1 Derek McGarrity 45pts
2 Drew Stewart 24pts
3 Kieron Graffin 22pts
4 Derek McGeehan 19pts
5 Ray Brammer 17pts
6 John McGaffin 14pts

Group N Overall

1 Trevor Ferguson 42pts
2 Jason Curran 32pts
3 Gerard McFall 26pts

2WD Overall

1 Drew Stewart 32pts
2 James Kennedy 20pts
3 Simon Woodside 17pts

Download points after round 4 (provisional for 10 days)

Tour of the Sperrins – top 10

1st Camillus Bradley / Charlie Beatty Ford Escort MkII 8 32:48.6
2nd Drew Stewart / David White Ford Escort MkII 7 33:14.7
3rd Derek McGarrity / James McKee Mini WRC 9B 33:36.0
4th Kieron Graffin / Neil Doherty Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII 9B 33:51.4
5th Alistair Cochrane / Gary McElhinney Ford Escort MkII 7 35:04.5
6th Raymond Mason / Paul Hone Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 2 35:14.8
7th James Kennedy / Heather Kennedy Ford Escort MkII 7 35:21.2
8th Gary Price / Ronnie Craig Ford Escort 7 35:28.6
9th Gerard McFall / Connor O’Loan Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 2 35:29.7
10th Kyle Orr / Damian Garvey Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII 2 35:33.4

DOWNLOAD FULL RESULTS courtesy of rallyscore.net.

(Image: RallyPics.org) Camillus Bradley became only the second two-wheel drive pilot in more than 10 years to win a round of the Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship on Saturday!

While John Waring secured 2010 Circuit of Ireland National Rally success in his Escort, it was Bradley and navigator Charlie Beattie who claimed the win at last weekend’s Tour of the Sperrins Rally in their Mark 2 Escort, round four of the 2012 series.

More than 30 crews entered the Davagh based event with 2010 winner Derek McGarrity leading the field away in his MINI John Cooper Works WRC. With James McKee calling the pace notes, McGarrity set the pace on the opening stage but only by six-tenths of a second from Bradley, who was closely followed by Drew Stewart’s Escort.

McGarrity, who is in the hunt for his third N.I. Championship title, increased his lead to more than six seconds after stage two when Bradley survived two big moments. His Escort got out of sync after a jump on two occasions, with Bradley blaming too much brake bias to the rear of his car.

“We had two seriously big moments,” Bradley explained. “I managed to gather it up after the first one, but then after another mile and a half, the same thing happened again and we had another big moment. I nearly had a heart attack the second time!”

Bradley fought back on the third test when he swiped six-tenths of a second out of the rally leader, and there was more to come.

The Mark 2 pilot, who rates Davagh as one of his favourite hunting grounds, set a scintillating pace through the fourth test. He swiped almost seven seconds out of McGarrity, moving him into the rally lead.

Nine-tenths of a second separated new rally leader Bradley and second placed McGarrity, but the MINI pilot’s challenge was set to fade further. A puncture on the fifth stage saw him lose around 40 seconds, dropping him to third overall.

Suddenly, Camillus Bradley and Charlie Beattie had 18 seconds in hand over Drew Stewart and David White going into the final stage. And a clean run on the final test ensured Bradley and Beattie secured Tour of the Sperrins Rally victory!

Drew Stewart and David White claimed second overall in their Escort, while third overall for McGarrity and McKee was enough for them to maintain their Carryduff Forklift N.I. Championship advantage.

Outside the top three, Kieron Graffin and Neil Doherty were the best of the rest in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8. They had trailed Declan McNaughton and John Rowan after stage one, but McNaughton incurred a stage maximum on stage two. That allowed Graffin into fourth overall, and he stayed there until the finish.

Trevor Ferguson and David McElroy had looked set to secure fifth overall and first in Group N, but a puncture on the fourth stage saw them plummet down the order. Instead, Alistair Cochrane and Gary McElhinney secured fifth in their Escort, with Raymond Mason and Paul Hone completing the top six and securing the Group N spoils.

Carryduff Forklift N.I. Championship crews now enjoy a one month break before returning to action at Newry and District Motor Club’s Mourne Rally. Regulations and event information will be available soon from www.nirally.com.

