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R5: Regs & Entry Form

Jonathan MacDonald — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:18:02 +0000

With the Tour of the Sperrins Rally completed, it’s time to get your entry in for the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally!

This year’s event will feature nine closed road stages surrounding Newtownhamilton, Whitecross and Loughgilly, including some old Circuit of Ireland Rally stages.

The event takes place on Saturday 8 June and entries close on Saturday 1 June.

DOWNLOAD REGULATIONS

DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM

Points After R4

Jonathan MacDonald — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:04:53 +0000

Donagh Kelly claimed victory at Saturday’s Tour of the Sperrins but it was second placed Derek McGarrity who secured maximum points. He now heads the series by nine points from Derek McGeehan with Kevin Barrett third…

1 Derek McGarrity – 36pts
2 Derek McGeehan – 27pts
3 Kevin Barrett – 18pts
4 Jonny Leonard – 16pts
5 James Laverty – 13pts
6 Camillus Bradley – 10pts

Download points tables after round 4

Kelly’s Electric Drive!

Jonathan MacDonald — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:21:42 +0000

Donegal driver Donagh Kelly secured his third Carryduff Forklift MSA N.I. Rally Championship victory on Saturday when he claimed victory at Magherafelt and District Motor Club’s Tour of the Sperrins Rally!

Navigated by Kevin Flanagan, Kelly powered his Airtricity backed Subaru Impreza World Rally Car to victory by 8.8 seconds from reigning champion and current series leader, Derek McGarrity.

In fact, it was McGarrity who secured maximum points and extended his championship lead as Kelly is not registered for the series. So despite having to settle for second on this occasion, the Glengormley driver bolstered his chances of securing another Carryduff Forklift N.I. crown.

The Event…

At the start of the event, almost 100 crews lined up outside Walsh’s Hotel in preparation for battle. The event was to be contested over six stages with changeable weather conditions set to make tyre choice a lottery.

On stage one, it was number one seed Camillus Bradley who left the field trailing in his wake aboard his Mark 2 Escort. Navigated by Charlie Beatty, they finished the test five seconds faster than Derek McGarrity and James McKee, with Derek McGeehan and Michael Orr third in their MINI WRC.

“I think I must have caught them sleeping,” Bradley said afterwards. “The stage didn’t feel that good to us. I thought we might have been 10 seconds behind them so I couldn’t believe it when I found out we were leading the rally.”

It was only a matter of time before the World Rally Car crews got to grips with the conditions, and after stage two, Derek McGarrity had surged into a three second lead from Donagh Kelly, with Bradley demoted to third.

That same stage saw the demise of Steven Kane. The Newtownards born man, who is more accustomed to racing a Nissan GT-R, had a troubled start to what was his first rally as the throttle in his MINI WRC refused to work from the beginning of the event. Problems worsened on stage two when he and navigator Noel Orr slid off the road and out of the event.

Back at the top, rally leader Derek McGarrity set the pace on stage three to arrive into a hailstone covered service area with a 7.6 second advantage over Donagh Kelly, while the two-wheel-drive powered Camillus Bradley was doing his best to keep up with his WRC counterparts in third.

Second Loop…

Shortly after the leaders completed that third test, organisers were forced to stop the stage when Trevor Ferguson and David McElroy crashed their Group N Subaru Impreza. After hitting a telegraph pole, their car was pitched into a series of rolls but thankfully neither crew member was injured.

With the cars refettled in service, most crews returned to the stages for a repeat loop of the same three tests. However, eighth placed Kevin Barrett was forced to stay in service as his Impreza WRC developed a gearbox problem.

When the stage times started rolling in from the fourth test, it looked as though second placed Donagh Kelly was on a charge. He had swiped three seconds out of leader McGarrity, leaving 4.6 seconds between the two contenders with two stages remaining.

Then the tide really turned in Kelly’s favour on stage five when he stopped the clocks in his Airtricity backed Impreza WRC some 13 seconds faster than McGarrity. As it transpired, McGarrity lost precious seconds when he caught two boys illegally riding quad bikes on the stage.

Going into the final test, eight seconds separated the leading crews. So when Kelly claimed fastest time once again, he had done enough to secure his third Carryduff Forklift series win!

