggravated an old back problem of mine. I had to have an operation, so I actually stopped rallying for a while.”

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CCS RacenRally

co clare motorsport specialists

CCS Boss Christy Carey

Great n

Unit A6 Smithstown Industrial Estate, Shannon, Co Clare

Tailored For For Success om

ire.c h r o f s n www.ha

cssracenrally.com

CCS RACEnRALLY is the newest motor sport products store to cater for the Irish rally market… and it’s one with a difference.

Located in Shannon, Co. Clare, it is

perfectly situated to serve the west of the country, filling a vital gap in the market for those competitors in that catchment area.

Already, the company has been making inroads into the lucrative market. Headed

by Christy and Carmel Carey, the husband and wife team has become the sole importers of Stand21 race wear, and as such have a comprehensive stock of helmets, HANS, clothing, footwear and accessories.

High Quality...

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“Stand21 are the leaders in the field,” Managing Director Christy Carey told Pacenotes. “They are renowned for supplying top quality safety wear and accessories since they were established in 1970. And they’re a very innovative company. The philosophy of Stand21 is simple – they stand for

safety, service and quality. This mirrors our uncompromising standard for distributing high quality safety products for the Irish motorsport competitor.”

“Stand21’s ‘Air Force’ racing suits, for example, use the latest Heat Stress Program,” Christy continued. “They’re lightweight and allow a competitor’s body to breathe when it’s hot inside a rally car. We also offer a made to measure service for suits, boots and helmets.”

Christy knows the rallying business inside out, and realises how vital it is to provide a top notch service to customers. Having started rallying at the Clare Stages more than 20 years ago, the sport got a grip of the car fanatic. Shortly afterwards, he took a break from rallying as he turned to racing hot rods, but the rally bug soon returned and he ventured back to the rally arena in 1994.

Since then Christy has been a regular competitor in the Southern 4 Rally Championship, scoring many class wins culminating with victory in the 2007 Group N championship.

“I’ve always enjoyed competing,” Carey told Pacenotes. “But of course these things are made that bit easier with sponsorship, and I’m very grateful to Tom McMahon of

Fitment checking of HANS

t

Great new showrooms in Shannon, Co Clare.

Racegloves made to measure.

BBC TopGear’s ‘THE STIG’ lives in Co Clare!

Proprietors Christy & Carmel Carey

T: 061 718766 F: 061 718761 info@ccsracenrally.com

Homeworx, who has been a long-time sponsor of mine, as well as Indigo Signs.”

Christy, who has six children – Aoife, Brian, Christopher, Michael, Brendan and Roisin – became involved in a number of businesses over the years, but he longed to set up his own motorsport related business. So after much thought and deliberation, he decided to launch CCS RACEnRALLY earlier this year.

e r i rH

HansforHire.com was launched earlier this year, and to make sure he has enough to cater for demand, the Clare man has purchased more than 200 Devices!

“We want to enable all rallying enthusiasts to continue to enjoy the wonderful world of rallying safely,” Carey said. “In Ireland, we have a lot of clubman that only compete on a couple of events each year. With our HansforHire. com service, it will save them the expense of purchasing their own HANS.” “We’re also catering for those competitors who are not resident in Ireland,” Carey continued.

“We need people to book in advance but we’ll also be on event, allowing competitors from the North, Great Britain or further afield to hire a HANS so they can compete. Rentals are currently from €35 per day, and if anyone wants to hire one, they can phone Mary in the office on 00353 61 718 766.”

Additionally, CCS RACEnRALLY also supply customised service trucks and service area equipment for motorsport competitors and teams within Ireland and the UK. This service includes the ability to supply tents, jacks, groundsheets, banners, flags, compressors, generators and the like.

Competitors can also avail of our vehicle hire service, which includes everything from our Mitsubishi Group N Evo rally car, service truck, motor home and service crew if required.

Clare Bannon from Indigo Signs.

“A COMPETITOR WILL BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WHEN DRIVING AND IT COULD HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF LOSING CONCENTRATION.” CCS RACEnRALLY is located at Smithstown Industrial Estate, Shannon, Co. Clare. With a brand new, spotless showroom, customers are invited to drop in and browse the vast range of stock which is on display.

“CCS RACEnRALLY is the first company to offer heat stress made to measure suits, boots and helmets,” Carey proudly admitted.

“Yes, you can go and buy and suit off the shelf, but using a slightly more expensive made to measure, heat stress race suit, a competitor will be much more comfortable when driving and it could help reduce the risk of losing concentration.”

tel: 061 718 766 Hans for Hire...

HANS Devices are a hot topic in Irish rallying ahead of the 2009 season, so of course RACEnRALLY have them in stock.

But not only are they selling the devices, Christy formed of novel idea of hiring them to competitors.

Sliding HANS tethers options available

Stand 21 Raceboots

Prebook you HANS for Hire with Mary Sheenan

Partnership...

The company has also formed a partnership with Clare and Shane Bannon of Indigo Signs. This allows the company to provide an

Suits you sir - made to measure or standard off the peg available.

Team CCS - Christy & Carmel with their kids.

Different HANS sizes and weights in stock.

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So if you want to get hold of some high quality motorsport gear, make sure you give CCS RACEnRALLY a call. The official company mobile unit will be in attendance at all tarmac and forestry rallies throughout the 2009 season, ensuring that Shane & Clare Bannon the graphics specialists all competitors will have easy access to their prime selection in-house branding service to our of stock. complete hire packages. Clare and And as an added incentive, the Shane share the same premises, company is offering 10% discount and are well used to those last on its range of Stand21 race wear minute competitor needs! and accessories until Christmas. So CCS RACEnRALLY is also make sure you think ahead for the an officially licensed Porsche 2009 season, and get some early motorsport clothing supplier, Christmas presents purchased for and with a new range of Porsche your other â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;motorsport drivenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; half! clothing on the horizon, interest will be high.

