After a terrific first season behind the wheel of a 4 wheel drive car, 21 year old Monaghan man Shane Maguire driving a Subaru N11, clinched his 1st ever outright championship title on the final round of the 2010 Top Part West Coast Rally Championship, the Banna Beach Resort Kerry Mini Stages Rally. Co driven by Enda Sherry and finishing 4th overall in Kerry, the Monaghan duo took 2nd place overall points to secure the title from 2009 champion Niall Maguire. The 2010 overall result in this series is a piece of Irish rallying history as Shane denied his father Niall back to back titles. His Co driver Enda Sherry who co drove for both Niall and Shane in 2010 now joins Limerick co driver Anthony Nester with 3 championship titles a piece. Enda won his 1st title in 2006 and now has back to back titles, having won in 2009.
Locals Kelly and Johnston Win in Midlands
The Shannon Key West Hotel in Rooskey, Co. Roscommon provided the ideal location for Saturday night’s Midland Motor Club navigation trial with first-time CoC Michael Reilly providing a testing 110 mile route using every bog lane and road that Roscommon and Longford had to offer. With regular winners Arthur Kierans and Ashley Mc Adoo opting to sit out this event, confidence was high among the top 10 for an outright win. However it was a midlands one two on the night as semi-experts Chris Kelly and Sam Johnston (18pens) put their local knowledge to good use and romped home as clear winners ahead of another local crew, beginners Packie and Colin Duffy (29 pens) with Andy Mackarel and Liam Higgins a further penalty behind in 3rd. Problems arose as early as time points 2 and 3 as the first plot and bash sections of the night proved difficult to understand and then negotiate with the majority of starters either taking a wrong departure or missing tp3 altogether. Event winners Kelly and Johnston were the only crew to clean this section and indeed held a clean sheet up to tp13. The final five time points of the first half were through the notorious bogs of Longford where it was a struggle to make the times. Once again it was the local men who excelled through these time points as Packie and Colin Duffy only dropped 2 while semi experts Darren Babbington and Francis Keenan were justifying there 3rd place seeding with an excellent run dropping 3 pens through the bogs along with Michael and Ciaran Tynan. Car 1 Michael Carbin and Evin Hughes were in trouble in the bog and required a pull out resulting in a massive 8pens which meant they were playing catch up all night. By the petrol halt the top 3 were as per overall results with Donegal man Karl Reid driving Ciaran Geaney to a novice class lead with locals Gerry and Nicola Kelly best of the rest in the beginners class. On leaving the petrol halt, this event was far from decided as the first five time points of the second half were the only ones not to involve a bog pass or grassy lane and with the final four time points of the night plot and bash, all was to play for. However, there were to be no slips ups at the top where Chris and Sam held their nerve to take an excellent win ahead of Packie and Colin but it was a case of “could have been” for this crew as a wrong departure from tp2 probably cost them the trial win. Andy and Liam duly took 3rd overall and first expert, a good points haul for the Border c’ship in the absence of Arthur and Ashley. Babbington and Keenan had a consistent night in the bogs to take the semi-expert class and 4th overall, boosting their points total for the Border series in the process. The novice class was a close affair but it was Martin Mc Guigan and Brendan Treanor who came out on top in their shiny new Cavalier (bet its not as new looking now!). With the Duffys 2nd overall and 1st in beginners, Gerry and Nicola Kelly claimed 2nd albeit level with Darren Quinn and Nigel Mc Cloughery but getting 2nd on furthest cleanest. So that’s it from the Midland club for this season and well done to Michael, Barry, Enda and all their team for a good effort on his first event as CoC. Its off to Donegal this Saturday night for the 5th round of the Squealing Pig Border navigation championship where all is to play for in the overall and class awards. Midlands Motor Club Navigation Trial Results 1 Chris Kelly/Sam Johnston (Subaru Impreza) 18 marks, 2 Pakie Duffy/Colin Duffy (Subaru Impreza) 29m, 3 Andy Mackarel/Liam Higgins (Subaru Impreza) 30m, 4 Darren Babington/Francis Keenan (Subaru Impreza) 45m, 5 Mickey Tynan/Ciaran Tynan (Subaru Impreza) 53m, 6 Michael Carbin/Evin Hughes (Subaru Legacy) 57m, 7 Gerry Kelly/Nicola Kelly (Subaru Impreza) 134m, 8 Darren Quinn/Nigel McCloughry (Toyota Sprinter) 134m, 9 Martin McGuigan/Brendan Treanor (Vauxhall Cavalier) 204m, 10 Karl Reid/Ciaran Geaney (Subaru Impreza) 210m, 11 Kevin Keenan/Barry Garvey (Subaru Impreza) 227m, 12 Rory Coyle/Ciaran Coyle (Subaru Legacy) 253m. Semi-experts: 1 Darren Babington/Francis Keenan, 2 Michael Carbin/Evin Hughes, 3 James Logue/Hugh Kelly (Subaru Impreza) 413m. Novices: 1 Martin McGuigan/Brendan Treanor, 2 Karl Reid/Ciaran Geaney, 3 Kevin Keenan/Barry Garvey. Beginners: 1 Pakie Duffy/Colin Duffy, 2 Gerry Kelly/Nicola Kelly, 3 Darren Quinn/Nigel McCloughry Autotest Sunday next, 20th February is the date for Monaghan Motor Club’s annual autotest which takes place in Wrights Quarry, Swanns Cross on the Monaghan-Cootehill road. This is a counting round of the Hewison National autotest championship and also the 2nd round of the club championship with the popular club member’s category sure to provide plenty of entertainment. This event is kindly sponsored by the Northern Standard and as always help is required on the day. Competitor sign on is from 11 o’clock with the tests starting from 11.30am. See you all there.
Annual Stages Rally
The 17th of April is fast approaching for the annual Monaghan Stages Rally. The organising team are busy making preparations for this top event which is a counting round of the Dunlop National Tarmac Championship, the Border Rally Championship and of course the 4th round of the Monaghan club championship. Regulations for the event will be available in the coming weeks from the Club’s website at the following address: http://www.monaghanmotorclub.net
County Monaghan Motor Club 