Meanwhile, in the McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge, the 14 to 16-year-old drivers were back in action at the McAleer’s Spar Stages Rally, based near Enniskillen at St. Angelo on Bank Holiday Monday. On this occasion, Adam Bustard and Nigel Mills secured their maiden win in the series, heading home championship leaders Ben Crealey and Liam Regan by just 1.4 seconds. Rhys Bunting and Andrew Bushe claimed third.

Tour of the Sperrins – Top 10 Results

1 Camillus Bradley/Charlie Beatty Ford Escort MkII 32m48.6s
2 Drew Stewart/David White Ford Escort MkII 33m14.7s
3 Derek McGarrity/James McKee Mini WRC 33m36.0s
4 Kieron Graffin/Neil Doherty Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII 33m51.4s
5 Alistair Cochrane/Gary McElhinney Ford Escort MkII 35m04.5s
6 Raymond Mason/Paul Hone Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 35m14.8s
7 James Kennedy/Heather Kennedy Ford Escort MkII 35m21.2s
8 Gary Price/Ronnie Craig Ford Escort 35m28.6s
9 Gerard McFall/Connor O’Loan Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 35m29.7s
10 Kyle Orr/Damian Garvey Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII 35m33.4s

DOWNLOAD FULL RESULTS

The Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship returns to action this Saturday for round four, Magherafelt & District Motor Club’s Tour of the Sperrins Rally.

The focus is very much on quality rather than quantity when almost 30 crews line up for the start of the six-stage event. Based at Cookstown’s Greenvale Hotel, crews will be led off the start ramp by current Championship leader, Derek McGarrity.

The Glengormley car dealer has secured maximum scores at each of the opening three rounds of the season. He used a Subaru Impreza WRC to great effect at round one, while he used a MINI WRC to secure maximum points at rounds two and three.

He is set to make another change at the Sperrins. A Hyundai Accent WRC is his mount of choice for the event as he bids to regain the Sperrins crown which he last held in 2010.

Two years ago, McGarrity sealed the win by less than three seconds from Sean Devine. And one year earlier, he nabbed the win by an even closer margin when he emerged victorious by 1.3 seconds from Declan McNaughton’s Escort.

So it should come as no surprise to find Declan McNaughton and John Rowan seeded at number two in their Escort for this year’s event. They came close to winning the rally outright in 2009, and have high hopes of going one better with a fast and tidy run through Davagh’s lanes this year.

Starting at number three, Raymond Mason and Paul Hone are first of the Group N seeds in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. Their Group N rivals will include Gerard McFall, Brian McFall, Jason Curran and Trevor Ferguson, who are all seeded between numbers seven and 10.

Sandwiched between Mason and the rest of the Group N contenders are three super-quick Mark 2 Escort crews. Drew Stewart, Alistair Cochrane and James Kennedy will all be tussling for the top two-wheel-drive positions.

The action kicks off at approximately 10.30am on Saturday morning with the first of six stages. The winners will cross the finish ramp at approximately 5pm.

Tour of the Sperrins top 10 entries

1 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Accent WRC)
2 Declan McNaughton/John Rowan (Escort Mk2)
3 Raymond Mason/Paul Hone (Evo 9)
4 Drew Stewart/David White (Escort Mk2)
5 Alistair Cochrane/Gary McElhinney (Escort Mk2)
6 James Kennedy/Heather Kennedy (Escort Mk2)
7 Gerard McFall/Connor O’Loan (Evo 9)
8 Brian McFall/Martin Carey (Evo)
9 Jason Curran/Barbara Love (Evo)
10 Trevor Ferguson/David McElroy (Impreza)

DOWNLOAD FULL ENTRY LIST

Car no 137, a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 backed by Triton Showers Ireland, MT Waste, Lyons Karting and Crawford Cars, claimed the class 9b trophy. Despite having three stages cancelled, we were able to set times within the national top 10. We were sixth quickest in the Lisburn Power Stage and finished 13th overall in the National Rally. Not forgetting that the Evo 5 is now five generations behind the current model! We are now looking forward to the next round…

Based at the Greenvale Hotel, Cookstown, the event will feature six stages held within the Davagh Forest complex.

