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 The Ravens Rock Rally promoted by Carrick on Suir Motor Club was held on Sunday last, based in the scenic Marble City of Kilkenny. This was a counting round of the Dunlop National championship and with current leader Tim McNulty opting to sit this one out all was to play for among the top seeds. Local man Craig Breen made a rare appearance on Irish tarmac following some good recent results across the water and inEurope. He was the man to beat and his number 1 seed was justified as he led this event convincingly from start to finish to record a 1 minute 45 second victory

in his Fiesta S2000. Limerick’s Colm Murphy in a group N Subaru was 2^nd with Monaghan’s Sam Moffett and James O’Reilly having an excellent day at the office to take 3^rd overall in their EVO 9, this being Sam’s best result to date.

            Regular National contenders Robert Barrable, Niall Maguire, Kevin Barrett, Liam Mc Carthy and Wesley Patterson all opted out of this event for one reason or another but the battle was still intense at the front as Breen took the early advantage

from Colm Murphy who had a puncture on the first loop followed by Welsh driver Sebastian Ling in 3^rd at first service, but the latter crashed out on SS4 to allow Sam into 3rd. Ed O Callaghan had held the two wheel drive honours up until the 3^rd stage when he crashed out as did Paul Mulcahy in his Starlet while lying 9^th overall. Unfortunately Shane Maguire and Paul Kelly did not make it to first service as their front differential packed in on SS3 while lying in 9^th overall and poised to take some good points in the National series. Monaghan’s John McQuaid and Kerryman Seamus O’Connor were revelling in the conditions and progressed from 13^th o/a on the first stage to lie 8^th overall after stage 6. Further down the field Gerard McQuaid and Gareth Quinlan were putting in some good class times and consistently moved up the leader board from 39^th to 27^th through the nine stages. Conor Foley and Damian McKenna were putting the immaculate Mark I Escort through her paces but hit trouble on the penultimate stage where they dropped 4 minutes to their rivals and no stage time for the last stage suggests they were forced to retire after SS8. Meath’s Jack Newman in a class 11 Civic with  JP McAree navigating were only 5 seconds off 2^nd in class after the first loop of 3 stages but a broken front drive on SS4 forced them into early retirement.

            Back at the front the top 3 remained the same to the finish with Breen taking the win, Murphy 2^nd with Sam and James in 3^rd overall. Incidently, Breen took fastest stage time on 8 of the 9 stages with Sam Moffett fastest on SS8 by 2 seconds. This result moves Sam and James into 2^nd overall in the National championship. Washington James took the two wheel drive honours in his now infamous Darrian T90 with Frank Kelly 2^nd and 6^th overall. John McQuaid and Seamus O’Connor continued their tremendous run to eventually take a deserved 8^th overall, 2^nd in class 14 and 3^rd two wheel drive car home. They also claimed the honour of “Dunlop Drive of the Day award” for their efforts.

            Once again the Junior category of the event had a capacity entry of 21 starters and it was the familiar Starlet from the Moffett stable of David Moffett and Patrick Brides who led the way taking a start to finish victory, 9 seconds ahead of Cork’s Cal McCarthy with Christopher Snow 3rd. It’s worth noting here that these juniors were on a great pace with David and Patrick only 19 seconds of the pace of Rally winner Craig Breen on the final stage which would merit them 13^th overall in the main field! Well done to all concerned.

 

 

Barrable and Connolly compete inBelgium

 

Robert Barrable, winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman award supported by the Irish Sports Council, in his Skoda Fabia S2000 with Monaghan co-driver Damien Connolly drove an excellent rally to finish 10th overall on the weekend’s GEKO Ypres Rally in Belgium. This was Robert’s first time competing on the Ypresevent which is seen as very much a specialist tarmac rally in the championship calendar. It was also the young Dubliner’s first time competing in a round of the Intercontinental Rally Championship (IRC). Robert and Damian set an early indication of their intention for the weekend and were lying 7^th overall after the first 2 stages but Robert undid all his good work on SS3 where he slid wide and caught the grass verge and slipped into a drain pitching the car in the air. This resulted in Robert losing about a minute and he slipped to 24th overall. Undeterred by the mistake the lads set about making amends and constantly climbed the leader board through the remaining 14 stages. Their goal was to finish in the top ten and they duly obliged to take 10^th and scored a championship point for their efforts.