“Derek has been our nemesis for a while now,” navigator Kevin Flanagan admitted at the finish. “I think he has managed to beat us by a few seconds on the last three occasions that we’ve come up against him, so it’s nice to finally get the win!”

Derek McGarrity and James McKee had to settle for second on this occasion but they were safe in the knowledge that they had done enough to secure maximum championship points.

Meanwhile, Camillus Bradley and Charlie Beattie completed their stunning drive to secure third overall aboard their two-wheel-drive Mark 2 Escort. They did enough to fend off the challenge from the MINI WRC belonging to Derek McGeehan and Michael Orr, while Desi Henry and Damian Duffin secured fifth in their Citroen DS3 from the Escort belonging to Declan McNaughton and Sean Hayde.

Tour of the Sperrins Results – Top 10

1 Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Impreza WRC) 40m39.1s
2 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 40m47.9s
3 Camillus Bradley/Charlie Beattie (Escort Mk2) 41m30.9s
4 Derek McGeehan/Michael Orr (MINI WRC) 41m45.6s
5 Desi Henry/Damian Duffin (Citroen DS3 R3) 43m18.4s
6 Declan McNaughton/Sean Hayde (Escort Mk2) 43m54.4s
7 Mark Donnelly/Barry McNulty (Citroen DS3 R3) 44m20.9s
8 Keith White/Damian McCann (Escort Mk1) 44m27.8s
9 Paddy McToal/Connor O’Loan (Escort Mk2) 44m34.8s
10 Frank Wray/Joe McNulty (Lancer Evo 6) 44m40.3s

Carryduff Forklift MSA N.I. Championship Standings

1 Derek McGarrity – 36pts
2 Derek McGeehan – 27pts
3 Kevin Barrett – 18pts
4 Jonny Leonard – 16pts
5 James Laverty – 13pts
6 Camillus Bradley – 10pts

R4: Entry list, recce details and more!

Jonathan MacDonald — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:06:30 +0000

The seeded entry list for this weekend’s Tour of the Sperrins Rally, round four of the Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship, is now available for download. This Friday’s recce instructions, as well as the event’s time and distance schedule, are also available…

DOWNLOAD ENTRY LIST

DOWNLOAD RECCE INSTRUCTIONS (FRIDAY 10TH)

DOWNLOAD TIME/DISTANCE SCHEDULE

DOWNLOAD REGULATIONS

DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM

Bradley Heads Sperrins Entry!

Jonathan MacDonald — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:57:27 +0000

Draperstown driver Camillus Bradley heads the entry for this Saturday’s Tour of the Sperrins Rally, round four of the Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship. Navigated by Charlie Beattie, the Mark 2 Escort crew head a horsepower packed field of almost 100 crews for the Maghera based event.

Number one will adorn the side of Bradley’s Escort this weekend as a result of his victory in 2012 but with a host of World Rally Car pilots biting at his heels, he will really have his work cut out if he is to overcome the might of four-wheel-drive power once again.

Those WRC pilots are akin to a ‘who’s who’ of local rally talent. They include reigning Irish Tarmac Champion Darren Gass (Impreza WRC) as well as reigning N.I. champion Derek McGarrity (Impreza WRC).

Also joining the mix is recent Circuit of Kerry winner, Donagh Kelly (Impreza WRC), as well as Warrenpoint’s Peadar Hurson (Escort WRC) and Draperstown’s Derek McGeehan (MINI WRC).

While former N.I. champion George Robinson will start at number seven in his Mitsubishi Lancer, an interesting entry has been seeded at number eight as Nissan GT3 driver, Steven Kane, is set to make his rally debut aboard a MINI WRC.

More accustomed to driving a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series, it will be a baptism of fire for 32-year-old Kane as he jumps in at the ‘deep end’ of rallying. He will have to contend with the hedge-lined country lanes as well as a navigator shouting pace notes – neither of which he is used to!

In the two-wheel-drive field, Alistair Cochrane, Keith White and David Armstrong will challenge number one seed Bradley for the 2WD honours in their Escorts. Crumlin’s Rodney White will also be in the mix with his Sunbeam, and insurance expert Fintan McGrady will be back behind the wheel of his stunning new Mark 2 Escort.

The event starts from Maghera at midday on Saturday when competitors leave the start ramp outside Walsh’s Hotel. They will go on to tackle two loops of three stages, with service after stage three in Maghera, before returning to the town for the champagne spraying finish at approximately 6.30pm.