Download Regulations

Download Entry Form

1 Derek McGarrity 36pts
2 Derek McGeehan 19pts
3 Ray Brammer 17pts
4 John McGaffin 14pts
5 Kieron Graffin 14pts
6 Drew Stewart 14pts

Group N Overall

1 Trevor Ferguson 34pts
2 Jason Curran 25pts
3 Davy Graham 20pts

2WD Overall

1 Drew Stewart 22pts
2 Simon Woodside 17pts
3 Fintan McGrady 16pts

Download points after round 3

Derek McGarrity and James McKee secured their third maximum points haul of the season at the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland National Rally, round three of the Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship!

Competitors in both the international and national categories of the event were eligible to score Championship points, provided they had registered for the series.

At the end of the event, the results from both categories were combined for the purposes of awarding points, and it emerged that Derek McGarrity had taken his third maximum score on the trot, bolstering his position at the head of the Carryduff Forklift standings.

McGarrity, who sealed third overall in the National Rally behind Darren Gass and Eugene Donnelly, sealed the maximum score comfortably from leading two-wheel drive pilot Jonny Greer.

Championship leader McGarrity was initially embroiled in a battle with Kenny McKinstry and Noel Orr. But unfortunately for McKinstry, engine problems forced him out of the event when he held a 30 second advantage over rival McGarrity.

McGarrity assumed the advantage and never looked back as he went on to claim third overall in the National Rally with his Mini, extending his Championship lead in the process.

Jonny Greer was next in line with his two-wheel drive Citroen DS3 R3T. He decided to register for the Championship before the start of the event, and impressed with what was his tarmac debut in the Citroen.

It was a close battle for the runner-up position, as Greer swapped seconds with the Escort belonging to Drew Stewart. In the end, less than 10 seconds separated the two crews, with Stewart having to play second best to Greer on this occasion.

In the Production category, Trevor Ferguson and David McElroy sealed another maximum score aboard their Impreza N12b. After two days of rallying, they finished little more than 40 seconds ahead of Alan Carmichael, with Geoff McMahon coming home in third.

In Championship terms, Derek McGarrity has extended his lead in the overall standings with Derek McGeehan, who didn’t enter the Circuit, in second position ahead of Ray Brammer. There is a three way tie for fourth between John McGaffin, Kieron Graffin and Drew Stewart.

In the production category, Trevor Ferguson continues to lead with Jason Curran second ahead of Davy Graham, while Drew Stewart leads the two-wheel drive category.

Competitors return to action on 5 May for the Maghera based Tour of the Sperrins Rally. The event will feature six tarmac stages. More news soon!

Motorsport fans across the globe are gearing up for the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally (6/7 April), round three of the Carryduff Forklift MSA N.I. Rally Championship, and are particularly looking forward to the incredible Titanic Super Special Stage.

The Titanic Super Special Stage, Good Friday 6 April, will see competitors take on the purpose built 2km stage just yards from where the famous liner was built over a century ago.

Tickets for the Titanic Super Special Stage start at just £12.50 and are being snapped up by spectators all over the world!

Event Director Bobby Willis is overjoyed with the interest in the event:

“Tickets for the Titanic Super Special Stage have been selling out across the world! Hundreds have been sold across Asia, Australia and North America which is fantastic. We are also expecting a lot of spectators from Scandinavia and mainland Europe, all ready to watch their favourite Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) drivers.

“The tickets are available from just £12.50 and can be purchased in advance at www.circuitofireland.net. They will also be available at the gate on Good Friday for the same price.”

The Titanic Super Special Stage is an incredible opportunity for spectators to see some of the best international Rally superstars in action whilst enjoying a jam-packed programme of family fun activity.

“The action in Titanic Quarter on Good Friday won’t stop on the track – we have worked closely with Tourism Ireland, Northern Ireland Tourist Board and our local councils to ensure the 2012 Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally has Easter Weekend sorted for the whole family. Stunt motorcycles, classic rally cars, sword swallowers, jugglers, magicians, a Celebrity Challenge…we have it all!

