County Monaghan Motor Club

 Monaghan’s Michael Carbin and Evin Hughes were crowned National Navigation Champions on Saturday night last at the annual prize giving ceremony in Portlaoise. The Smithborough/Ballybay crew claimed their first ever-National title after an intense battle throughout the winter. Last year’s Beginners class champions Darren Quinn/Nigel McCloughry from Longford were the surprise of the season as they mixed it with the experts throughout the series and duly finished as deserving runners-up.

 The Semi-Expert crew of Chris Kelly/Sam Johnston, also from Longford, finished 3^rd overall for the 2^nd successive year.

The championship consisted of 8 rounds featuring three events in Co. Cork, one each in Co Tipperary and Co Leitrim as well as three in Counties Cavan and Monaghan. A trio of Midland Motor Club crews and two Cork crews pushed the Monaghan pair all the way in what proved to be one of the more dramatic seasons in the championship. Victories on the Monaghan Drumlin and Skibbereen 100 Isles as well as three other top four finishes were the telling factor come season end.

Indeed, the prospects for the eventual champions were not good with 3 rounds remaining. Mechanical problems resulted in two consecutive non-finishes when well placed in both rounds 4 and 5. The win in Skibbereen turned the tables around and strong finishes on the final three rounds clinched it. Their achievement is well deserved having been runners-up on two previous occasions. Evin’s win follows that of his father Paul who also won the navigators title in 1996, the first time a father and son have won the same title.

Other Monaghan award winners were Richard Cassidy who was 2^nd placed driver in the expert class, while in the semi-expert class, Sean McKenna/Gary Farrelly were 2^nd ahead of Kevin Keenan/Barry Garvey in 3^rd.

 

Motorsport Ireland National Navigation Trial Championship 2011/2012

Overall

1^st        Michael Carbin/Evin Hughes

2^nd        Darren Quinn/Nigel McCloughrey

3^rd        Chris Kelly/Sam Johnson

 

Expert

1^st        Alan Shinnors/George Shinnors

2^nd        Richard Cassidy/Daire Hayes

3^rd        Joe Shinnors/Paul Phelan

 

Semi Expert

1^st        Pakie Duffy/Colin Duffy

2^nd        Sean McKenna/Gary Farrelly

3^rd        Kevin Keenan/Barry Garvey

 

Novice

1^st        Ciaran McElroy/Muireann Hayes

2^nd        Alwyn White/Damien McCabe

3^rd        David Beamish/Adrian Tobin

 

Beginner

1^st        Shane Dalton/Sean Henehan

2^nd        Matt Shinnors/Michael Reilly

3^rd        David Forde/Catherine Levis