Meath’s Tim McNulty and Paul Kiely added the accolade of winning the Topaz Donegal International Rally for the first time to their list of achievements after 3 competitive days of rallying last weekend. Driving a Subaru Impreza WRC, the pair had 1 minute and 19 seconds to spare over 2^nd placed Alistair Fisher and Rory Kennedy in a Fiesta S2000 with Darragh O’Riordan and Tony McDaid 3rd in another Subaru WRC. After a frantic duel on the final day, Gary Jennings edged out Phillip Morrow by just one second to win the Group N production class.

Popular Scotshouse crew Daniel McKenna and Andrew Grennan won the National section convincingly in their Scanbitz Escort.

 

The rally featured 24 of the most demanding and breathtaking stages which Donegal has to offer. Taking in famous stages such as Fanad Head, Atlantic Drive, Glen, Knockalla and Malin Head this event as always was a true test of car reliability and driver commitment. The changing weather pattern with scattered showers meant that tyre choice was a lottery throughout the weekend. McNulty was seeded 1^st on the road following four wins from four starts in the Dunlop National series and he led from start to finish to go one better than last year and take the outright win. The rally also saw the running of the National Rally in tandem with the International entry and it was here that most of the Monaghan interest lay. Incredibly it was the Scanbitz Escort of Daniel McKenna and Andrew Grennan who were raising eyebrows from the off as they recorded 2^nd fastest stage time on the opening test, Fanad Head in wet conditions. The familiar pairing of Sam Moffett and James O’Reilly were seeded 7^th in the International section in their EVO9 and were giving a good account of themselves through the Friday stages. They were in close contention for the class lead but disaster struck on the final stage as their engine cried enough. Scotland’s David Bogie with Tydavnet’s Enda Sherry navigating in the powerful Metro 6R4 never really got their weekend off the ground as they hit trouble on stage 2 with a burst oil pipe, forcing them to pull in and retire for the day, only to re-join the Saturday stages under super rally rules. Daniel and Andrew also hit trouble on the 2^nd stage, Atlantic Drive, when a 5^th gear spin resulted in a brush with a stone wall that bent the back axle. However,  thanks to their excellent service crew they managed to remove the axle, cut it, weld it and re-fit it with only a 30 second penalty to keep them in the event. Welshman Phil Collins who was considered one of Daniel’s main challengers, put himself out of the event with a roll on SS3.

            The Saturday stages were greeted with slightly drier conditions and with the pace relentless at the front, spectators were getting the entertainment that Donegal is synonymous with. McNulty was again the pace setter but Alister Fisher and Darragh O’Riordan were punching in fastest stage times and ready to take over at the top should McNulty be forced into an error. Derek McGarrity’s charge came to an end on stage 12 when his car ground to a halt having lost 5^th gear to leave the top three out on their own with Maynooth’s Kevin Barrett taking over 4^th position and from here on he drove an intelligent rally to finish 4^th overall. Further down the field the travelling Monaghan men were giving a good account of themselves as mid-way through the Saturday stages Arthur and Macartan Kierans had climbed as high as 14^th overall in the National standings and class leaders. Unfortunately an uncharacteristic mistake from Arthur on SS14 when they slid off the road left them stranded for the day. They did re-enter the event for the Sunday stages to again put in some great class times and eventually earned them 4^th in class. Josh Moffett and Ardee’s Domhall Lennon were consistent from the start and this was paying off as they constantly climbed the leaderboard to finish an excellent 13^th overall and class 16 winners. Raymond Conlon and Darren McCague were hopeful of better luck in Donegal than they have been having of late but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be here either as a plethora of small mechanical gremlins culminated in a broken compression strut which forced them off the road on SS20. Thankfully their car was none the worse for it. Young Donegal man Conor Harvey acquired the services of Damian Hagan’s class 13 Escort for the weekend. This was Conor’s first event on tarmac in a rear-wheel drive car and what an impression he made climbing as high as 6^th overall at one point in the National section but unfortunately head gasket trouble on Sunday morning halted his charge but it was an excellent performance nonetheless. Jonathan McKenna and Peter Deery in their class 11 Peugeot 106 had a steady run through the hills of Donegal and with a finish being an achievement in itself, must be happy with 38^th overall. Castleblayney’s Paddy O’Reilly and Barry McGlennon’s weekend was somewhat frayed with clutch trouble followed by a broken ball joint ending their run.

