Issue 66 - April 2009

Issu

e 66

| A

pri

l 09

| £3.

60/€

5.25

rally magazine

the best irish and uk rally action every month!

www.pacenotes.net

ALSO INSIDE

Irish Tarmac PreviewNicky Grist ColumnWe Play Top Trumps

BishopscourtBorder CountiesMayo Stages

Malcolm WilsonWest CorkCarrick Forestry

REPORTS REPORTS

97

71

47

37

25

96

7

04

ISS

N 1

473-7

256

Kris Meeke’s IRC Triumph...

NutsAboutBrazil

Sunseeker | Lough Neagh | Fivemiletown | Roskirk | Riponian | Middlewick Stages + Loads More!

BENCHMARQUECamillus Bradley’s Exceptional Escorts

Escort Parts Specialists

R

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

ALL PRICES PLUS VAT@15%

MAIL ORDER SPECIALISTS

Roll Cages

S/D Escort Mk 2 Weld in ........... £500.00S/D Escort Mk 2 Multi-point ..... £430.00S/D Escort Mk2 6 point ............. £400.00S/D Honda EK4 Weld-in ............ £500.00S/D Nova 6 point ....................... £430.00S/D Sunbeam 6 point ................ £430.00Sparco Corsa Multi point .......... £438.00Sparco Honda EG6 Multi point . £435.00

Alloy Accessories

Alloy Tarmac Mk 2 Arches .......... £250.0Alloy front 13” ............................. £60.00Alloy front 15” ............................. £75.00Alloy Rear Tarmac Arch ............... £68.00Alloy Wide Rear Tarmac Arch ...... £75.75Alloy Front Spoiler ...................... £65.00Alloy Tank & Filler ..................... £165.00Alloy Dry Sump Tank ................... £90.00Alloy Rear Lamp Protector .......... £14.00Alloy Strut Brace ......................... £49.00Alloy Catch Tank ......................... £40.00Alloy Sumpguard 8mm ............. £225.00Alloy Battery Box ........................ £49.00Alloy Talbot sunbeam Arch Kit .. £399.00Alloy Talbot Front Spoiler ............ £35.00Alloy Radiator ........................... £200.00Alloy Classic Radiator ............... £275.00

Atlas Axle

Fully fl oating with Diamond Bracket& Damper Bracket from ............. £400.00Atlas 52” with diamondBracket ...................................... £385.00ZF Motorsport LSD Unit.............. £625.00English LSD Unit ........................ £400.00ZF Side Gears............................... £67.00Atlas 4.6 C.W.P. .......................... £220.00Atlas 5.1 C.W.P. .......................... £200.00F/F Hub Kit Complete .............£320.00 prAlloy Axle Brace ........................... £90.00Propshaft Ford to Atlas .............. £110.00Gp1 Halfshaft ............................... £97.00Gp1 Flange ................................... £66.00Gp4 Halfshaft ............................... £95.00Gp4 Flange ................................... £55.00Redline LSD Oil ............................ £12.00Castrol B373 .................................. £7.50

Bilstein Rear Damper

Gp4 Coilover .............................. £130.00Gp4 Turret .................................... £75.00Gp1 Escort ................................... £70.00Rear Coil Spring from .................. £20.00

Vauxhall 16v Engine Parts

Inlet Manifold ................................£90.00GM Ford Bellhousing...................£140.00Paddle Clutch ..............................£105.00Quaife GM Gear lever ..................£350.00Pace 2.0 Dry Sump Kit ................£700.00Pace 1.6 Dry Sump Kit ................£700.00

Wheel Hub Accessories

Gp4 Alloy Hub ...............................£55.00Gp4 Wheel Bearing .......................£20.00Gp4 Large Outer Bearing ..............£16.00Gp4 Wheel stud ...............................£4.25Gp4 Wheel Nut ................................£2.25Alloy Grease Cap ...........................£10.00Gp1 Wheel studs .............................£1.00Gp1 Wheel Nut ................................£1.00

Braking System

Mk2 Pedal Box Hyd ..................... £250.00Mk2 Pedal Box Cable .................. £212.00Mk1 Pedal Box Cable .................. £235.00Gp4 Throttle Pedal ........................ £30.00Dash Pedal Box Adj ....................... £30.00Master Cylinder .625 .700 ............ £30.00Girling Reservoir ........................... £14.00Pro Handbrake Kit ......................... £99.00Ralloy Vertical Handbrake ........... £115.00Princess Spacer Kit ...................... £30.00Princess Caliper .......................... £120.00Princess Grooved Disc .................. £48.00Alcon 13” Front Brake Kit ........... £850.00Alcon 15” Front Brake Kit ........... £925.00Alcon 2 Pot rear Brake Kit........... £699.00Ferodo Monte Carlo Pads ............. £86.00Ferodo Forest Pads ....................... £75.00Ferodo Princess Pads ................... £91.00Castrol SRF ................................... £40.00Tilton Proportion Valve .................. £79.00Evo 9 HYD Handbrake ................. £875.00

Honda Civic

Weld-in Cage CDS Profi led .........£500.00Alcon Brake Kit .........................£1350.00Pedal Box with Cylinder ..............£175.00Quaife Gear Kit inc F/D .............£1400.00Pedal Clutch Disc ........................£119.00Kaas LDS Unit .............................£500.00Alloy Sump Guard .......................£199.00DTM Carbon Mirrors ................ £35.00 prDTM Base Plate ....................... £12.00 pr EG6 Flocked Dash .......................£125.00EK4 Door Cards ...........................£175.00Sparco Weld-in EK4 Rollcage .....£450.00Sparco 12 point Bolt-in EG6 Cage ....................................£438.00

Suspension to Body Shell

Tension Strut Kit .........................£345.00Compression Strut Kit Adj ....... £110.00prT.C.A. Kit (Gen Ford) Adj .......... £300.00prT.C.A. Kit (QH) Adj .................... £158.00prWorld Cup X-member .................£112.00World Cup X-member GP4 ..........£175.00BDA & Pinto Engine Mounts ...... £35.00prChassis Mounted Engine Kit .........£49.00Watts Linkage Kit ........................£245.00

PIAA Lamps

NEW PIAA Lamps80 PRO Series ...............................£75.00Bonnet Pod & 4 Lamps ...... from £325.00Spot Lamp Steadies ........................£6.81

Exhaust SystemRS 2000 Manifold .......................£140.00Astra 16v Manifold ......................£175.002 ¼ Single Box System ...............£110.002 ½ Single Box System ...............£115.00Tony Law Pinto Manifold .............£325.00Tony Law BDA Manifold ..............£325.00Janspeed Toyota System ............£175.00Janspeed Toyota Manifold ..........£175.00

Strut & Accessories

(New) Bilstein Strut.....................£175.00Spring Seat 3” Deep .....................£16.00Lock Ring ........................................£6.50Top Cap D-Hole .............................£12.00Alloy C – Spaner ...........................£11.00Bilstein 300 / 70 Insert .................£80.00Bilstein 300 / 100 Insert ...............£80.00Bilstein 260 / 60 Insert .................£80.00Front Coilspring ............................£20.00Strut Adj Kit ...................................£34.00Alloy 2 Piece Top Mounts ..............£69.00

Steering Racks

(New) 2.4 Bronze H/Duty Rack ..£270.00(New) 2.2 Bronze H/Duty Rack ..£270.002.4 Quaife H/Duty Rack .............. £700.00Nova Quaife Rack Kit ................... £95.00Ford Green Rod Ends ................... £21.00Gp4 Steering Joint ....................... £26.00Toyota AE86 Rack Kit ................. £120.00Group4 GP4 Steering Joint .......... £26.00

OZ Wheels

6 x 15” Corsa / Honda ...................£99.00

Speedline Wheels

6 x 15” Corsa / Honda .................. £99.008 x 18” Evo 8/9 .......................... £145.00

Revolution Wheels

6 x 15” Corsa / Honda .................. £70.008 x 18” Evo 8/9 ............................ £99.007 x 15” Evo 5/9 ............................ £70.008 x 15” Escort GP4 ....................... £94.009 x 15” Escort GP4 ....................... £98.00

Quaife Components

Gp1 Halfshaft ................................£97.00Gp 4 Halfshaft ...............................£95.00Gp1 Flange ....................................£66.00Gp4 Flange ....................................£55.00ZF Side Gear .................................£67.00Mk2 H/D Rack .............................£700.00Corsa Rack Kit ..............................£95.65Toyota AE86 Rack Kit ..................£120.00

Tran-x Components

Astra LSD F20 Unit ..................... £540.00Corsa LSD F13/F15 Unit ............. £450.00Ford Salisbury LSD .................... £400.00Ford Salisbury ZF Gears ............ £500.00Ford 4 Speed Gear Kit ................ £475.00Ford 5 Speed Gear Kit ................ £600.00RS 2000 Alloy Bell Housing ........ £140.00Astra 16v to FordBell Housing ............................... £139.00

Fiberlass & Carbon

Escort Mk2 Bonnet .................... £110.00Escort Mk2 Boot & Spolier ......... £145.00Corsa Bonnet ............................. £100.00Escort Mk2 ¼ Bumper ................. £35.00Escort Mk2 Rear Bumper ............. £35.00Carbon Door Panels ..................... £90.00Carbon ¼ Panel ........................... £75.00Corsa Tank Guard ......................... £60.00Nova Tank Guard .......................... £60.00Toyota Tank Guard ....................... £60.00Escort Mk2 KevlarFloor Guards ...........................£350.00prEscort Mk2 CarbonArch Protector ..........................£45.00 prCarbon Co-Driver Footrest ........... £76.00Carbon Roof Vent ....................... £149.00Carbon Stick on Sheet ................. £19.00Carbon Look Sheet .................... £105.00

Polycarbon WIndows

Escort Mk2 Kit ............................£200.00Escort Mk1 Kit ............................£200.00Corsa Kit .....................................£200.00Nova Kit ......................................£200.00Toyota AE86 Kit ...........................£200.00Honda EK4 ..................................£200.00Honda EG6 ..................................£160.00

ZF Components

ZF Motorsport LSD ......................£625.00ZF 5 Speed Gear Kit ..................£1400.00ZF Brass Forks from ...................£170.00ZF Steel Baulk Rings .....................£89.00ZF Solid Blockers ..........................£31.00ZF Selector Fork Pins - Long ........£19.50ZF Selector Fork Pins - Short ........£19.50ZF Selector Blocker Pads ..............£19.50ZF Blocker Pad Retainer Spring ......£2.50ZF Turret Alloy Spacer Block .........£30.00ZF 5 Speed Bell Housing .............£225.00ZF Input Shaft & 5th Gear ...........£375.00

Bodyshell Accessories

Gear Box Turret .............................£26.00Diff Tunnel .....................................£38.00Gp4 Round Turrets .................... £69.00prFour Link Kit ...............................£170.00Four Link Kit H/D .........................£200.00Dry Sump Platform .......................£21.00Gp4 Strut Top Plater .................. £40.00prFront Chassis Skids ......................£20.00Panhard Rod Kit ............................£60.00Tank Fitting Kit ..............................£69.0015” Inner Wheel Tubs .............. £199.00prFirewall Kit ....................................£55.00

publishing editorsimon [email protected]: +44 (0) 28 40 660 390 m: +44 (0) 7803 891893(office hours)

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Pacenotes is published on the last Wednesday of each month.

This magazine is copyright mooneymedia ltd 2009. 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 byWNS NI, Easons & Newspread ROIMMC Ltd - UK Mainland

contentsthe

Issu

e 66

| A

pri

l 09

| £3.

60/€

5.25

rally magazine


www.pacenotes.net

ALSO INSIDE

Irish Tarmac PreviewNicky Grist ColumnWe Play Top Trumps

BishopscourtBorder CountiesMayo Stages

Malcolm WilsonWest CorkCarrick Forestry

REPORTS REPORTS

97

71

47

37

25

07

3

66

ISS

N 1

47

3-7

25

6

Kris Meeke’s IRC Triumph...

NutsAboutBrazil

Sunseeker | Lough Neagh | Fivemiletown | Roskirk | Riponian | Middlewick Stages + Loads More!

BENCHMARQUECamillus Bradley’s Exceptional Escorts

03pacenotes.netapril 2009

04FULL CHATnews round-up

20BTRDAmalcolm wilson

39IRISH TARMACcircuit of ireland preview

08IRCkris meeke tops brazil

22BUSHE’S BLOGwith andrew bushe

51CAMILLUS BRADLEYpacenotes visit

16DUNLOP NATIONALmayo stages roundup

26NIRC bishopscourt rally action

64 SOUTHERN FORESTRYloughman forest roundup

12 - SPRING RALLYfivemiletown rally action

13 - WRC ROUNDUPrally cyprus

24 - UK CLUBMAN PT1clubmen across the water

30 - SCOTTISH RCborder counties action

32 - UK CLUBMAN PT2clubmen across the water

34 - QUESTION TIMEwith the leonards

44 - WEST CORKfull rally report

46 - QUESTION TIMEwith victor & susan beamish

48 - IRISH EVOSwest cork - rounds 1&2

50 - NICKY’S NOTESnicky grist column

56 - ANCROrally sunseeker

60 - UK EVOSrally sunseeker - round 1

62 - LOUGH NEAGHrally time trial review

69 - CLASSIFIEDSrally marketplace

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE www.pacenotes.net

04 pacenotes.netapril 2009

FULL CHAT...

Simon MooneyEditor

Tel: +44 (0)28 40660 [email protected]

Star

tlin

e

We’ve had quite an exciting month here in the Pacenotes offi ce.

On the rally front, it was fantastic to see Kris Meeke take victory

in Brazil. After his Monte Carlo disappointment, the win puts him

fi rmly in the hunt for this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge title.

And with the WRC moving to the Super 2000 formula in the future,

could a World Rally Championship drive for Kris be on the horizon? OK,

perhaps I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. � at is dependent on a lot of factors, but it would be great to see all of the Dungannon driver’s hard

work and determination pay off .

First things fi rst though, and he has a lot to concentrate on in 2009.

His victory in Brazil places him joint second in championship terms, and only three points adrift of the series

leader. Peugeot UK will miss the next round of the series in Kenya so Kris is

teaming up with Nicky Grist for the Midland Stages Rally!

We were also treated to a guided tour of Camillus Bradley’s premises,

just outside Draperstown. I must admit, I was mightily impressed by the fi ne business that Camillus has

built from scratch. He has a huge stock of parts, and he also treated us to a passenger run in one of his

immaculately prepared Escorts. Wow!

� e Larsen Circuit of Ireland Rally is just a week or two away, and it seems the Ulster Automobile Club is struggling to fi nd entrants for the

international category. � e economic times are hitting the Irish Tarmac Championship quite hard, yet the

national rally fi eld is well supported.

Hopefully there will be quite a few last minute entrants to bolster the

International fi eld, but could this be a sign that rallies should switch to one-day formats? It seems most of

the national championships are well supported, so perhaps one-day events could be the future of rallying, at least

in the short-term?

One thing I can’t forget... a small matter of Ireland’s Rugby team

winning the Grand Slam... About bloody time!

� anks to my pal Dermot Hanafi n from Rallyinsurance for the ‘corporate

tickets’ - I owe you big time. Dermot also tells me he’s getting back into the

drivers seat with Claire Mole along side... Killarney International looks

likely, but in what car???

28/03 Bulldog Rally (Llangollen)29/03 Circuit of Kerry29/03 SMC Stages (Blackpool)29/03 Pheonix Stages (Fulbeck)29/03 Tour of Caerwent (S. Wales)04/04 D’Isis Stages (MIRA)04/04 Charterhall Stages (Duns)05/04 MidlandStages05/04 Malcolm Watson Spring Rally11/04 Larsen Circuit ofIreland11/04 Ingliston Stages (Edinburgh)17/04 Pirelli International (Carlisle)

18/04 Get it Sideways Stages19/04 SolwayCoastRally (Dalry)25/04 Nutts Corner Rallycross25/04 Granite CityRally (Aberdeen)25/04 SomersetStages (Minehead)26/04 Wexford Restricted Mini Stages26/04 Monaghan Stages Rally26/04 Lee Holland Memorial Rally02/05 Killarney Rally of the Lakes02/05 Ballypatrick Tarmac Stages03/05 Procare Stages (Wigan)03/05 Welsh Rally (Epynt)

Calendar April 09

Continuing his 100% record in this year’s UK Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, Daniel Barry from Eniskerry, with co-driver Martin Brady from Navan, recorded a win at round two, the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally.

� e result sees Daniel and Martin increase their lead in the highly competitive Evolution Challenge, plus fourth place in the rally overall puts them at the top of the Pirelli

MSA Gravel Rally Championship standings, ahead of crews campaigning more powerful WRC cars.

� e next event in Daniel’s calendar sees a return to Kielder Forest - but this time the western side - when he contests round three of the Evo Challenge and the second round of the British Rally Championship, the Pirelli Tour of Cumbria, which takes place on 17th/18th April.

A £140,000 rally car has been stolen from a parked trailer in Cumbria. � e white Hyundai Accent - one of just 26 built in the UK - was due to have taken part in the Malcolm Wilson Rally in the Lake District. Police said spare parts worth £25,000 were also taken when the car was parked on a towing trailer in Deer Orchard Close, Cockermouth. Irish owner Brian McGillin, said the theft was, “an immense loss.” A spokesman for the Rally said it was the fi rst time in the 30-year event history that a vehicle had been stolen.

After an absence from last year’s calendar, the Carlow Stages Rally and Mk2 Challenge makes a welcome return for 2009. � e Carlow Car Club event will be jointly sponsored by the Lord Bagenal Hotel and O’K Lift Trucks. Sunday May 10th will see Ireland’s top tarmac rally cars back on the stages in County Carlow.

� e rally will be based in the Lord Bagenal Hotel, Main Street, Leighlinbridge, Co.Carlow and will be a counting round in the 2009 Honda Cup Ireland, the 2009 Southeast Rally Championship and will be a qualifying round of the Excel Rally Championship

Regs and Entry Forms will be available to download from the club website soon.

Mk2 Challenge Revs Up…Magherafelt and

District Motor Club raised somewhere in the region of £20,000 at their fundraising event for Paul Gallagher. � e funds will be directed into making improvements to Paul’s home for wheelchair access.

MADMC raise £20k

100% Barry…

Hyundai Hunt…

Fintan Canty and Denis O’Mahony, both locals of the recent West Cork Rally, survived this massive roll with only their pride and wallets aff ected. � e image scequence was captured by motorsport scribe Martin Walsh.

Oops Fintan !


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28/03 Bulldog Rally (Llangollen)29/03 Circuit of Kerry29/03 SMC Stages (Blackpool)29/03 Pheonix Stages (Fulbeck)29/03 Tour of Caerwent (S. Wales)04/04 D’Isis Stages (MIRA)04/04 Charterhall Stages (Duns)05/04 MidlandStages05/04 Malcolm Watson Spring Rally11/04 Larsen Circuit ofIreland11/04 Ingliston Stages (Edinburgh)17/04 Pirelli International (Carlisle)

18/04 Get it Sideways Stages19/04 SolwayCoastRally (Dalry)25/04 Nutts Corner Rallycross25/04 Granite CityRally (Aberdeen)25/04 SomersetStages (Minehead)26/04 Wexford Restricted Mini Stages26/04 Monaghan Stages Rally26/04 Lee Holland Memorial Rally02/05 Killarney Rally of the Lakes02/05 Ballypatrick Tarmac Stages03/05 Procare Stages (Wigan)03/05 Welsh Rally (Epynt)

Neil Williams has bought Connor Curly’s red Escort RS, minus the engine.� e car was built by DEN Motorsport in 2006 and features a fully modifi ed bodyshell, running on 15” Revolutions, with the option to run 17” wheels. It has a welded in cage, Tractive gearbox, and Profl ex suspension. Neil told Pacenotes he will be fi tting a 2.0 Vauxhall XE Touring Car spec engine built by John Read Engines.

“We`ve had some good results with my old car,” said Neil, “but I`m putting that back to its original spec to include a 2.0 BDG and ZF gearbox. We are refurbishing the new car prior to its debut, at, all being well, the Carlow MK2 Challenge!”

Historic rally buff s Reg Britton and Gerry Buckley have just returned to Northern Ireland after a 6000 mile round trip which saw them compete in the Arctic Lapland Rally in Rovaniemi, Finland.

� e lads towed their trusty BDA Escort there and back…through England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and into Finland - a four day trip, each way. � ey netted 3rd in class H11 and 7th overall, the car requiring nothing but fuel, tyres and the TLC of ace spannerman Mark McCaff rey.

“� e trip to Stockolm was

reasonably uneventful, as we have done it twice before, Gerry Buckley told Pacenotes, “but the fi nal part of the journey from Stockholm to Rovaniemi involved 500 miles in a blizzard, with minus four temperatures. When we arrived in Lapland we found the dry arctic air surprisingly pleasant with temperatures between -4 and -10, but with no dampness in the air.”

“We completed a short recce on the � ursday, and the rally started on the Friday at noon with 6 stages, running until 8pm,” continued Buckley. On the Saturday it ran from 8am

untill 4pm, covering 6 more stages. I can also report that as good as a BDA sounds in the forests, it really comes into its own in -10 degree dry arctic air: 0 - 10200rpm instantaneously!”

“� e Finnish welcome was warm and the craic was mighty,” said Gerry. “In total cost terms any of the Finnish events cost no more than an international rally here in Ireland.

When we got back home the van had clocked up 6000 miles and we were all wrecked, but it was a great experience and we would recommend it to anyone!”

After an absence from last year’s calendar, the Carlow Stages Rally and Mk2 Challenge makes a welcome return for 2009. � e Carlow Car Club event will be jointly sponsored by the Lord Bagenal Hotel and O’K Lift Trucks. Sunday May 10th will see Ireland’s top tarmac rally cars back on the stages in County Carlow.

� e rally will be based in the Lord Bagenal Hotel, Main Street, Leighlinbridge, Co.Carlow and will be a counting round in the 2009 Honda Cup Ireland, the 2009 Southeast Rally Championship and will be a qualifying round of the Excel Rally Championship

� e offi cial launch will take place in the Lord Bagenal Hotel on the evening of � ursday 9th April. Host for the night’s proceedings will be RTE’s Michael Lyster. � ere will also be rally cars on show and a Special Guest from the rallying fraternity. Regs and Entry Forms will be available to download from the club website soon.

� e Jack and Jill Foundation (www.jackandjill.ie) provides early intervention home respite to families with children up to the age of 4, with severe neuro developmental delay and palliative conditions, requiring extensive medical and nursing care at home.

In order to raise funds for this vital organization, the ALMC Motor Club is hosting a free exhibition of supercars from road, track and rallysport at the City North Hotel, Gormanston, from 11am to 5pm on Sunday 19th April, 2009.

Entry is free and the family can get up close to famous marques such as Fiat/Abarth, Lancia, Ford/RS, Subaru, Mitsubishi, AMG, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, TVR, Lotus, MGB and Mini – stretching from the Sixties to the present day. � e high point of the show will be a raffl e with incredible motoring prizes, with all proceeds going to the Jack & Jill Foundation.

Raffl e tickets will be available for sale on the day, but are also currently available at Homefl air, 92 West Street, Drogheda, 041-9831859. More info on almcmotorshow.com.

Former British Rally Champion David Higgins will contest the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship in a Ford Escort, starting with the Bulldog Historic Rally. He plans to contest six of the season’s eight events, but will miss the Severn Valley Stages in May and the Tour of Flanders in September due to clashes with his programme in China with a Group N Mitsubishi.

� e 2004 British Rally champion will compete in a car from Mark Solloway’s Historic Rallysport concern and will tackle the Bulldog in a Mk1 Escort. “I’ve got 95% of the budget we need and Mark produces a fantastic car, so I gave him a ring to see if he was up for it,” said Higgins.

Supercars, Super Cause…

Curly Escort Reborn…

Higgins’ BHRC Battle…

Mk2 Challenge Revs Up…

Magherafelt and District Motor Club raised somewhere in the region of £20,000 at their fundraising event for Paul Gallagher. � e funds will be directed into making improvements to Paul’s home for wheelchair access.

MADMC raise £20k

Reg & Gerry’s Excellent Adventure...

Over the spring, summer and autumn months, supercar and classic car owners are being encouraged to lift the dust sheets off their current and classic Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Aston Martins, Jaguars, Mercedes, BMWs, Lotuses, MGs and Porsches, and to take part in an intriguing list of, “Great Escapes, Continental Adventures, Charity Dream Rides, and High Speed Experiences,” all under the auspices of Plum and Lynn Tyndall’s latest automotive venture, the RPM Supercar Club.

Club trips, fully orchestrated by the Tyndalls,

will visit beautiful parts of Ireland and Europe, giving owners and their partners the opportunity to enjoy their treasured cars in the company of “like minded individuals.” Club outings will have destinations as diverse as the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum and the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. All ferry bookings, accommodation arrangements, route recommendations, and race passes will be part of the RPM Supercar Club service. To fi nd out more, contact Plum and Lynn Tyndall on (UK) 02892 689444, (Republic) 04892 689444 or e-mail [email protected].

RPM Supercar Club…

Motorsport Ireland’s guidelines for front-wheel-drive to rear-wheel-drive rally car conversions, which were revealed in last November’s edition of the MI bulletin, have been approved. � e Motorsport Commission approved the guidelines, with the exception that sequential gearboxes will be permitted. For more details, log on to www.motorsportireland.com.

FWD to RWD Guidelines

This is the big one! A two-week adventure to Portugal for the Algarve Historic Motor Festival where the racing takes place at the brand new Autódromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimao!

The Algarve is the perfect destination for a driving holiday. We will be using the Rosslare/Pembroke and Plymouth/Santander ferries and the increasingly popular Spanish touring roads which offer great driving freedom. On landing in Spain we will take 4 nights to get to Portimao with 3 nights in the Algarve and 3 nights for the return drive back to Santander. Overnight stops are in luxury hotels, many former castles, palaces or other historic buildings. In Portimao we will stay at the Alvor Praia Beach Resort just twenty minutes drive from the circuit, where you can expect to see Grand Prix Masters ‘70’s Formula One, Sports Car and Prototypes, Pre ‘66 GT and Touring Cars, Vintage and Pre-war Grand Prix cars in action.The package includes Circuit Transfers; Race Tickets with Grandstand and Paddock access. Hospitality options are available.

Saturday 10th October: 8.45am Cross Rosslare / Pembroke ferry arriving Pembroke 12.30pm and drive to Bristol where you will stay in a luxury hotel.

Sunday 11th October: We will join the English party in Plymouth for the 16.00pm sailing to Santander. The Brittany Ferries cruise ship is very comfortable with good accommodation to ensure a relaxing break on board.

Monday 12th October: Following our arrival in Santander at 12.30pm, we have an attractive run through the Picos de Europa Mountains towards Lèon, where we stay at a 5-star Monastery where dinner is included.

Tuesday 13th October: After breakfast we will travel to one of Spain’s most beautiful cities - Salamanca. We arrive in good time to explore this remarkable city on foot. Dinner is included at the Parador, which has a swimming pool and magnificent views of the old city. The restaurant offers many Castilian specialities and excellent wines.

Wednesday 14th October: We will continue to Merida where the remains of an amphitheatre still stand. Again we arrive in time to appreciate the sights of this historic town. The hotel is a four-star 14th century palace where we will have dinner.

Thursday 15th October: After breakfast we will travel into Andalucía and the capital of the region Seville. That evening we have a typical Spanish evening of tapas planned and perhaps a spot of flamenco later on!

Friday 16th October: Today we will make our way across into Portugal and to the resort of Alvor where we will stay for three nights. This evening is free to enjoy as you wish.

Saturday 17th October:You will have the option to take our coach transfer to the circuit for Qualifying, or to make your own way there by car. We will provide the necessary passes and directions.

Sunday 18th October:Race day.

Monday 19th October:After breakfast we will head north up the scenic coast road with a chance to stop for lunch at one of the many deserted Atlantic beaches. Then we join the autovia in the direction of Lisbon. From here we head west to the elegant resort of Estoril, former home of the nobility and famous exiles for our overnight stop and dinner. We have chosen the classic Hotel Palacio, a 1930’s gem now with 5-star comforts, a famous casino and magnificent sea views. Here the exiled Royalty mingled in Estoril’s golden era and it provided the setting for the Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”.

Tuesday 20th October: We will drive north through the mountains into Spain and across the Castilian Plains to the historic city of Zamora. The Parador, a 15th century Castilian Palace is in the heart of the historic quarter with a magnificent central courtyard.

Wednesday 21st October: Today we will have some splendid mountain driving after we leave the sultry plains around León - and head into the high Picos de Europa Mountains with rivers with great dams and waterfalls and eagles soaring around the summits. Tonight we stay in the highest area of the mountains at the Parador of Fuente Dé with an opportunity to take a cable car ride to the nearest peak.

Thursday 22nd October: An opportunity to have a leisurely morning, perhaps with lunch on the Cantabrian coast around Comillas or at picturesque Santillana del Mar where there are world famous prehistoric cave paintings. It is a relaxed drive back to Santander where we arrive at 2.30pm for the 3.00pm crossing to Plymouth.

Friday 23rd October: The ferry arrives in Plymouth at 9.30am. Then we drive North and into Wales to stay overnight.