“Following the Titanic Super Special Stage, the action will move to our host city of Armagh and the Rally will make a welcome return to Lisburn for a spectacular city centre street stage on Easter Saturday.”

The 2012 Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally which, for the first time, has been included as a thrilling round of the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) boasts

an impressive entry list packed full of some of the best Rally drivers in the world including reigning IRC Champion Andreas Mikkelsen and leading contenders from Ireland and Northern Ireland.

And Rally fans following the event this Easter Weekend are being given a rare opportunity to track the progress of their favourite drivers.

For the first time in the UK fans will be given access to a GPS tracking system allowing them to follow the action stage by stage on personal computers and smartphones fitted with data cards.

But Bobby Willis, Event Director of the Donnelly Group Circuit, said:

“Rally fans, whether out on the stages, stuck in the office or at home, will be able to track every competitor throughout the event using software which will be available to download free from the Circuit of Ireland website.

“This is a great advantage for the spectators out at the stages because they will instantly be able to see how their favourite driver is doing.

“Also for the first time, Circuit of Ireland Rally fans will be able to download our free smartphone app ‘COI Rally’, allowing fans to keep up to date with the Rally’s progress minute by minute.”

“The App and GPS tracking system will add so much to this year’s event and integrates with the Circuit of Ireland’s web and Facebook presence which will keep fans update to date with all the action.”

The Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau (BVCB) will be selling tickets through the Belfast Welcome Centre for Titanic Super Special Stage priced at £12.50 standing, reserved seating £25.00 and VIP tickets £60 + VAT. Family passes are also available priced £90. Tickets can be purchased online at www.circuitofireland.net or by calling 028 90 246609.

For further information go to www.circuitofireland.net or Facebook Circuit of Ireland Rally.

The Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship bursts back into action this weekend with the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally!

This year’s event has an international flavour as the International category is also a counting round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Competitors from around the world have already arrived in the country in preparation for what will be a spectacular two-day event.

The Carryduff Forklift Championship competitors will contest the National section of the rally, which has attracted almost 80 crews. Current Championship leaders, Derek McGarrity and James McKee, head the entry in their MINI WRC. McGarrity already has five Circuit of Ireland victories to his name, and is hot favourite for adding a National win to his tally this year.

Hot on his heels will be former Northern Ireland Champion, Eugene Donnelly. Navigated by Paddy Toner, Donnelly has reverted to a Toyota Corolla WRC for the event. He started ahead of the Impreza WRC belonging to Darren Gass and Enda Sherry, although it remains to be seen if Donnelly or Gass will register to score Carryduff Forklift N.I. Championship points.

Banbridge’s Kenny McKinstry is registered to score points, and he starts the National Rally behind Darren Gass. McKinstry and navigator Noel Orr enjoyed a tight tussle with McGarrity for last year’s spoils, only for a spin during the final day.

County Cork driver Daragh O’Riordan, with navigator Tony McDaid, will also bid for Circuit of Ireland National glory in his Impreza WRC. And they are followed by another two WRC crews, with England’s Steve Perez at number seven in his Ford Focus WRC ahead of former N.I. champions, Stuart Biggerstaff and Anthony Nestor.

In the two-wheel-drive category, Frank Kelly and Stephen Quinn are the top seeds in their Escort. The Moy driver will be battling with the likes of Adrian Hetherington, Geoffrey Dolan, Drew Stewart, John Waring and Fintan McGrady.

There will be equally hot battles within the Production category. Trevor Ferguson and David McElroy are the current series leaders. They have entered in their Impreza, as has Paddy McVeigh and Stephen O’Hanlon.

Gerard McFall and Connor O’Loan are hoping to spoil the Impreza party with their Evo, while Jason Curran, who has Ian Regan on the notes, will be tackling the event in his Evo 8.

The action gets underway on Good Friday with a spectacular Titanic Super Special Stage in Belfast. Then the crews will more towards the Banbridge and Dungannon areas for a selection of stages, with the event winner crowned on Saturday evening. Stage maps can be found in the official event programme. More details can be found online at www.circuitofireland.net.

Map of Titanic Stage

The stage location