            Back at the top and despite a second 5^th gear spin on Saturday evening Daniel and Andrew set about extending his lead through the Sunday stages from a hard charging Welshman John Dalton in his Darrian T90. Daniel seemed to have that little extra when needed and pulled out over a two minute lead, this despite a 30 second penalty after Friday’s axle woes. He eventually went on to win the National section by almost 3 minutes and indeed his times would have given him 5^th overall in the International Rally, no mean feat behind four WRC specification cars after 3 days of rallying. Dalton went on to finish 2^nd o/a in the National section while local Donegal man Brian Brogan took 3^rd o/a with Cavan’s Rodney Wilton and Conor McMahon making good their return to rallying in a new class 14 Escort to finish 4^th o/a closely followed by Adrian Hetherington in 5^th.

            The event also featured a Historic section with Ballinode’s Brendan and JP McAree out in their immaculate Porsche 911 but it was to be a disappointing weekend with back axle trouble forcing their retirement. Monaghan was well represented as usual in the Junior category of the event, which took in the Sunday stages of the main rally. A great battle ensued at the head of the field with 29 seconds separating the top four after 8 stages but it was local knowledge which probably shone through in the end with Daniel Breslin and Johnny Jordan in a Twin Cam taking a 13 second win from David Moffett and Andrew Spears in their Starlet with South Monaghan men Johno and Padraig Doogan 3^rd a further 14 seconds in arrears. Gerard McQuaid and Gareth Quinlan took their Escort home to a respectable 7^th overall while Ryan and Nicola McKenna were 14^th overall in their Twin Cam. Cootehill’s Mark Wedlock and Adam Kinkade rolled their Escort on stage 6 of the Junior rally while holding a commanding overall lead. Meanwhile David Smith and Sean Hamill retired their Peugeot 106 on the second stage. James McCarville made the annual pilgrimage to Donegal, but it was with a difference this year as he was navigating for Tyrone’s Ryan Loughran. However, they surely left their luck at home as the oil filter dislodged itself early on in stage 1, forcing them into an early retirement.

            As always Monaghan had many volunteers in attendance in the form of marshals for the weekend and we are deeply indebted to all who represented our club as marshals or helped out over the course of the weekend. All contributed to a highly successful and safe 2011 Topaz Donegal International Rally on the occasion of it’s 40^th anniversary.

 

Results

TOPAZ DONEGAL INTERNATIONAL RALLY 

1 Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 40m 40s,

2 Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy (Ford Fiesta S2000) 2h 41m 59s,

3 Daragh O’Riordan/Tony McDaid (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 43m 01s,

4 Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 46m 22s,

5 Garry Jennings/David Moynihan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 49m 05s,

6 Philip Morrow/Johnny Hart (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 49m 06s,

7 Seamus Heron/Gerry McVeigh (Toyota Corolla WRC) 2h 50m 28s,

8 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 55m 24s,

9 Scott McElhinney/Karl Reid (Citroen C2R2 Max) 2h 59m 58s,

10 Pat Kirk/Peter Ward (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 3h 00m 08s.

 

NATIONAL RALLY:

1 Daniel McKenna/Andrew Grennan (Ford Escort) 2h 48m 01s,

2 John Dalton/Gwynfor Jones (Darrian T90) 2h 50m 47s,

3 Brian Brogan/Damien McGettigan (Ford Escort) 2h 53m 15s,

4 Rodney Wilton/Conor McMahon (Ford Escort) 2h 53m 23s,

5 Adrian Hetherington/Gary Nolan (Ford Escort) 2h 53m 58s,

6 Martin McGee/Damien Fleming (Ford Escort) 2h 54m 10s.

 