Saturday 24th October: Catch the Pembroke / Rosslare ferry at 2.30pm. Arrive Rosslare 6.30pm and head for home.

15 available spaces (15 cars 30 people).EVENT 7: Algarve Historic FestivalPRICE: £2,530 per person based on car sharing & double room. (Single supplement £909). Includes:- All ferries & cabins; route instructions; 2x nights dinner B&B at a luxury English hotel; 10 nights luxury accommodation in Spain & Portugal; 5 dinners; coach transfer to and from the circuit; race tickets. Deposit 50% £1,265 per person.

Event 7: Continental Adventures - 10-24 October Algarve Historic Festival


FULL CHAT

� e recent Mayo Stages Rally hosted Round 1 of the 2009 Irish 205 Challenge, with the event based at the TF Royal hotel in Castlebar and sponsored by www.serviceclub.ie,

Slatterys of Puckane, Total Quartz Lubricants, Blaklader Workwear, Ears Motorsport and Kumho Tyres.

Seven freshly liveried 205s headed out only to fi nd stage one cancelled due to hailstones, so it was SS2 when battle commenced. Stage two saw Andy Slattery/Donal Lynch setting the fastest time, 8 seconds up on Noel Smith/Dara Lyttle. Next came Norman Dunne/Eoin O’Flattery, 21 seconds down and just 6 seconds ahead of Kenny English/ Joseph Bannerton.

Stage three was a twelve miler, fast and fl owing and again Slattery showed a clean pair of heals to his rivals, putting another 8 seconds on his lead. Smith was second fastest, showing great speed on his fi rst challenge event.

Stage four was a repeat of stage one, but again the stage was canned before the 205 drivers could start, so it was on to stage 5, a repeat of stage 2, and Slattery continued to set fastest time, but only by one second from Smith,

with Dunne third quickest. Slattery continued to dominate

the times, fastest again on stage six and now under no pressure as Smith, his closest challenger, crashed out of second place on the stage. Dunne was second fastest, just 3 seconds up on Aidan Cooney. English was now up to third place overall, his best result in the Challenge to date.

On stage seven Cooney hit trouble, dropping over two minutes to the leaders and fell behind Dunne and English to fourth overall. With large gaps now between all the crews, no one was under too much pressure and all held station until the end. Slattery took a clean sweep of fastest 205

times on stages seven and eight.Back in Castlebar the

celebrations began as Andy Slattery took the podium for his fi rst ever I205C win, also claiming class 10 by over a minute. Slattery commented, “It was a fantastic day for us, and everything went according to plan. � e 205 Challenge is very competitive, so were delighted with our win. � anks to the Mayo & District Motor Club and all their marshals for a great event!”

� e next round of the championship takes the drivers to Rooskey for the Midland Stages Rally on April 6th. For more, log on to irish205challenge.com.

On the Malcolm Wilson Rally-based round of the MG ZR Challenge, Callum Black and Paul Wakely in their 586 supported MG ZR took maximum points, with a drive that saw them overcome a few issues including gearbox problems.

Black was chased home by James Weaver and Teresa Butler. In third place were daughter and father team Jayne and David Auden. A fi ght to the fi nish between Challenge leader Simon Taft and Black was cut short by Taft’s roll in the second Grizedale stages. � e championship standings are very close after just two rounds, with Simon Taft and Callum Black heading the drivers table with 38 points each and James Weaver third on 36 points. � e co-drivers table is headed by Paul Wakely on 38 points, closely followed by Tersa Butler on 36 points. � e third round of the MG ZR Challenge is on 25th April, 2009, at the Somerset Stages, based in Minehead.

Black Attack… Slattery Magic In Mayo...

HANS Update� e latest Motorsport Ireland bulletin revealed that drivers and co-drivers of the particular models of Historic Rally car are exempt from the requirement to wear a HANS device in stage rallies run under an MI permit. � ose cars include an Alpine A110, Alpine A310, Austin-Healey Sprite, Clan Clover, Clan Crusader, Davrian, Fiat X1/9, Lancia Monte Carlo, Mazda RX7, MGB, MG Midget, Opel GT, Porsche 914, Triumph TR4, Triumph TR7.

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Pacenotes_Ad25035 16/03/2009 11:42 Page 1

kris meeke

08

Meeke’s Mighty Comeback...

After a disastrous start to his 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) campaign, Kris Meeke banished all memories of his crash at the Rally Monte Carlo by winning the Rally Internacional de Curitiba in Brazil, the second round of the championship.

Meeke’s pace and maturity behind the wheel of the Peugeot UK-backed 207 Super 2000 over the course of the two day event showed why the young Ulsterman is being tipped by many as a real contender for the 2009 title.

What made the win all the more impressive was the fact Meeke had to compete at the all-gravel event in Sebastien Ogier’s Monte-winning car, as Peugeot UK hadn’t repaired the damage his own car had sustained at the opening round.

With a good set-up ratifi ed during the � ursday shakedown, Meeke soon settled into a good rhythm on the Friday, maintaining a consistent pace throughout the fi rst day, and taking the initiative by setting fastest times on each of the seven stages.

Arriving at Parc Ferme at the Curitiba circuit, Meeke had built-up a 48.6 second lead over second placed Giandomenico Basso, who was having a closely fought battle with Nicolas Vouilloz in third - the pair separated by only 0.3 of a second.

Meeke admitted to pushing hard at the mid-way point of the fi rst day, saying that on the second day it was highly likely he would lose valuable time to following cars, as a consequence of his ‘road sweeping’ duties…

As he had predicted, on the fi rst stage of the second day, Kris’s defi cit had been reduced to 37 seconds, after Basso set the fastest time on SS8 by 11.3 seconds in his Abarth Grande Punto.

Basso’s charge continued into SS9, with a two-fold eff ect: not only was he reining in Kris Meeke, he was also creating a comfortable buff er over Peugeot Spain’s Nicolas Vouilloz, who was holding onto third place…or so Basso thought!

� e current IRC Champion, Vouilloz responded in emphatic fashion by setting the fastest time on SS10, reducing the gap between second and third to a little under 6 seconds.

With three stages remaining, and despite encountering brake problems due to overheating that saw him having to resort to the magic wand, � e Magician’s lead was now 22.7 seconds going into midday service…and Kris was still very confi dent of the win.

� e brake problem now resolved, Meeke’s ability to put the Monte behind him was highlighted on SS11,

when he responded to the Basso and Vouilloz charges by increasing his lead to 33 seconds.

Although he was still running fi rst on the repeated stage loops, Meeke wasn’t losing as much time, with the racing line swept clear of loose gravel by the morning pass. On the same stage, Vouilloz climbed one place, to second, at Basso’s expense, with the Frenchman carving out a 2.3 second advantage over the Italian.

Vouilloz then tightened his grip on second place on the penultimate stage by winning it and moving clear of Basso by a little over 5 seconds. Meanwhile, Meeke took no risks, choosing to reduce his speed and drop some time, while still keeping a safe 26.3 seconds between himself and Vouilloz.

On the fi nal stage, Meeke and Vouilloz shared the spoils by setting equal fastest times. � is secured the Dungannon man a jubilant fi rst IRC win and ten valuable points.

Commenting afterwards Meeke said, “It’s been a long time coming but it’s just awesome to get our fi rst victory in the IRC! � e journey here to Peugeot UK and the IRC has been a long one, but I think it’s a fantastic championship. � is is one of the best rallies I have ever experienced. From start to fi nish, it was simply awesome. I had a really good feeling with the car and the team, and at the end of it we got the perfect result.”

Co-driver Paul Nagle added, “Kris drove faultlessly. He didn’t put foot wrong from the fi rst corner to the last stage. I think our accident in Monte Carlo probably made us stronger and work harder. We came here to prove a point… and I think we did.”

‘� e Magician’ now moves into joint second position alongside Sebastien Ogier and Giandomenico Basso, but it is the experienced Freddy Loix who tops the standings with thirteen points.

Peugeot UK will travel to the Azores in early May to contest the next round.

Overall results after SS13: 1 Meeke (Peugeot UK 207) 2h08m05.7s 2 Vouilloz (Peugeot Spain 207) +26.2s 3 Basso (Abarth Grande Punto) +47.9s

Nicolas or Kris - Who’s the Iceman?

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Monaco - 21-24 January AsphaltBrazil - 05-07 March GravelKenya - 03-04 April GravelPortugal - 07-09 May GravelBelgium - 18-20 June AsphaltRussia - 09-11 July GravelPortugal - 30 July - 01 Aug AsphaltCzech Rep. - 21-23 August AsphaltSpain - 10-12 September AsphaltItaly - 24-26 September AsphaltJapan - 22-24 October GravelUK / Scotland- 19-21 Nov Gravel

2009 IRC Calendar

Meeke’s Mighty Comeback...

Nicolas Vouilloz fi nished in 2nd place.

Kris led from the start - a true professional performance

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PACE DPS 4-03-09 12/3/09 14:44 Page 1

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PACE DPS 4-03-09 12/3/09 14:44 Page 2

1 John Cairns/James Cairns Subaru .............................. 28:122 Adrian Hetherington/Maureen McConnell Ford Escort ....................... 28:213 Seamus O’Connell/Sean Magee Ford Escort Mk 2 .............. 28:304 Frank Kelly/Sean Ferris Ford Escort ....................... 28:335 Paul Britton/Martin Costello Subaru .............................. 28:396 P J Gillespie/Mary O’Kane Mitsubushi Evo ................. 29:087 Enda Mc Nulty Ronan O’Kane Mitsubishi Evo .................. 29:138 Vivian Hamill/Paul Hamill Escort RS ......................... 29:169 Shane McGirr/Nial Connelly Toyota Starlet .................... 29:2910 Mark Barnett/Vincent Fergus Ford Escort ....................... 29:5111 Andrew Trotter/Kevin Creighan MK 2 Escort...................... 29:5112 Shane Cullen/Paddy McCague Ford Escort ....................... 30:1613 Patrick Carey/Raymond Cochrane Honda Civic ...................... 30:1914 Stephen Wright/Susanne Wright Ford Fiesta ........................ 30:2015 Ali Burrows/Jason Harrow Subaru .............................. 30:25

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PICTUrEsMartin McCorriston

RESULTS

Paul McShea & Stephen Griffith

Shane McGirr & Nial Connelly

WINNERS: John Cairns & James Cairns

John and James Cairns emerged as the surprised victors of this year’s Omagh Motor Club Fivemiletown Spring Rally. In what was the first overall victory of their rally careers, they kept their Subaru Impreza on the straight and narrow to claim the Spring Rally honours by nine seconds from leading two-wheel-drive exponents Adrian Hetherington and Maureen McConnell.

The Cairns crew didn’t have it all their own way though, and after the first stage they found themselves holding joint fifth position. Instead, Paul Barrett and Dermot Colgan had topped the timesheets in their rear-wheel-drive Ford Focus, leading the event by five seconds from Frank Kelly and Sean Ferris, with Eamon Mimnagh and John Johnson third.

The two-wheel-drive crews were running first on the road, and their better road position was reflected in the stage times. The Spring Rally always gives the 2WD competitors a rare chance to sample stages in prime condition, and the leading crews at this year’s event were making the most of the opportunity!

Stage two saw Paul Barrett lose some time, and that left the coast clear for Ryan Barrett and Barry Ferris to set the pace. Third placed Eamonn Mimnagh also dropped a few seconds, and that allowed both Frank Kelly and Peter McCullagh to move to just one second behind the rally leader!

Paul Barrett was having none of it, and he pushed hard through the third stage. Unfortunately, midway through the test, his gearbox cried ‘enough’, sinking him to the depths of retirement.

Johnny McKenna also had an early mud bath, when he skated into a field after the flying finish of stage three. The number one seed had set top three stage times over a couple of stages, but he was going no further, as his Lancer became bogged down in the mucky field.

So, at the top of the standings it was Peter McCullagh and Alan Dolan. They set the pace through the long Jenkins stage, edging out a lead of 12 seconds over Frank Kelly and Sean Ferris, while John and James Cairns were joint third, with Seamus O’Connell and Sean Magee.

McCullagh continued to lead the way in his Mitsubishi Lancer and a string of fastest times followed. Meanwhile, the Cairns crew put their 4WD power to good use and moved into second position, ahead of the super-quick Escort men, with Adrian Hetherington topping the 2WD standings in third overall.

Stage six was cancelled, so just two stages lay between Peter McCullagh and Spring Rally victory. He was 18 seconds ahead of the Cairns crew going into the final two tests, and

looked set to claim the honours.It was Cairns team that was fastest

over the penultimate stage though, leaving 14 seconds between the two crews. Still, there was only the short final stage remaining, and the upper hand was very much in McCullagh’s favour.

Unfortunately for McCullagh, a mistake at a notorious corner during the final test saw the potential rally victory slip away from his grasp. He retired, allowing John and James Cairns to take a last minute victory in their Subaru Impreza!

Arriving home in second position, Adrian Hetherington and Maureen McConnell topped the two-wheel-drive standings in their Ford Escort. They couldn’t match the Cairns’ pace

through the Jenkins stage, losing eight seconds on the penultimate stage to the crew. In the end, they finished nine seconds adrift, while Seamus O’Connell and Sean Magee completed the top three, ahead of Frank Kelly and Sean Ferris.

Class Battles…In the class battles, Stephen and Susanne Wright won class one from Barry Greer and John Lemon, while event winners John and James Cairns topped class two from Paul Britton and Martin Costello, who were also fifth overall.

Shane McGirr and Niall Connelly won class three and finished in an excellent ninth overall, with Gareth Sayers and Gareth Gilchrist second in class. Mervyn Wilson and Richard Gamble won class four from Gregory

McDaid and Stephen Tierney, while Patrick Carey and Raymond Cochrane won class five from Conor Kelly and David Vance.

In class six, Shane Cullen and Paddy McCague took their Escort to the top, finishing 31 seconds ahead of Philip McConnell and Aine McGuigan. Adrian Hetherington and Maureen McConnell won class seven from Frank Kelly and Sean Ferris, while Seamus O’Connell and Sean Magee were the sole class eight finishers. Finally, Paul McShea and Stephen Griffith won class nine, despite rolling their Orion on stage five, with Joe McQuillan and Ashley Bolton second.

Cairns Crew Spring A Surprise…

2nd: Adrian Hetherington & Maureen McConnell 3rd: Seamus O’Connell & Sean Magee

Tel: +44 (0) 1952 582825Fax: +44 (0) 1952 582821

The Strength of Experience

www.speedlinecorse.co.uk • [email protected]

The Strength of ExperienceThe Strength of ExperienceThe Strength of Experience

The Big Bo

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Petter Solberg an amazing 3rd overall

Loeb is the fi rst driver in history to reach 50 WRC wins and if anything, he just seems to be getting quicker and more consistent. In Cyprus his Friday performance was a typically dominant display, which saw him open up a 41.8 second lead, with fi ve stage wins from the opening six tests.

It was the diminutive Frenchman’s ability to wring the most out the Pirelli Scorpion gravel tyre on the fi rst tarmac stages that left his rivals trailing.

� e Saturday saw the 2009 Cyprus Rally trade the Friday asphalt action for gravel, and overnight rain had left the twisty tracks in the Troodos Mountains extremely muddy. � ere was to be just one pass over the fi ve stages however.

Running fi rst on the road didn’t slow Loeb too much and he emerged from the morning’s three tests with an even bigger lead at the top of the order. “It was only through the muddier portions that I really lost time clearing a better line for those starting after me,” he explained. “In Anadiou Diam, for example, we dropped 10 seconds in barely two kilometres. I just didn’t have any traction! � ings went better on the next stage, Pano Panagia, but I felt even more comfortable on Orkontas, where I was able to push much harder. I came close to spinning at one point, but that didn’t prevent us

from posting the fastest time.”Ford number one Hirvonen was in

second but unable to make inroads on the fl ying Frenchman, while Citroen number twos Dani Sordo and Marc Marti were third overall at this point in their C4 WRC.

France’s fi ve-time world champion entered the fi nal day in Cyprus with a

lead of 49.8 seconds over Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen and he set a steady pace through Sunday’s fi nal three stages, losing 17.1 seconds to Hirvonen on the event’s penultimate stage, to eventually win by 27.2 seconds.

Loeb extended his lead over Hirvonen in the drivers’ standings to eight points, and he was over the moon with his fi ftieth WRC win, saying, “It’s incredible. I remember when I beat the record number of wins of Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae. Now 50 is a really a big number, a nice number. I’m really happy with what we are achieving at the moment, but it’s not fi nished, we’re not stopping yet.”

It was another frustrating event for Ford, but Mikko Hirvonen hopes to hit back on the gravel of Portugal,

coming up next. “I think we lost it on the Friday,” said Hirvonen. “At least we managed to take some time back on the last two days. If it had been dry, it might have been diff erent. We are defi nitely a lot faster on gravel now, so hopefully we can have a good fi ght in Portugal.”

Perhaps the best result of the

day however, belonged to the ever popular Petter Solberg, who took a superb third place in his 2006-spec Citroen Xsara. Solberg netted third when Citroen opted to slow Dani Sordo’s pace and allow him through, as the Norwegian isn’t eligible to score manufacturers’ points for Citroen and is no threat to Sordo in championship terms.

Matthew Wilson took fi fth in his Stobart Ford Focus after Sebastien Ogier crashed his Citroen C4 less than a kilometre from the end of the fi nal stage. Conrad Rautenbach was sixth, with Argentina’s Federico Villagra seventh on his fi rst outing of the year with the Munchi’s Ford team. � e fi nal point went to Khalid Al Qassimi of the UAE in his Ford.

Loeb Flies To His 50th

CYPRUS 13 MARCH

Sebastien Loeb’s stellar WRC career just keeps getting better. The Citroen number one cruised to victory in Cyprus to record his 50th World Rally Championship win!

I’M REALLY HAPPY WITH WHAT WE ARE ACHIEVING AT THE MOMENT, BUT IT’S NOT FINISHED, WE’RE NOT STOPPING YET - LOEB

1 Sebastien Loeb, Citroen2 Mikko Hirvonen, Ford ......+27.23 Petter Solberg, Citroen ..+1:49.44 Dani Sordo, Citroen ......+2:26.35 Matthew Wilson, Ford ....+6:41.06 Conrad Rautenbach, Citroen .......................+11:11.97 Federico Villagra, Ford ...........................+13:18.58 Khalid Al Qassimi, Ford ...........................+19:54.9

results

Dani Sordo takes 4th overall

Mikko discusses his 2nd overall with team.

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It’s all about rallying on a budget, and as we’re in the midst of a recession, the Rally Evolution provides the perfect escape to satisfy those competitive yearnings. If anyone out there is considering hanging up their helmet, then think again. Save some cash and go endurance rallying!

Organisers of the popular event want to, “keep people in motorsport,” and for the price of the entry fee, competitors can tackle 240 miles, covering many of the same stages that the old RAC Rally used. With the majority of the event based in Wales, plenty of truly classic stages can be found.

“We keep costs to a minimum but competitive mileage to the max,” Rally Director Kenny Owen said. “� at makes the event true value for money.”

On the face of it, the entry may seem expensive at £1,495 (if your entry is submitted before the end of April). But considering the stage mileage on off er, it equates to a little more than £6 per stage mile.

Why the name change? Sadly, Lombard’s sponsorship of the event was an early victim of the credit crunch, so it was a necessary evil.

But organisers have looked on the bright side, and grabbed the opportunity to rebrand the event with both hands.

“Since the rally’s launch in 2004, it has constantly changed to keep the event fresh and alive,” Owen admitted, “and this is what the new

title suggests!”� e event is open to endurance

rally cars up to 1400cc, with a category for 2ltr non-turbo diesels, while historic cars (up to 2ltr) can also enter, as the club also holds a historic road rally permit for the event.

� ere is plenty of on-event support in the form of RAC Roadside Services, as well as a professional medical team which includes Rally Rescue, paramedics, FIVs and fi rst aiders. And to help keep costs down, the event uses Silverstone as a control tyre.

� is year’s event will start and

fi nish at Newport, Gwent, and competitors will traverse a total of 1300 miles during the rally. � at includes 240 miles of competitive motoring, through venues such as Epynt, Crychan, Esgair Dafydd, Brechfa, Clogaenog and Great Orme.

Overnight halts will include the Hilton in Newport, � e Park Lodge (Aberystwyth), Metropole Hotel (Llandrindod Wells) for two nights, before returning to Newport.

It is regarded as one of the toughest events in Europe, and reaching the fi nish is an accomplishment, regardless of where you fi nish on the leaderboard! So why not save a penny or two between now and November, and challenge yourself to what must be one of the longest events currently running in the UK and Ireland!

The Lombard Evolves… It has a fresh new name, and it’s a bigger challenge…but that’s a good thing! Formerly known as the Lombard Rally, this year’s event, which takes place from 12th-15th November, has been renamed the Rally Evolution!

SINCE THE RALLY’S LAUNCH IN 2004, IT HAS CONSTANTLY CHANGED TO KEEP THE EVENT FRESH AND ALIVE, AND THIS IS WHAT THE NEW TITLE SUGGESTS! - KENNY OWEN

Lombard 2008 Winners

12th-15th

November


Entry to The Rally Evolution for a car and

crew of 2 is just: £1,495 if received before 30th April, £1,645 if received before 31st July,

£1,795 if received before 31st October.

A credit scheme is available - just call the rally offi ce for

further details.

T: 01550 721919E: [email protected]

The LombardRally has changed it’s name...

12-15 November

Information on all events can be obtained by

contacting the Rally Offi ce:16 Market Square, Llandovery

Carmarthenshire SA20 0AA

www.rally-evolution.com

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PICTUrEsseamus

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1 PatrickElliott/PaulGoodman SubaruImpreza................. 55:222 NiallMaguire/EndaSherry SubaruImpreza................. 55:283 KevinBarrett/SeanMullally SubaruImpreza................. 57:374 GarethMacHale/BarryGoodman OpelCorsaS200............... 57:455 GarryJennings/MartinBrady MitsubishiEvo.................. 58:326 DannyMcBride/JonathonGallagher MitsubishiEvo............... 1:00:227 BrianO’Mahony/JohnHiggins RenaultClio................... 1:00:418 ThomasFitzmaurice/FionnFoley MitsubishiEvo............... 1:01:319 PaulElliott/BrianDoherty MitsubishiEvo............... 1:01:3210 RussellWoods/MartinByrne FordEscortMKI............. 1:01:3211 AnthonyO’Halloran/CharlieMcEne MitsubishiEvo............... 1:01:3812 SeanFlanagan/BrianDuggan SubaruImpreza.............. 1:01:4313 VictorHunter/MichaelDoherty FordEscortMKI............. 1:01:5114 TrevorBustard/KennyBustard MitsubishiEvo............... 1:02:0015 AnthonyHand/EmmetSherry FordEscort.................... 1:02:0816 TrevorMulligan/LisaRoeFord EscortMKI..................... 1:02:2917 MarkWedlock/AdamKinkade FordEscortMKI............. 1:02:3018 PeterGreene/LauraGreene FordEscortMKI............. 1:02:5519 EugeneFerry/DerekHeena FordEscortMKI............. 1:02:5720 JimMcKenna/ThomasTreanor ToyotaStarlet................. 1:03:23

Elliott Maintains Momentum…

The opening stage, Big Maum, fell victim to the weather, when a hailstorm made the conditions treacherous. Organisers decided it wasn’t safe to run in competitive mode, so competitors were directed to stage two.

On the second test, Barnaderg, Elliott set the pace, 13 seconds clear of Maguire with Gareth MacHale a further ten seconds behind in third. Elliott was also quickest on the third stage, despite an overshoot that cost him some ten seconds. He arrived at the Westport service halt with a 16 second advantage.

Maguire admitted that he struggled in the conditions, while third placed MacHale was acclimatising to the Opel Corsa S2000. Kevin Barrett in fourth had to back off towards the end of the third test amidst a heavy hail shower. Garry Jennings (Mitsubishi) was untroubled in fifth, with local driver Tom Muldoon (Mitsubishi) some 20 seconds adrift in sixth place.

Reserve entry Thomas Fitzmaurice was next in a top ten that also included the Mark 2 Escort of Anthony Hand, Danny McBride (Mitsubishi) and Jack Maguire

(Escort Cosworth). Elsewhere, Brian O’Mahony (Renault Clio) lost time with fuel problems, in 13th overall, while Trevor Mulligan, who was on board a poorly handling Ford Escort, was down in 46th place.

On the first run over stage four’s Big Maum, Elliott added a further three seconds to his lead, with Maguire and MacHale

completing an unchanged top three. Kevin Barrett moved to within six seconds of MacHale. Meanwhile, Jennings lost a few seconds when he experienced fuel problems at the start of the test.

Elliott spun on the fifth test and lost the front bumper of his Subaru, lucky not to have experienced any further damage in the 360 degree spin. At service, he had no

explanation: “I really don’t know why it happened, I touched the brakes approaching a left hand bend and it just spun around. I didn’t see any oil. I was really very lucky and I reckon I only dropped about ten seconds.”

The resultant damage caused handling problems through stage six and Maguire, who was fastest

on both stages, cut the deficit to three seconds. MacHale, in third, reckoned the suspension was too stiff for the Mayo roads. He was also losing time on the fast sections of the stages. The Dubliner was more than one minute adrift of second spot and just a mere second ahead of Kevin Barrett, who remarked on the difficult nature of the stages.

Jennings remained in fifth and

defending dunlop champions Patrick Elliott and Paul Goodman have won the TF royal Hotel & Theatre Mayo rally, the second round of the dunlop National rally Championship. They finished six seconds ahead of Niall Maguire and Enda sherry, and in terms of the dunlop championship, Elliott now leads Maguire by four points.

I really don’t know why It happened, I touched the brakes approachIng a left hand bend and It just spun around. I dIdn’t see any oIl. I was really very lucky and I reckon I only dropped about ten seconds.patrIck ellIott

Winners: Patrick Elliott & Paul Goodman

7th: Brian O’Mahony & John Higgins Eamon Daly & Anthony O’Connell5th: Garry Jennings & Martin Brady


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class report & images

he wasn’t without his troubles as his Mitsubishi tended to flood at the start of the stages. Danny McBride, also in a Mitsubishi, was next - 25 seconds further behind. O’Mahony made strong progress to move into seventh in a top ten rounded off by Fergal Costello (Mitsubishi), Thomas Fitzmaurice (Mitsubishi) and Jack Maguire (Escort Cosworth).

Local hero Tom Muldoon retired his Mitsubishi with a broken differential, while Sean Flanagan (Subaru) lost several places with a spin on almost every stage.

On the penultimate test, Elliott gained a precious second on Maguire

to lead by four seconds. He added two more seconds on the final test and that gave him a six second winning margin!

“Niall (Maguire) and myself had the wrong tyres for the final stages,” Elliott said afterwards. “We had full wets and the roads were dry. It was far from being a foregone conclusion and I had to battle hard against him. It was a hard rally to win and I suppose I didn’t make it any easier on myself either!”

Maguire took second and Barrett increased his pace to snatch a late third place. Elsewhere, MacHale was fourth on his debut in the Opel

Corsa S2000, while Jennings took top points in the Patterson’s RallyNews Group N category. Danny McBride (Mitsubishi) overcame mechanical problems to claim sixth.

Brian O’Mahony (Renault Clio S1600) took seventh and top points for the inaugural rally.ie award for two-wheel drive competitors. Thomas Fitzmaurice (Mitsubishi), Paul Elliott (Mitsubishi) and Russell Woods (Escort) filled the remaining places in the top ten. The latter pair were separated on a tie-break, with Elliott getting the verdict by virtue of being fastest on the final stage.

3rd: Kevin Barrett & Sean Mullally

CL2: Brendan Corcoran & David Walsh

Class 2Brendan Corcoran and David Walsh took their Honda Civic to the top of class two. They led from the start, but briefly lost the advantage to Ciaran Walsh and Aidan Gannon after stage five. Walsh extended his advantage on the sixth stage before retiring from the event. That allowed Corcoran to move in front once again and he claimed the spoils from Niall Donoghue and Shane Greene, with Joseph and Simon Monaghan third.

Class 3Shane Buckley and Thomas Maguire claimed a start to finish win in class three. They grabbed their Fiesta by the scruff, and finished the event almost five minutes ahead of Packie and Colin Duffy, with Glenda and Kylie Boyle third.

Class 4The Group N category saw Gareth MacHale and Barry Goodman bring their Super 2000 Corsa home at the head of the standings. The crew finished almost one minute in front of Garry Jennings and Martin Brady, with Danny McBride and Jonathon Gallagher third.

Class 5Jonny Leonard and Jackie Donaldson took a start to finish class five win aboard their Nissan Micra. The crew were fastest from the outset, and went on to finish head and shoulders above their rivals. Shane and Niall Timoney were the best of the rest, with Otto Gropler and Chrystal Culkeen third, ahead of Eamonn McCafferty and Catherine Levis.

Class 6Brian O’Mahony and John Higgins were another crew to lead their class from the start. Driving their Renault Clio, they went on to finish almost four minutes ahead of Andrew Bushe and Frank Curtin, with Andrew Mullen and Elaine Doherty third.

Class 7There were no surprises in class seven as Roger Kennedy and Wendy Blackledge were the sole entrants. They kept their Peugeot 306 between the hedges to finish inside the top 50 overall and claim the class spoils.