Tour of the Sperrins – Top 10 Seeds

1 Camillus Bradley/Charlie Beattie (Escort Mk2)
2 Darren Gass/Paddy Toner (Impreza WRC)
3 Derek McGarrity/Neil Doherty (Impreza WRC)
4 Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Impreza WRC)
5 Peadar Hurson/Damien Connolly (Escort WRC)
6 Derek McGeehan/TBA (MINI WRC)
7 George Robinson/Tommy Speers (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
8 Steven Kane/Noel Orr (MINI WRC)
9 Alistair Cochrane/Paddy McCrudden (Escort Mk2)
10 Keith White/Damian McCann (Escort Mk1)

Easter Stages Rally Cancelled

Jonathan MacDonald — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:57:04 +0000

The management of the Easter Stages Rally, round three of the Carryduff Forklift MSA N.I. Rally Championship which was due to take place this weekend across Counties Down and Antrim, have been forced to cancel the event. The decision has been made in light of the hardship being faced by residents in the area, and the heavy snow.

The rally was to use a number of roads in the Dromara Hills, around Slieve Croob, which are buried under snowdrifts of up to 12 feet. Clearing efforts are expected to make some progress by the weekend, the forecast of continued low temperatures, in the midst of the ongoing difficulties being experienced by residents and farmers of the area, have caused organisers to make the decision.

Bobby Willis, spokesman for the event, said: “People in the area, particularly farmers, are facing critical issues at the moment, including the loss and death of livestock. Therefore, the management team have decided unanimously that it is inappropriate for the rally to continue.

“As well as conveying sensitivity to people in the area at this time of hardship, our fear is also that the road closures that are necessary for the rally to run, may further hamper what has become crucial access in the area. The rally could also put additional pressure on emergency services, which are already stretched.”

He added: “We are currently exploring alternatives to run the rally at a later date but, whilst we have had a huge setback, our sights are now firmly set on the Circuit of Ireland 2014 and returning the European Rally Championship to Northern Ireland.”

The one-day Triton Easter Stages Rally was set to replace the Circuit of Ireland Rally in 2013, which was postponed due to insufficient funding. The event was scheduled to start this Saturday in Lisburn and finish in Ballynahinch on Saturday evening.

A huge number of entries have been received for the event, which was to feature as Round 2 of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and Round 3 of the Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship.

“We are all disappointed and for sure the competitors will be too,” said Bobby, “but we must remember that this is a sport, and right now there are more pressing issues in the area. The farmers and residents are having a terrible time and we should definitely be thinking of them.

“We would like to thank everyone who has assisted and supported the rally to date. Over the next week we will have a clearer vision of where we go from here and we will let everyone know.”

Minister for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Arlene Foster, was due to attend a press event at the Millbrook Lodge, Ballynahinch, on Thursday 28th March for the unveiling of the studio from which the rally’s innovative internet channel, Circuitofireland.tv, was to broadcast. This has also been cancelled.

All rally competitors, staff, marshals, sponsors, and event partners are now being contacted, and a full announcement of our future plans will be made in due course.

For updates, please see www.easterstages.net, facebook.com/easterstages, and Twitter @EasterStages

Stunning Entry & Live Coverage for Easter Stages!

Jonathan MacDonald — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:17:33 +0000

The Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship returns to action this Saturday for round three, the Triton Showers Easter Stages Rally.

Starting from Lisburn’s Bow Street at 9.30am on Saturday morning, competitors will tackle three loops of four stages all based within County Down. The service area is located at Ballynahinch’s Millbrook Lodge Hotel, which also hosts the event headquarters, while the winners will be crowned in Ballynahinch town centre at approximately 6.30pm.

A stunning line-up of the country’s quickest rally competitors has been received for the event, which is also a round of the Irish Tarmac Championship. Darren Gass and Enda Sherry will lead a host of World Rally Cars over the start ramp that also includes reigning Carryduff Forklift N.I. champion Derek McGarrity, as well as former champions Kenny McKinstry, Stuart Biggerstaff and George Robinson.

In fact, more than 10 World Rally Car crews have entered the event, with the top seven seeds all driving a variety of Subaru Impreza WRCs. Meanwhile, another former champion, Robin Phillips, is set to make a comeback aboard a DGM Sport hired Evo 9.