 Balinode’s Vincent and John Paul McAree made good their trip to Portlaoise last weekend by finishing a very respectable 6th overall in the Laois Heartlands Stages Rally. Vincent and JP have been regular competitors in the Irish forests this year in their EVO 9 and haven’t had much luck when they took to the tar, so this result comes with a welcome sigh of relief. Stephen and Suzanne Wright in their EVO 6 also crossed the start ramp but unfortunately their day was not as successful with differential problems forcing their retirement. This doesn’t tell the whole story however as they were up to 4th overall when their car ground to a halt. Despite having very little tarmac experience in this car, they had been setting some great times nonetheless. The rally was won by Carlow’s David Condell and Sorcha Kelly in a class 14 Escort. Cork’s Alan Ring was 5 seconds adrift in 2nd driving an EVO 9 while Meath’s John Hendy was 3rd in a class 13 Corolla. Mayo Loose Surface Autocross Michael and Martin Tynan in their EVO 5 along with Richard Cassidy in his white Astra made the journey west to Mayo on Sunday last to compete in the increasingly popular Mayo loose surface autocross held at Harrington’s Quarry near Swinford. This track is approximately 1.5miles in length and is 100% gravel surface. Each of the three runs takes in 3 laps of the track with the best-timed run counting. With the wet conditions favouring the Buggies, Peter McCullagh was 1st rally car home in 3rd with Martin Tynan 5th overall having held the rally car lead up until the final run. Michael Tynan finished 7th overall and 3rd in class. Richard Cassidy battled with wiper problems throughout the day but eventually finished 4th in class.

Topaz Donegal International Rally Preview

 All roads lead to Donegal this coming weekend for one of the highlights of the rally calendar with the running of the popular Topaz Donegal International Rally. Three days of highly entertaining rallying taking in some of the most breathtaking stages and scenery Ireland has to offer await the capacity entry list. Indeed Monaghan Motor Club is well represented at every level, with a host of club members on the start list. Current Dunlop National Championship leader Tim McNulty and Paul Kiely leave the start ramp at no. 1 seeds on Friday morning followed by Derek McGarrity at 2 and the in-form Darragh O’Riordan at 3. Sam Moffett and James O’Reilly head the Monaghan charge at 7 with experienced navigator Enda Sherry sitting in with Scotland’s David Bogie in his immaculate Metro 6R4 at 12. The Scanbitz Escort of Daniel McKenna and Andrew Grennan is sure to entertain the crowds at 14 with a host of other high-powered class 14 Escorts in hot pursuit driven by Phil Collins, Rodney Wilton, Manus Kelly, Declan Boyle and Wesley Patterson to name but a few. John Dalton in his Darrian will also be one to watch in this class. Clones man Raymond Conlon and Darren McCague also head north and are hopeful of a better run of luck which seems to have deserted them over the last few events and are seeded at 50. Castleblayney’s Paddy O Reilly takes his Escort G5 to Donegal and will start at 111 with Jonathan McKenna seeded at 119 in his Peugeot 106. Arthur and Macartan Kierans head for the Hills of Donegal in their class 12 Escort with a late entry leaving them seeded at 150 while Josh Moffett and Domhall Lennon will also make the trip and are listed as first on reserve. The Junior category of the event also features some strong Monaghan crews as the experienced David Moffett and Patrick Brides are 3rd on the road followed by Cootehill’s Mark Wedlock and Adam Kinkade at 4 with Gerard McQuaid at J10. David Smith and Sean Hamill are seeded at J13 in their twin cam while Ryan and Nicola McKenna will look to improve on their J18 seeding. Best of luck to all competitors and hopefully a safe and enjoyable weekend will be had by all. Full report next week.