Class 8The top three overall sacrificed their class positions, so James McNulty and Brendan McElhinney won class

Class Battles…

4th: Gareth MacHale & Barry Goodman

CL3: Shane Buckley & Thomas Maguire

2nd: Niall Maguire & Enda Sherry

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CLASS RESULTSCLASS 2 Brendan Corcoran/David Walsh Honda Civic ................... 1:08:49

CLASS 3 Shane Buckley/Thomas Maguire Ford Fiesta ..................... 1:04:51

CLASS 4 Gareth McHale/Barry Goodman Opel Corsa S200 ............... 57:45

CLASS 5 Jonny Leonard/Jackie Donaldson Nissan Micra .................. 1:08:27

CLASS 6 Brian O’Mahony/John Higgins Renault Clio ................... 1:00:41

CLASS 7 Roger Kennedy/Wendy Blackledge Peugeot 306 .................. 1:07:14

CLASS 8 Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman Subaru Impreza ................. 55:22

CLASS 9 Simon Evans/Barry Faul Austin Mini ..................... 1:10:21

CLASS 10 Andrew Slattery/Donal Lynch Peugeot 205 .................. 1:07:23

CLASS 11 Anthony Hand/Emmet Sherry Ford Escort .................... 1:02:08

CLASS 12 Daniel Conaghan/Trevor Graham Ford Escort .................... 1:04:22

CLASS 13 Russell Woods/Martin Byrne Ford Escort MKI ............. 1:01:32

CLASS 14 Trevor Mulligan/Lisa Roe Ford Escort MKI ............. 1:02:29

CLASS 15 Gary McElhinney/Damien Connolly Subaru Legacy ............... 1:05:35

JUNIORS Terry McGonegal/Mark Curran Honda Civic ...................... 38:26

eight from Clive Kilpatrick and Ian Johnson, with Pat Kelly and Claire Hogan third.

Class 9Mini power packed a punch in class nine as Simon Evans and Barry Faul led the category from start to finish. 21 seconds faster than their rivals on the opening test, they were fastest out of the blocks by a country mile. Second placed Thomas Carolan and Declan Smith picked up their pace towards the finish, swiping 29 seconds from the leaders on the final stage, but it was too late. Evans won from Carolan, with Pat and Jimmy Bellew third.

Class 10Andrew Slattery and Donal Lynch dominated class 10 as they also took a start to finish victory. Driving their Peugeot 205, the crew grabbed the advantage from the start and never looked back. They went on to win by more than one minute from Barry Treanor and Colm Connolly, with Shane Maguire and Stephen Thornton third.

Class 11There were plenty of crews entered in class 11, but that failed to faze Anthony Hand and Emmet Sherry. Fastest on the opening stage by one second from Peter Wilson and Domhnall Lennon, they quickly built a more substantial lead. In the end, they finished more than one minute in front of Jim McKenna and Thomas Treanor, who just

nipped ahead of Wilson, with one second separating the two crews at the finish line.

Class 12The battle for the class 12 spoils turned out to be a tit-for-tat affair. Colin and David Loughney were first to top the standings, only for Noel O’Donnell and Ronan Murrn to move ahead after stage three. Then Daniel Conaghan and Trevor Graham moved in front after the fourth test, but O’Donnell joined them on the top spot after SS5. Stage six saw O’Donnell make the number one spot his own, and he looked set to claim the spoils, but a problem on the final stage

saw Conaghan nab the victory. O’Donnell had to settle for second, with Rory Carroll and John A Conway third.

Class 13Pat Bonar and James O’Reilly were the early class 13 leaders, but they were overhauled by Victor Hunter and Michael Doherty on stage three. Then Russell Woods and Martin Byrne moved in front on stage five, and stayed there until the finish. They claimed the class honours by 19 seconds from Hunter, with Mark Wedlock and Adam Kinkade third.

Class 14Eugene Ferry and Derek Heena were the early class 14 leaders, before being overhauled by Peter and Laura Greene on stage five. Ferry later overhauled Greene, but in the same breath, Trevor Mulligan and Lisa Roe moved into the number one slot. They went on to take a 26 second victory over the two Greenes, after they moved in front of Ferry on the final stage.

Class 15Jack and Paul Maguire took an early class 15 lead and looked set to claim the spoils from Gary McElhinney and Damien Connolly.

After stage six, they led the category by more than two minutes, only for a problem to force them into retirement. That left the coast clear from McElhinney to take his Subaru Legacy to victory.

Class 16 (Juniors)In the Junior category, Terry McGonigle and Mark Curran brought their Honda Civic home at the head of class 16. They finished more than one minute in front of Eamon Brady and David Kellegher, with Ferlin Taylor and Vinnie Boyd third.

CL5: Jonny Leonard & Jackie Donaldson CL7: Roger Kennedy & Wendy Blackledge

CL10: Andrew Slattery & Donal Lynch CL11: Anthony Hand & Emmet Sherry

CL15: Gary McElhinney & Damien Connolly Junior: Terry McGonegal & Mark CurranCL12: Daniel Conaghan & Trevor Graham

CL9: Simon Evans & Barry Faul

CL13: Russell Woods & Martin Byrne CL14: Trevor Mulligan & Lisa Roe


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PICTUrEspro-rally.co.uk

1 StevePerez/KevinRae FocusWRC.................... 0:44:242 WillNicholls/NickBroom ImprezaWRC................. 0:44:493 DavidWright/MichaelWilkinson EVO9............................ 0:45:164 TimPearcey/RobinHernaman EVO9............................ 0:46:105 MichaelO’Brien/PaulSpooner FocusWRC.................... 0:46:126 JonathanGreer/AnthonyO’Conaill EVO9............................ 0:46:157 PaulBenn/RichardCooke FocusWRC.................... 0:46:228 NigelGriffiths/JoshBurton Impreza.......................... 0:46:339 DavidWeston_Jnr/NeilShanks Impreza.......................... 0:46:4310 StephenSimpson/PatrickWalsh AccentWRC.................. 0:47:0211 DavidHowells/AndyMorgan Impreza.......................... 0:47:2112 ThomasNaughton/HoraceSaville EVO9............................ 0:47:3813 PipSimpson/KimBaker Impreza.......................... 0:47:5414 AndrewBarnes/GuySimmons FocusWRC.................... 0:47:5615 GaryTomlinson/JemmaBellingham Impreza.......................... 0:47:5616 PhilBurton/MalCapstick Escort............................ 0:48:1417 MadMickJones/DaleFurniss Escort............................ 0:48:1818 KrisHall/RobbieDurant FiestaST........................ 0:49:4919 CharlieTaylor/SteveBielby Escort............................ 0:49:5020 BobCeen/AndyBull Impreza.......................... 0:50:00

RESULTS

Event:MalcolmWilsonRally.Date:7thMarch2009.Venue:Cockermouth.Surface:Gravel.Stages:7.Stage

Miles:43.Organisers:KirkbyLonsdaleMotorClub,MorecambeCarClub&

WestCumbriaMotorSportsClub.Championships:MSAEnglishRallyChampionship;BTRDARallySeries;

FiestaSportingTrophy;ANECC;ANWCC&SD34.Starters:114.Finishers:75

Class 1.4L:Dave Bennett and Alastair McNeil cruised to a comfortable win in their Vauxhall Corsa after early leaders Matt Cotton and Will Rogers ended their rally in SS4 with a broken driveshaft on their MG ZR. Simon Taft and Steve Deeley had been on target for a podium finish before parking their ZR for five minutes in a Grizedale ditch. Martin Breen and Simon Graham brought their Peugeot 106 home second despite gear linkage problems and Sian Beaty and Vicki Martin finished third in the Ford Ka.

Class 1.4C:A similar outcome to the Wyedean with Sion and Gary Matthews bringing their Nova home ahead of the similar car of Euros Evans and Dylan Lewis. The margin was smaller this time though, it was less than a minute! Andrew and Reg Irving rolled their Peugeot 205 out in Comb.

Class 1.4s: A heavy landing in Comb left Graham Middleton and Ella

Flynn with gearbox problems for the rest of the day but they still finished as class winners. The impact pushed the sump guard up cracking the gearbox casing resulting in an oil seepage but regular refills kept them in the rally. Mark Gamble and Mark Freeman claimed second place in their 106, despite bending a rear beam in Grizedale. Third place went to the Corsa of Shaun and Andy Bolt who survived a roll in Comb. Malcolm Hague and Dave Read’s rally finished in SS4 Greystoke after a steering defect put their Escort Mk2 off the track.

Class N3:Dominated by Ford Fiesta STs – see report on page 58.

Class N4: Pearcey/Hernaman; Greer/O’Conaill; Weston Jnr/Shanks - see main report.

Class B10:After pushing the nearside front wheel into the arch and collecting a puncture on SS4 it wasn’t looking too good

1.4C: Sion & Gary Matthews 1.4L: Dave Bennett & Alastair McNeil 1.4S: Middleton & Ella Flynn B10: Russell Thompson & Mike Curry

Steve Stays Fully Focused!

Paul Bird and Ian Windress were quickest through the opening 2.73 mile Hobacarton test but when they crossed the Whinlatter Pass to tackle the Comb stage they soon hit trouble. To be more precise they hit a tree, inflicting a reputed £50k worth of damage to their Focus WRC in the process. It brought an abrupt end to what had promised to be a thrilling battle between the top two seeds, who had only been separated by a second after the first stage.

Andy Burton was another front runner already out after engine problems forced him to coast his Peugeot Cosworth through the finish of SS1, a big disappointment for co-driver Shelley Rogerson who was competing on home ground.

Hugh Hunter and Andy Marchbank had been third quickest through Hobcarton but when Perez slowed at the scene of Bird’s accident they found themselves rally leaders after Comb. It was a position the Focus WRC would

retain for most of the day, their good run ending with an off in Grizedale North when victory seemed within their grasp.

Heading to Greystoke following the first three Whinlatter stages David Wright and Michael Wilkinson were lying third, just two seconds behind Perez, in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9. Their good run faltered when they collected a puncture, losing around 45 seconds and dropping to ninth. It was worse news for Shaun Gardener and Ben Innes who had started the stage in fourth place, despite their Lancer Evo5.9 suffering an anti-lag problem through the two opening stages. Fastest time through SS3 Wythop had put them back in the mix but it was to no avail as the Lancer was

That old rally saying ‘To finish first, you first have to finish’ was proved right again as steve Perez and Kevin rae brought their Ford Focus WrC to victory as many of their rivals hit problems.

Winners: Steve Perez & Kevin Rae

N3: Kris Hall & Robbie Durant

WR1: Michael O’Brien & Paul Spooner


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for Russell Thompson and Mike Curry. A charge through Grizedale then put the 205 crew back on top as they finished 45 seconds ahead of Des Campbell and James Braithwaite’s 206. Mark Shaw and Ken Willan were a close third in their Sunbeam Ti.

Class B11: Continuing where they left off on the Wyedean ‘Mad’ Mick Jones and Dale Furniss took another class win in their Escort Mk2. An altercation with a bank in Greystoke gave them a big two-wheel moment but whilst they avoided a roll, bending the steering arm hampered their progress. They dropped more time in Greystoke 2 with a half spin but still collected maximum points. Jon Ballinger and Alistair Douglas finished bridesmaids again, almost two minutes behind in their Opel Manta. Local crew Marcus Noble and Helen Hall completed the top three in another Escort Mk2.

Class B12: A last stage puncture didn’t prevent Phil Burton and Mal

Capstick finishing top two-wheel drive car in their Escort Mk2. Local rivals Geoff Wilson and Sean O’Neill finished class runners-up in their similar car with the Vauxhall Calibra of Russell Davies and John Fellowes completing the top three. A broken half shaft in their Focus RWD forced Paul Barrett and Kevin Bowcott out at the Comb stage finish.

Class B13:An Impreza 1-2-3 saw Nigel Griffiths and Josh Burton take top honours (see main report). Only two seconds separated the next two with Pip Simpson and Kim Baker finishing ahead of Gary Tomlinson and Jemma Bellingham.

Class WR1: O’Brien/Spooner; Benn/Cooke; Simpson/Walsh (see main report).

Historics: The Escort Mk2 of Charlie Taylor and Steve Bielby was the only finisher after the similar car of Mark and Edward Bentley suffered accident damage.

B10: Russell Thompson & Mike Curry B11: Mick Jones & Dale Furniss B12: Phil Burton & Mal Capstick B13: Nigel Griffiths & Josh Burton H3: Charlie Taylor & Steve Bielby

launched off the track after the suspension bottomed out in a big hole.

Following the Greystoke test Will Nicholls and Nick Broom arrived at the Penrith service halt with their Subaru Impreza WRC in third place and the co-driver in some considerable pain. A heavy landing in Comb had jarred Broom’s shoulder and it troubled him for the rest of the rally.

Only five seconds separated the following three cars with Paul Benn and Richard Cooke leading the pack in the Focus WRC borrowed from Mick O’Brien. Fifth placed Tim Pearcey and Robin Hernaman were two seconds behind Benn in their Lancer Evo9 and three seconds ahead of the Lancer WRC of Charlie Payne and Craig Thorley. Roger Chilman Jr and Andrew Sankey were seventh after an incident with a bank saw them trail their Impreza’s rear bumper through Comb. The Evo9 of Jonathan Greer and Anthony O’Conaill was eighth with the Impreza N14 of David Weston Jnr and Neil Shanks completing the top ten on equal time with Wright.

Chilman dropped down the

order after stopping to change a puncture in the 11 mile Grizedale South stage where Wright used his local knowledge to best effect climbing to fourth place. Mick O’Brien and Paul Spooner were now in the top ten rankings, having had their Focus WRC gearbox issues resolved at service, they were up to seventh. Nigel Griffiths and Josh Burton had their Impreza back in the top ten after slipping to 11th, their seeded number, after Greystoke. Pearcey was slowed by catching John Lloyd and Adrian Cavenagh who spent around eight minutes trying to restart their Focus WRC after the engine mysteriously died. They would eventually reach the finish in 59th place.

The seven mile Grizedale North didn’t just claim Hunter, it also accounted for Payne who fell foul of a known accident black spot with the roll damaging the Lancer’s cage. Chilman’s rally ended when sheared studs left his Impreza with just three wheels. As the rally headed back to Penrith for final service, Perez had a 22 second lead from Nicholls with Wright looking a comfortable third.

The final Greystoke stage, which

was a shortened reverse run of the earlier test, saw Perez cement his win with a third consecutive fastest stage time as Nicholls and Wright retained their podium places. Pearcey finished fourth after fitting a new rear differential having experienced handling problems in Grizedale. He reckoned “It was like driving a Mk2.”

O’Brien edged ahead of Greer to claim fifth with Benn claiming seventh in his first drive in a Focus WRC for two years. Griffiths finished eighth with Weston Jr settling for ninth, whilst Steve Simpson and Patrick Walsh completed the top ten in their Hyundai Accent WRC.

With two rounds gone Tim Pearcey and Robin Hernaman head the Gold Star category championship standings and the Silver Star series is topped by Mick Jones and Dale Furniss. Will it all change in Somerset? Who knows but what is certain is this, with competitors counting six scores from eight rounds there’s a long way to go but early signs are it’s going to be a great year of competition in the BTRDA!

2nd: Will Nicholls & Nick Broom 3rd: David Wright & Michael Wilkinson

N4: Tim Pearcey & Robin Hernaman


TOPTRUMPS

IRISH ONE MAKE SERIES

Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland

Average Price of Car-Citroen C2 R2- £30,000 stg second hand top spec

Cost of Registration- €1000/ £900stg (includes two Sabelt Citroen Sport race suits)

Total Prize Money per Event- €19251st Place Prize/event- €1000 2nd- €6753rd- €250

Bonus Prizes- Media award

End of Year Prize- C2 R2 Max Upgrade Kit €15,000

Control Tyre & Price- BF Goodrich 195/50/16- €195 4 cmpds20/61/16 €205 full wet

Control Fuel & Price - Free to competitors- Cars mapped for 98 Octane

TV Coverage- None on fi rst rounds, possibility of later rounds

Media Coverage- Dedicated Press Release per round, championship website

Website: www.c2r2.ie

Co-ordinator- Raymond Moore, Charles Hurst CitroenRounds-1+2 West Cork3 Monaghan- 26th April4 Cavan- 24th May5 ALMC- 19th July6+7 Wexford Stages- 12th/ 13th Sept

Technical Support- Parts support with van on each round Citroen Racing Technical support 2000 hrs development by Citroen on the C2 R2

Mitsubishi RalliartIrish Evo Challenge

Average Price of Car:Evo 9 Int. Spec £45,000 stg s/handYou can enter from Mitsubishi Evo 5- £12,000stg to the new Evo 10 £??

Cost of Registration: £500 stg It is also possible to register for one event only ie register for the Circuit of Ireland to see how you get on, and be eligible for the prize money for £100 stg

Total Prize Money per Event- Product value= Approx £1500

1st Place Prize/event- 4 Pirelli Tyres2nd- 2 Pirelli Tyres3rd- 50 Litres Sunoco RTC Fuel

Bonus Prizes- Dealer, Media, Sunoco Spirit, PIAA Junior, & Speedline Grand Attack Awards- (1 setwheels)

End of Year Prize- Supported drive JFR Mitsubishi Team Ireland Evolution X - ITC rounds- Galway, Circuit, Killarney2nd- 8 Pirelli Tyres3rd- 4 Pirelli Tyres

Control Tyre: Pirelli225/650/18- £155stg/tyreOr 225/650/17 £138stg/tyre

Control Fuel, price/litre- Sunoco RTC- £2.95stg/litre

TV Coverage: Not at present, may change as year progresses

Media Coverage: Dedicated Press Releases before and after each round.

Website: www.evo-challenge.ie Co-ordinator: Simon SladeRounds:1+2 West Cork3+4 Circuit of Ireland- 10th-12th April5 Cavan- 24th May6 ALMC- 19th July7 Ulster Int- 21st-22nd August8+9 Wexford Stages- 12th/ 13th Sept

Technical Support- JFR Rallysport with Evo parts at each round

Rory Galligan RallyIrish 205 Challenge

Average Price of Car- € 80001.6 205 Gti eligible for series

Cost of Registration- €320 driver/ €50 co-driver

Total Prize Money per Event- €500

1st Place Prize/event: €2502nd- €1503rd - €100 Bonus Prizes: Product support to value €750 each competitor End of Year Prize:1st- €2000 plus2nd- €1000

Control Tyre: Kumho Ears Motorsport165/70/14 €119 Control Fuel: No control fuel.

TV Coverage: None at present

Media Coverage: Press Release per round, Dedicated website

Website: www.irish205challenge.com

Co-ordinator: Barry Sheridan/ Rory Galligan

Rounds:1 Mayo stages (tarmac)2 Midland stages (tarmac)- 5th April3 Cavan stages (tarmac) -24th May4 ALMC stages (tarmac)- 19th July5 Cork 2 day (forest)- 15th August6 Wexford stages 2 day (tarmac)- 12th/13th September

Technical Support- Each round a co-ordinator. Parts purchased in bulk to pass

savings to competitors. Slattery’s Peugeot has stock of most

parts on event.

Irish 205 Challenge…Rory Galligan created the 205 Challenge over fi ve years ago to encourage cheap, fair

competition. � e prize fund has been raised this year thanks to new sponsors including Slattery’s of Puckane, who off er parts discounts. To aid competitors the cars are tagged for

resale purposes to try and encourage less panic selling and building of new cars, and maintain the resale value for the existing competitors.

For close racing, it’s one of the best, with several of the 2008 rounds being decided by less than 5 seconds at the fi nish. It is also relatively cheap, with the cars being modifi ed Group N

machines rather than full house Group A types. It also off ers gravel as well as tarmac, with the Cork 2 Day Forestry, and there is a possibility of the series upgrading to 1900cc cars for 2010.

Honda CupIreland

Average Price of Car:All models of Honda rally car whether homologated or not that is below 2000cc Production Class: Honda EK4-1600cc GpN €10,000Type R- 2000cc GpN €25,000Super Production-Honda EG6- 1600cc out of homologation €5-6k

Cost of Registration: €480

Total Prize Money: € 1800 per round approx monetary value

1st Place Prize/event: 4 Kumho Tyres2nd- 2 Kumho Tyres3rd- 25 Litres fuel + 1 set Dixcel Brake Pads(NB: These prizes are duplicated as there are two classes- Production and Super Production)

Bonus Prizes: Bonus points are awarded to drivers for fi nishing higher up overall on events, increasing their championship prospects.

End of Year Prize: Prize Drive in European International Rally in 2009, as per regulations. Includes entry, accommodation, tyres, fuel, service crew etc.

Control Tyres: Kumho Tyres Ears Motorsport- 180/580/15- €135200/580/15- €140 200/615/17- Type R’s €152 Control Fuel: JC Fuels LTD, 99 Octane- €1.40 per litre/ £1.20 stg

TV Coverage: Not at present Media Coverage: Press Releases, dedicated site

Website: www.hondacupireland.com

Co-ordinator: Eugene MeeganRounds:1+2 West Cork3 Midland Stages- 5th April 4 Carlow Stages- 10th May5 ALMC Stages- 19th July6+7 Wexford Stages- 12th/13th Sept

Technical Support: Tyre compound advice, no parts back up

But with a wide choice of cost eff ective, one make series now available, you could fi nd yourself coming up trumps!

� e green baize table of Irish rallying in 2009 is very diff erent for the competitor than it was ten years ago, and there is now a range of championships off ering rewards – for example the C2s, Evos, Fiestas, 205s, Hondas, a National Junior series, and the Excel series, which caters for all classes.

It’s a fairly mind boggling array, so Pacenotes has analysed each one, noting the important aspects for

competitors to consider, and detailing the prize funds available. � ere is actually now quite a choice out there, which is a superb illustration of the eff orts of all the co-ordinators.

In ‘cash strapped’ 2009, what better way to cut costs, than giving yourself the chance to earn prize money and benefi t from trade discounts and free PR.

Whether you have a €5000 205 Peugeot or a €55,000 Evo 9, there is a series to suit you. Please note none of the prices quoted include vat, but they are correct at the time of going to press.

Coming Up Trumps!

Irish C2 R2…� ere is a separate bonus scheme for new C2 R2 Max. €1000 if the driver wins class A6 overall on each of the Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland rallies. €675 for 2nd, €250 for 3rd. A brand new built C2 R2 Max is circa €50-60,000. Once registered with a Max you are eligible for prize money in any other European countries running a Citroen championship - ie France, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Portugal, Italy, Belgium. Citroen series are known for good organisation, benefi t from manufacturer involvement and have a high reputation for customer service and satisfaction. On the other hand the C2s are not cheap motor cars, however further deals are forthcoming from Citroen Sport, and they are a very competitive class car outside the Citroen Cup with a full sequential ‘box. Good competition also exists here. Adrian McElhinney brought home €2000 from West Cork.

Honda Cup…New for 2009, the Honda Cup certainly seems to stack up rather well. Cars can be picked up relatively cheaply, and Hondas have a reputation for reliability and low running costs. With 6 of the 8 drivers in West Cork coming home with prize money, it certainly caters for the competitors.

I would expect registrations to pick up further following West Cork, and with tyres and fuel reasonably priced it seems a very promising new prospect. Co-ordinator Eugene Meegan has a good reputation in the sport and if he can keep the momentum going it will prosper. It would be mad if you have a Honda not to try it, as registration is not expensive.� e prize fund on each event is extensive when you consider the two classes and the amount of free tyres available.

Playing your cards right has always been important in terms of rallying success, and the deck has always been stacked in favour of those with a high pile of chips…

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Mitsubishi RalliartIrish Evo Challenge

Average Price of Car:Evo 9 Int. Spec £45,000 stg s/handYou can enter from Mitsubishi Evo 5- £12,000stg to the new Evo 10 £??

Cost of Registration: £500 stg It is also possible to register for one event only ie register for the Circuit of Ireland to see how you get on, and be eligible for the prize money for £100 stg

Total Prize Money per Event- Product value= Approx £1500

1st Place Prize/event- 4 Pirelli Tyres2nd- 2 Pirelli Tyres3rd- 50 Litres Sunoco RTC Fuel

Bonus Prizes- Dealer, Media, Sunoco Spirit, PIAA Junior, & Speedline Grand Attack Awards- (1 setwheels)

End of Year Prize- Supported drive JFR Mitsubishi Team Ireland Evolution X - ITC rounds- Galway, Circuit, Killarney2nd- 8 Pirelli Tyres3rd- 4 Pirelli Tyres

Control Tyre: Pirelli225/650/18- £155stg/tyreOr 225/650/17 £138stg/tyre

Control Fuel, price/litre- Sunoco RTC- £2.95stg/litre

TV Coverage: Not at present, may change as year progresses

Media Coverage: Dedicated Press Releases before and after each round.

Website: www.evo-challenge.ie Co-ordinator: Simon SladeRounds:1+2 West Cork3+4 Circuit of Ireland- 10th-12th April5 Cavan- 24th May6 ALMC- 19th July7 Ulster Int- 21st-22nd August8+9 Wexford Stages- 12th/ 13th Sept

Technical Support- JFR Rallysport with Evo parts at each round

Fiesta Sport Trophy Ireland

Average Price of Car: Fiesta ST S/hand- £18k - £20k stg

Cost of Registration: €700 includes 4 free Pirelli Tyres

Total Prize MoneyPer Event- €2925Total prize fund €18,000 approx

1st Place Prize/event € 7502nd € 6003rd €4504th €3755th €3006th €2257th €1508th €75

Bonus Prizes: Dealer Cup, Media & Spirit Awards End of Year Prize: 1st Drive in M-Sport prepared and run Fiesta R2 on the Condroz Rally in Belgium. FST Shootout: Winner automatically placed into World shootout. Winner year with the factory M-Sport team.

Control Tyre: Pirelli 200/625/17 £138 (RE7 & RS7)

Control Fuel: E85 Fuel/ Bio Ethanol No control make

TV Coverage: Galway was televised on RPM- rest of 2009 unsure

Media Coverage: Press Releases, Dedicated website

Website: www.fi estasportingtrophy.ie

Co-ordinator: Richard Millener

Rounds:1 Galway International2 Circuit of Ireland- 10th-12th April3 Killarney International- 1st-3rd May 4 Donegal International- 19th-21st June 5 Ulster National- 21st-22nd August6 Cork “20” Int- 3rd-4th October

Technical Support: Van with full parts stock and technical support and co-ordinator at each event.

Excel Rallying Championship

Average Price of Car: Basically any MSI permitted car- 19 classes available

Cost of Registration: € FREE for 2009

Total Prize Money per Event- €0 - Points awarded for each event, discounts on tyres

1st Place Prize/event- Class points awarded, geared towards end of year shootout

Bonus Prizes: Cash prizes down to 7th at end of season End of Year Prize:1st- Choice S1600 Car for 4 rounds or €6000 2nd- Choice S1600 Car for 2 rounds or €30003rd- Choice S1600 Car for 1 round or €10004th- €1000 prize5th- €1000 prize6th- €1000 prize 7th- €1000 prize Spot prizes also on Day of Shootout

Control Tyre: SilverstonePrice ranges from €120 13”/ €170 18”

Control Fuel: No control fuel, cheaper rates with Sunoco

TV Coverage: Selected rounds to be televised on On The Limit Sports

Media Coverage: Press Release per round, dedicated website, TV

Website: www.excelrallying.ieCo-ordinator: Ian Roche

Rounds:1 Midland Stages- 5th April2 Monaghan Stages- 26th April3 Carlow Stages- 10th May4 Cavan Stages- 24th May5 ALMC Stages- 19th July6+7 Wexford Stages- 11th/12th Sept8 Clare Stages- 20th September

Technical Support- Tyre support and championship rep at events

Motorsport IrelandJunior Championship

Average Price of Car- Cars limited to 2wd up to 1650cc

Range from €4k - €50,000

Cost of Registration: €150

Total Prize Money per Event- Points awarded

1st Place Prize/event: Points awarded Bonus Prizes: The winner of each class and two other wildcard drivers can be selected by the Motorsport Ireland Panel for Billy Coleman interviews.

End of Year Prize- €5000, and entry to the Billy Coleman Award Interviews If winner of National Junior Championship wins Billy Coleman Award worth €50,000 he forfeits €5000 NJRC prize to 2nd place man.

Control Tyre: Tyres open Control Fuel: Fuel open

TV Coverage: None at present

Media Coverage- Press Release per round

Website: www.motorsportireland.comFollow link to National Junior Co-ordinator: Motorsport Ireland

Rounds:1 Tipperary Forest Rally 2 Carrick-on-Suir Forest Rally3 Munster Forest Rally 12 April4 Cavan Stages Rally 24 May5 Northeast Restricted Stages 14 June6 Cork Forest Rally 15 August7 Castle Mini Stages Rally 6 September 8 Munster Cork 20 (Junior) 4 OctoberBirr Forest Rally (provisional) 11 October

Technical Support- Non applicable

Irish 205 Challenge…Rory Galligan created the 205 Challenge over fi ve years ago to encourage cheap, fair

competition. � e prize fund has been raised this year thanks to new sponsors including Slattery’s of Puckane, who off er parts discounts. To aid competitors the cars are tagged for

resale purposes to try and encourage less panic selling and building of new cars, and maintain the resale value for the existing competitors.