The Production category and two-wheel-drive entries are equally well supported with a healthy helping of Subarus, Mitsubishis as well as the crowd-pleasing Mark 2 Escort crews. A full entry list and stage maps are available from the official event programme. A list of stockists available from www.easterstages.net.

Watch Live Online!

If the recent wintry weather conditions make you want to stay at home instead of spectating from the potentially snow-covered ditches, organisers are set to launch a world first for national rally coverage. From 9am until 9pm on Saturday, the event will be broadcast live via the internet on www.circuitofireland.tv!

Students from South Eastern Regional College’s (SERC’s) Northern Ireland Film School, working in conjunction with Tyndall Productions, are set to provide 12 hours of non-stop live coverage, which will be streamed around the world in real time.

A purpose-built industry standard studio has been set up within the Millbrook Lodge Hotel and during the event, camera crews will be ‘on location’ in the rally service area, at Lisburn’s ceremonial start and at Ballynahinch’s champagne spraying finish.

Competitors will be interviewed live by the likes of Plum Tyndall and Pamela Ballantine from all of these locations, providing a valuable insight into life behind the wheel of a rally car.

An additional six cameras will be located on one of the stages, providing almost one mile of live coverage. The selected section of stage has been carefully chosen by event organisers, and viewers are in for a real treat with the opportunity to see competitors tackle four massive jumps, a tight hairpin as well as a mixture of other challenges.

All of the footage will be beamed back to base instantaneously and projected across the world via a live internet stream, giving rally fans across the globe the opportunity to follow round three of the Carryduff Forklift series as it unfolds. So if you are stuck indoors, make sure you log on to www.circuitofireland.tv!

