Cavan Navigation Trial scheduled for March 3 has been postponed due to affects Storm EMMA .
Cavan Motor Club and Motorsport Ireland will advise new event date as appropriate
Competitors and Marshals intending to participate on the March 3 event are requested not to travel.
The fifth round of the 2017-2018 National Night Navigation Championship took place last weekend in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim. It proved to be a challenging night with a high penalty return for all crews. Overall honours went to the Cork pairing of Alan & George Shinnors who took the win on a tie-break from Martin Tynan/Fintan Clerkin.
The first half of the event went fairly smoothly for the leading crews with TP12 and TP13 causing the most problems. Local aces Colin Duffy & Sam Johnston held the lead but they would retire in the second half of the event, effectively ending their hopes of National Championship honours. There were more challenges in the second half with TP24 and TP26 missed by most crews. In the end, it was the Shinnors brothers who came out on top from Tynan/Clerkin as ‘furthest clean’ of the two crews. Derek Mackarel/Muireann Hayes secured 3rd place increasing their lead in the National Championship. Aaron Duffy/Laurence Keenan took 4th place and 3rd in the Expert class.
Kevin McCormack/Oisin Sherlock won the Semi-Expert class and were 5th overall. Michael Conlon & Martin Connolly won the Novice class with Mark Deery/Christopher McMahon in 2nd. Josh Moffett & Andrew Hamilton won the Beginners class from Colm McKeever/Ciaran Duffy with Peter Farrell/Shane Maguire in 3rd.
The Navigation season continues with the Cavan Navigation Trial next weekend in Cornafean, Co. Cavan.
Hughes make podium in Luttrelstown
The opening round of the Irish Endurance Trial Championship took place in Luttrelstown, Co. Dublin last weekend. The event organised by ALMC featured a number of selectives in counties Dublin, Meath and Kildare with the final six in darkness.
After a terrific battle Peter Barrable pipped his brother Robert by just 1 second for overall honours. Evin Hughes was navigating for regular driver, Karl O’Donoghoe and they secured 3rd overall having been right in the hunt all day. Samuel & Carol Patterson claimed 5th in class in their Civic with Damien & Thomas Treanor 20th in the Endurance class. Ryan Treanor/Robert Graham failed to finish in their Yaris.
Monaghan featured prominently on last weekend’s Birr Stages Rally based in Nenagh. The event was an opt out round of the National Rally Championship this year and attracted a small but quality entry of crews for the first Tarmac Rally of the year.
Local man Roy White took overall honours in his Fiesta. Chasing him down was Donagh Kelly and his Monaghan navigator Conor Foley who claimed 2nd overall in their Focus.
The podium positions were completed by Declan Boyle who had James O’Reilly in the navigator’s seat for the first time.
Stephen Wright/Arthur Kierans had a steady run in their Fiesta R5 to finish 7th overall despite a stage two delay.
Kaine Treanor guided Colin Quirk to 12th overall in another R5 Fiesta with Emmet Sherry guiding David Guest to 14th overall and Group N honours.
Derek Mackarel took overall victory on the annual Autotest held in Maguire’s Yard Ballinode last Sunday.
Derek piloted his ‘modified’ Starlet to a convincing victory after making up ground after a slow start. Kieran McCarra secured 2nd place in his more conventional Startlet with reigning club champion Martin Tynan in 3rd place.
Conditions of the event were tricky with some snow falling on the concrete surface. It was a cold but enjoyable day for club members who brought all types of adapted road cars for the event.
COC Brendan Flynn would like to thank Maguire Transport for the use of his premises, the Northern Standard for sponsorship and all the marshals who turned out in the cold to support the event.
Michael Conlon & Ciaran McPhillips got their 2018 season off to the perfect start as they finished as the leading two wheel drive crew on the Willie Loughman Forestry Rally. The pair were competing in class 14 for the first time after their tremendous 2017 successes. The event was the opening round of the 2018 Irish Forestry Championship and attracted a strong entry. The Monaghan pair finished 10th overall after 9 classic stages, topping the two wheel drive crews by well over a minute. Other Monaghan crews to impress were American-based Barry McKenna taking 2nd overall while Kaine Treanor guided Stephen McCann to 3rd overall.
Former Forestry Champion Josh Moffett led the crews away into the opening loop of stages. Drama struck early when Moffett & co-driver, Stephen Thornton, were sidelined on stage two. Barry McKenna/Leon Jordan were pushing their Ford Fiesta R5 to the limit to lead after four stages by a scant 0.7 of a second from the similar car of Andrew Purcell/Mark Wiley. Kaine Treanor was navigating for Cavan’s Stephen McCann and they slotted into 3rd while Michael Carbin/Conor Mohan were charging hard in 5th place in their Lancer.
Conlon/McPhillips held a narrow lead in the two wheel drive category while Derek Mackarel/Muireann Hayes were fighting it out for junior class honours. The classic Gurteen stage featured in the evening. After the first run through his long stage, Purcell/Wiley had surged into the lead with McKenna/Jordan now 30 seconds in arrears. McCann/Treanor & Carbin/Mohan were involved in a close battle for 3rd.
The final loop featured night stages which added further challenge to the demanding forest tests. It proved costly for a number of Monaghan crews as Carbin/Mohan and Mackarel/Hayes retired and Thomas O’Connell/Emmet Sherry plummeted down to 50th overall when holding 3rd two wheel drive.
McKenna/Jordan closed slightly on Purcell/Wiley but it was too much to make up and they had to settle for 2nd place 19 seconds in arrears. Stephen McCann/Kaine Treanor secured a solid 3rd place. Michael Conlon/Ciaran McPhillips took 10th overall and victory in class 14. Martin Connolly guided Jody McManus to 20th overall and 3rd in the Junior class. Josh Moffett/Stephen Thornton re-entered under Rally 2 to gain some miles coming home at the tail of the field.
Autotest
Monaghan’s annual Autotest takes place this Sunday in Maguire Transport, Ballinode. The event is a counting round of Hewison Trophy, attracting the top Autotest crews across Ireland. Our local competitors will have their own tests and class as they continue their quest for Trader’s Trophy honours.
Marshals are required for this event and those available should contact Brendan Flynn.
County Monaghan Motor Club 