For close racing, it’s one of the best, with several of the 2008 rounds being decided by less than 5 seconds at the fi nish. It is also relatively cheap, with the cars being modifi ed Group N

machines rather than full house Group A types. It also off ers gravel as well as tarmac, with the Cork 2 Day Forestry, and there is a possibility of the series upgrading to 1900cc cars for 2010.

Irish C2 R2…� ere is a separate bonus scheme for new C2 R2 Max. €1000 if the driver wins class A6 overall on each of the Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland rallies. €675 for 2nd, €250 for 3rd. A brand new built C2 R2 Max is circa €50-60,000. Once registered with a Max you are eligible for prize money in any other European countries running a Citroen championship - ie France, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Portugal, Italy, Belgium. Citroen series are known for good organisation, benefi t from manufacturer involvement and have a high reputation for customer service and satisfaction. On the other hand the C2s are not cheap motor cars, however further deals are forthcoming from Citroen Sport, and they are a very competitive class car outside the Citroen Cup with a full sequential ‘box. Good competition also exists here. Adrian McElhinney brought home €2000 from West Cork.

Irish Evo Challenge…With so many Evos around the country I often wonder why there are not more registered competitors in this challenge. Simon Slade is very professional in his approach to the Evo Challenge, managing the UK and Swedish challenges as well.

� ere are signifi cant prizes, including tyres, that would make this a very cheap series for an Evo driver. Even an old Evo 6 could have won prizes in West Cork, and there is good PR for the series too, so I cannot understand why there are so few drivers who commit to it. With one round registration introduced, it must dangle a larger carrot in front of those Evo drivers who are contesting events at present with no hope of winning a bean back. � e series defi nitely needs to pick up support if it is to fl ourish like the UK Evo Challenge.

Excel…Yes, this one has been going, stopped, going, but now it’s got the full green light. It’s a much trimmed version of the original monster series, and perhaps this is no bad thing. With free registration and the fact that it covers just about all types of car, it should be popular. No on event prizes, but the end of year prizes after the shootout are worth considerable money. Four rallies in a S1600 car is a very good fi rst prize, and with signifi cant prizes down to seventh it has to be worth a free entry. With Kris Meeke launching the series on the Midland Stages and the fact that it is the only series that boasts TV coverage, the profi le should be high, enabling you to attract your sponsors.

FST Ireland…With M-Sport backing and on event parts service, this is a well organised series. It also boosts a high profi le with its allegiance to the Irish Tarmac Championship. Results are

decided after the fi rst day, except Donegal where it is after day two, and competitors can choose whether or not to complete the full International event, or put the car on the trailer with their Fiesta points in the bag. � e new R2 Fiesta is to be introduced into

the Trophy for 2010, so it may pay to hold out until it is released. � e prize money is a signifi cant factor, with handsome rewards per round down to eighth place, and the fi rst

prize in the Condroz Rally sounds very reasonable. � e FST International shoot-out prize is a year working at M-Sport, with free accommodation etc.

Motorsport Ireland Juniors…Run for the fi rst time in 2008, this series has the advantage of mixing the surfaces, to hone the driver’s skills and encourage young talent. � e best performance from 3 tarmac and 3 forestry

events counts at the end of season, which should produce the best all rounder. No competitor may register after round 4, but being part of this Motorsport Ireland backed series could open doors for drivers, not least as regards entry into the Billy Coleman Award

interviews. � e Coleman Award this year off ered Ross Forde a signifi cant prize drive in the UK Fiesta’s and things look similar for 2009, so success in the National Juniors is well worth pursuing.

Once they had sorted an early misfire Richard Upton and Paul Bareham upped their pace to bring their Ford Sierra Cosworth to a comfortable win ahead of the Ford Escort Mk2 of Richard Edwards and Paul Brown.

Peter Rayner and Richard Bonner were quickest out the blocks guiding their Escort Mk2 into a two second lead ahead of Tony and Emma Hewitt’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6. Steve Tilburn and Sean Ward were a further second down in their Escort with Glyn Jarman and Darren Carsdale trailing them by three seconds in their Subaru Impreza. Upton’s misfiring Sierra was fifth at this point, seven seconds in arrears of Rayner, but once in service the fault was traced and rectified in readiness for stage two.

With the Sierra now on song Upton swept into a two second lead ahead of Tilburn with Hewitt another three seconds behind. When a split was demolished on SS3, causing no end of confusion with many competitors finishing early, the stage was cancelled and when the rally resumed it was yet another driver who set fastest stage time. Edwards was five seconds quicker than Upton but the Sierra pilot extended his lead as both Tilburn and Hewitt each set slower times.

At the halfway point Upton had a five second advantage over Tilburn who had both Edwards and Hewitt hot on his heels with just a second separating each. Upton then consolidated his lead by setting fastest time on all four remaining stages, his only problem coming from a lack of door mirrors that he had removed in the chicanes.

Having moved up to second place on SS5 Edwards stayed there for the duration as Hewitt and Tilburn settled into third and fourth spots respectively. Jarman secured fifth place after Ian Roberton and Kenny Roberts went OTL in their Nissan 240RS.

Tony Clements and David Parsons won class 1 by over a minute in their Ford Fiesta Zetec. Tony Michael and Paul Barrett brought their Honda Civic Vti to class 2 victory after Brett Griffin and Sam Fordham were slowed with a misfire on their Peugeot 106.Results: 1 Richard Upton/Paul Bareham (Ford Sierra Cosworth) 1hr02m58s; 2 Richard Edwards/Paul Brown (Ford Escort Mk2) 1hr03m34s; 3 Tony Hewitt/Emma Hewitt (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5) 1hr03m52s; 4 Steve Tilburn/Sean Ward (Ford Escort RS2000) 1hr04m11s; 5 Glyn Jarman/Darren Cansdale (Subaru Impreza) 1hr04m56s; 6 Justin Oliver/Claire Aubrey (Subaru Impreza) 1hr05m58s; 7 Tony Michael/Paul Barrett (Honda Civiv Vti) 1hr07m02s; 8 Richard Lewsey/Irene Lewsey (Ford Escort Mk2) 1hr07m13s; 9 Matthew Ockendon/Vicky Barry (Peugeot 205) 1hr07m41s; 10 Brett Griffin/Sam Fordham (Peugeot 106) 1hr07m54s.Classs Award Winners: 1: Tony Clements/David Parsons (Ford Fiesta Zetec); 2: Michael/Barrett; 3: Tilburn/Ward; 4: No eligible finishers; 5: Jarman/Cansdale.

Upton Ups Pace For Woodbridge Win!

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Steve Quine and Paul McCann got to grips with their recently acquired Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 to win a closely fought battle with the Ford Escort Mk2 of Lee and David Batty.

The competition was close from the start as these two crews swapped times through Friday’s opening leg. Quine completed the first day’s schedule of nine stages with an eight second advantage over the Batty brothers who had been in the lead for most of the night. The Escort crew were being pressed by Daniel Harper and Chris Campbell whose BMW Mini was only a second behind in third place.

Mark Cubbon and Roy Sweetman had been in the mix until turbo trouble sidelined their Lancer Evo7 on SS4 whilst earlier Connor Corkhill and Howard Allison had rolled their Escort Mk2 causing the cancellation of SS1.

Despite some early morning mist hampering driving conditions, a string of crews beat the bogey on Saturday’s opening pair of tests before Quine was able to stretch his lead with fastest times on SS12 and SS13. Nigel Cannell and Kris Killip were quickest on SS14 cementing their third place in the Vauxhall Corsa Kit Car.

Finishing behind Harper was his fellow Lancastrian John Cope, co-driven by Rob Fagg, in his familiar Subaru Impreza WRC. An overshoot and stall on Friday’s leg had dropped them from the overall reckoning. Andrew Leece and Graham Fargher claimed sixth place despite losing time after breaking their Impreza’s suspension. Noel and Carol Kelly had a trouble free run bringing their Lancer Evo3 home seventh.

Only a second separated eighth and ninth with Graham Collister and Anton Cashen coming out on top in the Lancer Evo3, borrowed from Graham’s son, George. Kex Walker and Danni Matthews had to settle for ninth in their BMW 325. Linkage problems left John Cressey and Stan Quirk with only third gear on Friday night but a change of box saw the BMW Mini crew recover to finish tenth.

At the finish a modest Quine said “It was really all about getting used to the car this weekend, getting the win is a bonus.”Results:1 Steve Quine/Paul McCann (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6) 53m04s; 2 Lee Batty/David Batty (Ford Escort Mk2) 53m16s; 3 Nigel Cannell/Kris Killip (Vauxhall Corsa Kit Car) 53m28s; 4, Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell (BMW Mini) 53m45s; 5 John Cope/Rob Fagg (Subaru Impreza WRC) 54m11s; 6 Andrew Leece/Graham Fargher (Subaru Impreza) 54m22s; 7 Noel Kelly/Carol Kelly (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6) 54m45s; 8 Graham Collister/Anton Cashen (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3) 54m59s; 9 Kex Walker/Danni Matthews (BMW 325) 55m00s; 10 John Cressey/Stan Quirk (BMW Mini) 55m21s. Class Award Winners: A: David Jones/Martin Burns (Vauxhall Nova); B: Jess Collister/Maurice Snell (Vauxhall Nova); C: Richard Curphey/Andrew Holmes (Vauxhall Astra); D: Walker/Matthews; E: Harper/Campbell.

Quine Quickest in Quest for Victory!

Peter Jackson threw caution to the wind, rain, hail and sleet to take his first outright rally win since 1983. The result gave his co-driving son Alex, who wasn’t even born at that time, a win on his rally debut despite being seeded at ‘unlucky’ 13 in their Ford Escort Mk2.

The Jacksons were on maximum attack from the off using every inch of the tight circuit, and sometimes more besides, to shave seconds from their rival’s stage times. Their tactics paid dividends as they topped the standings throughout the day leaving the others to scrap over second place.

At the finish it was Bruce Edwards and Jim Smith, who had brought their Darrian south for a shakedown before the start of the Scottish Tarmack Championship, who claimed the runners-up prizes. They benefitted from a trouble free run as those battling with them encountered problems.

Stuart Deeley and Alistair Dodd had been second but slipped back on SS8 after being slowed by a tyre jammed under their Lotus Banks Europa. John Stone, co-driven for the first time by his 14 year-old daughter Beth, then moved up to second but a spin on S11 followed by a loss of third gear on SS12 demoted the Escort Mk2 crew to fourth.

Deeley’s chances of recovering second spot died as first a broken throttle cable, then a misfire with the car dropping onto three cylinders, left him trailing Edwards at the finish.

With Stone benefitting from the tie-break rule, Simon Bowen and Richard Robinson completed the top five in their Subaru Impreza. Tony Collins and Gary Farrant finished sixth in their Impreza whilst seventh place also had to be determined by the tie-break rule. It favoured the Vauxhall Tigra of Chris Platt and Mick Robinson with Howard MacPherson and John McGuiness recording eighth in their Escort Mk2.

John ‘Ric’ Wood and Paula Swinscoe hit a tyre bale on SS1 losing all the power steering fluid in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4 in the impact but they recovered to claim ninth. Rounding off the top ten were Richard Sutton and Chris Reynolds in their Triumph Dolomite.Results:1 Peter Jackson/Alex Jackson (Ford Escort Mk2) 28m 27s; 2 Bruce Edwards/Jim Smith (Darrian) 28m 38s; 3 Stuart Deeley/Alistair Dodd (Lotus Banks Europa) 29m 01s; 4 John Stone/Beth Stone (Ford Escort Mk2) 29m 32s; 5 Simon Bowen/Richard Robinson (Subaru Impreza) 29m 32s; 6 Tony Collins/Gary Farrant (Subaru Impreza) 29m 37s; 7 Chris Platt/Mick Robinson (Vauxhall Tigra) 29m 48s; 8 Howard MacPherson/John McGuiness (Ford Escort Mk2) 29m 48s; 9 John ‘Ric’ Wood/Paula Swinscoe (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4) 30m 04s; 10 Richard Sutton/Chris Reynolds (Triumph Dolomite Sprint) 30m 12s.Class Award Winners: 1: Ian Arden/Alan Arden (Nissan Micra); 2: Jackson Bradley/Carol Thompson (Ford Ka); 3: Platt/Robinson; 4: MacPherson/McGuiness; 5: Stone/Stone; Junior Rally: Ashley Slights/Jemma Bellingham (Toyota Yaris).

Wacko Jacko Tops Three Sisters Thriller!

Event: MiddleWick Stages. Date: 21st February, 2009. Location: MOD Woodbridge, Nr Ipswich. Surface: Tarmac. Stages: 8. Stage Miles: 60. Organisers: Middlesex County Automobile Club & Wickford Automobile Club . Championships: AEMC; Middlesex Challenge. Starters: 34. Finishers: 23.

Event: JAKS Asphalt Stages Rally. Date: 27th/28th February, 2009 Location: Isle of Man. Surface: Tarmac. Stages: 16. Stage Miles: 85. Organisers: Manx Auto Sport. Championships: Manx Rally Championship. Starters: 57. Finishers: 46.

Event: Roskirk Stages. Date: 8th March, 2009 Location: Three Sisters Race Circuit, Nr Wigan. Surface: Tarmac. Stages: 12. Stage Miles: 24. Organisers: Blackpool South Shore Motor Club. Championships: ANWCC; F1000; Junior Rally; Three Sisters Challenge.Starters: 59. Finishers: 50.

Peter Jackson & Alex JacksonSteve Quine & Paul McCannRichard Upton & Paul Bareham

www.digitalmotorsport.co.uk Robert Humston www.pro-rally.co.uk

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1 DerekMcGarrity/JamesMcKee SubaruImprezaWRC..... 35:46.32 ConnorMcCloskey/FrancisReagan FordFocusWRC............ 36:15.53 SeamusLeonard/JohnMcCafferty SubaruImprezaS9........ 36:26.84 GeorgeRobinson/TommySpeers SubaruImprezaS8........ 36:46.65 DenisBiggerstaff/DamianMcCann SubaruImprezaS9........ 37:16.16 EmmaMcKinstry/KennyHull SubaruImprezaS8........ 37:30.27 KieronGraffin/DermotFahy SubaruImprezaS9........ 37:41.78 RayBrammer/MattWhattam SubaruImprezaS8........ 37:43.89 MarkMassey/AlanPurdy MitsubishiEvo9............ 38:04.610DonaghKelly/KevinFlanagan MitsubishiEvo9............ 38:07.611AlanBurrows/GavinBurrows MitsubishiEvo9............ 38:09.612JohnWalker/DesWilson MitsubishiEvo9............ 38:20.813TrevorMoore/RayFitzpatrick FordEscortMKII.......... 38:24.614CamillusBradley/DannyO’Neill FordEscortMKII........... 38:27.615FintanMcGrady/GaryRodgers FordEscortMKII........... 38:31.616ColinBritton/ArthurKierans MitsubishiEvo9............ 38:31.717StephenKelly/AnnTaggart MitsubishiEvo5............ 38:32.718CathalRodgers/EoighanRogers MitsubishiEvo............... 38:34.919 MarkMcKinstry/StevenDowds MitsubishiEvo9............ 38:35.720WilliamArmstrong/MartinToner FordEscortMKII........... 38:39.6

RESULTS

WordsJonathan

Macdonald

PICTUrEsMartin

McCorriston

For all your motorsport tyre requirements contact Hankook’s official motorsport distributors:

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Derek Is Dialled In...Winners - Derek McGarrity & James McKee

northern ireland rally championship

The Ballynahinch Motor Club event, which was based near Downpatrick at Bishopscourt Race Circuit, attracted a capacity entry of 120 crews. There was an action-packed start to the day too, when Raymond Johnston’s car caught fire and Eoin McErlean rolled into a field!

Thankfully, marshals were able to extinguish the fire before it was too late, but all of the incidents forced organisers to award most crews nominal times for the rally opener. At least that worked in favour of McErlean, who was able to get back on all four wheels and complete the event!

At the top of the leaderboard, there were no such troubles for Derek McGarrity. He put in another faultless drive to lead from start to finish in his Subaru Impreza WRC. For the second year in succession at Bishopscourt, and indeed at the second event in a row this year, the Glengormley pilot was simply uncatchable.

“It wasn’t a bad day,” McGarrity said after the event. “It was fun, and it’s a really enjoyable place for a rally!”

Rivals Connor McCloskey and

Francis Regan made a wrong tyre choice for the opening stage and spun their Focus, immediately handing McGarrity a 13 second advantage. In the end, that made little difference, as 2002 champion McGarrity went on to take a full complement of fastest stage times to win by almost half a minute, leaving Kilrea’s McCloskey to settle for second.

“We had a wrong tyre choice on the first stage and had a bit of a spin,” McCloskey admitted. “After that, we were second quickest all day, so I’m happy enough. There was nothing we could do about that other man!”

Omagh’s Seamus Leonard and John McCafferty took the final podium position in their Subaru Impreza WRC. As a newcomer to the Hankook Championship, Leonard is building his experience of circuit based events, so third was a satisfying result for the former Irish Tarmac Group N champion.

“It turned out well,” Leonard said at the finish. “The rally was sore on tyres and I’m still getting used to these racing lines on circuits - that’s something new to me - but I’m happy enough with the result!”

Outside the top three, George Robinson and Tommy Speers were a consistent fourth fastest in their

Glengormley’s derek McGarrity and James McKee have raced away with their second successive victory at the McGrady Insurance stages, round two of the Hankook NI series!

2nd - Connor McCloskey & Francis Regan



3rd- Seamus Leonard & john McCafferty 4th - George Robinson & Tommy Speers 6th - Emma McKinstry & Kenny Hull

Class Report & Results >>


Glengormley’s Derek McGarrity and James McKee have raced away with their second successive victory at the McGrady Insurance Stages, round two of the Hankook NI Series!

older specification Impreza WRC. The Ballymena based crew were pleased to be trading times with younger specification cars, and finished comfortably ahead of Denis Biggerstaff and Damian McCann.

“We had a pretty clean run all day,” Robinson said afterwards. “The tyres went off a wee bit at times but apart from that, it was good. We finished well in among the S9 Imprezas so I’m happy with that.”

Two-times champion Biggerstaff finished fifth overall but couldn’t explain his lack of pace. He lost 20 seconds during the opening stage after hitting a bank, but was never really on song throughout the event.

“The car was pushing the nose like a pig all day,” Biggerstaff rued. “It was a disappointing day. I just don’t

know what the problem is. We’ll take a look at the car when we get back home.”

Banbridge’s young lady driver, Emma McKinstry, enjoyed another solid drive in her Impreza WRC. Navigated by Kenny Hull, she was ecstatic with another top six position!

“We had a fantastic day,” McKinstry enthused. “The tyres have been absolutely super, although we used a set almost every two stages. It was good fun!”

Coming home in seventh position, Kieron Graffin and Dermot Fahy encountered a few problems along the way. Graffin admitted to having only two clean stages after being held up by other crews on four of the six tests, but he still took seventh ahead of Ray Brammer and Matt Whattam, who were lucky to survive a high speed spin during the fifth stage.

Sunoco Fuels Group N Category

There was fiery start to the Sunoco Fuels Group N category when Raymond Johnston’s car caught fire on the opening stage. A seemingly harmless incident at the first corner quickly caused round one winner Johnston some major concerns.

“I think we hit a couple of car tyres on the long left-hander after the start,” Johnston explained. “It really wasn’t a big incident, but unfortunately it fractured the oil cooler which sprayed oil between the engine and the sump guard. Further around the circuit, she caught fire and only for the marshals using their big extinguisher, I

probably would have lost the car.”With Johnston out of the event,

a new name was destined to top the Sunoco Fuels Group N podium. Reigning champion Cathal Rogers was hotly tipped to take the spoils, but he made a few bad tyre choices which dropped him down the order.

Instead, the battle went down to the wire between three men. Mark Massey, Alan Burrows and John Walker. Only a handful of seconds separated the three crews but in the end, victory and ninth overall were awarded to Mark Massey and Alan Purdy.

“We hit a bank on the first stage which closed our intercooler pipe,” Massey said before learning of his victory. “So we’ve only been getting about one bar of boost. So we were a wee bit down on power all day, but hopefully we were still quick enough!”

Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan finished just three seconds adrift in 10th overall, while Alan and Gavin Burrows were a further two seconds behind.

Superdrive 2WD Category

There was another close battle in the Superdrive two-wheel-drive category between three crews. In a tussle that went right down to the wire, Trevor Moore, Camillus Bradley and event sponsor Fintan McGrady were all fighting for honours.

It was Bradley who entered the final stage with the upper hand, but he caught another competitor on the test and lost vital seconds. Trevor Moore and Ray Fitzpatrick

capitalised and a stunning time saw them nab the category victory by three seconds from Bradley and Danny O’Neill, with Fintan McGrady and Gary Rodgers taking third.

Montgomery Motorsport Historic Category

Philip Hunter and Denver Rafferty claimed another victory in the Montgomery Motorsport Historic category. They took their Mark 2 Escort to the top of the podium, while Alan Jardine and Jim McSherry were the best of the rest in their beautiful Mark 1 Escort. They finished a little more than 20 seconds ahead of Tommy O’Connell and Sean Magee, with Philip McDowell and Mark Stirling fourth.

we were second quickest all day, so i’m happy enough. there was nothing we could do about that other man! - connor mccloskey

Circuit Up Next…After the opening two circuit based events, competitors will now face the closed roads of the Larsen Circuit of Ireland Rally at Easter! The two-day event takes place over 11th/12th April, with stages based in County Down and County Armagh. As always, Pacenotes will be there to capture all the action!

Event Sponsor - Kintan McGrady with Gary Rodgers

“i think we hit a couple of car tyres on the long left-hander after the start... it really wasn’t a big incident, but unfortunately it fractured the oil cooler which sprayed oil between the engine and the sump guard. further around the circuit, she caught fire and only for the marshals using their big extinguisher, i probably would have lost the car.”- raymond Johnston

Class 1 Declan Leonard/Dara Leonard Ford Fiesta ..................... 39:48.1

Class 2 Mark Massey/Alan Purdy Mitsubishi Evo 9 ............ 38:04.6

Class 3 Andy Straney/Rudy Tate Vauxhall Nova ................ 39:49.1

Class 4 John Devlin/Gavin Devlin Chrysler Sunbeam.......... 40:40.7

Class 5 Robert Erwin/Chris Ragg Talbot Sunbeam ............. 39:07.6

Class 6 William Armstrong/Martin Toner Ford Escort MK II ........... 38:39.6

Class 7 Camillus Bradley/Danny O’Neill Ford Escort MK II ........... 38:27.6

Class 8 Trevor Moore/Ray Fitzpatrick Ford Escort MK II ........... 38:24.6

Class 9 Derek McGarrity/James McKee Subaru Impreza WRC ..... 35:46.3

Class 10 Philip Hunter/Denver Rafferty Ford Escort MK II ........... 39:53.3

CLASS RESULTS

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Class 1 - Declan & Dara Leonard Class 3 - Andy Straney & Rudy TateClass 2 - Mark Massey & Alan Purdy

Class 1Class one saw Declan and Dara Leonard take the spoils for the second event in succession. And it was an even more satisfying win, as they had increased competition on this occasion. A number of fellow Fiesta pilots were out in force, but the Leonards still topped the standings. It was a closely fought affair though, which went right down to the wire. In the end, the Leonards emerged victorious by seven seconds, with Robert Barrable and Seamus O’Grady second, ahead of Mark Donnelly and Shane McSorley.

Class 2The battle for Sunoco Fuels Group N honours was an even tighter affair, with five seconds separating the top five crews at the finish line. Mark Massey and Alan Purdy led from the start in their Mitsubishi, but they lost ground during the fourth stage. Alan Burrows and Donagh Kelly were both in with a shout of the spoils, but Massey managed to increase his advantage on stage five. That left one stage to settle the Group N crown, and although Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan were fastest on the test, it was Massey who claimed the spoils by a slender three seconds. Kelly and Flanagan had to settle for second, while Alan and Gavin Burrows took the final podium position.

Class 3A trio of Vauxhall Novas took the top places in class three, with Andy Straney and Rudy Tate heading the crews home. It was another tight battle though, with Straney winning the category by nine seconds from Scott Winslow and Patrick Gillian. Raymond Dennison and Gareth Lewthwaite were third, ahead of Roisin Boyd and Wendy Blackledge.

Class 4Although headed by Mark Robinson and Amy Stringer during the early stages, John and Gavin Devlin drove their Sunbeam on the edge to move to the top of class four. Bit by bit they extended their advantage, and the final two stages really suited the crew. In the end, they won the class by a little more than eight seconds, with Robinson and Stringer second, ahead of Brian Quigley and Paul Deery.

Class 5Robert Erwin and Chris Ragg took another win aboard their Talbot Sunbeam in class five. It wasn’t easy though, as Andrew Wilson and Mark McEntee hounded them all the way to the finish line. In fact, Wilson was fastest over the final three stages, but Erwin had done just about enough to secure the trophy. He finished 3.9 seconds ahead of Wilson, with Patrick Carey and Francis McCann third.

Class 6Class six was well supported but William Armstrong and Martin Toner were the first of 13 crews to cross the finish line. Driving their Mark 2 Escort, the crew topped the leaderboard by six seconds from Mervyn Williamson and George Hamilton, with Paul Mogey and David Christie completing the top three.

Class 7Mark 2 Escort preparation expert Camillus Bradley returned to winning ways at Bishopscourt. Navigated by Danny O’Neill, he secured victory over his customer, Fintan McGrady. It was enough for Bradley to take second overall among the two-wheel-drive crews, while McGrady and navigator Gary Rodgers were third overall. Meanwhile, third in class went to Stephen and Jaye Nevin.

Class 8An ecstatic Trevor Moore jumped out of his Escort at the end of the final stage to compare times with Camillus Bradley. Moore, who admits that circuit

based events have been none to kind to him in the past, quickly found out that he had finished in front of Bradley. A few minutes later, after comparing times with Fintan McGrady, he realised he had won class eight, and finished first in the Superdrive 2WD category! “I’ve never done well on these circuits,” an overjoyed Moore told Pacenotes, “so for a change I’ve got something good out of it!” Meanwhile, Gareth and Jonathan Nevin took second in class eight, while David Armstrong and Duncan MacFarlane completed the top three.

Class 9The top three overall sacrificed their class positions, so George Robinson and Tommy Speers claimed the class nine trophy from Denis Biggerstaff and Damian McCann, with Emma McKinstry and Kenny Hull third. See main report for more details.

Class 10Philip Hunter and Denver Rafferty claimed victory in the Montgomery Motorsport Historic category. They held the edge over second placed Alan Jardine and Jim McSherry, while Tommy O’Connell and Sean Magee claimed third.

Class 5 - Robert Erwin & Chris RaggClass 4 - John & Gavin Devlin

Class 7 - Camillus Bradley & Danny O’NeillClass 6 - William Armstrong & Martin Toner

Class 8 - Trevor Moore & Ray Fitzpatrick


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Class Battles...

Class 10 - Philip Hunter & Denver Rafferty

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HANKOOK’S GRIPPING START TO 2009

DECLAN LEONARD 1ST CLASS 1- BISHOPSCOURT

Hankook Tyre UK Ltd, Fewsley Drive, Heartlands Business Park, Daventry NN11 8UG

GEORGE ROBINSON 4TH OVERALL - BISHOPSCOURT

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ROBERT BARRABLE 2ND CLASS 1 - BISHOPCOURT

JIMMY GIRVAN 1ST OVERALL - BORDER COUNTIES

DAVID BOGIE 2ND OVERALL - BORDER COUNTIES

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COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF TARMAC AND GRAVEL TYRES - IN STOCK AND ON EVENTS

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1 JimmyGirvan/MikeRamsay SubaruImpreza........... 0:43:59.12 DavidBogie/KevinRae MitsubishiEvo9......... 0:44:16.73 MikeFaulkner/PeterFoy MitsubishiEvo6......... 0:44:29.44 EuanThorburn/ClaireMole SubaruImpreza........... 0:44:35.85 JockArmstrong/KirstyRiddick SubaruImpreza........... 0:44:45.66 ReayMackay/RobertMacDonald MG6R4...................... 0:45:04.47 RoryYoung/AllanCathers MitsubishiEvo5......... 0:45:09.08 BarryGroundwater/JudeWylie MitsubishiEvo9......... 0:45:40.99 AdrianHetherington/GaryNolan FordEscortMKII......... 0:45:54.310 SteveBannister/LouiseSutherland FordEscortMKII......... 0:46:03.211 JimCarty/IanFraser SubaruImpreza........... 0:46:08.912 DonnieMacDonald/PaulBeaton MitsubishiEvo9......... 0:46:11.813 ShaunSinclair/ChrisHamill MitsubishiEvo6......... 0:46:13.914 StephenCampbell/GrahamLaw MitsubishiEvo5......... 0:46:19.415 CalumMackenzie/AlanClark FordEscort................. 0:46:34.316 MikeStephenson/ColinBurley FordEscort................. 0:47:17.617RichardCook/EdwinCook VauxhallAstra............. 0:47:45.918 DaleRobertson/PaulMcGuire MitsubishiEvo6......... 0:48:00.919WilliamJarman/MarkFisher FordEscortCosworth. 0:48:04.720 MartinCollins/StephenO’Neil MitsubishiEvo............ 0:48:06.1

RESULTS

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WordsPhil James

PICTUrEsMick Pattison


IRELAND: TRACTAMOTORS - CORMAC BRADY +353 (0)49 4375900UK: MR TYRE MOTORSPORT on +44 (0)121 551 4589


Class 1:Andrew Benn and Richard Cooke were in a class of their own, literally! To win, the Vauxhall Astra crew only needed to finish, and did so in 55th place.