Triton Showers Easter Stages Entry List

1 Darren Gass Enda Sherry Subaru Impreza S10 6
2 Derek McGarrity James McKee Subaru Impreza S14 6
3 Declan Boyle Brian Boyle Subaru Impreza S12B WRC 6
4 Garry Jennings Neil Doherty Subaru Impreza S12B 6
5 Kenny McKinstry Kenny Hull Subaru Impreza S14 WRC 6
6 Donagh Kelly Kevin Flanagan Subaru Impreza S11 WRC 6
7 Kevin Barrett Sean Mullally Subaru Impreza WRC 6
8 Alan Ring Adrian Deasy Mitsubishi 4
9 Josh Moffett John Rowan Mitsubishi Evo 9 4
10 Sam Moffett James O’Reilly Mitsubishi Evo 9 4
11 Phillip Morrow Jonny Hart Mitsubishi Evo 9 4
12 Peadar Hurson Damian Connolly Ford Escort WRC 6A
14 Jonny Leonard Niall Burns Mitsubishi Evo 6A
15 Camillus Bradley Crawford Henderson Ford Escort Mk II 12
16 Fergus O’Meara TBA Ford Escort Mk II 12
17 Adrian Hetherington Gary Nolan Ford Escort Mk II 12
18 George Robinson Tommy Speers Mitsubishi Evo 9 13
19 Wesley Patterson Martin McGarrity Ford Escort RS1800 K
20 Stuart Biggerstaff Anthony Nestor Subaru Impreza S9 6
21 James Laverty Francis Regan Subaru Impreza 4
22 Eugene Meegan TBA Mitsubushi 4
23 Stephen Wright Susanne Wright Mitsubishi Evo 9 4
24 Trevor Ferguson David McElroy Subaru Impreza N12 4
25 Robert Woodside Dean Beckett Subaru Impreza WRC 6
26 Kieron Graffin Paddy Robinson Mitsubishi Evo 9 4
27 Ray Brammer Damien Fleming Subaru 6A
28 David Armstrong Paul Mulholland Ford Escort Mk II 12
29 Willie Mavitty TBA Mitsubishi Evo 9 4
30 Fintan McGrady Mark Hanna Ford Escort Mk II 12
31 Keith White Damien McCabe Ford Escort Mk II 12
32 Rory Byrne James Byrne Mitsbushi Evo X R4 4
33 Alastair Cochrane Gary McElhinney Ford Escort Mk II 11
34 Robin Phillips Laura Phillips Mitsubishi Evo 9 4
35 Simon Woodside Allan Harryman BMW M3 12
36 Paddy McVeigh Stephen O’Hanlon Subaru S10 WRC 6
37 Paul Barrett Declan Tumilty Subaru N12 4
38 Kyle Orr TBA Mitsubishi Evo 4
39 Ian Millar Ronan O’Neill TBA K
40 Raymond Johnston David Johnston Ford Escort RS 1800 K
41 Alan Atcheson John McGrath Ford Escort MK II 11
42 Enda McNulty Paul Sheridan Ford Escort Mk II 11
43 Paul Killen Enda Kennedy Ford Escort Mk II 10
44 Geoff McMahon Rob Graham Mitsubishi Evo 9 4
45 Patrick McHugh Pauric O’Donnell Ford Escort Mk II 11
46 Liam Egan Raymond Coppinger Toyota Corolla WRC 6A
47 Steve Wood Johnny Baird Citroen C2R2 Max 2
48 Paul Manton Paddy McCrudden Citroen C2R2 Max 2
49 Stephen Greaney David Mannion Citroen C2R2 Max 2
50 Barry Greer Damien Duffin Ford Fiesta R2 2
51 Darragh Kelly Gerry Hughes Ford Fiesta ST 1
52 James Wylie Johnny Charlesson Ford Escort Mk II 10
53 Noel O’Sullivan Nicholas Burke Ford Escort Mk II 7
54 Paddy Kiernan James McCarville Ford Escort Mk II 11
55 Stephen McFerran Christopher McFerran Ford Escort Mk II 10
56 JT Warnock Andy Hayes Ford Escort Mk II 10
57 Andy Johnson TBA Vauxhall Chevette HS D5
58 Stanley Orr Brian Cairns Ford Escort Mk II C3
59 John Devlin Gavin Devlin Talbot Sunbeam 11
60 Jay Colville Alistair Wyllie Ford Escort Mk II 12
61 Raymond Doyle Marc Nugent Ford Escort G3 9
62 David Crossen Pam Irwin Ford Escort 11
63 Martin Laverty TBA Mitsubishi Evo 8 4
64 William Morgan Joe Law Ford Escort 12
65 Robert Erwin Jimmy Graham Toyota Corolla 9
66 Ryan Bradley Aaron Mawhinney Ford Escort Mk II 9
67 Nigel Simpson Michael Gilmore Peugeot 106 9
68 Stanley McKeown Mervyn Hawthorne Toyota Corolla 9
69 Graham Patterson Keith Hall Toyota Corolla 9
70 Fabian McAleer Steven Monaghan Ford Escort Mk II 11
71 Ashley Dickson TBA Mitsubishi Evo 9 4
72 Andrew McCormick Chris McSherry Vauxhall Chevette 11
73 Mark Greer Brian Todd Ford Escort Mk II 10
74 Niall Donnelly Eamon Gallagher Ford Escort 9
75 Philip Hamilton Derek Stride Citroen C2 9
76 Ian Duff Ian Hull Proton Compact 9
77 Jonny Morrow Thomas Wedlock Toyota Corolla 9
78 Brian Black Ian Crozier Toyota Starlet 7
79 Robert Bunting Graeme Stewart Subaru Impreza 4
80 Andrew Bustard David Young Ford Escort Mk II 10
81 Joe McAteer William Kehoe Ford Escort Mk II 10
82 Simon Devlin Jonathan Treanor Toyota Corolla 9
83 Mervyn Johnston Richard Hyland Austin Mini Cooper B2
84 Niall Creighton Gregory Roberts Ford lotus Cortina Mk I B3
85 Harry Brown Martin McGrath Hillman Avenger C2
86 William Todd Aaron Johnston Morris Mini Cooper S B2
87 Ivan Marsden Neill Finlay Mitsubishi Evo 6 6A
88 Mark McDonald Robin Pitts Ford Escort G3 11
89 Bill Armstrong Chris Hazley Ford Escort Mk II 10
90 James Boyd TBA Ford Escort 12
91 Declan Jackson J Barry McCarney Ford Escort Mk II D3
92 Aidan O’Connor Ian Regan Ford Escort Mk I C3
93 Christian Cochrane Conor Lavery Ford Escort 11
94 Robert Haslett Gavin Larmour Vauxhall Astra 11
95 Andrew Patterson TBA Ford Escort G3 11
96 Gareth Feenan Elaine Ni She Ford Escort 11
97 David Walsh Martin Lynch Ford Escort Mk II 10
98 Paddy Milligan Kevin Murphy Opel Manta 11
99 Richard Somerville John Nicholl Ford Escort 11
100 Ciaran McKay Kevin Malone Ford Escort Mk II 10
101 Ian Green Amanda Green Peugeot 205 GTI 10
102 Sean McNabb James McNabb Vauxhall Chevette 11
103 Gerry Faloona Sean Treacy Vauxhall Astra GSI 11
104 John Gordon Robby Knox Ford Escort Mk II 10
105 Mark Robinson Brian Galbraith Talbot Sunbeam 8
106 Ian Dickson TBA Vauxhall Corsa 8
107 D D Kane David Kane Talbot Sunbeam Ti 8
108 Chris Byers Joan Gilmore Ford Escort Mk II 10
109 Stephen Kelly Mark Curran Talbot Sunbeam Ti D2
110 Noel McMullan Alan Borrows Ford Escort Mk II 10
111 Jordan Hone Paul Hone Nissan Micra 7
112 William Hall Alastair Hall Ford Escort Mk II D3
113 Brian Vance Ciaran McNamara Toyota Corolla 9
114 Brian Little Caroline McGuinness Ford Escort G3 8

