County Monaghan Motor Club

 

Saturday night last 5^th March saw the penultimate round of both the National and Squealing Pig Bar and Restaurant Border navigation championships take place from St. Mellans GAA Centre, Truagh. CoC Donal McArdle and his team set out a compact and challenging route, which seemed to go down a treat with all competitors. At the finish, things were tight at the top with three crews finishing on a total of 2 penalties. It was the semi-expert pairing of Michael Carbin and Evin Hughes who took their second overall win this year ahead of expert crews Michael/Ciaran Tynan and Trevor Farrell/Noel Hall, also on 2 pens.

             As an entry of 42 cars departed HQ at 9.01, the route looked pretty straight forward on the maps but things couldn’t be taken for granted.  Midlands men and two times winners this season Chris Kelly and Sam Johnston found this out as early as time point 4 where they miss-plotted a plot and bash timepoint to rule themselves out of the podium places. Tp 9 was next to cause trouble (or head scratching) for all crews with a lane around well known stages driver Mac McKenna’s house, garage and fields! It was very tricky to find the route with every make of car and van imaginable blocking the obvious paths out. Only five crews managed to clean this section, none of them experts and by tp 15, the results sheets suggest that James McCarville and Fintan Clerkin held the event lead from Dessie Keenan and Enda Sherry with Jason McKenna and Matthew Mc Kenna 3^rd.

            Tp16 was next to cause all crews to drop penalties once more, a familiar lane through a section of the Bragan forest meant at least 1 penalty dropped. The event then headed even further north over the fog covered Bragan mountain and it straddled the border towards Aughnacloy into new territory with lanes and narrow roads coming thick and fast. Crossing the N2 at Blackwatercottage and southwards again past Emyvale to the final time point onto the main road at Corracrin school, surviving crews gave a welcomed sigh of relief after a very enjoyable but intense event.

            Results sheets were awaited with anticipation as any one of 4 or 5 crews seemed in with a shout of the win. Keenan and Sherry undid all there good work with a wrong departure at tp 33 whilst Arthur and Ashley ran into car trouble late on forcing them to miss the last time point which dropping them back as far as 13^th overall, meaning the national title will go down to the wire in Cavan in a fortnight.

 In the end Michael and Evin took the overall win with Michael and Ciaran Tynan sharing the expert class honours with Trevor and Noel while Andy Mackarel and Liam Higgins took 3^rd in the expert class. Darren Babbington and Francis Keenan took the semi-expert class with Damian Treanor and Johnathan Mc Govern 2^nd. Local knowledge paid off for Jason & Matthew McKenna who took a convincing novice class win ahead of Dessie and Enda with Gerry Cassidy and Paul Sheridan 3^rd. Colin and Packie Duffy must be considered one of the most consistent crews of the year with another fine performance to win the beginners section, but more importantly with another top 5 finish, an overall win is surely not far away. Darren Quinn and Nigel McCloughry  were 2^nd beginnesr with Damian Hagan and Macartan Kierans taking 3^rd on the furthest cleanest rule from Niall Kelly and Adrian Treanor.

            Well done to Donal Mc Ardle and Raymond Conlon along with their band of helpers on a well run and entertaining event. So with just one round left, all is still to play for in the Squealing Pig Border championship in Cavan on Saturday week as 6 points separate four crews after a dropped round is considered while Arthur and Ashley must finish within the top 8 to ensure they retain the National title. 

           Monaghan Motor Club Navigation Trial Results

 1 Michael Carbin/Evin Hughes (Subaru Legacy) 2 marks,

2 (tie) Michael Tynan/Ciaran Tynan (Subaru Impreza) and Trevor Farrell/Noel Hall (Subaru Impreza) 2m,

4 Pakie Duffy/Colin Duffy (Subaru Impreza) 3m,

5 Andy Mackarel/Liam Higgins (Subaru Impreza) 3m,

6 Richard Cassidy/Paul Phelan (Vauxhall Vectra) 3m,

7 Garreth Beagan/Stephen Thornton (Subaru Impreza) 4m,

8 Jason McKenna/Matthew McKenna (Subaru Legacy) 7m,

9 Ray O’Neill/Stephen O’Neill (Ford Mondeo) 7m,

10 Darren Quinn/Nigel McCloughry (Toyota Sprinter) 13m,

11 Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry (Subaru Impreza) 17m,

12 Gerry Cassidy/Paul Sheridan (Subaru Impreza) 23m.

Semi-experts:

1 Darren Babington/Francis Keenan (Subaru Impreza) 23m

2 Chris Kelly/Sam Johnston (Subaru Impreza) 27m

3 Damien Treanor/Jonathan McGovern (Subaru Impreza) 42m

 Novices:

1 Jason McKenna/Matthew McKenna

2 Gerry Cassidy/Paul Sheridan

3 Kevin Keenan/Martin Connolly (Subaru Impreza) 36m

 Beginners:

1 Pakie Duffy/Colin Duffy

2 Darren Quinn/Nigel McCloughry

3 Damien Hagan/Macartan Kierans (Subaru Impreza)

 Willie Loughman Carrick-on-Suir Forest Rally

 

Two young Monaghan crews made the journey South for the second round of the National Forest rally championship last weekend. Cousins Vincent and JP Mc Aree had an excellent result to finish 2^nd overall in what would be considered a strong entry list. This is easily their best finish to date with 3 fastest stage times for good measure in their Evo 9. Brother and sister team of Stephen and Suzanne Wright brought their Evo 6 home to a fine 6^th place overall on only Stephen’s second gravel event in this car and he seems to be adjusting to the loose very well following on from his 8^th overall finish in Fivemiletown. The rally was won by Owen Murphy & James O’Brien in an Evo 9.

 Mayo Stages Rally Preview

 

Sunday next sees the opening round of the ever popular Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship and in keeping with tradition, Mayo Motor Club play hosts to the first round as the McWilliam Park Hotel in Claremorris takes on the role of Rally HQ once again. There are four WRC cars on the entry list with Maynooth’s Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally heading a very strong field as Niall Maguire and Enda Sherry head the Monaghan attack at no. 3 with Adrian McElvaney and Damian Connolly listed at no. 4 also in a WRC Subaru. Raymond Conlon and Darren McCague are at 16 in their twin cam with Michael Conlon and Aidan Boyle just behind at 17. Jack Maguire and Emmet Sherry are at 23 with Martin McPhillips and Nicola McKenna 57. As always class 10 is very competitive among the Monaghan men with Aaron McQuaid and Aidan Coyle starting at 68, Michael Carbin with regular night navigation partner Evin Hughes next up at 69 with Barry Treanor and Colm Connolly hoping to pick up where they left off in class 10 last year at 86. Full report next week and competitors are urged to contact club PRO with an update on how they get on at  tynaneng@gmail.com before Monday evening 6pm.

 

Autotest 

The recently postponed Monaghan Motor Club autotest has been re-scheduled for Sunday 3^rd April at Wrights Quarry, Swann’s Cross. Entry forms available on club web site.

 Hillgrove Hotel Monaghan Stages Rally

 

With preparations at an advanced stage for the running of the annual Hillgrove Hotel Monaghan Stages Rally on 17^th April regulations and entry forms are available to download from the club web site at www.monaghanmotorclub.net. This years rally is both a counting round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship and the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship, so competitors are urged to send their entries in early to avoid disappointment.