Class 2:As on the Snowman it was a close contest between two Nova crews, only this time their places were reversed. Craig Rutherford and Derek Forsyth ran most of the day

without fifth gear but still finished over five seconds ahead of Fraser Wilson and Steven Broll.

Class 3:Malcolm and Sarah Robertson guided their Talbot Sunbeam Ti to victory ahead of a whole posse of Ecosse 205 Challenge contenders. An eventful day saw them needing to replace a shock absorber at first service,

spin on SS5 and finish SS7 with the exhaust manifold in pieces. Graham Schoneville and Stuart Loudon collected the runners-up prizes but were later stripped of top Challenge points owing to a technical infringement. Colin Smith and Craig Chapman were then promoted to top spot in the 205 standings.

Class 4:Carl and Robin Tuer brought

their MG ZR S1600 home almost two minutes ahead of closest challengers Mark McCulloch and Craig Wallace in the Corsa. A puncture two miles into the final test spoilt what could have been a clean sweep of fastest stage times for the ZR crew.

Class 5:Peugeot 205 pairing Euan Duncan and Jake Dickie enjoyed a convincing win

Early morning sunshine greeted the crews, as they assembled close to the town’s ruined 12th century Augustinian Abbey, ahead of a five stage schedule starting with SS3 Ogre Hill. For the third successive year chicanes were created, with the utilisation of large traffic cones, in a bid to restrict average speeds on some of the faster stages. Competitors were then penalised 10 seconds for each and every cone they hit. It’s a controversial system that comes under fierce criticism from some quarters as some consider the penalty for taking out a couple of cones outweighs the time

lost in braking and driving around them.

Reigning Champion Jimmy Girvan was quickest through the 7.37 mile opener as he and co-driver Mike Ramsay forced their Subaru Impreza into a 2.8 second lead ahead of Andy Horne and Jim Howie’s DAM 4100 Gti. Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy were third, less than two seconds in arrears in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6, almost ten seconds up on Jim Carty and Ian Fraser in the Impreza WRC. Calum MacKenzie and Alan Clark were fastest two-wheel drive car holding fifth place in their Ford

Escort Mk2, but the similar car of their rivals, Mike Horne and Robbie Mitchell, was stuck in a ditch and out of the rally.

Competitors then crossed to the western side of the A68 to tackle the 7.79 mile Redesdale test where Girvan was quickest again to increase his lead over Horne to 23.2 seconds. This time it was David Bogie and Kevin Rae who were second fastest moving their Lancer Evo9 up to third in the overall standings, less than two seconds behind Horne.

Frank Kelly and Drew Sturrock now headed the Escort Mk2

B10: Rory Young & Allan Cathers C1: Andrew Benn & Richard Cooke C2: Craig Rutherford & Derek ForsythB8: Steve Bannister & Louise Sutherland

GirvanWins Border Conetest! The second round of the scottish rally Championship brought competitors to the historic Borders town of Jedburgh from where they would contest the second leg of the Border Counties National rally.

Events:Brick&SteelBorderCountiesRally.Date:22ndMarch2009.Venue:Jedburgh.Surface:

Gravel.Stages:5.Stage Miles:44.Organisers:Whickham&DistrictMotorClubLtd&BorderCarClub

Ltd.Championships:HankookMSAScottishRallyChampionship;ANECC

StageRallyChampionship;Brick&Steel205EcosseChallenge;Scottish

BordersRallyChampionship&ESACCChampionship.Starters:94.

Finishers:70.

Winners: Jimmy Girvan & Mike Ramsay


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3rd: Mike Faulkner & Peter Foy

C7: John McClory & David Hood


finishing over seven minutes ahead of the Ford Escort Mk2 of Rhona Mackin and Christine Brown. Their cause was helped by Ecosse 205 rivals Jonathan and Fraser Smith planting their Peugeot in a Harwood ditch.

Class 6:The battle between two Historic Escorts went in favour of the Mk2 version of Alan Hughes and Mike Scrimgour. They finished

almost five minutes ahead of Wattie Aitkin and Carin Logan’s Mk1.

Class 7:John McClory and David Hood kept their Honda Civic Type-R out front throughout the day finishing over two minutes ahead of the similar car of Peter Mayland and Peter Carstairs.

Class 8:Building on their Snowman success top honours again

went to Steve Bannister and Louise Sutherland who finished 10th overall in their Escort Mk2. Calum MacKenzie and Alan Clark were more than half a minute behind in another Mk2 but the result would have been different had they not collected a one minute ten second cone penalty on SS4.

Class 9:Another win came for Adrian Hetherington and Gary

Nolan as the Escort Mk2 crew finished more than a minute ahead of Mike Stephenson and Colin Burley’s Escort.

Class 10 & 11:(see main report).

Class 12:MacKay/MacDonald (see main report) finished more than three minutes ahead of the Escort Cosworth of Cumbrians William Jarman and Mark Fisher.

contingent in fourth place with Adrian Hetherington and Gary Nolan less than six seconds behind in sixth place. Sandwiched between the two Irish drivers were Snowman winners Reay MacKay and Robert MacDonald, their MG Metro 6R4 now cured of the misfire that had slowed them on the opening test.

A number of crews collected cone penalties here, including Girvan, but some were seemingly hit harder than others. At one point three cones were taped together and crews who thought they’d incurred a ten second penalty for hitting one found themselves burdened with a half minute deficit. Faulkner suffered by this ruling as did both Carty and MacKenzie. Also penalised were Jock Armstrong and Kirsty Riddick who were debuting their newly built Impreza N11 that was finished only 48 hours before the rally. For Faulkner though it was an added blow as he also lost time with an excursion into a ditch.

Following service at Redesdale Camp crews headed into Harwood, at just under 15 miles the longest stage of the rally, and accordingly the location of the most chicanes with seven in all. Hetherington clipped a cone here and slipped out of the top ten.

Girvan retained his pole position despite only recording ninth fastest time. Bogie moved ahead of Horne, who would soon opt for retirement owing to a lack of brakes, whilst fastest stage time by Faulkner promoted the Evo6 pilot to fourth. Following a cautious start Euan Thorburn and Claire Mole stepped

up the pace to move their Impreza up to fifth ahead of MacKay and Armstrong. Occupying eighth place now were Rory Young and Allan Cathers who had dropped time in Redesdale after spinning in a successful attempt to avoid hitting some cones! Kelly’s Escort was still the top two-wheel drive runner in ninth place with John Crawford and Ian Simpson completing the top ten in another Mk2.

A second service at Redesdale preceded the final two stages in Wauchope that were a reverse run

of those undertaken by contestants of the National A rally the previous evening. Girvan strengthened his hold on top spot ahead of Bogie through the six mile Hyndlee opener. Horne’s retirement allowed Faulkner and Thorburn to both gain a place whilst Armstrong, who experimented throughout the day with different tyre compounds, edged in front of MacKay. Young and Kelly also gained places with Barry Groundwater and Jude Wylie bringing their Lancer Evo9 into ninth place. Hetherington completed the top ten standings as Crawford went off and out of the rally.

Thorburn lay claim to setting fastest time through the day’s final

stage, the 7.49 miles of Wynburgh Hill, as the top seven all retained their overall positions. Kelly lost out after spending time up a firebreak that saw him eventually finish in 23rd place. His mishap allowed Groundwater and Hetherington to both gain a place as Steve Bannister and Louise Sutherland claimed the final top ten place in their Escort Mk2.

Having accrued cone penalties, Carty had to settle for eleventh whilst a thirty second penalty pushed the Evo9 of Donnie MacDonald and Paul Beaton down to twelfth. Shaun

Sinclair and Chris Hamill’s top ten aspirations were scuppered when they broke a track control arm mount in Hyndlee and they nursed their Evo6 home in 13th place. Cone penalties meant MacKenzie ended the day in fifteenth place behind the Evo5 of Stephen Campbell and Graham Law.

Girvan and Ramsay may have taken the accolades for finishing first but they didn’t collect the top share of championship points. They went to Willie Bonniwell and Neil Ewing who had contested the National A rally. Once the times set by the Impreza crew over Friday’s stages had been deducted they had a 30 second advantage earning them the top quota of championship points. With two rounds gone it puts Bonniwell top of the drivers standings with 55 points, a point ahead of Bogie. Third placed MacKay is a further point behind and with Armstrong on 52 points and Young on 48. Early indications are this year’s championship battle is going to be one cracking contest!

C2: Craig Rutherford & Derek Forsyth

C3: Malcolm & Sarah Robertson

C4: Carl & Robin Tuer

C5: Euan Duncan & Jake Dickie

C6: Alan Hughes & Mike Scrimgour

2nd: David Bogie & Kevin Rae

C9: Adrian Hetherington & Gary Nolan

C11: Jim Carty & Ian Fraser

C12: Reay MacKay & Robert MacDonald

Huw James completed a hat-trick of AGBO wins, when he and co-driver Jules Barney Deakin, brought their Ford Escort Mk2 to a 16 second victory on a day of mixed weather at Weston Park.

Rain, sleet, snow, hail, wind and sunshine all combined to provide lots of changes to the roads around the stately home ensuring that most crews had a moment or two to report!

Gary Thomas and Huw Jones set the early pace with a brace of fastest times in their Escort G3 on the opening pair of stages and still headed the standings after SS3. By this point James was going quicker and the gap between the top two was just two seconds with third placed Sean Crowley and Tim Currie five seconds back in their Vauxhall Nova. Already out of the reckoning were Oliver Davies and Ian Jarman as gearbox problems retired their Escort Mk2.

A second fastest time by James put him in pole position after SS4 and that’s where he stayed to the finish, his only worry coming from the oil pressure gauge later in the day. Andy Corner and Ade Camp momentarily edged their Peugeot 205 into third but were to slip back on the following test.

Thomas survived a big moment at the finish of SS5 to finish the day in second place whilst Crowley held off Corner’s late charge to take third place. Richard Norton Lewis and Glen Latham came out on top of a three-way battle for fifth. The Escort Mk2 crew were under attack from Michael Holland and Jamie Hill in the older model of the venerable Ford. The Mk1 crew had been measurably faster through the final three stages but fell two seconds short of snatching fifth.

Dai Dot Davies and Steve Pugh dropped time taking excursions onto the grass and the Vauxhall Chevette pairing had to settle for seventh after falling victim to Holland’s late charge.

Escorts completed the top ten with the Mk2 of Neal and Thomas Arden leading the way. Gareth Richards and Heather Gilmore brought their Mk1 home ninth ahead of the Mk2 of Andrew Graham and Peter Brennan. Results: 1 Huw James/Jules Barney Deakin (Ford Escort Mk2) 31m00s; 2 Gary Thomas/Huw Jones (Ford Escort G3) 31m16s; 3 Sean Crowley/Tim Currie (Vauxhall Nova) 31m30s; 4 Andy Corner/Ade Camp (Peugeot 205) 31m32s; 5 Richard Norton Lewis/Glen Latham (Ford Escort Mk2) 32m14s; 6 Michael Holland/Jamie Hill (Ford Escort Mk1) 32m16s; 7 Dai Dot Davies/Steve Pugh (Vauxhall Chevette HSR) 32m17s; 8 Neal Arden/Thomas Arden (Ford Escort Mk2) 32m30s; 9 Gareth Richards/Heather Gilmore (Ford Escort Mk1) 32m43s; 10 Andrew Graham/Peter Brennan (Ford Escort Mk2) 32m51s.Class Award Winners: A: Les Skeet/Matt Venables (Vauxhall Astra); B: Steve Wood/Aled Richards (Peugeot 206); C: Corner/Camp; D: Richards/Gilmore.

Hat-trick Hero Huw!

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Charlie Payne and Craig Thorley swept to victory, heading the standings in their Mitsubishi Lancer WRC Step 2 from the start to finish, chased all the way by the Lancer Evo9 of Tim Pearcey and Robin Hernaman.

Payne completed the opening Boltby test with a six second advantage but Pearcey matched his time through Roppa despite dropping time as a result of an altercation with a straw bale. It was a lucky escape, as only a headlight was damaged in the impact, and Pearcey then set fastest time through Riccal Dale reducing his arrears to Payne to five seconds.

Payne then stepped up the pace setting fastest time through Pry Rigg, College Moor and Wass to complete the first leg with a 14 second advantage over his rival.

Trailing Pearcey by 12 seconds, the Subaru Impreza WRC of Kevin Proctor and David Bellerby was a comfortable third, 25 seconds ahead of Miles Johnston and Ian Bevan’s Evo7. Completing the top five was the similar car Philip White and Richard Hage, their only problem was finding grip from their worn tyres.

The second leg of the rally comprised of a repeat run of the morning’s six stages and Payne extended his lead to 18 seconds in Boltby. After matching times again in Roppa, Pearcey then survived a one-wheel landing to pull 10 seconds back in Riccal Dale. Proctor was quickest through the final three stages to retain third as a troublesome transfer box slowed Pearcey’s progress allowing Payne an unchallenged victory.

Johnston and White maintained fourth and fifth places respectively whilst Chris and Roger Bown won their Evo6 battle with Charlie Gabb and Mick Quinn who’s car bore evidence of having rolled.

Jeff McNeil and Fred Roberts finished eighth in their Impreza, pushed all the way by the similar car of Jeff ’s son, Jim and co-driver Kim Baker who finished nine seconds behind. Heading a strong two-wheel drive contingent Jonathan Kitchen and Jeremy Thomas brought their Ford Escort Mk2 home tenth.

Darren Moon and John McNicol won the Historic class by 59 seconds after fellow Escort Mk2 crew Charlie Taylor and Steve Bielby collected a one minute penalty.Results: 1 Charlie Payne/Craig Thorley (Mitsubishi Lancer WRC) 38m08s; 2 Tim Pearcey/Robin Hernaman (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 38m19s; 3 Kevin Proctor/David Bellerby (Subaru Impreza WRC) 38m27s; 4 Miles Johnston/Ian Bevan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo7) 39m46s. 5 Philip White/Richard Hague (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo7) 40m24s; 6 Chris Bown/Roger Bown (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6) 41m05s; 7 Charlie Gabb/Mick Quinn (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6) 41m07s; 8 Jeff McNeil/Fred Roberts (Subaru Impreza) 41m11s; 9 Jim McNeil/Kim Baker (Subaru Impreza) 41m20s. 10 Jonathan Kitchen/Jeremy Thomas (Ford Escort Mk2) 41m27s.Class Award Winners: A: Alan Richardson/Christopher Roe (Vauxhall Nova); B: Colin Gent/Martyn Stephenson (Honda Civic); C: Kitchen/Thomas; D: Mick Plowman/Nigel Boston (Ford Escort Mk2); E: Johnston/Bevan; H: Darren Moon/John McNichol (Ford Escort Mk2).

Payne takes Riponian Result!

Anthony Wilmington and Andrew White stormed into a first stage lead and stayed there, despite a scare with a two-wheel moment, to finish with a winning margin of 25 seconds in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6.

Steve and Yvonne Furzeland retired their Subaru Impreza WRC after two stages with gearbox problems, allowing James Harvey and Nick Fewins to adopt the role of principal challengers. It was a part Harvey was familiar with having been Wilmington’s closest competitor on last year’s Jersey Rally, but once again the Impreza pilot would have to settle for finishing second best.

Adrian Brown and Chris Jarman set top six stage times throughout and rounded off a good day’s work by being faster than everyone on the final stage in their Ford Escort Mk1. They were rewarded with third overall whilst Stephen Leonard and Ben Andre, who had been quickest through SS3 in their Escort Mk2, collected the Class C prizes after finishing fourth. Dave Parnell and Pete Bold had been in the mix for top two-wheel drive honours before gearbox problems sidelined their Escort Mk2 with just one stage remaining.

Class E winners Mark Welch and Mark Norris brought their Escort Cosworth home fifth but were far from happy. Their hopes of repeating the podium finish they recorded last time Bovington was used in 2002, were dashed by a faulty anti-lag system and catching the Hyundai Accent WRC of Karl Broad and Trasie Moore in SS3.

A late charge saw Mark Worley and Hamish Campbell edge their Lancer Evo9 into sixth place ahead of Richard Edwards and Paul Brown’s Escort Mk2. Dave Wilkes and Will Rutherford finished eighth in their Vauxhall Nova holding off the threat from Class D winners Ian Roberton and Kenny Roberts, who required a clutch change to their Nissan 240RS. Geoff Bennett and John Billett clinched the final top ten place on the final stage as they forced their Escort Mk2 ahead of Dean Thomas and Lorraine Chappell’s Class B winning GTM Gtec.

Clive Mitchelmore and Ian Withecombe collected the Class A prizes in their Vauxhall Nova after finishing 29th overall. Results: 1 Anthony Wilmington/Andrew White (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6) 55m13s; 2 James Harvey/Nick Fewins (Subaru Impreza) 55m38s; 3 Adrian Brown/Chris Jarman (Ford Escort Mk1) 55m44s; 4 Stephen Leonard/Ben Andre (Ford Escort Mk2) 55m55s; 5 Mark Welch/Mark Norris (Ford Escort Cosworth) 56m13s; 6 Mark Worley/Hamish Campbell (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 56m28s; 7 Richard Edwards/Paul Brown (Ford Escort Mk2) 56m34s; 8 Dave Wilkes/Will Rutherford (Vauxhall Nova) 57m02s; 9 Ian Roberton/Kenny Roberts (Nissan 240RS) 57m06s; 10 Geoff Bennett/John Billett (Ford Escort Mk2) 57m16s.Class Award Winners: A: Clive Mitchelmore/Ian Withecombe (Vauxhall Nova); B: Dean Thomas/Lorraine Chappell (GTM Gtec); C: Leonard/Andre; D: Roberton/Roberts; E: Welch/Norris.

Another Win for Wilmington & White!

Event: AGBO Stages. Date: 8th March 2009. Location: Weston Park, Shropshire. Surface: Tarmac. Stages: 10. Stage miles: 35. Organisers: Owen Motor Club. Championships: Heart of England. Starters: 71. Finishers: 58.

Event: Riponian Stages. Date: 15th March, 2009. Location: Thirsk, North Yorkshire. Surface: Gravel. Stages: 12. Stage Miles: 40. Organisers: Ripon Motor Club. Championships: ANCC; ANEMMC; ANWCC & EMAMC. Starters: 89. Finishers: 62.

Event: Bovington Stages. Date: 15th March 2009. Location: Bovington, Dorset. Surface: Tarmac. Stages: 8. Stage miles: 60. Organisers: Bournemouth & District Car Club. Championships: ACSMC; ASWMC; The Mark Lovell Stage Rally Championship. Starters: 83. Finishers: 61.

Anthony Wilmington & Andrew WhiteCharlie Payne & Craig ThorleyHuw James & Jules Barney Deakin

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� e Nutts Corner weekend will be play a key part in deciding the outcome of the 2009 Fuchs Lubricants Rallycross Open Championship, as it counts as two separate rounds of the series. In the top Division 1 category, 2007 & 2008 Champion ‘Mad Mark’ (Citroen Xsara WRC), Mike Manning (Ford Puma), Tommy Graham (Ford Fiesta), Eddie Kinirons (Ford Focus) and Derrick Jobb (Ford Escort RS2000) will start as the pre event favourites. Jobb from Fintona, Northern Ireland has his sights set fi rmly on 2009 glory after narrowly missing out on the title in 2007.

� e Super National category features a strong entry, with several Irish competitors who will provide a strong challenge to the front running Championship regulars. A strong Rally

representation will also be present at the event including Northern Irish International Rally Stars, Kris Meeke, Eugene Donnelly and Kenny Mckinstry who are all driving RX Racing prepared RX150’s. Meeke recently won the second round of the 2009 IRC in Brazil - Rally Internacional de Curitiba in a Peugeot UK supported Peugeot 207 and is currently undefeated in the RX150 category. Four times Irish Tarmac Rally Champion, Eugene Donnelly drove an RX150 and a PSM Motorsport Procar 2000 Renault Megane in the opening round of the 2009 Fuchs Lubricants Rallycross Open Championship at Croft last month.

For competitors wanting to get into Rallycross, Championship organisers PSM Motorsport Ltd have two Procar

2000 Renault Meganes available to lease or hire at the event and the rest of the 2009 season. For further information contact Craig Swales by email: [email protected]

� e Minicross drivers association also have two cars available for hire at the event - a Junior Rallycross Mini (for competitors aged between the age of 14 and 16) and a Senior Minicross car. For further information contact MDA Chairman - Ron Watson by email: [email protected]

Additional information and the timetable for the Nutts Corner event can be found online at the offi cial Championship website - www.RallycrossOpen.com

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thNorthern Ireland ready for Rallycross returnRallycross makes its return to Northern Ireland after an absence of fi ve years on April 25th & 26th, with Nutts Corner playing host to rounds two and three of the 2009 Fuchs Lubricants Rallycross Open Championship. The ITV Men and Motors televised event has already attracted an entry of over 100 competitors.


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factfi lefactDriver: Seamus LeonardHeight: 5’9”Home: OmaghBirth date: 30/09/67Occupation: Property developerRoad car: BMW X5Rally car: Subaru Impreza WRCMarital status: MarriedHobbies: Speed!Sponsors: Gerry McVeigh has been my biggest sponsor throughout my rallying career.Driver: Declan LeonardHeight: 5’10”Home: OmaghBirth date: 18/09/90Occupation: Student (Construction)Road car: Peugeot 207Rally car: Ford FiestaMarital status: Under the thumb!Hobbies: Gaelic football.

Navigator: Dara LeonardHeight: 5’9”Home: OmaghBirth date: 14/03/92Occupation: StudentRoad car: VW GolfRally car: Ford FiestaMarital status: Under the thumb with Orlagh!Hobbies: Gaelic football

Larging It With The Leonards!1. When did you fi rst get behind a wheel?Seamus: I passed my test in 1984. Although I have a brother who is a mechanic, I was always the one more interested in speed and nice cars. I don’t smoke or drink – cars have always been a hobby to me!Declan: Moving vans and that sort of thing around the yard for my father when I was 11 or 12.Dara: I think I was about 12.

2. What was your fi rst road car?Seamus: It was a Toyota Corolla Twin Cam. I remember going to the Donegal International as a spectator with a load of other boys in Twin Cams. I just happened to lose control of my car and hit a telegraph pole! So I went home, got a new one and was back at the rally two hours later!Declan: A Peugeot 207 – although I drove my father’s jeep before that, but I wrecked her!Dara: VW Golf.

3. Who would you rate as the top three British or Irish rally drivers today?Seamus: Mark Higgins, Kris Meeke and Austin MacHale. I’ve always looked up to Austin MacHale over the years.Declan: Kris Meeke, Mark Higgins and Guy Wilks.Dara: Kris Meeke, Eamonn Boland, Mark Higgins.

4. What was your fi rst competitive event?Seamus: Sligo in 1993 – we were seeded at 103, but fi nished second in class, and were something like 53rd or 43rd overall.Declan: Bushwhacker Rally with a Peugeot 106 last September. We were leading the class going into the 5th stage when the gearbox went – I was raging!Dara: I did a sprint at Aghadowey about two years ago with a Nova and fi nished fi fth in class.

5. What is your worst memory in rallying?Seamus: Defi nitely the Ulster Rally a few years ago – I crashed and took out a

telegraph pole about 200 yards from my own doorstep. I’ll never live that down!Declan: � e Donegal Harvest – we did a full recce, then when we went to sign on, we found out we had no insurance so we couldn’t do the rally!Dara: Colin McRae’s helicopter accident.

6. What drive are you most proud of to date?Seamus: Probably when I fi nished fi fth overall at the 1999 Circuit of Ireland in a Group N Evo 5. It was my fi rst attempt and we won the class.Declan: � is year’s Bishopscourt Rally – there was a lot of good competition there and we won our class.Dara: Winning our class at Kirkistown and Bishopscourt this year.

7. What is your most frustrating memory in rallying?Seamus: Donegal a few years ago was the most frustrating. On the Friday we crashed but we managed to claw back the time. � en, going into stage 19, the clutch went.Declan: When we had the Peugeot 106, every time we went out in her, we knew something was going to happen – she kept breaking driveshafts. Dara: Going to Aghadowey with the wee 106 – we discovered that the driveshaft was loose, and it kept breaking!

8. What is your biggest accident to date?Seamus: � e accident I had three years ago on the Isle of Man. I think it was stage 17 and Ryan Champion had gone off on the same corner. When we came around there were bits of car lying all over the road. We went off and the car was demolished.Declan: None yet thankfully!Dara: None yet, touch wood!

9. What are your plans for 2009?Seamus: � e Northern Ireland Championship along with my two sons – I suppose you could say that I’m mentoring them.Declan: Keep doing the Northern Ireland

Championship and maybe Donegal.Dara: � e Northern Ireland Championship and I’m hoping to compete as a driver in a few events myself.

10. What is your favourite event?Seamus: Donegal International without a doubt.Declan: Bushwhacker Rally – they’re just class stages and I like the gravelDara: I haven’t competed in it yet but it must be Donegal – I can’t wait to do it!

11. What is your favourite rally car?Seamus: I love the World Rally Car but in all honesty the Evo 9 is hard to beat. I’m spoilt with the WRC, but the Evo is a beautiful car and it has been very lucky for me too.Declan: I’d love a Citroen C4 WRC – it just seems to be far better than anything else out there.Dara: Group N Mitsubishi Lancer.

12. What do you think about youth development in rallying?Seamus: Okay, I have a World Rally Car, but I think the whole WRC thing is totally out of hand – there should be more one make championships. With the Fiestas, the cars are very even, and it brings out the better drivers. � ere’s no fun in it if a man has £400k while another has £100k – the man with the most money will nearly always win. So a sport with more control over the cars will bring out better drivers, and that’s the way it should be.Declan: It’s hard to get started – you need fi nancial support. � ere’s a lot of talent out there that may not be discovered as they don’t have that sort of support.Dara: � ere seems to be a lot of new championships coming in for young drivers across the water – we just need more of them over here now!


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Connor McCloskey on the recent McGrady Insurance Stages Rally

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Pirelli Tyre Service Available On All

Championship EventsJim Crozier: +44 (0)7778 288108

or James Foley +353 (0)87 2310089

It seems like a lifetime ago that Eugene Donnelly claimed victory in Galway. Round one took place earlier than usual this year to accommodate Rally Ireland, but now crews are revving up for the Larsen Circuit of Ireland Rally!

The event takes place over the Easter weekend of the 11/12 April, but as Pacenotes goes to print, it looks as though the recession could be taking a firm grip of Ireland’s premier rally series.

Maybe we have been lured into a false sense of security, with the opening two rounds of the Hankook MSA N.I. Rally Championship oversubscribed with entries. Meanwhile, in Galway, there were 49 entries in the International category, with a further 60 in the National category, as well as a sprinkling of historic and junior competitors.

Unfortunately, the Larsen Circuit of Ireland appears to be struggling to get 20 international entrants. Is this a sign of things to come?

Having said that, the National Rally is bustling with competitors,

with almost 60 entries received as Pacenotes goes to print. Combined with almost 20 entrants in the National A category (MSA Asphalt Championship and Fiesta competitors), the National

section is even healthier than the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

But then that shouldn’t be too surprising, as the event is round three of the Hankook N.I. series. Although there are some notable missing names such as Connor McCloskey, that has surely helped to boost the National section, but where does that leave the Irish

Tarmac Championship? Can it survive in 2009 with such a low number of competitors?

As I write this article, Eamonn Boland, Tim McNulty and Kevin Barrett are the sole WRC entrants – that’s two days before entries officially close. Eugene Donnelly tells us that his navigator, Paddy Toner, has been away for a week, but should submit an entry in the next couple of days. Reading between the lines, however, the Genie didn’t seem like his usual buoyant self.

Derek McGarrity also plans to enter in his Subaru Impreza WRC, while Gareth and Aaron MacHale intend to bring their Ford Focus WRCs. Bearing those entries in mind, the current list of entries received is hopefully not a true reflection of the final entry list.

And what of Kevin Lynch? The Dungiven driver hounded Eamonn Boland in Galway, but rumours suggest he could be taking a break from the sport. He was out of the office when Pacenotes contacted him, so we can only assume that he

Black Outlook For Tarmac Entries?Almost three months after the opening round of this year’s Irish Tarmac Championship, round two is just around the corner.

Tim is in...

Eamonn is Circuit Committed...

The MacHale brothers are probable...


Pirelli Tyre Service Available On All Championship Events

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Day One (8 stages)Start Dundalk 7amBanbridge Service Out 7.52amPodium Banbridge 7.55amService A (Banbridge) In 10.17amService B (Banbridge) In 1.12pmService C (Banbridge) In 3.34pmService D (Banbridge) In 5.46pmParc ferme in (Dundalk) 7.18pm

Day Two (6 stages)Parc ferme out 8amService E (Dundalk) 8.08amService F (Newry) 9.42amService G (Newry) 12.15pmService H (Newry) 2.48pmFinish Dundalk 3.28pm

has no plans to enter the ‘Circuit’.Then there’s the Group N

category, which fares worse. In fact, there are only two entries to date, one of which is ironically from New York based Liam Egan! Alan Carmichael is the other driver, although entries are expected from Irish Evo Challenge winner, Brendan Cumiskey, and a few more Evo Challenge entrants.