Darren Gass Heads Easter Stages Entry

Jonathan MacDonald — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:32:25 +0000

Darren Gass and Enda Sherry head an impressive entry for this year’s Triton Showers Easter Stages Rally, round three of the Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

They will be joined by the likes of Derek McGarrity, Declan Boyle, Garry Jennings, Kenny McKinstry, Donagh Kelly and Kevin Barrett, as well as a host of leading Group N and two-wheel-drive crews.

The event takes place on Saturday 30 March and will be based at the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch.

Former Champ Robin Phillips Set For Comeback!

Jonathan MacDonald — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:27:51 +0000

(Image: Martin McCorriston) Robin Phillips, the 2000 Northern Ireland Rally Champion, is set to make a surprise return to the stages this Easter!

The Saintfield driver has entered the Triton Showers Easter Stages Rally in a DGM hired Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 and will be navigated by his 19-year-old daughter Laura.

It was almost 13 years ago that Robin clinched the N.I. title aboard a Toyota Celica after a year long battle with Denis Biggerstaff’s Metro 6R4. That was to be the pinnacle of Phillips’ rally success, although he later competed in selected events with a Toyota Corolla WRC.

His last competitive outing was at the 2004 Tour of the Sperrins but any hopes of quashing the rally ‘bug’ have been dashed by his “motorsport mad” daughter.

“I have a 19-year-old daughter who is mad about motorsport,” Phillips told RallyForums.com. “We did sweeper at the Mourne Rally last year in a Citroen DS3 and she loved it. So I promised her we’d do a rally together.”

“The Easter Stages is close by so it suits fairly well. I’m hiring a car from Davy Greer but I’m dreading to see the speed the guys go nowadays. When you stand and watch Group N cars it doesn’t look like they’re going that quick but it’s a different story inside the car!”

As for future events, Robin doesn’t have any solid plans, commenting: “I don’t really know…I’m just taking it one step at a time.”

We get the feeling his daughter might have something to say about that!

McGarrity Masterclass!

Jonathan MacDonald — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 21:39:59 +0000

It was another Derek McGarrity masterclass today at the McGrady Insurance Bishopscourt Stages, round two of the Carryduff Forklift MSA N.I. Rally Championship, as the Glengormley pilot steered his Subaru Impreza WRC to the top of the podium to secure another impressive rally victory!

Navigated by Neil Doherty, the crew moved into the rally lead after stage four and stayed there until the finish of the rain-soaked event. Their winning margin was 16.2 seconds over the Evo 6 belonging to Jonny Leonard and Jackie Elliott, while Derek McGeehan and Darragh Mullen claimed third in their Corolla WRC.

Ballynahinch and District Motor Club had pulled out all of the stops to lay on a challenging event for more than 70 crews. Brand new stage layouts and a total of 14 stages were challenging enough, but the weather helped to add more drama to the mix as rain and wind pelted the County Down venue throughout the day.