The impressive fleet - look out for the CCS team at all major rallies in 09.

T: 061 718766 F: 061 718761 info@ccsracenrally.com

Unit A6 Smithstown Industrial Estate, Shannon, Co Clare

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cssracenrally.com dec/jan 2009 94 pacenotes.net

e r i H r o F tel: 061 718 766

facttfile Driver: Alan O’Calla ghan Height: 5’11” Home: Rossroe, Six milebridge Birth date: 9th Jun e 1976 Occupation: Jack of all trades, but mostly a lorry driver !

Road car: BMW X5 Marital status: Nearl y married!

Hobbies: I play a bit of golf, do bit of drama/acting, play a bit of music, and socialising is ver y im portant too!

Sponsors: Thanks to the two lads that run the car for me – Eoin McMahon and Brian Liddy. Thanks also to MC Autos, Sean Murray Car Sa les, Excel Rallying and David Murphy Ca r Sales.

Anything else you want to say: Thanks to the bride to be (Ai deen) for putting up with me for another 40 years! And the rally car is not for sal e!

O’Callaghan’s Naked Truth…

1. When did you first get behind a wheel?

On a tractor when I was a kid at home on the farm.

questiontime with

Alan O’Callaghan

2. Who taught you to drive?

My brother, Brendan.

3. Did you pass your driving test first time?

No, second time! I just didn’t get on too well with the examiner. He pulled me in half way through the test and said he hoped that I didn’t drive like this normally!

4. What was your first road car?

A 1986 Toyota Corolla diesel with 300,000 miles on the clock. I had it for three years and sold it on for the same money that I paid for it!

5. What is your favourite road car?

Evo 7 - they’re very nice cars. I remember the first day driving mine and I thought the speedometer was reading in kph…but it was mph! Very deceptive!

6. Who were your motorsport heroes as a child?

Billy Coleman and Austin MacHale.

7. Who would you rate as the top British or Irish rally drivers today?

Kris Meeke and Andrew Nesbitt. Kris Meeke can adapt to anything - four wheel drive, front wheel drive or rear wheel drive. I was the marshall at the junction where he went off on Rally Ireland. Everybody helped to get him back on the road!

8. What was your first competitive event?

I did ‘00’ at the Clare Stages Rally in 1997 with a borrowed Vauxhall Viva.

It was hilarious - we laughed from start to finish! I got the bug, so I went and bought a Mark 1 Escort. I’ll never forget doing the Killarney Historic Rally - we caught another competitor and then spun at the top of Moll’s Gap. I spun the car around again but when I did that, I hit the car which we had passed - which happened to be the same Vauxhall Viva which I used on my first event. It had come back to haunt me!

9. What is your worst memory in rallying?

Probably the Circuit of Munster in 2000 - we were going well, matching the class leader who was using a car worth about five times more than ours.

Then we went off through a hedge!

At the end of the stage, someone told him that we had gone off, but then he barrel rolled his Corolla on the following stage.

10. What drive are you most proud of to date?

Probably the Banna Beach Single Stage in 2000. It was my first event after the accident and we finished 14th overall, which helped me get the confidence back again.

11. What is your most frustrating memory in rallying?

Going off at the Clare Stages this year.

We came into service after stage two and were ninth or 10th overall, beating a lot of big boys. Then we went out

again and somehow ended up in the ditch. It was on ‘On the Limit Sports’ and I’ve played it back a few times, but I’m still not sure how it happened!

If we had won there, we would have sealed class eight in the championship, so it went down to the final round.

12. What are your plans for 2009?

I’m just going to pick and choose rounds for next year, and I might do the Galway International.

13. What is your favourite event?

Killarney Historic Rally, but unfortunately I don’t have a car to use for historic rallying anymore!

14. What is your favourite rally car?

My own car - a Prodrive N8 Subaru.

It’s not as powerful as the more recent cars, but it’s very reliable.

15. If you could change anything about current rallying rules/admin what would it be?

I think Motorsport Ireland is on top of most issues. They have put safety as a priority with the HANS Devices, and if it helps save even one life down the line, it’s worth it. People are paying 100 Euros extra for a tyre that will help them go two seconds quicker, but when the costs of HANS devices are mentioned, they say they can’t afford it. People don’t want to spend on safety - I think some would be happy rallying naked, but they need to get their priorities right!

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2008 season award winners

Irish Forestry Award Night

Colin Britton re

ceiving his awar

John Reid

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& Helen O â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan

Tis the season to be jolly...

There were plenty of jolly competitors at the

Hankook National Forest Rally Championship awards evening! Held on Saturday 8 November in Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh (Co. Tipperary), all of the championship prize winners were at hand to receive their prestigious trophies! Well done to all from the Pacenotes team!

Martin Bra

Denis Cronin

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& Helen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sul

Craig Breen

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& Ray Breen Enda Shiels th ards collect eir aw

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2008 season winners

Irish Tarmac Awards Night

MC Martin Walsh Gwyndaf E vans accep ts

Elf yn’s FST award

Tarmac awards from the kingdom...

The 2008 Global Group Irish Tarmac season culminated in

a spectacular awards evening at the National Events Centre in Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, on Saturday 15 November. Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey were crowned Irish Tarmac champions at the black tie dinner, while Kevin and Martin Kelleher picked up the Group N title. Around 400 guests looked on as all class winners also received their prizes, while Frank O’Mahoney was the recipient of the Armagh bowl, an award in recognition of services to rallying. It was a memorable evening for all involved…roll on the 2009 season!

Don Wilmont

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the l awarded to Armagh bow

O’Mahoneys

Group N C h

ampions

MARTIN & LEONA O’DONNELL

Class N2 Champions!