Notable names missing from the entry are that of Kevin Kelleher and Garry Jennings. However, Colm Murphy is a possible entry, although everything is up in the air for the former Group N champion.

“I don’t know if I’ll be there,” Murphy told Pacenotes the day before entries closed. “It depends on funding. My usual navigator, Ger Loughrey, can’t commit as his wife is due to have a baby in the next couple of weeks. I could do with finding another navigator who can contribute towards costs. In the current economic times, money is hard to come by. So I don’t know, it would be great to get out but I’ll have to wait and see.”

Of course, there could be a lot of last minute entries still in the post,

and for the sake of the Irish Tarmac Championship, let’s hope there are. But while the lack of international entries is disappointing, the Larsen Circuit of Ireland still promises plenty of action and excitement!

The strong entry in the National category, combined with the National A crews, is a recipe for success. Kenny McKinstry has entered his Subaru Impreza WRC, as have Denis Biggerstaff and Seamus Leonard. These three drivers will be vying for maximum points in the Hankook N.I. series, but what of reigning champion Connor McCloskey?

“To be honest, I don’t plan on entering any more rounds of the championship,” McCloskey told Pacenotes. “I’ll probably enter the

Tour of the Sperrins but after that, I’d just like to pick and choose events. The Circuit of Ireland is the most expensive event in the Northern Ireland Championship, and I don’t want to commit to it

without committing to the series. It’s a shame as it seems like a very good event, but I don’t want to get sucked into a championship battle.”

Further down the order, there will be plenty of entertainers in the field to keep the spectators happy during the Easter weekend. The two-wheel-drive exponents include the likes of Wesley Patterson, Fintan McGrady, Martin McGee and Adrian Hetherington, not to mention a whole host of other drivers who will keep them on their toes!

Make a Marshal Happy schemeThe Larsen Circuit of Ireland Rally is not all about the competitors, and a huge team of volunteers will be on hand throughout the Easter weekend to ensure the smooth running of the rally. The UAC recognises the hard work and dedication of those volunteers, and will again be running a marshals’ scheme in 2009.

Competitors can purchase ‘Make a Marshal Happy’ stickers, and the funds raised will go towards marshals’ packs, which will include a voucher for lunch at either Dundalk’s Park Inn or the Slieve Croob Restaurant.

“We’re delighted to be involved with such a great event,” Slieve Croob manager Dominic King said. “It’s great that it’s back in the area and I’d like to wish organisers, marshals and competitors the best of luck for what I’m sure will be a brilliant weekend.”

Competitors who purchase ‘Make a Marshal Happy’ stickers will have a chance to win a free entry to the 2010 event. John Warnock and David Armstrong supported the scheme in 2008, and were lucky winners of a free entry to this year’s Larsen Circuit of Ireland.

SERVICE SCHEDULE

It depends on fundIng. My usual navIga-tor, ger loughrey, can’t coMMIt as hIs wIfe Is due to have a baby In the next couple of weeks... In the current econoMIc tIMes, Money Is hard to coMe by. - colM Murphy

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Historic rallying is a rapidly growing part of our sport, and this year’s Larsen Circuit of Ireland features a round of both the Irish Tarmac Historic Championship and the Montgomery Motorsport historic category in the Northern Ireland series.

A number of drivers have confirmed their entries, including Derek Boyd in his Porsche 911. William Todd is also returning to action with his Mini Cooper, whole Philip Hunter will have his Mark 2 Escort at his disposal. Philip Kerun, Keith McIvor and Aidan O’Connor are also among the entrants. Don’t be fooled – just because the cars are older, they can still go fast!

Historics...


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Championship EventsJim Crozier: +44 (0)7778 288108

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For the first time in 2009, the Larsen Circuit of Ireland Rally is also a counting round of the Richard Egger Insurance MSA Asphalt Rally Championship. The ‘Circuit’ marks round two of the series, and a number of the leading lights are set to arrive on these shores.

Round one of the championship took competitors to the Tour of Epynt, and it was Melvyn Evans who kick-started his season with victory at the opening round. Evans is set to bring his Subaru Impreza WRC to the Emerald Isle, and will give the locals some extra competition to think about.

It will be Evans’ first visit to the Larsen ‘Circuit’, and the same can be said for David Kynaston, who currently lies second in the

championship. Kynaston brings his Audi back to these shores, a car which he has used at the Ulster Rally in the past. Of course, some of this year’s ‘Circuit’ stages are not too far from Ulster Rally territory, so it may not be too unfamiliar for the Audi pilot.

David Mann will also be among the top runners, while the two-wheel-drive field features the likes of Washington James in his Darrian

T90 GTR, Meirion Evans in his Escort and Rod Bennett with his Fiat Punto Super 1600.

It’s great to see crews from across the water making the effort to enter the Larsen Circuit of Ireland, and it’s important to note that while they will be running among the National field, they won’t score points towards the Hankook MSA N.I. Rally Championship.

Some local competitors have voiced concerns over the visitors’ ability to score points, due to automatic registration in the N.I. series, but they don’t have to worry, as the Asphalt Championship drivers will be running under a National A permit, rather than a National B.

UK Crews Circuit Bound…

This year’s Larsen Circuit of Ireland features more than 130 stage miles, split over two days of rallying in counties Down and Armagh. After leaving Dundalk’s Park Inn headquarters on Saturday 11th April, competitors drive to Banbridge for a quick service halt at The Outlet, before going to the ceremonial start in Banbridge town centre, shortly before 8am.

The action starts in earnest shortly afterwards, and leg one consists of eight stages (four repeated twice), with a service halt after every second stage. One of those stages is the famous Hamilton’s Folly, which is almost 13 miles long!

The final stage of day one is due to start at approximately 5pm, and afterwards competitors return to service at The Outlet before going to parc ferme in Dundalk.

Leg two sees the rally move to Newry, with six stages taking place

throughout the day. After a quick service in Dundalk at approximately 8am, crews will tackle two stages before heading to service in Newry, where service will be based for the

rest of the day.Those who manage to complete

all of the stages will cross the finish ramp in Dundalk shortly before 3.30pm on Sunday 12th April.

Circuit Includes Famous Folly…

Kynaston’s awsome sounding Audi

Hamilton’s Folly is well known throughout the Irish rally fraternity after it became famous for its big jump. This

image shows the route for the stage which was part of the Circuit of Ireland’s Golden Jubilee year in 1981. Previous

WinnersYEAR First awarded 1936

1936 B.M.Clarke1937 J.W.Shaw1938 R.G.Chambers1939 W.B.Michael1940/45 No Event - WWII1946 A.J.Bell1947 J.A.McMichael1948 No Event - Petrol Rationing1949 C.F.S.Lindsay1950 D.P.Johnston1951 R.A.Hopkinson1952 D.G.Johnston1953 W.T.Todd1954 R.J.M.Glover1955 R.C.McKinney1956 J.B.Johnstone (R.C.McKinney)1957 No Event - Suez Crisis1958 W.K.Richardson (P.B.Hopkirk)1959 K.Sherry1960 A.J.L.Boyd1961 Sunbeam Talbot Ltd (P.B.Hopkirk)1962 Sunbeam Talbot Ltd (P.B.Hopkirk)1963 Alexander Engineering (I.Woodside)1964 R.J.McCartney/T.A.Harryman1965 P.Hopkirk/T.A.Harryman1966 T.Fall/H.Lidden1967 P.Hopkirk/T.A.Harryman1968 R.Clark/J.Porter1969 R.Clark/J.Porter1970 Ford Motor Co.(R.Clark/J.Porter)1971 A.J.L.Boyd/D.B.Crawford1972 No Event1973 J.Tordoff/P.Short1974 C.Curley/A.Frazer1975 B.Coleman/P.Phelan1976 B.Coleman/D.O’Sullivan1977 R.Brookes/J.Brown1978 R.Brookes/J.Brown1979 P.Airikkala/R.Virtanan1980 J.McRae/M.Nicholson1981 J.McRae/I.Grindrod1982 J.McRae/I.Grindrod1983 R. Brookes/M. Broad1984 B. Coleman/R. Morgan1985 J.McRae/I.Grindrod1986 D. Llewellin/P.Short1987 J. McRae/I.Grindrod1988 J. McRae/R.Arthur1989 J. McRae/R.Arthur1990 D. Llewellin/P.Short1991 Colin McRae/Derek Ringer1992 Frank Meagher/Michael Maher1993 Austin McHale/Dermot O’Gorman1994 Stephen Finlay/Dessie Wilson1995 Bertie Fisher/Rory Kennedy1996 Stephen Finlay/Robbie Philpott1997 Bertie Fisher/Rory Kennedy1998 Austin McHale/Brian Murphy1999 Bertie Fisher/Rory Kennedy2000 No event2001 No event - Foot & Mouth2002 Andrew Nesbitt/James O’Brien2003 Derek McGarrity/Chris Patterson2004 Derek McGarrity/Dermot O’Gorman2005 Derek McGarrity/Dermot O’Gorman2006 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely2007 Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy2008 Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey

Dessie Keenan fi nished an amazing � ird overall last year

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Pirelli Tyre Service Available On All Championship Events

Jim Crozier: +44 (0)7778 288108or James Foley +353 (0)87 2310089

� e event, which takes place on its traditional May Bank Holiday weekend date, has again secured Ordnance Survey Ireland as title sponsor. It was in 1990 that OSI fi rst became associated with the event, and now almost 20 years down the line, the company has renewed its contract for another year.

If you think that’s a long-term sponsorship, it’s merely a walk in the park when compared with the long-term association that the event has had with Killarney’s Gleneagle Hotel. � e Rally of the Lakes has been based there since 1980, and needless to say, the hotel will witness another fantastic party atmosphere this year!

� is year’s event is not only a round of the Irish Tarmac Championship, but also the second round of the � omond Crystal Southern 4 Championship, as well as the Tarmac Historic Championship and the Southern 4 Historic Championship.

Day one will also be a counting round of the Fiesta Sporting Trophy, while the National section will count for both the Southern 4 Championship and the Tarmac

Modifi ed Trophy.A number of new features have

also been introduced for 2009. � e most signifi cant of these is a double run over Moll’s Gap as the opening two stages of the 2009 Rally. � e stage will also have a new start location, with the fi rst car due at 8am on the Saturday morning. � e second run will take place a little

more than two hours later, so Moll’s Gap will be the place to be!

After SS2, the crews tackle Gortnagane, which fi nishes in Millstreet, where the cars go into service at the Green Glens Arena. � en there are two stages to the north and west of Millstreet, before crews arrive at the start of stage 6 for a repeat run through Gortnagane. � at’s followed by service and a repeat of stages four and fi ve as the fi nal two stages of

the fi rst leg of the rally.Following the traditional

free service hour on the Sunday morning, the cars head for Molls Gap for the fi rst of the Sunday stages, followed by Healy Pass and then into Castletown for service.

� e traditional versions of Cod’s Head and Ardgroom follow, before Healy Pass 2 brings the crews back

to Castletown for service.Cod’s Head, Ardgroom and

Kilmackillogue will make up the fi nal three stages of the 2009 Rally of the Lakes, with the fi rst car due to fi nish the fi nal stage at 16.02 and be at the fi nish ramp at the Gleneagle Hotel at 17.22.

Plans are well advanced for this year’s event, and Killarney must be one of the favourite Irish rallies of the year. As always, Pacenotes will be there to capture all of the action!

New Look Lakes...

Just as Pacenotes was about to go to press, Killarney and District Motor Club announced details of this year’s International Rally of the Lakes, round three of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

THIS YEAR’S EVENT IS NOT ONLY A ROUND OF THE IRISH TARMAC CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT ALSO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE THOMOND CRYSTAL SOUTHERN 4 CHAMPIONSHIP, AS WELL AS THE TARMAC HISTORIC CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE SOUTHERN 4 HISTORIC CHAMPIONSHIP.

1 Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey Subaru Impreza ........... 2:14:14.92 Derek McGarrity/Dairmuid Falvey Subaru WRC ............... 2:17:14.93 Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry Subaru Impreza ........... 2:17:54.24 Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy Ford Focus WRC ......... 2:19:38.85 Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle Renault Clio ................ 2:21:28.46 Patrick Elliott/James O’Brien Subaru S11 WRC ........ 2:21:33.57 PJ McGrath/Billy Collins Subaru Impreza ........... 2:23:11.68 Kevin Kelleher/Martin Kelleher Mitsubishi Lanc ........... 2:24:52.79 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy Mitsubishi Lanc ........... 2:25:31.110 John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson Mitsubishi Evo ............ 2:28:48.9

08 RESULTS

Power is nothing without control

For supply and on event service of Pirelli tyres please contact Jim crozier or James Foley from entYre rallysportOfficial Suppliers of Pirelli Motorsport Tyres In Ireland. Tel: +44 7778 288108 or Tel:- 00 353 2310089

suPPlYing the winners OF TOday & TOMOrrOw

2Nd CONNOr MCCLOSKEyMCGrady INSUraNCE STaGES

1ST daNNy BarryUK EVO CHaLLENGE - raLLy SUNSEEKEr

1ST KrIS HaLLFIESTa SPOrT TrOPHy - SUNSEEKEr

1ST KEITH CrONINIrL EVO CHaLLENGE - wEST COrK raLLy

1ST CHarLIE PayNEriPoniAn stAges rAllY

1 Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy Corolla WRC ............... 1:13:07.52 John Dalton/Gwynfor Jones Darrian T90 GTR ......... 1:13:40.53 Denis Cronin/Helen O’Sullivan Impreza WRC .............. 1:13:46.34 Phil Collins/Derek Brannigan Escort Mark 2 ............. 1:16:00.85 Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors Lancer Evo 9 ............... 1:16:55.2

DAY 1 TOP 5

Top seeds Donie O’Sullivan and Paul Nagle had to withdraw due to paperwork problems on their new Proton Satria Neo S2000, as did number 10 seeds Brian O’Mahony and John Higgins, whose engine played up on the way to scrutiny.

Day one was based north and east of Clonakilty, around Clogagh, Ring and Dunworley. John Dalton in his Darrian T90 GTR led the field away to the first stage in Ballinascarthy.

Conditions were slippery here and Liam McCarthy took the initiative straight away by pulling out a five second lead over Keith Cronin in his Mitsubishi Lancer. Jim Harrison was three seconds back. Dalton and Denis Cronin made up the top five. Local Sean O’Donovan rolled out and temporarily blocked stage one in his Subaru.

McCarthy extended his lead on the next stage to 10 seconds, with Harrison now second. Keith Cronin’s victory dreams evaporated as he went off the road and into a field for 90 seconds on stage two, dropping him outside the top ten. This promoted Phil Collins into fifth place, while a superb start had netted local driver Fintan Canty sixth place.

On the third stage Keith Cronin set a brilliant time, 12 seconds quicker than leader McCarthy to haul himself back into the top ten. The stage was interrupted when Edward O’Callaghan had a big

accident and blocked the stage, fortunately without serious injury to the crew.

Keith Cronin was fastest on the following stage as Denis Cronin began to creep up behind Jim Harrison. Dalton was fourth, with Collins fifth and Keith Cronin had now climbed to sixth. Ashley Field in seventh, followed by a trio of Escorts in the hands of Canty, Adrien Heatherington and Leonard Downey.

Stage five was the classic Ring test, and John Dalton set a scorching time here to take 13 seconds off McCarthy, while Denis Cronin also closed the gap to the leader. Harrison was now losing

some ground, but held third. Fintan Canty crashed heavily on the exit of the village and Adrian Hetherington retired with clutch failure.

Liam McCarthy took some time back from the chasing pack on stage six, Dunworley, as Harrison dropped behind Denis Cronin into third. Keith Cronin lost more time here with a lurid 360 degree spin, which cost him over a minute as he tried to restart his stalled engine. This allowed Phil Collins back into fifth place, while Dalton repeated his heroics on the second run over Ring to move into second place, with Cronin consolidating third place from Harrison.

On the last stage of the day, the

McCarthy Best In The West…

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A full field of 151 cars started this year’s Quality Hotels West Cork Rally and the 31st running of the event enjoyed dry weather.

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2nd: John Dalton & Gwynfor Jones

Winners: Liam McCarthy & Kieran Murphy

1 Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy Toyota Corolla WRC ...133m 42s,2 John Dalton/Gwynfor Jones Darrian T90 GTR ........134m 17s,3 Denis Cronin/Helen O’Sullivan Subaru Impreza WRC .135m 14s,4 Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors Mitsubishi Evo 9 ........137m 25s,5 Phil Collins/Derek Brannigan Ford Escort MKII ........138m 59s,6 Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan Ford Escort MKII) 144m 02s,7 Kevin O’Donoghue/Joe O’Leary Ford Escort MKII ........146m 44s,8 Daragh O’Riordan/Sean McCarthy Renault Clio S1600 ....147m 00s,9 Thomas O’Rourke/Tomas Scallan Honda Civic R3 ..........147m 09s,10 Tomas Davies/John Smithwick Ford Escort MKII ........147m 46s.

FINAL RESULTS


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DNF - Jim Harrison

Marty McCormack

second run over Dunworley, Jim Harrison stopped mid-stage with mechanical problems while seventh placed Ashley Field went off and out of the rally on the first junction of the stage!

Liam McCarthy was fastest to lead overnight with more than 30 seconds to spare. Keith Cronin, in fifth place, took maximum points for round one of the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge. Damien McCarthy was top points scorer for round one of the Honda Cup and held ninth place overall. Adrian McElhinney won the first round of the Citroen C2 Cup and held 20th overall, while the Historic Rally was being led by Eddie Murphy in his Mk 1 Escort.

West Cork Day 2A bright and sunny Day Two took competitors west of Clonakilty to Sam’s Cross, Rossmore and Ardfield.

John Dalton almost came to grief on the first stage, but got away with it. Denis Cronin had problems with his gearbox jumping out of fourth and fifth gear, costing him time. Damien McCarthy lost fourth gear and damaged a rim on the first stage. Meanwhile, Manus Kelly had overtaken Frank Kelly for sixth place on the first of the morning stages.

On the next stage, the charging Dalton cut the gap to 28 seconds. Behind the leading half dozen, all hell was breaking loose, as drivers were appearing briefly in the top ten then going out!

Manus Kelly crashed his Escort on stage 11 and Diarmuid Keohane had a halfshaft break on his similar car. Gwyn Thomas had made it to ninth before a timing belt broke and he was out. Marty McCormack was up to eighth but went off the road on stage 12. Damien McCarthy had now lost fifth as well as fourth gear and was struggling to stay in the event.

As the crews tackled stage 13, the smooth Ardfield, Dalton knew he had to try to grab a shock win. He took a staggering eight seconds off McCarthy to close the gap once again. 24 seconds now separated

the leading two, while Denis Cronin comfortably held third place. Liam McCarthy responded to the challenge, taking three seconds back on the 14th stage, the gap now 27 seconds with just two stages to go.

Further down the order, Leonard Downey had been as high as seventh, but then had problems with an overheating engine which caused his retirement after the penultimate stage. In a very sporting gesture, Martin Cunningham had loaned a gearbox to Damien McCarthy, who was struggling to stay in the event. Cunningham had gone ahead by more than 50 seconds, but

McCarthy began to fight back. This was resolved on the final stage as a rejuvinated McCarthy overhauled Cunningham by six seconds.

Meanwhile, Dalton took another seven seconds from McCarthy on stage 15 - 20 seconds the gap with one stage to go. Dalton wisely decided to back off rather than risk everything on the last stage, and McCarthy survived a major slide to take the win by 34 seconds!

Denis Cronin took third, with nephew Keith in fourth place and

taking maximum points again in round two of the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge. Phil Collins led a trio of Escorts to take fifth place, his best ever West Cork result, with Frank Kelly in sixth, from Kevin O’Donoghue in seventh.

Daragh O’Riordan took class six and eighth overall in his Renault Clio. Thomas O’Rourke was top points scorer in the second round of the Honda Cup, with a superb drive to ninth place in a standard class 3 Civic. The top ten was rounded off by Thomas Davies from Wales in another Mk2 Escort.

Adrian McElhinney was 15th overall and took round two

maximum points in the Citroen C2 Cup. The Historic Rally was won by Denis Moynihan in his Mk1 Escort, with the Junior Rally won by David Brosnan in his Honda Civic. Adrian Heatherington, who thrilled the spectators with some spectacular driving, won the Sunday Run.

So a new name joins the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally winners’ list - Liam McCarthy. Well done to Liam and Kieran, not to mention all of the class winners, event organisers and the marshals too!

3rd: Denis Cronin & Helen O’Sullivan

4th: Keith Cronin & Greg Shinnors 5th: Phil Collins & Derek Brannigan

Billy Coleman 6R4

I’m well chuffed. It was no easy task. on the stage before the end I was flat out In 6th at the end of a long 4 rIght tIghtens, the car completely sIdeways. as fast as I could go. that’s the way It was today.- lIam mccarthy


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withVictor &SusanBeamish

factfi lefactDriver: Victor BeamishHeight: 5’7”Home: Bandon, Co. CorkBirth date: 21st NovemberOccupation: Garage ownerRoad car: Depends what’s in the garage!Rally car: Vauxhall NovaMarital status: Married to Susan and we have three sons.

Hobbies: I’m motorsport mad!Sponsors: Myself and myself!Anything else you want to say: I’d like to thank Susan and my sons, as well as my family and friends for all of their help. I’d also like to thank the people that organise and marshal the events, and Alan at Protec Performance.

Navigator: Susan BeamishHeight: 5’7”Home: Bandon, Co. CorkBirth date: 17th FebruaryOccupation: HousewifeRoad car: Vauxhall VectraMarital status: Married to Victor.Hobbies: Reading, gardening and walking.Anything else you want to say: Thanks to my driver and the kids for supporting us - I suppose I should say sons instead of kids. One is 21 and the other is 23, so ‘kids’ is pushing it a bit!

Family That’s Flat To The Mat…1. When did you fi rst get behind a wheel?Victor: I was about 10 or 12 years old – at home on the farm.Susan: I was about 16.

2. Who taught you to drive?Victor: I had two brothers and they taught me.Susan: Victor taught me.

3. Did you pass your driving test fi rst time?Victor: I did!Susan: No, second time!

4. What was your fi rst road car?Victor: Mark 1 Escort – I rolled it, which fi nished it off !Susan: Mini

5. What is your favourite road car?Victor: Nothing in particular, as long as they start and go!Susan: I like the new Minis, not that I have Mini-itis or anything!

6. Who were your motorsport heroes as a child?Victor: Billy Coleman, Jimmy McRae and Bertie Fisher.Susan: It was only when I started going out with Victor that motorsport started to hit home, so I’ll say Billy Coleman. Now I live in a house with four men so I have no option!

7. Who would you rate as the top three British or Irish rally drivers today?Victor: Eugene Donnelly, Kris Meeke and Keith Cronin.

Susan: Same as Victor - Eugene Donnelly, Keith Cronin and Kris Meeke.

8. What was your fi rst competitive event?Victor: � e Fastnet Rally in 2004 – it went well, we fi nished nearly last, but at least we fi nished!Susan: Fastnet 2004 – Victor and I started rallying together.

9. What is your worst memory in rallying?Victor: Cork 20 in 2006 – we rolled on the fi rst stage into a bog. We were catching a car in front and I wasn’t listening to my navigator!Susan: Same again, I was still reading the notes as we landed!

10. What drive are you most proud of to date?Victor: Fastnet Rally in 2007, when we fi nished fi rst in class. Also this year’s West Cork Rally.Susan: Winning our class at West Cork and also our fi rst class win at the Fastnet Rally.

11. What is your most frustrating memory in rallying?Victor: Going off on the fi rst stage of the Cork 20.Susan: Going out on the fi rst stage of the Cork 20 – it really was frustrating! After paying so much money and then you’re out…and I couldn’t even kick as I hurt my toe!

12. What is your biggest accident to date?Victor: Cork 20 when we rolled – we

had to get a loader to get it out of the bog but we survived.Susan: � e Cork accident is the only one that we’ve ever had – touch wood.

13. What are your plans for 2009?Victor: Southern 4 Championship and a few more rallies.Susan: Same as Victor.

14. What is your favourite event?Victor: West Cork Rally.Susan: Fastnet Rally.

15. What is your favourite rally car?Victor: Escort Cosworth or Toyota Celica.Susan: Vauxhall Nova of course!

16. What do you think about youth development in rallying?Victor: It would be lovely to see more awards such as the Billy Coleman AwardSusan: � ey need something to encourage more young people into the sport. Two of our sons have navigated, they are big into the sport, while our youngest does autocrossing.

17. If you could change anything about current rallying rules/admin what would it be?Victor: I’m happy enough to live with what’s there.Susan: � at fl ipping HANS thing! I know it’s a safety issue but it’s adding more expense. I’ve no problem wearing it, but I don’t like being forced to do it.

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RD1 RESULTS

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DriversKeith Cronin ................................. 24Liam Egan .................................... 18Stanley Ballentine ......................... 10

Co-driversGreg Shinnors .............................. 24Colin Harkness ............................. 18Donnacha O’Callaghan ................. 10

ChampionShip

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PICTUrEs

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1 Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors Mitsubishi ................... 1:16:55.22 Stanley Ballantine/Donnacha O’Callaghan Mitsubishi ................... 1:20:23.83 Liam Egan/Colin Harkness Mitsubishi ................... 1:37:38.3

RetirementsSS8 Thomas White/Robert Murphy - Gearbox

www.evo-challenge.ie |

3rd: Alan Carmichael & Ivor Lamont

Congratulations to Brendan Cumiskey & Peter O’TooleWinners of Round 1 - Galway International Rally

2008 MITSUBISHI RALLIART EVOLUTION CHALLENGE IRELAND

2008 Calendar

1 2/3 February - Galway

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

2nd: Owen Murphy & Greg Shinnors

Keith Cronin and co-driver Greg Shinnors dominated the Evolution Challenge field on both days and such was their pace in the dry and sunny conditions, that they recorded a total of six fastest overall stage times, finished fourth overall and won Group N.

round oneKeith Cronin and Greg Shinnors were quickest of the Mitsubishi runners on the first stage and were on blistering form, posting a time that was good enough to see them third overall. However, on the very next stage they slid into a ditch when the wipers smeared the windscreen and Cronin momentarily lost visibility. After losing over a minute extricating the car they were on their way again, but a broken intercooler pipe meant the car was down on power.

The three Evo Challenge competitors, who were seeded further down the field, faced a frustrating day, with three stages cancelled due to accidents taking place ahead of them, the first of which was on SS1.

After completing just one stage before the first service halt, Stanley Ballantine/Donnacha O’Callagan were second of the Evos, with Liam Egan/Colin Harkness third after suffering a loss of power towards

the end of SS2 due to a split turbo pipe. Tom White/Robert Murphy were in fourth, but concerned about their car’s transmission as the driver was having to hold the gear level to stop it jumping out of second.

A repeat run of the first two stages followed and Cronin/Shinnors extended their Evo

Challenge lead to a margin of over two minutes before the second service halt, whilst for the others, there was another hold up when stage three was cancelled.

Ballantine/O’Callaghan were consolidating second place and having a good run in their first rally together. But for Egan/Harkness is was not their lucky day: the power steering stopped working on SS4, dropping them over ten minutes when they tried to fix the problem in the stage. White/Murphy’s transmission troubles were getting

no better as they had now lost fifth gear.

The next pair of stages almost saw Cronin’s run come to an end, when the crew survived a ‘flat in fifth’ spin on SS6 and found themselves going backwards down the stage at high-speed. Thankfully, they came to a halt unscathed,

although it took over a minute to restart the stalled engine. After a good run through SS5, the remaining trio of Evos were to miss yet another stage, when SS6 was also cancelled.

Keith Cronin opted for a slightly more cautious approach on the final two stages and, other than suffering from a loose turbo pipe, he and Shinnors made it back to Clonakilty to scoop top points in the first round of the Irish Evo Challenge!

Ballantine/O’Callaghan finished a strong second and, just when it

Winners: Keith Cronin & Greg Shinnors

Stanley Ballantine & Donnacha O’Callaghan

Cronin Eyes The Crown…The Quality Hotels West Cork rally is one of Ireland’s classic rallies and this year hosted the first two rounds of the 2009 Mitsubishi ralliart Evolution Challenge Ireland, with the eight saturday stages representing round one and the eight sunday stages round two.