After the opening stage, it was a surprised Kieron Graffin who found himself leading the rally from Trevor Ferguson, with Mark Massey completing a trio of Group N crews in third. The short 1.6 mile test certainly sprung a few surprises but Graffin held on to the lead after stage two, albeit by just seven-tenths of a second from Massey.

Crews returned to action after service and it was the third test that claimed its first major retirement of the day. Peadar Hurson and Damien Connolly had entered the stage hoping to improve on their position, only for a broken propshaft to call an end to their rally.

“It just broke as we were accelerating out of the hairpin,” Hurson rued. “We just had to pull over – that was that.”

“It’s a shame because we made some adjustments to the car in service and put more cuts in the tyres. We were hoping for better things but didn’t get the chance.”

While Hurson retired from the event, Mark Massey and James McKee emerged as the new rally leaders in their Group N spec Evo 9. Early leader Kieron Graffin had dropped out of the top 10 after an overshoot in the KG Motorsport Lancer. His problems were then compounded when he was awarded a maximum stage time for allegedly cutting the stage, despite “setting a slower time than my previous run”.

Graffin’s troubles left Massey at the top of the leaderboard ahead of a recovering Derek McGarrity and Neil Doherty. McGarrity was on a mission, and having been as low as ninth in the Garry Jennings car, he was climbing his way through the ranks.

One stage later, when Massey lost half a minute with a problem, McGarrity moved into the number one slot…and that was a position that he was never destined to relinquish.

McGarrity kept the pressure on throughout the event, although it wasn’t as dominant a display as we are accustomed to seeing from the Glengormley pilot. He managed to secure another six fastest times over the remaining 10 stages, eventually arriving home 16.2 seconds ahead of a hard-charging Jonny Leonard and Jackie Elliott.

Leonard put in a truly stunning drive aboard his Evo 6 Lancer. After promoting himself into third overall after stage four, he became embroiled in a battle for the runner-up spot with Derek McGeehan.

Only a handful of seconds separated the two crews throughout the day and it was only on the penultimate stage that Leonard managed to nip in front of his rival. He stayed there until the finish, claiming second overall on what is only his second event in the car.

Derek McGeehan and Darragh Mullen had to be content with third in their Corolla WRC on this occasion, while Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally completed the top four in their Impreza WRC.

Kenny McKinstry and John McGaffin had looked set to take fifth in the Banbridge driver’s newly acquired S14 specification Impreza WRC, only for a problem during stage 13 to put them out of the running.

“I think the exhaust’s back box split and then the rear bumper started to melt,” McKinstry explained. “It filled the car with smoke so we had to pull over.”

“Before that happened, the car felt fantastic,” he added. “On the fast stages we were on the pace but on the tighter sections, I found it difficult to get to grips with left-hand drive.”

Kenny McKinstry was not alone in his woes during the closing stages. George Robinson and Tommy Speers, who had held seventh overall, were forced to pull over during the final test when their Evo encountered some mechanical troubles.

Coming home in fifth, James Laverty and Francis Regan enjoyed another solid run to finish ahead of Mark Massey and James McKee, with early leaders Kieron Graffin and Paddy Robinson taking seventh in front of Trevor Ferguson and David McElroy.

Two-Wheel-Drive

In the two-wheel-drive category, Alan Smyth and Peter Thompson took a deserved win in their Citroen C2. The finished ninth overall in the process, less than four seconds ahead of Carryduff Forklift’s Barry Greer and Damien Duffin, with Andrew Wilson Christopher McKeown third in their Starlet.

There were some dramas further down the field. On stage 11, James Kennedy’s Escort had a coming together with Allan Mackay’s Anglia, sending both crews into retirement with two very sorry looking cars.

Junior 1000

The event also hosted round three of the McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge. Seven crews aged between 14 and 17 contested a total of 10 stages, with William Creighton and Andrew Bushe picking up the spoils in their Citroen C1. They finished 14.7 seconds ahead of Adam and Brian Bustard, with James Partridge and Billy Regan third.

Round 3 – Triton Showers Easter Stages

The attention now turns to round three of the Carryduff Forklift backed series. The Triton Showers Easter Stages Rally, a replacement event for the Circuit of Ireland, takes place on Saturday 30 March when competitors will tackle closed roads within County Down. For more details, log on to www.nirally.com.