2008 GLOBAL GROUP IRISH TARMAC CHAMPIONSHIP

• Won Class 2 Irish Tarmac Championship • 1st in 5 out of 6 rounds competed • 1st in Galway • 2nd in Circuit of Ireland • 1st in Killarney • 1st in Jim Clarke • 1st in Donegal also won Trevor Fleming Award • 1st in Isle of Man also won Best Mixed Crew • Won 1600 Award in Championship • Best Mixed Crew in Championship

ALSO SUPPLYING HO

All New sponsors welcome Following their recent success Martin & Leona O’Donnell Would like to thank their Sponsors: Dungloe Car Breakers • DER Electrical Ltd • Greenline Fruit & Veg Errigal New Homes Timber Frame & Turn Key Systems Nighthawks Café & Cannon Developments • John Boreland Photography Injury Clinic • Wards Seafoods • McCarry Destruction • Euro M Sport McHugh Construction • Dungloecars.com • O’Donnell 24hr Recovery We would also like to extend our thanks to the Service crew, my father Gerry and Sean Boyle, Team Manager Helen O’Donnell and Mary McCole for all the admin and all friends and family who helped.

NDA CIVIC SPARES

bushe’s blog

Alarm Bells Ring...

Another year is ending, and it’s been a different year in terms of Irish rallying, with the credit crunch firing its warning shots across the bows of rally sport in Ireland.

As Christmas approaches, we all hope

Santa has read our Christmas list. My list is coming on well. One rebuilt engine, one rebuilt and guaranteed not to break gearbox, one new set of slicks, wets and inters!

You don’t always get what you want, but I hope that Santa brings you a new Hans Device. It’s a necessity for Motorsport Ireland events in 2009, and although there has been much discussion about the ruling, I think it’s the right one. I purchased a Stilo helmet with Hans Device over a year ago, and I think it’s an excellent system. It does not restrict my movements in the car in any way. I have tried it in the co-driver’s seat too, and aside from having to hold the notes up a little higher, and it being a little awkward to turn around to give the time cards in at the end of a test, I have found no issues with the system.

As a safety item, it is potentially as lifesaving as a pair of seat belts, and you cannot put a price on your neck. It is however, a difficult time for MI to enforce this rule, what with the credit crunch biting harder now.

Co-Driving In 2008

My biggest worry for the sport at the moment is on the co drivers front, however.

Over the past few events I have heard some general chit chat, where some co drivers, reckoning the total cost for a new helmet and Hans is going to be around 1000 dec/jan 2009 100 pacenotes.net

euro, are talking about taking a sabbatical, thus avoiding the investment.

While some genuinely cannot afford the extra expense, I feel it is a worthwhile investment for all, but I am worried that the extra expense will discourage further those who might want to put themselves in the hot seat.

The sport needs good co-drivers, and it still amazes me how many competitors today jump straight into the driving seat without first co-driving. The amount to be learned from co-driving, and the experience gained, is simply invaluable, especially as regards pacenotes.

Co-drivers need to be encouraged and we are all guilty, even here in the Pacenotes office at times, of focusing too much on the drivers. It has gone largely unnoticed this year that Irish co-drivers practically dominated the British Rally Championship, with David Moynihan paired up with Guy Wilks, Rory Kennedy with Mark Higgins, and Paul Nagle with Gwyndaf Evans. Indeed on the Ulster Rally, these co-drivers took 1-2-3 in the BRC positions.

Co-drivers need to be encouraged to take part, and also to support their driver. Lasting partnerships make for ultimate success, and no better illustration of this is Sebastien Loeb

Driving In 2008…

Granted, there were technical problems that ruled out drivers such as Eugene Donnelly, but generally we were quite a bit off the pace. Is Ireland capable of pushing out world class drivers?

During the season we witnessed several star performances from Kris Meeke, but the fact that he could set a fastest time in a 1600 Clio further shows that the top WRC times in Ireland are well off the mark. For Kris however, time seems to be running out to get into a full WRC seat.

Shaun Gallagher had a solid season in the JWRC, but now 28, he is too old to further contest the series. Phillip Morrow’s Mitsubishi prize drive ended prematurely and with much controversy, but whatever the reasons, the bottom line - sadly for the Lisburn driver - is that he didn’t get the results he needed to further his ambitions.

Keith Cronin is probably the biggest hopeful at the moment, and his result on the Trackrod Rally, matching some times with Mark Higgins, on terrain he was unfamiliar with, was exceptional. With a BRC attack planned in 2009, he will be followed with interest, and lets not forget that it was way back in 1974 - 35 years ago - that an Irish driver, Billy Coleman, last won the BRC. We need more talented drivers and co-drivers who can be followed in the hope that they make it to the top, to instil new passion and support back into the sport. It is encouraging to see Motorsport Ireland’s effort with the National Junior Championship and the renewed Billy Coleman prize, which is aiming for a one make prize drive in the UK. I hope in 2009 that youth development can be forwarded further. Strong points in 2008 have been the creation of the Irish C2 R2 Cup and

Irish Evo Challenge. The enhanced profiles of these popular one make series must encourage our young guns.

Rallying’s Profile Problems…

Currently, our sport in general has a profile problem, I feel. Rallying in Ireland has always enjoyed a high profile. It’s a popular sport, but there is no doubt that it doesn’t pull the crowds of the Eighties.

Having just completed a TV edit on the history of the Circuit of Ireland up to 1984, it’s obvious to me that the crowds that lined the roads in the early to mid eighties were simply tumultuous compared to those in 2008. Even with the slight exception of Rally Ireland, there is no comparison.

There is no doubt that rallying is still popular in terms of it being a minority sport, but a lot of the profile enjoyed by the sport has to be credited to television programmes like RPM, broadcast on terrestrial television.

The viewing figures as ever have been high in 2008, and production costs low for the programme, but a horrendous change in policy by UTV has seen local programming axed and RPM is one of the shows being made to suffer.

This has been common knowledge for some time, but the reaction from the public has been, quite frankly, disappointing.

Certainly reading the forum pages, there are attitudes which I feel are plainly wrong.

On The Limit Sport’s Mick Bracken, who does a great job in the Irish National series, is not having it easy on the that front, and I feel that there is a certain resentment evident towards Irish rally TV production.