RD2 RESULTS1 Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors Mitsubishi ................... 1:00:29.42 Liam Egan/Colin Harkness Mitsubishi ................... 1:12:00.5

RetirementsSS11 Thomas White/Robert Murphy - GearboxSS14 Stanley Ballantine/Donnacha O’Callaghan - Transmission


Congratulations to Keith Cronin & Greg ShinnorsWinners of Round 1 - Quality Hotels West Cork Rally


2009 Calendar

1&2 14/15 March West Cork

3&4 11/12 April Circuit of Ireland

5 May 24Cavan Stages

6 19 July ALMC Stages

7 21/22 AugustUlster Rally

8&9 12/13 September Wexford

2nd: Liam Egan &Colin Harkness

3rd: Stanley Ballantine & Donnacha O’Callaghan


3rd: Alan Carmichael & Ivor Lamont

Congratulations to Brendan Cumiskey & Peter O’TooleWinners of Round 1 - Galway International Rally


2008 Calendar

1 2/3 February - Galway

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

2nd: Owen Murphy & Greg Shinnors


Irish Mitsubishi Evo

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Congratulations to Keith Cronin & Greg ShinnorsWinners of Round 1 - Quality Hotels West Cork Rally


2009 Calendar

1&2 14/15 March West Cork

3&4 11/12 April Circuit of Ireland

5 May 24Cavan Stages

6 19 July ALMC Stages

7 21/22 AugustUlster Rally

8&9 12/13 September Wexford

2nd: Liam Egan &Colin Harkness

3rd: Stanley Ballantine & Donnacha O’Callaghan

looked like third was in the bag for White/Murphy, their car’s gearbox finally expired on the last stage of the day, allowing Egan/Harkness to fill the final podium position. Round 2The James Foley Rallysport team repaired Tom White/Robert Murphy’s Lancer overnight, so the full complement of Evo Challenge crews set off for another eight stages on the Sunday. Again, it was Cronin/Shinnors who set the pace as they pulled out a margin of nearly a minute by the time the cars reached the first service halt after the first pair of stages.

Stanley Ballantine and Donnacha O’Callagan assumed second place once more, but for Egan/Harkness and White/Murphy history started to repeat itself: the turbocharger on Egan’s car lost its boost at the end of the second stage of the day, whilst White was seeing his gearbox issues return.

Cronin/Shinnors continued to forge ahead, their four fastest overall stage times on the Sunday raising a few eyebrows amongst the other

competitors in both Mitsubishis and WRC cars. In contrast, White/Murphy’s rally came to an end on stage 11 when their gearbox finally cried enough, whilst for Egan/Harkness, the character-building issues still persisted, their car now overheating due to a leaking radiator.

Just when it looked like

Ballantine/O’Callaghan were assured of a comfortable second place, a problem with their car’s centre differential saw them coast to a halt on SS14, allowing Egan/Harkness to inherit the position. But it was Cronin and Shinnors’ weekend, their impressive performance being the talk of the rally.

Keith Cronin said afterwards,

“I’m very pleased with the way things went this weekend. We were lucky to get away with a few things on Saturday, but Sunday went really well and the car was fantastic. The result is just what we wanted!”

Rounds three and four of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Ireland take place on April 12th & 13th, when the series

heads north to Dundalk for the Circuit or Ireland Rally.

The 2009 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Ireland is also supported by: Pirelli tyres, Sunoco fuel, James Foley Rallysport, Carbone Lorraine brake pads, Murray Motorsport, Speedline Corse wheels, PIAA lights, Pacenotes, Sparco racewear and Mitsubishi Motors Ireland.

Liam Egan & Colin Harkness Thomas White & Robert Murphy


nicky’s n

otes

nicky g

rist writes exclu

sively for p

aceno

tes

Unit 17, Mill Street Ind. Estate, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 5HE

Tel: 01873 853176 Email: [email protected]

nicky grist motorsports ltd

www.nickygrist.com

Call us for expert advice on Hans device issues

As I said in a previous Pacenotes column, the IRC is arguably the future of international rallying, and that appears to have been confi rmed by the FIA. � ey have confi rmed that the World Rally Championship will use the original Super 2000 regulations, and not the modifi ed version that they were looking to implement with Super 2000+.

It’s fair to say that the IRC does have a lot more manufacturer involvement when compared to the WRC at present. So from the FIA’s point of view, in a few years their championship will be seriously boosted by a mass of manufacturer teams.

� e benefi t of this is that fi nally youngsters who have aspirations of turning their hobby into their job can now do it. Over the last couple of years, budding drivers had to pay to get a seat and the sport has seriously suff ered as a result. With

so few drives available, drivers had no option but to pay for the seat. Hopefully, for the future, this will change and the sport will be back to where it was 10 years ago.

At the moment, the IRC is great for competition, but the manufacturers cannot call themselves World Champions. � at’s something that the FIA can off er them in the WRC, so expect to see an infl ux of manufacturers when the new Super 2000 regulations come into play.

Now that Kris Meeke has netted his fi rst truly international win, solid results for him over the next few events will pay dividends. I always look back to my time with Juha Kankkunen. While he was a very quick driver, he was always thankful of picking up a second or a third place.

When you look at his time in the WRC, he won quite a number of events and is a four times World

Champion. � at shows that points mean prizes, or championships in his case.

Of course, Colin McRae was an outright, born to win driver. When you look at his record, he also won a lot of events, yet he only won one championship. � at shows that you must drive with a certain amount of control as well to pick up the titles. Certainly for Kris, with the speed that he has, a Kankkunen approach would pay dividends over the next few events.

On a fi nal note, I will be teaming up with Kris at the Midland Stages Rally in early April. I’m really looking forward to getting back in the seat, and I’ll let you know how we get on in next month’s Pacenotes.

� at’s all for now!

Nicky Grist

Meeke Needs Kankkunen Approach…Finally, after many years, it was great to see Kris Meeke on the top podium spot of an International Rally. His victory at Brazil’s Rally Internacional de Curitiba has certainly helped him kick-start his IRC championship after the disappointment of the fi rst round in Monte Carlo.

Meeke Needs Kankkunen Approach…

Cam

illus Bradley Mo

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51pacenotes.net april 2009

Nobody Builds Them

Like Bradley...

Nestled in the countryside not far from Draperstown, County Tyrone, lies a hidden gem. This place is well known in rally circles, but you need to be ‘in the know’ to fi nd the exact location. For many Mk2 men however, it’s their spiritual home.

Cam

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52 pacenotes.net april 2009

We’re talking about Camillus Bradley Motorsport of course - home of the modern day Mark 2 Escort. � e workshops were crammed with the potent rally machines when

Pacenotes arrived for a visit, and it’s not surprising, as Camillus is one of the most revered Mark 2 Escort builders (and drivers) in the

country.� e Draperstown man oversees

all aspects of the work, and his attention to detail is second to none. Every aspect of preparation is carried out meticulously, and with so much care taken over all the fi ner details, you can’t help but think that Bradley must have a touch of OCD! � at’s not a bad thing for his customers, though, as they’re guaranteed to receive a pristine and reliable rally machine.

A quick look around some of his customers’ cars provides a real eye opener. Camillus builds cars from scratch, transforming them from bare shells into tarmac (and forest) munching rally cars.

“When we get a shell, we take it into the workshop and strip it,” Bradley explained. “If we need to, we can replace almost any part of it, and leave it looking exactly as it

was originally. � e shells are then sandblasted and that’s the only job we don’t do inhouse. We can sandblast smaller items, but we send shells to another company.”

“When the shell comes back to us, we completely strip it out, do all the fabricating work to it and maybe put some primer on it,” Bradley continued. “� en the shell is 90% built, then stripped back out and put in boxes. � at’s the only way to get all of your drilled holes sealed with paint.”

“So after being stripped out, she goes to our paint shop where all the body work is sorted. Once she’s painted, the car is back out and we wax the shell completely. � en everything is built back on to it and she’s ready for the customer. On average, it takes about six months from start to fi nish, although we could probably do it quicker if the customer was in a rush.”

A colossal amount of man hours goes into building each car, and even Camillus is afraid to calculate the amount of time spent!

“I don’t have a clue how many hours we spend, but what I can tell you is that we put a lot of time into the shell,” Bradley proudly admits. “My car has done the guts of 4000 stage miles and if you go out and look at it, the shell is like brand new. We spend a lot of time on the body work, making sure there’s nowhere for dirt to lie and that sort of thing. Strength is number one, but in my

own preference, tidiness is number two.”

With Camillus Bradley, customers having their cars built receive a very personal service. � ere is no such thing as a ‘copycat’ car at Bradley’s, as every car will contain diff erent parts, depending on what a customer wants.

Bradley has also developed many of his own parts to suit the cars that he builds. He has airboxes produced to suit most engines, and has various shapes of underfl oor guards

to suit diff erent shells – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“We’ve always been looking to make things better all the time,” Bradley explained. “Any spare time we’ve had over the years, we’ve spent it trying to improve the likes of the car’s handling or engine, or even just tidiness.”

“We were probably one of the fi rst companies to fi t power steering and suspension is an area that I intend to develop,” Bradley continued. “� ere are a lot of diff erent suspension options out there but I really don’t believe that any of them are any better than the others, because nobody has shown a specifi c one to be any quicker.”

“� at’s why I have a new strut and WRC hubs in stock,” Bradley continued. “I’m defi nitely going to put the time into it and work with a suspension company. We’ll do a lot of testing and get the best setup for our cars.”

We’re talking about Camillus We’re talking about Camillus We’re talking about was originally. � e shells are then own preference, tidiness is number

and it’s not surprising, as Camillus is one of the most revered Mark 2 Escort builders (and drivers) in the

country.

“I DON’T HAVE A CLUE HOW MANY HOURS WE SPEND, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE

PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO THE SHELL... STRENGTH IS NUMBER ONE, BUT IN MY OWN PREFERENCE,

TIDINESS IS NUMBER TWO.”

Camillus is a regular winner on the Irish black stuff ...

Repainted into the famous trademark orange

His fi rst Sunbeam

There is no such thing as a ‘copycat’ car at Bradley’s, as every car will contain di� erent parts, depending on what a customer wants.


Of course, building rally cars is not the only service that Bradley off ers, and over the last few years, he has accumulated a massive selection of parts. From smaller items such as nuts and bolts, to larger products including carbon fi bre boot lids and bonnets, Bradley caters for absolutely everyone.

“A lot of our stock is tailor made and that’s something I can’t stress enough,” Bradley enthused. “A lot of my parts, should it be body parts such as tunnels, body kits, struts and that sort of thing, are all unique to me. I also have my own front and rear anti-roll bar kits for Escorts, as well as stainless steel exhausts. I have my own manifolds, rear silencers and a full system to suit Vauxhall engines. And in all cases, the fi rst priority is quality, the second is price – that applies to every item I have.”

Camillus’ knowledge is not something that can be found easily. It has taken the Draperstown man many years to gather all of his Mark 2 Escort wisdom, which is something that money simply

cannot buy.But while Bradley is known as a

Mark 2 specialist, he also caters for a wider range of cars and has a load of stock for Evos and Hondas.

“We’ve Evo and Honda parts, as well as parts for the rear-wheel

drive Toyota Corolla and Peugeot 205,” Bradley explained. “� ings like suspension, sump guards and that sort of thing. We do everything for Escorts, but there’s so much more to the business as well. I’ve had a lot of enquiries about historic cars and

that’s defi nitely another growing side to the business. I’m defi nitely planning to build an historic car, maybe later this year.”

Bradley’s enterprise has now been operational for almost 20 years, and what a long way he has come since those early days. After setting up shop in a small shed at the back of his brother’s house, using his brother’s telephone to boot, Bradley

now fi rmly stands on his own two feet, and runs one of the most respected preparation outfi ts in the country.

“I don’t think there’s anyone out there than can say we don’t do a good job,” Bradley told Pacenotes. “I take pride in every single thing I do. If it’s not right, it will be done over and over again until I’m happy with it. We stock everything and we do everything in house from start to fi nish. If someone wants a part, they’ll get it complete. It’s not just a part in a box, but it’s everything else that goes with it too.. every nut and bolt required to fi t it.”

Bradley’s talent is also well-known behind the wheel. He frequently trades times with the quickest rear-wheel drive men in the country, proving that he can drive as well as he builds rally cars. His rally driving exploits started shortly before he set up his business, although he sampled a few other cars before moving to Escorts.

“Charlie Phillips, a neighbour of mine, used to sell cars in Antrim,” Bradley said. “He happened to trade in an Opel Kadett, but he had it for six months and never sold it. � en my boss and Damian Flanagan, who was a friend of mine that I worked with, talked me into buying it.”

Camillus prepared the car and entered the Tour of the Sperrins as well as the Magherafelt Lanes rally, before deciding that he needed something a bit quicker. It was then that he moved to a Talbot Sunbeam, in which he gained what he still regards as one of the best results of his driving career.

“It was around 1988 when myself and Crawford Henderson fi nished fourth overall at the Donegal Harvest Rally,” Bradley recalled. “At that time, to fi nish as high as that in a Sunbeam was unreal! I only entered a couple of events every this year.” bolt required to fi t it.”

another growing side to the business. I’m defi nitely planning to build an historic car, maybe later this year.”this year.”that money simply bolt required to fi t it.” entered a couple of events every bolt required to fi t it.”

“I TAKE PRIDE IN EVERY SINGLE THING I DO... IF SOMEONE WANTS A PART, THEY’LL GET IT COMPLETE. IT’S NOT JUST A PART IN A BOX, BUT IT’S EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES WITH IT TOO.. EVERY NUT AND BOLT REQUIRED TO FIT IT.”

Another Bradley Beauty.. ready to go!

Many parts are manufactured specifi cally for Camillus.

53pacenotes.net

There is no such thing as a ‘copycat’ car at Bradley’s, as every car will contain di� erent parts, depending on what a customer wants.

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54

year, so I held on to the white Sunbeam for two or three years, and then we ended up rebuilding it into an orange shell.”

Camillus held on to his orange Sunbeam for around fi ve years, before acquiring Seamus Donnelly’s Twin Cam Corolla. � en he took a notion for an Escort, and travelled to England with the intention of bringing one home. As it turned out, he bought two of them!

“We got them home and stripped them,” Bradley said. “One of them was my fi rst orange car and I rallied it for a couple of years before building the new one, which is the same car that I use today.”

Bradley was proud of his new Escort builds, and they certainly impressed everyone else too. His Escorts were and still are among the tidiest in the country, and as word spread, a lot of Escort work started accumulating. It really helped to kick start his business, and as Bradley has gained many rallying successes over the years, his business has been equally as successful.

“� anks must go to all my customers,” Bradley said. “Not only the people that are my customers at the moment, but all those who have given me their business over the years.”

“I just hope the Escorts keep going forever,” Bradley continued. “I think as long as the Mark 2 Escort is still available and allowed to rally, they’ll be hard to kill. And if a customer wants something, we’ll build it!”

As a fi nal farewell, Camillus treated Pacenotes to a passenger ride in one of his meticulously prepared rally cars. It was merely a demonstration drive…we didn’t hit sixth gear and all four wheels stayed fi rmly planted on the tarmac, honest! Remember we mentioned OCD? Well, we think in Bradley’s case, it must stand for Obsessive Compulsive Driver!

year, so I held on to the white Sunbeam for two or three years, and then we ended up rebuilding it into an orange shell.”

around fi ve years, before acquiring Seamus Donnelly’s Twin Cam Corolla. � en he took a notion for an Escort, and travelled to England with the intention of bringing one home. As it turned out, he bought two of them!

said. “One of them was my fi rst orange car and I rallied it for a couple of years before building the new one, which is the same car that I use today.”

they certainly impressed everyone else too. His Escorts were and still are among the tidiest in the country, and as word spread, a lot of Escort work started accumulating. It really helped to kick start

“THANKS MUST GO TO ALL MY CUSTOMERS...NOT ONLY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MY CUSTOMERS AT THE MOMENT, BUT ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN ME THEIR BUSINESS OVER THE YEARS.”

Camillus explains to Pacenotes editor

Simon, how his new WRC hubs will work

on his Escort.

Body panels & Body Shells galore!Top brand parts are always in stock

Engines available to your spec.

Hans devices and racewear...

Historic Shells available to order.

Custom exhausts & rear axles

IRELAND’S LARGEST ESCORT SPECIALISTS

FOR HIRE...MK2 Escort 2L 16v

NOW STOCKING

NOW STOCKING ALL ARROW CRANK SHAFT & CONNECTING RODS. SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICES

LARGE STOCK OF DRIVE SHAFTS & ANY DRIVE SHAFT MADE TO ORDER IN 24HRS.

LARGE SELECTION OF CARBON PANELS HELD IN STOCK

NOW STOCKING NEW HEAVY DUTY QUAIFE SEQUENTIAL GEARBOX WITH EXTRA LONG (20”) GEAR LEVER WITH 20MM SHIFT. DESIGNED BY AND AVAILABLE ONLY AT C. BRADLEY MOTOR ENGINEERS. MADE TO ALLOW FLATSHIFT TO BE FITTED - FITTING AVAILABLE IN-HOUSE.

FANTASTIC RESULTS - outdrives all other gearboxes!

INTERESTED?Call for test drive

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NEW FULLY FLOATING ATLAS AXLE AVAILABLE TO BUY OFF THE SHELF - BUILT WITH 4.6 OR 5.1 CW&P, ZF LSD, AP 4-POT BRAKES AND H/D HALF-SHAFTS 56 1/4” WIDE. ANY SPEC ALSO BUILT TO ORDER WITHIN 2 DAYS. AXLE AS SHOWN WITH BRAKES, WATTS LINKAGE COVER, BRAKE PIPES FITTED, ETC £3988.00 +VAT

MK1 & MK2 ESCORT H/D STEERING RACKS *SPECIAL 2.2 RATIO* FOR C BRADLEY MOTORSPORT £275 +VAT

We are now building Historic cars and supplying all parts to suit

C.BRADLEYMOTORSPORT

IRELAND’S ONLYONE STOP SHOP

SWITCH

WE NOW ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS

028 7962 7282 • 07710 [email protected]

HISTORIC RALLY ING

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JENVEY THROTTLE BODIES

FABRICATED HISTORIC SHELLS AVAILABLE TO BUY OFF THE SHELF

Quaife 15G H/D GearboxesNEW - £3700+VAT Suitable for RWD

Large selction of seats and harnesses in stock

All DUNLOP COMPETITION TYRES • STILO HELMETS & INTERCOMS - AT BEST PRICES

NOW STOCKING TRACTIVE GEAR

BOXES AND DRIVESHAFTS

Also stocking gearkits, suspension, rollcages, exhaust systems and many spares for Toyota Corolla AE86 and Peugeot 205’s

HANS SYSTEMS FROM £370+VAT

1 WillNicholls/NickBroom SUBARUIMPREZA......... 56:14.02 RogerDuckworth/MarkBroomfield SUBARUIMPREZA......... 56:36.73 SeanDevine/FrancisRegan SUBARUIMPREZAS11.. 58:05.24 DanielBarry/MartinBrady MITSUBISHIEVOIX........ 58:43.05 SimonHughes/PatrickWalsh MITSUBISHIEVOIX........ 58:45.86 AnthonyWillmington/AndrewWhite MITSUBISHIEVOVI........ 58:52.97 AndreasMagnusson/HenrikHulterskog MITSUBISHIEVOIX........ 58:57.88 NikElsmore/CraigDrew MITSUBISHIEVOIX........ 59:02.29 CharliePayne/CraigThorley MITSUBISHIWRC.......... 59:02.910AlanCookson/JulianWilkinson SUBARUIMPREZA......... 59:30.511OwenMurphy/DaiRoberts MITSUBISHIEVOIX..... 1:00:01.912AlanCarmichael/IvorLamont MITSUBISHIEVOIX..... 1:00:52.613DaveWestonJr/NeilShanks SUBARUIMPREZA...... 1:01:04.114PeterEgerton/JamieEdwards HYUNDAIACCENT...... 1:01:16.115WugUtting/BobStokoe SUBARUIMPREZA...... 1:02:16.8

RESULTS

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PICTUrEsMark sims

Class Battles…Class 2Craig Breen and Gareth Roberts had a successful weekend aboard their Ford Fiesta as they claimed class two honours. The crew finished the event comfortably ahead of media moguls Tony Jardine and Franca Davenport, with James Wesley and Glyn Thomas third.

Class 3Daniel Barry and Martin Brady topped the Group N standings in their Mitsubishi, finishing fourth overall in the process. They claimed the award by a slender 2.8 seconds from Simon Hughes and Patrick Walsh, with Andreas Magnusson and Henrik Hulterskog third.

Class 4Event winners Will Nicholls and Nick Broom were the highest placed class four competitors, while their nearest rivals were at the opposite end of the top 10. Charlie Payne and Craig Thorley claimed ninth overall in their Mitsubishi Lancer WRC, with Alan Cookson and Julian Wilkinson in 10th.

Class 5Only one class five crew reached the finish line, and that honour went to Barrie Purrett and Andrew Papadopoullos. Driving their Proton Compact, they kept between the hedges to claim 48th overall.

Class 6Lee and Daniel Robinson emerged on top in class six.

Where There’s A Will…

The organisers were forced to cancel the opening two stages as both men were taken to Poole hospital. Grinstead sustained minor injuries while Underhill was detained at the hospital with ankle injuries. Pacenotes wishes both competitors a speedy recovery.

With both of the Friday evening stages cancelled, nominal times

were awarded to most of the top seeds, so everyone had to wait until the Saturday to find out who was on the pace. On the Saturday, it was Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery who were quickest out of the blocks in their Hyundai Accent WRC.

Dodd completed the opening stage at Silverstone Rally School more than four seconds faster than

Will Nicholls and Nick Broom, who moved into second position, with Roger Duckworth third. In fact, Dodd continued to set the pace, and it was only on stage six that Paul Bird and Ian Windress broke the Accent driver’s stranglehold.

Unfortunately for the early rally leader, his Accent could go no further as cambelt failure halted

CL2: Craig Breen & Gareth Roberts GpN: Daniel Barry & Martin Brady CL4: Charlie Payne & Craig Thorley

CL5: Barrie Purrett & Andrew Papadopoullos

There was plenty of excitement ahead of this year’s rallye sunseeker, round one of the Pirelli MsA Gravel rally Championship, but the sparks really flew when Geoff Underhill and Adrian Grinstead crashed, knocking down a lamppost and leaving live electricity wires exposed!

Winners: Will Nicholls & Nick Broom

Sunseeker RallyPirelli M

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his progress at the start of stage six. Meanwhile, on the previous stage, Steve Perez and Paul Spooner retired from third overall in a ditch. So that left Will Nicholls leading the event by less than three seconds from Paul Bird and Ian Windress, with Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield third.

Meanwhile, in terms of the Irishmen, Sean Devine and Francis Regan were acquitting themselves well in their Impreza WRC. The crew held a top six position from the start of day two, and were working their way up the order. Fourth overall after stage six, they were on course for a healthy points haul in the Championship.

Further down the order, Daniel Barry and Martin Brady were seventh overall and third in Group N, while Owen Murphy was just outside the top 10. Despite some intercom trouble, Alan Carmichael and Ivor Lamont held 13th aboard their Impreza WRC, while Craig

Breen and Gareth Roberts were up to 28th overall in their Fiesta.

Back at the top of the leaderboard, Paul Bird managed to overhaul Will Nicholls after stage seven to take the rally lead. It was a short-lived affair though, and after losing time on stage 10, electrical problems put him out of the event before the start of stage 11.

Bird’s retirement allowed Will Nicholls and Nick Broom to regain the top spot, and they kept their noses clean to claim the rally victory! They had almost 23 seconds in hand at the finish, with Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield claiming second overall.

Neither Nicholls nor Duckworth were registered for the championship, so maximum points were awarded to Strabane’s Sean Devine. He and navigator Francis Regan finished in an excellent third overall, ensuring they top the championship tables after the opening round.

In fourth position, Daniel Barry and Martin Brady also upheld Irish honours by winning Group N, while Simon Hughes and Patrick Walsh were fifth ahead of Anthony Willmington and Andrew White.

Further down the order, Irish visitor Owen Murphy, who had Dai Roberts calling the notes, finished 11th overall in a Mitsubishi, ahead of Alan Carmichael and Ivor Lamont. Craig Breen was the only remaining Irish contestant and he claimed 24th overall, as well as the class two spoils, with Gareth Roberts navigating.

With the opening round of this year’s Championship brought to a close, competitors are already looking forward to round two, the Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally. As Pacenotes goes to print, championship leader Sean Devine is still unsure whether or not he will continue his campaign, but either way, Pacenotes will be there to report on the action!

The crew took their Mark 2 Escort to the top of the pile, winning the class by more than one minute from Bradden Axon and Graham Patten. Andrew Hebron and Simon Illsley completed the top three.

Class 7Class seven was a fairly closely fought affair, with a little more than 30 seconds separating the two contenders at the finish line. In the end it was Tom Walster and Tim Sturla who claimed the award, leaving Geoff Bennett and Michael Stewart to settle for second. Alec Holding and Tony Cotton completed the top three.

Class 9Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield finished the event as the leading class nine contenders, ahead of Sean Devine and Francis Regan, while Anthony

Willmington and Andrew White were third. See main report for more details.

Class H13Dominic Worsfold and Steve Chapman were the sole finishers in class H13. The Ford Escort crew grabbed a top 40 position, bringing their mount home in 34th overall.

Class H14Two crews made the finish in H14, with the spoils awarded to Peter Hall and John Billet. They kept their RS2000 TC out of trouble to claim 39th overall, while Jim Valentine and Andrew Harris finished second in class.

2nd: Roger Duckworth & Mark Broomfield 3rd: Sean Devine & Francis Regan

CL5: Barrie Purrett & Andrew Papadopoullos

CL6: Lee & Daniel Robinson CL7: Tom Walster & Tim Sturla C9: Roger Duckworth & Mark Broomfield

H13: Dominic Worsfold & Steve Chapman

H14: Peter Hall & John Billet


Stage Notesgreat co-driver tips

from shelley rogerson

Cheap Thrills With Shelley…

Hi and welcome to the April edition of my co-driving column!

With a credit crunch starting to bite, I am looking at going back to our roots. No, I’m not

talking about the need for Just For Men, but more on how to have some rallying fun for

less cost. An excellent way of beginning to navigate

is a table top event. All you need to buy is a pencil, roamer and a map - you don’t even

need a car! Local car clubs usually run these at the end of navigator classes. I know you’re

thinking maybe it’s a bit dull, but no way - they are actually very competitive and you can

really put the skills into practice. If you’re not a member of a car club, a great

way (that I used) to practice was get a friend to set a route of grid references and spot

heights etc, and then you plot the route. You don’t even need to leave the sofa!

Twelve Cars are also fantastic fun. Costing roughly £10-£20 to enter, you can use any

car you want and they usually culminate in a hotpot supper. Seriously though, these are fun and do give practice to any budding navigator. Twelve Cars really give good explanations on

map reading, timing and other quizzes such as herring bones and spot heights.

Half night road rallies are an extension of this, a little more expensive and harder in navigation. You can usually fi nd one close to home. Again they test timing and map skills. � ey are also a good way of meeting people

who are also beginning or people who are experienced that you can ask advice from.

If you do prefer stage events, single venues are probably the cheapest way of stage

rallying. � ey are great value for money and also very close and competitive. Also if you

are a beginner at co-driving, there are no roadbooks to worry about and the timing is

very straight forward. You can also meet a lot of people through this type of rallying and the

championships are normally very reasonable to enter.

Drivers should watch out for any car club trails, autotests and sprints, because here you can practice car control for a snip. You really

don’t need to miss out - just make sure you budget and pick and choose carefully for the

year, if you want to do bigger rallies. If you don’t have a big budget you can still enjoy

navigating. Get along to your local car club fi nd out what’s happening!

‘Til next time (I’m high on)

Shell x

Kris Hall (19) won the fi rst round of the Kick Energy Fiesta SportTrophy UK, the Malcolm Wilson Rally, by 54 seconds and fi nished 18th in the overall classifi cation. � e event is Hall’s local rally. However, not all odds were stacked in Hall’s favour, as it was the fi rst time he had teamed up with navigator Robbie Durant.

� ere were many ‘fi rsts’ for FST competitors on this rally. � e event was to be 2008 FST International Shootout winner, Belgium’s Matthias Boon’s (19) ninth rally, but his fi rst rally on gravel and his fi rst rally outside of his home country. Harry Hunt (20) from London had never competed before and only had fi ve miles of experience in a rally car. Matt Edwards (24) from Bothel, Cumbria had worked hard to build his own car in a three sided barn, only just completing it in time; while Stefan Davis from Aylesford bought his Fiesta ST just one day before the rally, so neither driver had much experience of their cars before the start of the rally.

Heading into SS1, Hobcarton (2.73 miles), conditions were reported to be inconsistent, with stages covered in slippery mud with occasional areas of grip. � e fi rst stage was won by Hall, setting a stunning time of 3 minutes 12 seconds a new FST record for the stage. In second position was Craig Breen (19) from Waterford with 2008 FST UK and FST Ireland champion co-driver Gareth Roberts. In joint third place were Stefan Davis with co-driver Louise Cook and Matt Edwards with co-driver Andy Murphy. Last year’s Malcolm Wilson Rally winner, Stevie Brown was aiming for another win, but a broken driveshaft on SS1 caused major time loss.

SS2, Comb (5.63 miles), saw a second stage win by Hall, six seconds ahead of Breen and eight seconds ahead of Edwards in 3rd. FST regulars Barry Greer (21) from Carryduff with co-driver John Lemon broke a driveshaft and had to limp through the stage

SS3, Wythop (3.25 miles), saw Hall and Breen set exactly the same time, with Edwards once again third. � ere where three drivers in equal fourth position again showing how tight the FST series is. Stefan Davis, Barry Greer and Mark Donnelly (17) from Omagh with co-driver Paddy Robinson, whose team had worked round the clock to repair his Fiesta ST after Donnelly rolled it in Ireland the previous weekend, making it to the rally just in time. Billy Coleman Award winner Ross Forde (25) from Galway and co-driver Arron Forde struggled with an intermittent engine problem.