 Castleblayney’s Michael Conlon navigated by Aidan Boyle, continued his great run of form with another class win on the Mourne rally on Saturday last 4th June. Driving his distinctive black MC Blinds-sponsored Escort, Conlon dominated class 7 and was only 5 seconds adrift of 4th overall. His efforts also earned him the Sligo Pallets Drive of the Day award. Emyvale navigator Mark Tierney guided David Armstrong to 8th overall and 2nd in class 8 in his Escort. Glaslough driver Aaron McQuaid and navigator Aidan Coyle took a fine win in class 4 to consolidate their position in the Sligo Pallets Border championship. The rally was won by veteran Kenny McKinstry and Harvey Bell in a Subaru Impreza.

Maguire & Sherry win Group N in Limerick

 Ballinode’s Shane Maguire and Enda Sherry made their trip to Limerick worthwhile by winning the Group N production category on the Circuit of Munster rally on Sunday 5th June. The pair finished 5th overall in their Subaru Impreza despite several mechanical problems throughout the day and gained valuable points in the Top Part West Coast championship. Gerard McQuaid and Gareth Quinlan had a great run to finish 3rd in class 11 and 19th overall in their Escort. West Cork driver Denis Cronin navigated by Colman Hurley survived a first stage puncture to take the overall win in a Subaru S6.

Cavan Motor Club with main sponsor Hotel Kilmore played hosts to round 4 of the Dunlop National Rally Championship and Round 3 of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship on Sunday last 29th May. An excellent entry of 115 starters battled it out over 9 stages with valuable points up for grabs in both championships. Over night rain left the first loop of 3 stages treacherous with at least 6 cars visiting the scenery on the first stage alone. Unsurprisingly, it was the National championship leaders Tim McNulty and Paul Kiely who led from start to finish in their S12B Subaru. This was their forth win from four events, a perfect record mid-way through the National campaign. Dubliner Robert Barrable and Monaghan’s Damian Connolly made good their decision to rush home from the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland late on Friday evening, where they encountered alternator problems. They managed to make the start ramp in Cavan and didn’t disappoint as they finished 2nd overall, 24 seconds behind the leader and indeed they kept the pressure on McNulty and were never any more than 10 seconds adrift for most of the day. Ballinode’s Niall Maguire with regular navigator Enda Sherry had a steady run through the tricky stages to record 3rd overall, 49 seconds in arrears of the hard charging McNulty, albeit in an older spec Subaru. This result leaves Niall leading the Border rally championship but he may not make the trip to Newry this weekend for round 4 of this popular local championship. This series is wide open at the half way stage with three rounds remaining in Newry, Sligo and Donegal. Twenty-four Monaghan crews made the short journey west to Cavan for this popular event and it’s fair to say there were mixed fortunes encountered across the board. Conditions started off greasy from overnight rain but thankfully dried out after the first loop of 3 stages, which claimed 21 retirements before 1st service. Maynooth’s Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally finished 4th overall, winning class 8 while Sam Moffett and James O’Reilly continued their good run of form with a measured drive to finish 7th overall and first in class 4. Paul Sheridan was navigating with Donegal’s Manus Kelly for the day but their run was short lived with alternator problems on the first stage. Shane Maguire and regular Clare navigator Charlie McEnery finished where he started at 11th overall. Shane is still learning the ways of his Subaru but set some good stage times and is getting closer to class rival Sam Moffett with every event, a good benchmark to go by. Michael Conlon and Aidan Boyle’s great run of form of late continued through the Cavan countryside with a class win and a top ten finish to boot. Richard Moffett and Martin Connolly have surely come of age in recent events as they climb the leader board with every rally and finished 16th overall, missing out on a class award by 11seconds. Vincent and JP McAree’s return to the tarmac was un-rewarded as they encountered what seemed to be gearbox problems on the first stage. The Kierans brigade from Aghabog picked up where they left off in Monaghan with an excellent class 12 win in their immaculate 2-litre pinto Escort. Arthur and Macartan reported an enjoyable run and watching from the hedges, it was clear to be seen these men were on the pace and finished inside the top 20. Clontibret’s Josh Moffett with regular Ardee man Domhall Lennon on the notes debuted their new Evo 9 and their times improved with every stage as they came to terms with the new car. This a big step up from the Peugeot 106 and they finished 23rd overall. Kieran (Bilko) McCarra and Colm Murphy’s recent good form finally came to an end as a broken compression strut forced their retirement on stage 6. John Mc Quaid and Seamus O’Connor were within sight of the finish line on stage 9 when mechanical gremlins set in and called a halt to their day. David and Laura Moffett were also out in a now famous Moffett Starlet, one of three in the stable, but their day was not as straight forward with a bad stage time on SS5 dropping them down the leader board to 33rd overall but it could have been 2nd in class for this brother and sister crew. Martin McPhillips and Nicola McKenna encountered various problems as early as Parc Ferme on Sunday morning with throttle cable woes. This raised its ugly head again on SS1 as they had to stop for over 20minutes on the stage, running OTL. This meant they wouldn’t be on the results sheets but they battled on through the remaining stages nevertheless. Aaron McQuaid and Aidan Coyle took 2nd in class 10 and 34th overall leaving them in a healthy position in class 10 for the Border series. Justin Smyth with Gregory McQuillan on the notes made his maiden run on tarmac a memorable one with a class 9 win and 36th overall amongst some stiff opposition. Justin’s only other experience of stages rallying was the junior category where he finished 3rd so the omens are good for this team. Justin and Gregory also took the Sligo Pallets drive of the day with a fastest stage time on SS2 in class 9. This crew would like to thank all their service crew for their efforts on the day, too many to name! Gerard McQuaid and Garreth Quinlan had a steady run to 42nd overall. Threemilehouse man Damian Sherry with Tommy Boylan on the notes brought their twin cam Corolla home, unscathed to 43rd overall. Sean and Fintan Sherry started at 90 but didn’t make first service. Barry Treanor and Colm Connolly hit trouble on the first loop in their class 10 Peugeot, also not making first service. Monaghan Stages CoC Conor Maguire had Evin Hughes in the hot seat and they had a steady and enjoyable run in their immaculate class 11 Mark I Escort to finish a creditable 61st overall. Aaron Duffy and Keith McConnon in their RWD Fiesta were another to fall fowl of the Cavan stages and are missing from the result sheets from a starting place of 124. Their were two late Monaghan entries to the event as Cathal Sheridan and Declan Tynan brought their Nova home to 3rd in class 10, behind the Escort of Barney Greenan and Ciaran McPhillips. Cathal and Declan encountered two burst water pipes during the day and were glad to cross the finish ramp and still get crystal. Francie McKenna and Sean Craig finished 4th in class 10 and 65th overall in their class 10 Peugeot 205. All in all a good day for most travelling Monaghan crews and well done to our neighbouring Cavan Motor Club for a well run and enjoyable event. Also a big thank you to the Monaghan Motor Club marshals who turned up to man stage 2, this required over 50 marshals and ran without any hitches.