People seem to feel that production costs don’t exist and that the whole thing could be done for £50, and that it should be motorsport’s biggest charity.

Why does it cost so much to make a programme? When you consider that a camera being lugged on a professional’s shoulders is worth £40,000 alone, before the cost of the editing equipment, extra remote and kerb cameras, labour costs for administration, editing, graphics,

THE SPORT NEEDS GOOD CO-DRIVERS, AND IT STILL AMAZES ME HOW MANY COMPETITORS TODAY JUMP STRAIGHT INTO THE DRIVING SEAT WITHOUT FIRST CO-DRIVING...

equipment upgrades and maintenance, insurance and overheads, maybe then they may see that this needs to be run, like every other motorsport production company in the world, as a business. Compared to the prices for television on the mainland and worldwide, Irish motorsport has been getting a bargain.

RPM is putting together contingency plans at present, but this is a time when people should be outraged at the potential threat to a terrestrial TV programme, and making their feelings known. Instead the reaction has been, frankly, quite mute. In the long run it will be the sport and the competitors that suffer greatly if we lose that TV stronghold.

andrew bushe’s thoughts on irish rallying...

Looking back at 2008 on the driver’s front, it hasn’t been a year of sensational Irish superstars. At the start of the season, after the high of bringing Rally Ireland to these shores in late 2007, we had a slight low, with the domination of the world class drivers, and the relatively poor performance of the home crews.

THE “TARMAC TROPHY” FOR THE MODIFIEDS SHOULD BE ENTERTAINING IN 2009, BUT JUST WHERE IS IT ALL GOING? BACKWARDS? FORWARDS? OR SIDEWAYS?

bushe’s blog

and Daniel Elena. Ireland has a history of producing superb co-drivers, with Northern Ireland’s Fred Gallagher and Terry Harryman coming closest to being World Champions. The question is, can we produce a World Champion co driver of the future?

A lack of proper TV coverage for our top events will diminish hugely the interest from the general public. It will narrow the audience, make it harder for any driver to establish their name, make it more difficult for events to attract sponsors, make it less attractive for sponsors to sponsor drivers and cars, and possibly even make PR-ing stages more difficult, as the general public becomes less aware of the sport’s very existence.

I am sad to say that personally I think rallying in Ireland is a little lost at the moment.

We are facing a possible changeover from WRC to what? Is Super 2000 the answer? It just doesn’t seem quite right.

The Tarmac Championship has made some changes, but still entertains the three BRC events, which then turn around and announce their ban on the Irish WRCs for 2010.

The World Rally Championship is credit crunching, as the teams cannot afford to launch the series at Stormont. Our sport is in serious danger of losing profile, and action needs to be taken. Crowd numbers and enthusiasm are far away from the sport’s heyday.

Young driver development is improving a little, but not as fast as Mk2 Escort development! This is the one area in the sport that is rapidly accelerating, as these machines reach power outputs of 320bhp, with no restrictions other than wedge in the driver’s wallet. The “Tarmac Trophy” for the modifieds should be entertaining in 2009, but just where is it all going?

Backwards? Forwards? Or sideways?

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Rally round-up from Kerry

Kerry Mini Stages Rally

2nd: Thomas Fitzmaurice & Fionn Foley

Words Jonathan MacDonald PICTURES Sean Moynihan

3rd: Stuart Darcy & Diarmuid Falvey

4th: Anthony O’Halloran & Charlie McEnery

RESULTS 1 Keith Cronin/David Power Mitsubishi Evo 9................ 34:57 2 Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley Mitsubishi Evo 9................ 35:18 3 Stuart Darcy/Diarmuid Falvey Subaru Impreza.................. 35:33 4 Anthony O’Halloran/Charlie McEnery Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9..... 35:39 5 Mike Quinn/Sean Enright Ford Escort Mk2................ 36:53 6 Sean Flanagan/Brian Duggan Subaru Impreza N12.......... 37:01 7 Kevin O’Donoghue/Joe O’Leary Ford Escort Mk2................ 37:12 8 Brian O’Mahony/John Higgins Subaru Impreza N12.......... 37:20 9 Ed Synan/Denis O’Connell Ford Escort Mk2................ 37:43 10 Sean O’Donovan/Harold Atkinson Subaru Impreza.................. 38:01 11 Gary Reidy/Jim Casey Ford Escort Mk2................ 38:15 12 Paul McEnroe/Sorcha Kelly Subaru Impreza GpN.......... 38:16 13 Shay Power/John Rafter Ford Escort........................ 38:22 14 Alan O’Callaghan/Cathal McGrath Subaru Impreza.................. 38:27 15 Mick McQuaid/Paul Kelly Ford Escort........................ 38:40 dec/jan 2009 102 pacenotes.net

Winners: Keith Cronin & David Power

Life’s A Beach For Cronin After missing out on the European Pirelli Star Driver shoot-out prize, Keith Cronin put his disappointment behind him by winning this year’s Banna Beach Holiday Resort Kerry Mini Stages Rally! With David Power calling the pace notes in what was his first experience of rally competition, the crew set three fastest times out of four stages to claim a popular win at the November event!

Power won the opportunity to call the notes for Keith after joining the young Cork driver’s supporters club earlier this year. As an incentive to join Cronin’s club, prizes were put up for grabs, with first prize being a run in the navigator’s seat at the Kerry Mini Stages!

“I was on holiday when the raffle was held in early October,” Power told Pacenotes, “so I only found out that I’d won when I returned. To be honest, I was a bit uneasy at first. I sat in my brother’s Darrian once and I thought that it was hairy enough!

But it was the trip of a lifetime, and to get the win…you couldn’t write a movie script like that!”

At the start of the event, it was Thomas Fitzmaurice and Fionn Foley who briefly held the advantage in their class eight Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, going fastest over the opening test by one second. Cronin held second position from Stuart Darcy, but with the dust settled, the County Cork youngster upped his game through stage two.