SS4, Greystoke 1 (6.55 miles) was the last stage before the cars were due into service and paid its toll on a number of the Fiestas,

changing the order signifi cantly. Current leader Hall lost over a minute with a fuel pump issue dropping him into third position, a problem that would also aff ect Ross Forde and Neil Coalter (26) from Belfast and co-driver Hannah Cessford. Second-placed Breen was the fi rst retirement from the event, losing forward drive three miles into the stage and into a very disappointed retirement after a strong showing. Matthias Boon and current Belgian champion co-driver John Lavaerts, John Boyd and co-driver Fred Bell, Donnelly and Edwards all sustained punctures in Greystoke Forest.

� e problems for Hall and Breen resulted in Stefan Davis taking the stage win and rising into the lead. Kyle Orr (19) from Dromore and co-driver Owain Davies snatched second place on the stage and overall, with Manx Motorsport Youth Trust supported Martin Jones from Douglas with co-driver Kris Killip third fastest on the stage.

Next, the rally headed south to SS5, Grizedale South (11.11 miles), where Hall took his fourth fastest time of the day. Edwards was second and Davis third.

SS6, Grizedale North (7.38 miles), saw Hall inherit the lead once again, with the retirement of Davis. Hall was followed by Edwards and the recovering Stevie Brown in third. � e scene was set for a thrilling fi nish as both Kyle Orr and Matt Edwards where tied on time going into the fi nal stage.

� e fi nal stage, the second run through Greystoke 2, was shortened to three miles to try to improve the conditions. Hall took his sixth fastest stage time of the day, earning himself the Castrol Hard Charger Award and winning the rally by a margin of 54 seconds.

Second was taken by Matt Edwards, just 4 seconds ahead of Orr, who was happy to fi nish third on the fi rst round of the series.

� e awful luck of 2008 winner Stevie Brown continued with another puncture and he got stuck off the road, eventually fi nishing the stage with the help of spectators.

Hall dominateson home ground...


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Drivers1 Daniel Barry ........................... 122 Simon Hughes ....................... 103 Andreas Magnusson ................ 84 Nik Elsmore ............................. 75 Owen Murphy .......................... 66 Alan Carmichael ....................... 57 Neil Armstrong ......................... 4

Co-drivers1 Martin Brady .......................... 122 Patrick Walsh ......................... 103 Henrik Hulterskog ..................... 84 Craig Drew ............................... 75 Dai Roberts .............................. 66 Ivor Lamont ............................. 57 Max Ferri .................................. 4

ChampionShip

1 Daniel Barry/Martin Brady Mitsubishi ...................... 58:43.02 Simon Hughes /Patrick Walsh Mitsubishi ...................... 58:45.83 Andreas Magnusson/Henrik Hulterskog Mitsubishi ...................... 58:57.84 Nik Elsmore/ Craig Drew Mitsubishi ...................... 59:02.25 Owen Murphy/Dai Roberts Mitsubishi ................... 1:00:01.96 Alan Carmichael/Ivor Lamont Mitsubishi ................... 1:00:52.67 Neil Armstrong/Max Ferri Mitsubishi ................... 1:03:36.8

RetirementsSS3 Daniel Sigurdarson/Isak Gudjonsson

- TransmissionSS6 Johnathan Sparks/Chris Davies

- OTLSS13 Hans-Erik Weng/Roger Gunnarsson

- Turbo

RD1 RESULTS

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rallygallery.com

Barry’sBournemouth Belter…

Winners: Daniel Barry & Martin Brady

From its Sunseeker debut in 2001 the Evolution Challenge has earned itself a reputation of being one of the most competitive rally championships in the UK – and this year’s round one did not disappoint. Ten Evo Challenge crews started the event, with just a few seconds separating the front-runners all day and the lead changing five times.

Even more interesting was the appearance of drivers from outside the UK and Ireland. These included 2008 Swedish Evo Challenge Champion Andreas Magnusson and runner-up Hans Erik-Weng, plus the re-appearance of Icelandic Rally Champion Daniel Sigurdarson and Barbados driver Neil Armstrong.

Sticking to tradition, the Rallye Sunseeker began with two runs through the host town’s botanical gardens and along the sea front. However, an accident meant that these popular spectator stages had to be abandoned and the competition began in earnest on the Saturday morning.

The day was to feature 11 stages in the Ringwood and Wareham Forests and first to set the pace was Barry. However, an intermittent problem with the car’s anti-lag system saw him lose time during

the first four stages and when crews arrived at the first service halt, the time sheets showed Nik Elsmore in the lead, albeit just half a second ahead of Barry.

Point nine of a second back was Hughes, who was making an impressive Evo Challenge debut. Magnusson was next and admitted he was off to steady start, having not driven his Evo since the final

round of the Swedish series in September. Switching from the Irish series to the UK for this season, Owen Murphy was in fifth, but hampered by a car that was handling as if it were rear-wheel rather than four-wheel drive.

Next was Weng, who also started cautiously, this being the first event in his brand new Evo X – and the first time Mitsubishi’s latest version of the Lancer had been seen rallying in the UK. Another ex-Irish

Evo Challenge front-runner Alan Carmichael was disappointed to find himself seventh, but knew that most of his time had been lost when his intercom had failed during the morning’s stages.

Armstrong was eighth of the Evo runners at this point and was clearly enjoying his first ever rally on British soil – albeit quite different to the conditions he is used to when

rallying in the Caribbean.More unfortunate was Evo

Challenge regular Jonathan Sparks, who retired after exceeding his maximum lateness during the road section on the way to service. But by far the worst luck of the day was reserved for Sigurdarson, when his car’s rear differential broke just a few hundred yards into the first stage of the day.

Four of the next loop of five stages took place in Wareham

3rd: Andreas Magnusson & Henrik Hulterskog2nd: Simon Hughes & Patrick Walsh

Bournemouth’s rallye sunseeker hosted the opening round of this year’s Mitsubishi ralliart Evolution Challenge, and daniel Barry and co-driver Martin Brady got their 2009 title bid off to a flying start by winning, just 2.8 seconds ahead of series newcomer simon Hughes, who was accompanied by 2007 Champion co-driver Patrick Walsh.

www.evo-challenge.co.uk |

Congratulations to Daniel Barry & Martin Brady

Winners of Round 1 - Rallye Sunseeker

2009 MITSUBISHI RALLIART EVOLUTION CHALLENGE UK

2009 Calendar

1 27/28 February Rallye Sunseeker

2 21 March Border Counties Rally

3 April 18Pirelli Tour of Cumbria

4 8/9 May RBSI Manx Rally

5 30th MaySevern Valley National

6 18 JulySwansea Bay Rally

7 21/22 August Ulster Rally

8 26 SeptemberRally Yorkshire

3rd: Andreas Magnusson & Henrick Hulterskog

2nd: Simon Hughes & Patrick Walsh


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Forest and saw Elsmore drop back, last year’s runner-up putting his loss of pace down to pushing too hard on what was a softer surface. Seeing his rival’s speed reduce, Barry edged ahead on stage seven, but admitted he had taken his eye off Hughes’ times, and on stage nine the series debutant took the lead.

Surprised not to be in front, Barry fought back, but a repeat of the earlier anti-lag issues, plus an overshoot in the final two stages meant that it was a neck-and-neck battle to the finish between him and Hughes. Just behind the leading pair a fight was also going on for third. Magnusson had now found his feet and was flying, recording the fastest Evo Challenge times in both SS12 and SS13, which was enough to nudge him ahead of Elsmore by 4.4 seconds.

Murphy was fifth, still having to cope with a car that went sideways at every opportunity, which did little to help his progress, but a lot to entertain the spectators. Carmichael got quicker as the day progressed, but could not make up for the lost time in the

morning, whilst Armstrong was seventh and delighted to get to the finish, reporting he had thoroughly enjoyed his new experience.

In contrast it was disappointment for Weng when his new car’s turbo lost boost in the final stage and, not wanting to do any more damage, he decided to stop rather than try to make it to the finish. However, his team was

delighted with the potential the Evo X showed.

Commenting on his win, Barry said, “It’s great to have won the first round of the Evo Challenge and to finish fourth overall. We had a great battle all day and it was very close at the end, although the problems with the anti-lag system made it harder work than it should have been. However, it’s just the start we were

looking for and there’s no doubt we have an exciting season ahead of us.”

From an initial field of 80 cars, the overall results saw four Evo Challenge competitors finish in the top ten and the first six home were also the first six Group N runners. The Evolution Challenge now moves north for round two, the Border Counties Rally, which takes place in Kielder Forest on 21st

March.The 2009 Mitsubishi Ralliart

Evolution Challenge is supported by Mitsubishi Motors UK, Ralliart, Pirelli tyres, Sunoco fuels, JR Motorsports, Speedline Corse wheels, Carbone Lorraine brakes, Walkinshaw Performance, Sparco racewear and PIAA lights - who sponsor the junior award for under 25-year old drivers.

4th: Nik Elsmore & Craig Drew 5th: Owen Murphy & Dai Roberts

www.evo-challenge.co.uk |

Congratulations to Daniel Barry & Martin Brady

Winners of Round 1 - Rallye Sunseeker

2009 MITSUBISHI RALLIART EVOLUTION CHALLENGE UK

2009 Calendar

1 27/28 February Rallye Sunseeker

2 21 March Border Counties Rally

3 April 18Pirelli Tour of Cumbria

4 8/9 May RBSI Manx Rally

5 30th MaySevern Valley National

6 18 JulySwansea Bay Rally

7 21/22 August Ulster Rally

8 26 SeptemberRally Yorkshire

3rd: Andreas Magnusson & Henrick Hulterskog

2nd: Simon Hughes & Patrick Walsh

1 RyanGraffin MitsubishiEvo............... 1:27.492 DerekMcGeehan ToyotaCelica................. 1:27.703 KieronGraffin MitsubishiEvo............... 1:28.334 DavyGraham MitsubishiEvo............... 1:30.355 AlanMcGeehan ToyotaCelica................. 1:31.026 BrianMuldoon SubaruImpreza.............. 1:31.107 MervynWedlock FordEscort.................... 1:31.398 MarkMassey MitsubishiEvo............... 1:31.489 JonnyMcKenna SubaruImpreza.............. 1:31.9810 TrevorFerguson SubaruImpreza.............. 1:33.2411 SeamusDonnelly MitsubishiLancer........... 1:33.7112 AidanToner FordEscortMKII............ 1:33.8013 GaryPrice FordEscortMKII............ 1:34.0614 GarethNeely MitsubishiEvo............... 1:34.2315 DenisFerry SubaruImpreza.............. 1:34.27

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PICTUrEsMartin McCorriston

RESULTS

Gareth Sayers

Niall Braniff

WINNER: Ryan Graffin

In fact, each of the top eight crews set their fastest time of the day over the final run!

During the early stages, it looked as though Derek McGeehan had everything in hand in his Toyota Celica. He was fastest from the outset, beating his rivals by two seconds over the first run.

Then Ryan Graffin closed the gap to less than one-tenth of a second after run two, while McGeehan failed to better his time. The heat was on and run three saw both men set their personal bests of the day, but McGeehan held the advantage by almost half a second.

Graffin knew he had to pull something extra special out of the bag, and run four saw him nip in front of McGeehan by a slender tenth of a second. The tables had turned but with one run remaining, it was still anyone’s rally.

Both men bettered their times once again over the fifth test, but it was Ryan Graffin who emerged from the event as the victor in his Mitsubishi Lancer. His fastest time of the day was 0.21 of a second quicker than Derek McGeehan, handing him the spoils at the Lough Neagh Car & Tarmac Rally Marshals Club event!

Derek McGeehan had to settle for second position, while Kieron

Graffin arrived home in third. Davy Graham also set his fastest time of the day on run five, which was enough to take fourth overall, with Alan McGeehan fifth ahead of Brian Muldoon.

In the two-wheel-drive category, Mervyn Wedlock dominated the

event from the start. Quick from the off, he was a handful of seconds faster than his rivals over the first run. Bit by bit, the competition closed the gap, and after run four, Aidan Toner was less than one-tenth adrift of Wedlock’s fastest time.

It was all down to the final run, and while Toner failed to better his time, Wedlock made victory a certainty when he went two seconds faster. As well as the 2WD spoils, Wedlock netted seventh overall, with Toner taking second ahead of Gary Price, Gareth Sayers and Trevor Allen. Barry McKenna finished sixth, despite only

completing two runs, while Seamus O’Connell and William McClurkin completed the top eight.

Class Warfare…JP McSorley took his Honda Civic to the top of the class one tree, with Garrett Loughran in second

position. Brian Muldoon won class two from Mark Massey, while Gareth Sayers took the class three spoils ahead of Glenn Campbell. Simon Gordon won class four from Andrew Bustard’s Corsa, with Damien McGrath taking the class five spoils in his Civic from Hugh Francis Dillon.

William McClurkin took the class one spoils by more than one second from Gerry McGivney, with 2WD winner Mervyn Wedlock topping the class seven tree from Aidan Toner. Finally, overall event winner Ryan Graffin topped class eight, ahead of Derek McGeehan.

Graffin Grabs Lough Glory…

4th: Davy Graham 6th: Brian Muldoon

This year’s Envirocare backed Lough Neagh rally time trial saw a nail-biting finish to the event. All competitors tackled five runs over the stage, and as the day progressed, the stage became drier and quicker.

2nd: Derek McGeehan


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RESULTS

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Wordsseamus o’Connor &

Jonathan Macdonald

PICTUrEsJohn Bayly &

Trevor McGrath

1 TrevorJHarding/AndrewPurcell SubaruImpreza......... 00:42:35.82 PatO’Connell/MarkWiley EVO7....................... 00:43:17.03 MarkSheahan/JonathanMcGrath EVO9....................... 00:44:37.94 StephenMcGrath/KevinJoyce EVO6....................... 00:45:14.15 JohnMcLoughlin/RayFitzpatrick EVO.......................... 00:45:22.56 BrianLawlor/PeterKavanagh EscortMKII............... 00:45:38.47 CraigBreen/GarethRoberts CitroenC2R2............ 00:45:59.78 ShayPower/JohnnyRafter EscortMKII............... 00:45:59.79 JohnReid/EndaShields ToyotaCorollaWRC.. 00:46:06.810 PatrickKeenan/BarryMcNulty EVO9....................... 00:46:15.311 ArthurKierans/AndrewGrennan MKIIEscort............... 00:46:17.512 SarahMoynihan/AmyMoynihan EVO7....................... 00:46:44.713 GerardLucey/JamesLucey ToyotaCelica............ 00:47:00.214 JasonRoche/RayGreene EscortMKII............... 00:47:01.715 MichaelCuddihy/RichieCoady ToyotaStarlet............ 00:47:25.216 MarkMurphy/CarolO’Keeffe SubaruImpreza......... 00:47:42.617 JohnByrnes/KennethSheil CitroenC2R2............ 00:47:48.518 GerryRonan/FrancisKenny EVO6....................... 00:47:50.519 DarraghRafferty/DeanRafferty Impreza..................... 00:47:57.620 JohnFleming/EugeneMcGrath EscortMKII............... 00:48:18.8

Stage one, Clondonnell, acted as the opening test and after a non-finish on round one, reigning Forestry Champion Ray Breen and his co-driver Martin Brady stopped the clocks with a time of 3.35 in their Ford Focus WRC. Just two seconds off Breen’s time was Frank Kelly with Liam Brennan, who set a superb time in their Mark 2 Ford Escort, with Trevor J Harding and Andrew Purcell a further two seconds behind.

Setting fourth fastest time was Limerick’s James Murphy with Anthony Nestor (Escort WRC), followed by the first of the Group N runners, Pat O’Connell and Mark Wiley, who rounded off the top five.

Stage two was the longest stage of the rally - 20 kilometres through the famous Gurteen forestry complex. It was on this stage that the rally lead was to change. Breen slipped off the road on a slippery square right, damaging his radiator and forcing the crew to retire.

With Breen out of action, Trevor Harding moved in front after

setting fastest time through the stage. James Murphy was second fastest on 12.52, with Pat O’Connell third, a further six seconds adrift of Murphy’s time.

On stage three, Trevor J was once again fastest from O’Connell, with Jeremy Drislane powering his Evo 8 through just one second slower than O’Connell. James Coleman, who finished top two-wheel-drive at last year’s running of the event, had switched to a James Foley Evo 9 for the day. He was beginning to get to grips with the four-wheel-drive

machine, and was setting top five times.

As the crews headed for service in Portlaw’s Murphy Brothers Agri Contractors, the timesheets showed that Trevor Harding and Andrew Purcell held a commanding lead of 45 seconds from the Evo 7 of Pat O’Connell and Mark Wiley. Limerick crew James Murphy and Anthony Nestor were third, while James Coleman and Michael Hally moved into fourth place, ahead of Mark Sheehan and Jonathan McGrath.

2nd: Pat O’Connell & Mark Wiley

Harding Ahead As Breen Slips Up…A high class entry of 70 crews arrived at the start ramp outside the Carraig Hotel for round two of the Petro system National Forestry Championship, the Willie Loughman Forestry rally.

Winners: Trevor J Harding & Andrew Purcell


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After a 45 minute service halt, it was back once again for a repeat of stage one, Clondonnell. Jeremy Drislane and Liam McLoughlin set the pace with a time of 3.39 in their Evo 9, just one second quicker than the Subaru Impreza 555 belonging to the rally leaders. James Murphy was only four seconds adrift of second overall going into the stage and at the stage finish he had reduced this margin down to three seconds.

Stage five was a repeat of the 20 kilometre Gurteen stage, and this time it was Pat O’Connell who was quickest. Trevor Harding’s Subaru suffered gearbox trouble, leaving the rally leader to drive through the stage stuck in third gear. A clear run through the stage may have put James Murphy in the lead, but as he made his way to the stage finish he encountered engine problems, which forced him to retire his Escort WRC.

James Coleman, who was up to fourth overall, also encountered problems when a brake pipe burst. This put the local man out of his home event and suddenly Mark Sheehan was up to third place.

It was on then, to the final test of the day, and once again Trevor Harding was quickest through the stage from O’Connell, with Mark Sheehan taking third fastest. That was more than enough for Harding and Purcell to secure their maiden outright win of this year’s Championship, and with a maximum points haul, they now lead the series!

Pat O’Connell and Mark Wiley brought their Mitsubishi Evo 7 into second overall. They are also lying second overall in the championship, on 34 points. Limerick’s Mark Sheehan and co driver Jonathan McGrath took the final podium place, moving Mark up to fourth overall in the driver’s standings, and Jonathan up to fifth overall in the co-drivers’ standings. Stephen McGrath and Kevin Joyce finished fourth in their older model Mitsubishi Evo 6, with John McLoughlin and Ray Fitzpatrick rounding of the top five in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8.

Round three of the Petro Systems Championship, the Moonraker Forestry, will be hosted by Munster Car Club on 12th April. Pacenotes will be there to cover all the action!

Two Wheel DriveAfter a non-finish at round one of the series in Mitchelstown, Dublin’s Brian Lawlor and co-driver Peter Kavanagh

were back to their winning ways at the Willie Loughman Forestry Rally, as they finished sixth overall and top two-wheel-drive!

The Dublin crew were lying second overall after stage one in their powerful Mark 2 Escort, then put in a stunning performance through stage two and grabbed the lead. Over the remaining four stages, the very popular Forestry crew could not afford to make any mistakes, as challenges for the lead came from Shay Power, Arthur Kierans, Jason Roche and Craig Breen.

Lawlor is more than capable of handling a bit of pressure though, and he put in a superb drive to arrive at the finish ramp 21 seconds ahead of his nearest challengers. It was a great result for Lawlor and Kavanagh, who have been loyal supporters of the Forestry Championship over the years and are now back in the title hunt!

3rd: Mark Sheahan & Jonathan McGrath 4th: Stephen McGrath & Kevin Joyce

class reports >>

5th: John McLoughlin & Ray Fitzpatrick 7th: Craig Breen & Gareth Roberts

2WD: Brian Lawlor & Peter Kavanagh

CLASS RESULTS

Class 11 Emmet Cronin/Ian Stanley Escort MKII ............... 00:51:33.12 David Laddin/Martin O’Riordan Mazda 323 ................ 00:53:53.0

Class 21 Michael Nevin/Des Moran Escort MKII ............... 00:51:10.82 Kevin Fowler/Darren Walsh Vauxhall Nova ........... 00:51:15.9 Class 31 Michael Cuddihy/Richie Coady Toyota Starlet ............ 00:47:25.22 John Fleming/Eugene McGrath Escort MKII ............... 00:48:18.8 Class 41 Arthur Kierans/Andrew Grennan MKII Escort ............... 00:46:17.52 John McIlwraith/Brendan McCullagh Escort MKII ............... 00:48:42.7

Class 51 Brian Lawlor/Peter Kavanagh Escort MKII ............... 00:45:38.42 Shay Power/Johnny Rafter Escort MKII ............... 00:45:59.7

Class 61 Gerard Lucey/James Lucey Toyota Celica ............ 00:47:00.22 Mark Murphy/Carol O’Keeffe Subaru Impreza ......... 00:47:42.6

Class 7 1 John Reid/Enda Shields Toyota Corolla WRC .. 00:46:06.8

Class 81 Stephen McGrath/Kevin Joyce EVO 6 ....................... 00:45:14.12 John McLoughlin/Ray Fitzpatrick EVO .......................... 00:45:22.5

Class 91 Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts Citroen C2R2 ............ 00:45:59.72 John Byrnes/Kenneth Sheil Citroen C2R2 ............ 00:47:48.5

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CL7: John Reid & Enda Shields

CL8: Stephen McGrath & Kevin Joyce

Class 1Enda McLoughlin and Declan Tynan grabbed the early class one advantage, but were forced to retire their Escort shortly afterwards. That left Emmet Cronin and Ian Stanley leading the category, and a stunning run through stage two saw them hold a substantial lead. They held on to the number one spot until crossing the finish ramp, while David Laddin and Martin O’Riordan took second. ahead of Paul Driver and Fiona Cullen.

Class 2Ger Brett and Daire Murphy led class two after the opening test but retired during the long Gurteen forestry complex. That left Michael Nevin fighting with Kevin Fowler for the honours, and after the second stage, two seconds separated the crews. It was nip and tuck all the way to the finish, but in the end, only one crew could win. That honour went to Michael Nevin and Des Moran, as they claimed victory by five seconds from Kevin Fowler and Darren Walsh.

Class 3In class three, John Fleming and Eugene McGrath topped the timesheets after stage one, but victory was destined to be awarded to another crew. Michael Cuddihy and Richie Coady were up to speed in time for the second test, where they went one second faster. That was the beginning of a trend, as Cuddihy continued to take time out of Fleming. In the end, Cuddihy won by almost one minute from Fleming, with Neil Hickey and Gary Byrne

third, ahead of Noel Wade and Eamonn Tuohy.

Class 4Arthur Kierans and Andrew Grennan dominated class four, as they claimed a start to finish victory in their Mark 2 Escort. Fastest on every stage, they were never headed as they rallied towards the class trophy. In the end, the crew claimed the class spoils by more than two minutes, with John McIlwraith and Brendan McCullagh second, ahead of Sean Benskin and Bobby Nugent.

Class 5Brian Lawlor and Peter Kavanagh returned to their winning ways in class five, not only claiming the class spoils, they also nabbed the top 2WD position, as well as sixth overall. The crew were initially headed by Frank Kelly and Liam Brennan, but Kelly retired his Escort. Lawlor still had to up his pace to create an advantage over his rivals, and he went on to win by more than 20 seconds. Shay Power and Johnny Rafter came home in second position, while Roche was lucky to take third after losing more than one minute on stage five.

Class 6Jeremy Drislane and Liam McLoughan took the early advantage in class six, but lost a

lot of ground over the long second stage. That allowed Hans Mattia and Thomas Maguire to move in front, while a number of crews tussled for second position. Unfortunately, Mattia retired after stage three, while Drislane also exited the event after stage four. Suddenly, it was Gerard and James Lucey who held the category lead, and they went on to win from Mark Murphy and Carol O’Keeffe, with Gerry Ronan and Francis Kenny third.

Class 7Trevor J Harding and Andrew Purcell sacrificed their class award as a result of finishing inside the top three overall, so John Reid and Enda Shields claimed the class seven trophy. See main report for more details.

Class 8Both Pat O’Connell and Mark Sheahan sacrificed their class eight awards as a result of finishing inside the top three, so fourth placed Stephen McGrath and Kevin Joyce took the trophy home. They finished a slender eight seconds ahead of John McLoughlin and Ray Fitzpatrick, with Patrick Keenan and Barry McNulty third.

Class 9Craig Breen and Gareth Roberts took a convincing victory in class nine. They led the category from start to finish, eventually claiming the spoils by almost two minutes from John Byrnes and Kenneth Shiel. Vincent and JP McAree took the final podium position in their Peugeot 206.

CL1: Emmet Cronin & Ian Stanley

Class Battles...

CL3: Michael Cuddihy & Richie Coady

CL2: Michael Nevin & Des Moran

CL4: Arthur Kierans & Andrew Grennan

CL6: Gerard Lucey & James Lucey

Juniors: John Byrnes & Kenneth Sheil

CL5: Brian Lawlor & Peter Kavanagh

OFFICIAL PARTS VEHICLE ATTENDING ALL CHAMPIONSHIPEVENTS

Tel: (028) 9038 3512Fax: (028) 9068 3730

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offi cial citroën racing distributorMartin Tynan & Andrew Greenan

Stephen Baxter & James Allman

Barry Evans & Alister Wyllie


West C

ork Rally

Irish C

2R2 C

up

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ds 1 &

2

Round One Results1 Adrian McElhinney/ Shane Buckley 2 Sam Moffett/ James O’ Reilly3 Barry Evans/ Alister Wyllie4 Martin Tynan/ Andrew Greenan5 Mark Kane/ Don Montgomery

RESULTS

Round 1� e battle between the Citroen Sport C2 R2s was frenetic right from the drop of the fl ag in Clonakilty. Tipperary’s Paul Manton was rapid right away, with some fast times on the opening stage to lead after three stages, but a rare engine failure was to fi nish his weekend, resulting in no score on the opening two rounds.

Soon into the round one lead however was Adrian McElhinney. He had been held up on stage one when he caught fi ve cars that had been bunched together because of an accident, but a very fast time on stage two proved he meant business, and he took up the front running.

In second was young Monaghan driver Sam Moff ett, who admitted to being a little rusty on the opening loop, but was still marginally ahead of last year’s championship runner up, Barry Evans.

On the fi nal tests of the day, Adrian McElhinney was building on his lead, and also now having to revise his braking distances, as the new Carbon Lorraine pads he fi tted at service where seriously shortening the C2’s stopping distance. Behind him, Sam Moff ett had a spin on stage 5 and also a major moment when the C2 took to the grass at high speed on stage 8, but held onto his second place, despite Barry Evans rapidly closing.

Round 2Round two of the Citroen Racing Trophy was day two of the West Cork Rally.

� e opening test - stage 9 in the overall rally - presented a delay for Adrian McElhinney, as he stopped to render assistance to a crashed Evo in front of him. Adrian admitted to being off the boil on the next stage, before once again taking up the front running.

Stage 10 was quite dramatic as Sam Moff ett spun and got wedged at a hairpin, and Barry Evans’ co driver Alister Wyllie was using hand signals after their intercom failed! � e newcomers where getting it tough too, Mark Kane having two spins, and getting stuck in a ditch, whilst

Stephen Baxter was also in the wars.

Adrian McElhinney was having brake trouble, but a change in compound on the brake pads soon sorted this and Adrian was again commanding the front running. � e battle for second was heated however, with Sam Moff ett ahead of Barry Evans by just a few seconds after stage 14, where Barry had set a storming stage time.

� e fi nal loop presented problems for both crews, however, with Sam Moff ett retiring with a broken engine mount and Barry Evans losing considerable time stuck up an escape road after an overshoot.

� ese dramas let newcomer Mark Kane into a fabulous second place ahead of Barry, with the other newcomer, Stephen Baxter, fourth. Kane was the fastest C2 on the fi nal test, ahead of Baxter. John Quill had a trouble free run to fi fth.

� e fastest driver in the Citroen Racing Trophy for the R2 cars was Adrian McElhinney. With two maximum scores it’s a perfect start to the series for Adrian, in his self-prepared C2 R2. “It’s a dream start to our year, and it’s great to be in the prize money,” said Adrian afterwards.

Next up is Monaghan Stages on the 26th April... Pacenotes will of course, have a full report after each event.

Top ‘pocket rocket’ pilot Adrian McElhinney (left) has emerged victorious on the opening two rounds of the Citroen Racing Trophy, which were part of the recent West Cork Rally.

Round Two Results1 Adrian McElhinney/ Shane Buckley2 Mark Kane/ Don Montgomery3 Barry Evans/ Alister Wyllie4 Stephen Baxter/ James Allman5 John Quill/ Alan Hartigan

Sam Moff ett & James O’Reilly

Mark Kane & Don Montgomery

McElhinney Leads Series...

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Issue 66 - April 2009

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Transcript of Issue 66 - April 2009