 Newry and Mourne Stages Rally

 Saturday next 4th June sees the running of the Newry and Mourne District Motor Club’s annual Stages Rally. Based in Newry, this event takes in 3 stages around the Slieve Gullion and Camlough mountain areas and is Round 4 of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally championship. With this popular championship now wide open all is to play for as a number of Monaghan crews make the trip in a bid for valuable class and overall points. On going to press no entry lists have been posted but Aaron McQuaid and Aidan Coyle will be looking for their 3rd class win of the campaign. Michael Conlon and Aidan Boyle will also be making the annual pilgrimage to Newry where they will be hoping for a strong finish and a valuable points haul as they lead class 13 in the Border series. Raymond Conlon and Darren McCague also have an entry in and are sure to feature in the class awards should things go according to plan. Emyvale’s Mark Tierney is down to sit with Newry expert David Armstrong and could feature well inside the top 10.

 Limerick Circuit of Munster Stages.

 Ballinode’s Shane Maguire and Clare’s Charlie McEnery make the long trip south this weekend to compete in the Limerick Circuit of Munster Stages Rally. This is Round 3 of the West Coast Rally Championship and Shane is defending his title having won this prestigious championship last year. He starts the event at number 6. Gerard McQuaid and Gareth Quinlan are also on the entry list at 49 in their class 11 Escort. Best of luck to all.