Fastest time saw him move into a two second lead over Fitzmaurice and Foley, but more was yet to come.

While Stuart Darcy and Diarmuid Falvey slipped to joint third with Anthony O’Halloran and Charlie McEnery, Cronin continued to set the pace at the head of the field.

A blistering run through stage three saw the Group N Evo pilot extend his lead to a virtually

unassailable 16 seconds. With one stage remaining, he was on the verge of victory, and Cronin left little to chance. He decided to keep pushing, and another fastest time through the final test saw him emerge with victory in his hands!

“It was slippery enough down there but we had no big problems,” Cronin told Pacenotes. “It was David’s first time navigating and he had never done any rallying before, but he caught on very quickly!”

Leaders after stage one, Thomas Fitzmaurice and Fionn Foley had to settle for second position in the end. They finished 21 seconds

2nd: Thomas Fitzmaurice & Fionn Foley

adrift of Cronin, but comfortably ahead of Stuart Darcy and Diarmuid Falvey who claimed third. Anthony O’Halloran and Charlie McEnery completed the top four in their Evo 9, while Mike Quinn and Sean Enright claimed top two-wheel-drive honours, as well as fifth overall, in their Escort.

Quinn and Enright headed the two-wheel-drive charge from the start. Immediately placing themselves sixth overall, they were also 20 seconds faster than second placed two-wheel-drive exponents Ed Synan and Denis O’Connell.

Quinn briefly dropped to seventh overall behind Sean Flanagan, but overhauled the Group N pilot on stage three, and moved up another position when Alan Ring hit trouble on the final stage.

In the end, Quinn claimed fifth overall and finished 19 seconds

ahead of 2WD rivals, Kevin O’Donoghue and Joe O’Leary, who were seventh, behind Sean Flanagan and Brian Duggan. Brian O’Mahony and John Higgins finished eighth in their Group N Impreza, while Ed Synan and Denis O’Connell claimed ninth overall as well as third among the two-wheel-drives. Sean O’Donovan and Harold Atkinson completed the top 10.

Class Battles…

Keith and Leanne Flanagan won class one, while Paul Curley and Desmond Daniels took class two spoils. Wesley Roberts and Ultan McGowan were the sole finishers in class three, and class four saw Anthony O’Halloran and Charlie McEnery take the award as event winner Keith Cronin sacrificed his class position.

Denis Dillon and Tony Flynn were the sole finishers in class five, while class six saw Eamon Hanley and Padraig Doody take the trophy home. Pat Callanan and Kenneth Shiel won class seven, while Alan O’Callaghan and Cathal McGrath claimed the class eight spoils.

Tom Ryan and Michael Fitzgibbon brought their Opel Corsa home at the head of class nine, while a Vauxhall Nova emerged on top in class 10 - with Victor and Andrew Beamish in control.

John Hendy and Donal Falvey claimed the class 11 spoils, with Noel O’Donnell and Ronan Murrin bringing their Peugeot 205 GTi home at the head of class 12. Ed Synan and Denis O’Connell topped the class 13 tree, while Mike Quinn and Sean Enright headed home class 14. Dan Mulcahy and Donnacha O’Callaghan were the sole survivors in class 15, and finally the class 16 spoils were awarded to Jonathan Callaghan and Gavin Sheehan.

. . . s t c u d o r P w e N

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Tel: 00353 868662828. €585.00

Latest Wheel Technology…

Wheel manufacturer Braid offers one of the most extensive and varied ranges of monoblock competition wheels. The wheels are made in heat treated, light aluminium alloy. These wheels are available exclusively from Drift 2 Motorsport. They are available immediately in 15x7 and 14x6 sizes to suit the ever popular Honda Civic in Forestry or Tarmac spec. Wheels for Evos, Suburus, Opels and Ford Escorts will be available shortly.

Please contact Drift 2 Motorsport for more information on 00353 (0)86 8662828.

NEW Honda Parts Website... eg6ek4ep3.com is a new website,

and the first to concentrate solely on competition parts for Honda Civics.

The three most popular models, the EG6, EK4 and EP3 are covered, as well as an array of engine tuning parts for transplanting Honda engines into RWD cars. The site has extensive product listings for all models, and an online ordering system, allowing shoppers to make purchases via paypal.

The site has been launched by Honda parts experts DMRR, as a response to the increasing customer demand for Civic parts. “We were the

first to offer complete Civic ‘build-a-car kits’, and having identified the excellent potential that the Civics have, we set about building up an extensive range of Civic parts”, says Des Moore. “We haven’t simply accepted whats out there on the market, we’ve been proactive in developing new parts specifically for our customers requirements, like the Sellholm Civic dampers, and our RHD quickrack kits which we will soon be launching. It just got to the point where we needed a dedicated outlet for all the Honda parts, and eg6ek4ep3.com is it!”

Good indications...

A lot of Mk2 Escorts have seen a lot of hard

miles in 2008, so now that the Winter break is here, why not treat your Escort to a pair of brand new front indicator lenses? The lenses are £13 each, and are in stock now. More details on www.dmrr.net, 028 (048 ROI) 37538633.

All the best stuff for your car...

Carbon Fibre Hans Device...

with direct top 5th gear. This is a totally new kit on the market. Fully tested.

The kit costs £1375 +VAT. In addition we have new ZF brass forks as follows : ZF large fork £350 +VAT, ZF medium fork £330 VAT, ZF small fork £299 +VAT Montgomery Motorsport. Tel : 028 855 49851 or email: sales@montgomerymotorsport.co.uk.

New Escort MkI/MkII Competition Quick Rack

Heavy duty high ratio rack assembly with

24mm diameter rack bar and phospher bronze bush. Tie rods have an additional 11mm on overall length to allow for extra castor/camber adjustment. Includes mounting brackets and rubbers. Available in 2.2 and 2.4 lock to lock, left and right hand drive.- £255 +VAT Carriage to UK and Ireland £10 +VAT. Carriage to elsewhere on request. Available now from Montgomery Motorsport.

Tel : 028 855 49851 or email: sales@ montgomery-motorsport.co.uk. pacenotes.net

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THE NO.1 PLACE TO BUY & SELL YOUR RALLY CARS AND PARTS

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PARTS & SPARES SELECTION OF PARTS for EG6, EK4 Civic. 2x short side drives, EK4 alternator and dizzy, EG6 dizzy, water pumps, idlers, new timing belts, new head gaskets, front and rear calipers, new release bearing, pressure plates, standard clutch, rear hubs, Honda Y21 3rd, 4th and 5th gears, standard EGr and EK4 ECUs, inlet manifolds and injectors, control arms and front knuckles, selection of 15” wheels & tyres (tar & forest), and much more. Tel. 00353 86 851 4032.

TWO SPARCO HELMETS plus Greytronics intercom, €200. Tel. 00353 86 253 1332.

FIESTA SPORTINGTROPHY RALLY SUIT, worn four times on

dec/jan 2009 104 pacenotes.net

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PRIVATE ADVERTISERS ONLY MUST SIGN HERE

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tarmac events, size 60. £150.

Tel Rodney on 07793 081 368.

MKII ESCORT ROLLING SHELL. Forestry arches. Tunnelled and terrated. Cleanest example in the country. Great winter project.

5,500 Euro Tel: 087 9666719

Paddle Clutch and Cover Included to suit an F13/F15 Gearbox, This engine has had a refresh back in February, This is a Cheap Clubman engine For any further questions please ring me on 07976 962483- £2500.00

BILL FALCONER BUILT ECOTEC 1400 16 VALVE ENGINE 147bhp and 110ftlb torque on the Flywheel, Lightened and balanced Bottom end including the flywheel, Twin Webber, 45 DCOE carburettors with Trumpets, MBE 967 programmable engine management, shift light, rev limiter set at 8000rpm, Fully worked head and cam with solid lifters, Full manifold and matched to the engine, Modified breather system, Comes with Starter and Altenator, Red Top Fuel Pump and Fuel Pressure Regulator,

PEUGEOT 106 CUP CAR Full Grp A, 1587cc, Recently re-built engine with four branch manifold, Re-built front suspension, new bearings, top shock mounts etc., New rear axle and bilstein shocks, New ferrodo brake pads on the front Spares include 12 wheels and tyres, front bumper, set of arches, light pod, Many more spares on request: 2 shells, tyres, axles, bumpers, arches, lights, 3/4 panels, doors, door skins plus much more!

Cheap car at 8800 euro!

Phone: 086 3367300

WANTED 2 Evo 9’s wanted to Hire for NI Rally Championship 2009. Also wanted all rally car shells – any make and condition.

Contact 07813 858029 2 front seats for Subaru Type R. Tel. 00353 87 055 8771.

Proflex for EG6/EK4, new or second hand. Must be fully serviced and include springs etc. Does not have to be full set i.e. front or rear.

Tel. 00353 86 825 4440.

One original Civic VTI rim from the 1992-1995 model.

Tel 00353 86 176 9657.

To Advertise Here Contact Beverley on +44 (0)28 4066 0390 Email: sales@pacenotes.net

Garage Clearout. Selection of rally cars, MSA logged and Rally Sport Association compliant £1,000 - £6,000, Tel: 07753566295 DARRIAN 2LITRE HONDA ENGINE. Hewland 6 spd NMT sequential, AP brakes, 3 way Proflex, 15” wheels, 2008 strc outright champion, £39000 ovno bruce@ aquacurescotland.co.uk or 07887795910

PEUGEOT 205 RALLYCROSS CAR. Peugeot 205 modified rallycross car, 2.0 8v running on r1 bike carbs producing 186bhp, balanced and lightened flywheel, quaife lsd, coilovers, poly windows, fully lightened shell with dimma kit fitted, fibreglass bonnet and hatch, car is ready to go with 13 x 15” wheels 4 of which are compomotives for rallycross and 9 wheels and 8 tyres for autocross, also included is a full spare dimma bodykit and a new tranx 260 transponder (needs fitting) and a small box of bits and pieces. £2995 ono Tel Paul 0191 4208182 or 0775 775 7552 (Gateshead, England) w

FORD FIESTA ST 150.

Registration: ND05 GGZ, Specification: RHD bolt-in cage, Mileage: 1,900 miles, Colour: Blue outside / white inside.

Converted to rally car using MSport kit and all the extras 2006.

Contact Bob Morland, Tel: +44 (0)7786 321 203, Email: robertegm@aol.com, Price: £21,000GBP

206 CUP CAR. In good condition ready to rally, in gravel trim, now fitted with a C/R 5 speed gearbox, otherwise all cup spec, new Alcon discs and DS3000 pads, brand new gravel tyres, seats and belts in date, some spares included including tarmac suspension. £6950.00 Tel: 07837 381608

REMAX SUBARU N11. Full spec original prodrive car with N12b brakes upgrade. Only four events since engine rebuild.

No accidents ultimate reliability.

Tarmac use only. Price £33,000. Call Gavin Harris +353 87 2319520/Shaun Lafferty +353 87 2589931

PUMA 1400 KIT CAR (A5).

192 bhp from all steel scholar 1400 engine. Hewland 6 speed sequential. Flat Shift, Gear indicator, Dynamics suspension.

Ready to win its class anywhere.

Ideal for Excel championship.

Tel: 07983994525

MARK 2 FORD ESCORT 2.1CC. N/A Cosworth, F/F Atlas, 5 speed Pro box, dry sumped, 240 bhp, Bilstein, AP Calipers,

MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO 4/6.

Clubman car built from bare shell by WRC technician. 3 way Proflex, rebuilt engine, new diff, lots of carbon. Very competitive car. £14,750. Contact Duncan Taylor 07836 514230 for full spec.

w

METRO 6R4 Group “B”.

Llewellyn 1986 Lombard RAC. A very special and important Ex Works RED built full 3 Litre International. Image Goodwood 2008. Offered at €88,610 (£75,000GBP).

Tel: 00447836728525.

2005 LATEST MODEL MGZR 1.4.

Night Navigation Rally car, complete with Lamppod with 4xHella 3000 100W Lamps all fully fitted, New Ashley Competition Exhaust, New Brantz 2 International Tripmeter, New Brantz Rally Clock, Maplight, Jack Plug for Poti, New Uprated EBC Green Stuff Brake Discs & Pads. Car is taxed until July 2009, first MOT not due until March 2009.

Ideal navigation rally car or may be used for Endurance rallying, excellent suspension, only 27,000 miles on the clock. Email: andygilmore@ mmbuildingservices.co.uk for further details and photos. POA Tel: 07876 562003 anytime or (028) 4377 1391 evenings

MITSUBISHI GPN EVO 9.

Built by ProTec Motorsport May 08 from brand new donor car, used only as second car on tarmac, less than 500 miles from build, no expense spared on this machine, full spec on request of visit our web site see build pictures(white evo) in the gallery section. Currently in tarmac spec but can supply in gravel trim. POA+44 (0)1772 633777

MK 2 ESCORT 2.0 PINTO. Class winning car. Pristine condition 2.0 Rodney Stewart engine with steel crank jenvey throttle bodies, emerald ecu, professionally wired by Randol Montgomery Motorsport. This car finished second in class in N. Ireland Rally Championship.

Tel: Glenn on 07074870592.

POA CAMILLUS BRADLEY’S MK2 ESCORT 2.0L 16V Vauxhall Engine on Alloy Block. 6 speed sequential Quaife Gearbox. 15” wheels. T45 cage. Got to be the best Mk2 Escort ever built!

Lots of first overall outright wins - unending results! Very Strong and Light Car - £65k. Call 028 7962 7282 or 07710 712 007 2 X GP4 MK2 ESCORTS. Owned and built by Camillus Bradley. 2.0L 16v fuel injected with 5 speed dog quaife gearboxes, atlas axles and ap brakes all round. Full proper GRP4 cars. Offers around £30k each. Call 028 7962 7282 or 07710 712 007

The Best Rally Car Marketplace

PEUGEOT 106 GTI GROUP N. GTI strengthened gearbox with rose jointed linkage, newly built. Peugeot Sport suspension, adjustable fronts, new rear shocks. Braided fuel and brake lines. New comp engine mounts. Seats, belts and all extinguishers in date.

This car is like NEW! Spares include wheels, tyres, front and back bumpers, side skirts, plus other bits and pieces.

CAR IDEAL FOR NEW FWD CHAMPIONSHIP €6,800.

Tel: 00353 (0)87 7745494

1979 OPEL KADETT COUPE. Stripped rolling shell with spare panels and ats alloys. ideal redtop project car. located in Killarney. €2000. Tel: 00 353 87 6386480.

Classified Services

Monte Carlo, Omex, Peltor, ATC Arms, large diff / Tunnel, 5 point belts, heated screen, Tony Law Exhaust plus more £27,500. Tel: 075 15393184

RALLY CARS

HONDA CIVIC EG6. 1992, fresh B16A2 engine, new wiring loom, new Honda timing belt, water pump and idler, Kazz diff, MFactory gear kit, 3-way Proflex, Spoons ECU, upright hydraulic handbrake. Tar spec, gravel setup available. Too much to list!

Price: €9750 ovno.

Contact 00353 86 851 4032.

MORE OVER>> pacenotes.net

dec/jan 2009

105

To Advertise Here Contact Beverley on +44 (0)28 4066 0390 Email: sales@pacenotes.net

Classified Services

pads, Unichip ECU, fully aero quipped, 10 spare wheels/ tyres, class 2 Midlands East C’ship winning car. Too much to mention. Price: €15,000.

Contact 086 234 1230.

VAUXHALL ASTRA GSI GPN. Fitted with new Sparco seats in 2007, new Nicky Grist harnesses 2008, comes with 14 rims and apprx 25/30 tyres, cheap to maintain/run, ideal beginners car, 100% finishing record. POA, Contact: EugeneRally@aol. com

The Best Rally Car Marketplace

MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO X GSR donor cars, brand new but no log book etc, ideal donor cars, can only be used for parts.

Price: £15,000, Contact Immy on 07894 557 399.

MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO 9.

R&D Dog Box, plated front diff, Reiger suspension, Phase 2 centre diff map, Motec ECU & Diff controller, big brembo tarmac brakes front/rear, finished 2nd ITC GpN 2008. £50,000 ono. For full spec contact Dominic on 028 2175 8677.

EF9 JAP IMPORT CIVIC. Class 11, rose joined TCAs, AVO adjustable suspension, B16a1 engine, Y1 gearbox with 4.9 MFactory final drive, braided brake hoses, many spares.

Cost: €6250.

Contact: 086 803 6788

HONDA CIVIC EK4.

Class 2 (GpN), built Jan 2007, fully seam welded, weld-in Safety Devices cage, Proflex 3-way all round, Ferodo brake

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pacenotes.net dec/jan 2009

FULL GRP4 MARK2 ESCORT. Fully seam welded / skidded / gusseted shell built by Stephen Nevin (SKN Rally Services).

Reinforced bulk head with large gearbox and diff tunnels. Full SD weld in cage with extra bars.

2.1 all steel Pinto engine (built

by Willie McCullough) on twin 48’s. (194 bhp - Dynotune). Dry sumped with twin paddle AP Clutch. 5 Speed Prof Quaife box / Fully Floating wide atlas axle (5.1 CWP). AP brakes all round. ension strut kit. Bilstein suspension. Electric 360 Fire extinguisher and electric kill switch. Brantz trip meter. OMP seats / TRS 6 point harness.Twin heated windscreen. Carbon composite boot and bonnet.

Car immaculate in every way.

Only 3 events from new. Every part brand new - invoices to verify. Change of plan forces sale. First to see will buy. Car genuine in every way. Priced to sell at £29950. Contact 07764 683358 / eamonfdoherty@ yahoo.co.uk

ROAD CARS

DAMAGED EVO 7. Road car, fixed externally, covered few road miles. Reg’s March 2001, stored since August 2001.

No engine or gearbox, no car identity. Perfect for bargain rally build. £3000.

Contact Barry 028 9081 5400.

2001 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX. left-hand drive, 123,000 miles, burgundy/red, UK reg’d, air con, cruise control, 6 CD changer, alloy wheels, electric windows, completely standard. £6500.

Contact Barry 028 9081 5400.

PARTS & SPARES

1996 SUBARU IMPREZA. McRae Series, UK limited edition car of 200 examples built by Prodrive, original 555 factory registration, 107,000miles, FSH, new timing belt and crank seals, 12 months MOT, can be taxed, lights mods including full s/s exhaust, green air filter, Ohlins adjustable suspension. £5250.

Contact 07888 697 226 or 00353 86 167 3245.

2001 AUDI A4 1.9TDi Sport 130, metallic grey, 137,000 motorway miles, Audi service history, all MOT certificates/bills etc. New clutch/flywheel (5000 miles ago), all extras – Bose sound system, chrome mirrors, 17” Audi alloys, fresh tyres, dual climate control, sunroof, 6 disc CD, MOT Sept 09, Tax March 09, new tow bar fitted/wired. £4875/€5995.

Contact 07888 697 226 or 00353 86 167 3245.

SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI. Prodrive UK spec, late 2003, black with gold fleck, 58,000 miles, MOT & Tax Jan 2009, 6 speed, 18” wheels and four new tyres, turbo timer, big brembo brakes, new pads, Bluetooth, 6 disc multi changer. £9500 ono.

Contact Emma on 028 4062 5438.

2006 SWB COMMERCIAL LANDCRUISER. Navy, 74,000kms, recently serviced, air con, cruise control, electric windows, tinted glass, colour coded spare wheel cover, A bar, front fogs, has done very little work other than pull car transporter now and again, used for normal road driving. €20,000+VAT. Contact 00353 86 851 4032 EK4 HONDA CIVIC CLASS 2 Fully seam welded, 4.7 CWP Limited slip differential, 3 way Proflex adjustable suspension ECU full spec, Multipoint weld in cage, Competition brake pads all around, Airquipped fuel and brake lines, Seats and harnesses up to date, Rebuilt 2008, Car maintained regardless of cost, Very quick 13000 Euro o.n.o TEL: 0868075841

WHITE PELTOR HELMET large, peltor helmet bag, sparco balaclava, omp neck brace, 2 pair booties (1 sparco size 9/10), fireproof undergarments, omp rally suit, omp pace notes bag.

All in excellent condition.

Would accept £480.00 ono Tel: 07714 153870 28 - 6X13 RS & LAZER ALLOYS. To fit Escort or Sunbeam.

All with new and part worn 185/60/13 rally tyres. £500 the lot ono or split in sets of 5/6 Tel: +44 07817350576 FORD KA PARTS. Full Sparco roll cage, 3 way Proflex suspension, 1300 8V engine, Gearbox with 5.1 diff, Seat and belts all in date, 18 x 14” Speedline rims, 30 x mixed tarmac and gravel tyres, plus loads more call for details.

Tel: 00353 (0)86 3539822 FOREST TYRES (10) for Sale.

13” Kumho, Dunlop and Colway.

Good condition £275 ono.

Escort Quick Steering Rack LHD £125 ono. Competition Seat.

Light weight, basemount £40 ono. Tel: 07779 221 124 or 028 9036 4868 HONDA CIVICS for breaking, EG6, EK4, EK9, EP3, FD2. All parts, can courier, low mileage hand picked cars suitable for rally replacement parts, discount for motorsport use.

Tel. 00353877548132 NOVA/MANTA PEDAL BOX, brand new, complete with .625 and .75 girling cylinders, two reservoirs, brackets and bias dash adjuster. Located in Letterkenny. €250 ono. Tel Brian on 00353 86 050 9663.

SUBARU IMPREZA genuine Possum Bourne GpA 5-speed gear kit with front LSD, needs replacement main shaft (chipped) which is standard STi item which seller has so just needs reassembly. €950. Tel. Kieran on 00353 87 935 5512.

QUAIFE ALLOY CASE DOGBOX fully rebuild, selling due to up-grade.

POA Phone:0863606997

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Glebe Gearboxes • Corbeau Seats • Luke Harnesses • Ferodo Brake Pads • Super Clutch • Bilstein Shocks • Facet Fuel Systems • Poly Carb Window Kits • Power Vamp Racing Batteries

HENDERSON AUTO SPORT & SPARES MKI - MK2 ESCORT SPARES

S A M T S I R H C Y R R ME HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A S R E M O T S U C TO ALL OUR HANS DEVICES NOW IN STOCK Fully Floating Axles Front legs new All Fabrication Parts AWS Rally Suits etc

FOR ALL YOUR

GROUP 4 ESCORT REQUIREMENTS

Monster 4 Hi Spec Braking System for Escorts and Toyotas. Biggest brakes you can fit under 13” wheels

Ken Henderson, The Tops Demense, Raphoe, Co Donegal, Ireland Tel Number: 00353(0) 74 91 44444 • Mobile: 00353(0) 872707257 • Email: info@hass.ie

Glebe Gearboxes • Corbeau Seats • Luke Harnesses • Ferodo Brake Pads • Super Clutch • Bilstein Shocks • Facet Fuel Systems • Poly Carb Window Kits • Power Vamp Racing Batteries

HASS