The biggest rally story this week, certainly in Ireland, is that Maynooth’s Kevin Barrett, through the Triton Showers brand, is to take over the sponsorship of the National Rally Championship from Dunlop. Kevin, a huge supporter of Irish rallying over the years as well as being a winning driver, is to support the series for 3 years starting in 2015. There was never any doubt that a sponsor would be found for the ultra successful series, following Dunlop’s announcement that their long relationship was coming to an end. The big worry was that whatever new sponsor came in wouldn’t be of the same quality. With Kevin at the helm there are no such worries. There is no doubt that he will carry the series forward in the best possible manner. One of the final Dunlop National Championship functions will of course be the prizegiving on the 15th November in the Sheraton Hotel Athlone.

The Triton Showers National Championship as we must get into the way now of calling it, is entering a new biennial rotational basis which is quite innovative. Richard Talbot and Laura Fuery, along with a great back up team, have put a huge amount of work into the series over many years. With their continued driving presence there is no doubt that the Championship will sustain and increasingly have as much of the hot driving force as a Triton Shower! Television, especially with Mick Bracken directing and press coverage, driven by the hard working Martin Walsh, is set to continue at a high level. The eight rallies for next year with six to count, are as follows: Birr, Midland, Monaghan, Munster, Raven’s Rock, Sligo, Galway and Fastnet.

It was hardly a surprise that Sebastien Ogier won his second World Rally Champion’s title last weekend in Spain. He was on course for the back to back win from early in the season, but his VW team-mate J-M Latvala certainly made Frenchman Ogier work hard for his accolade. Mikko Hirvonen produced a very accomplished drive in Spain to take 3rd in his Ford Fiesta WRC. Kris Meeke showed brilliant speed for most of the rally, but his Citroen took an excursion through the scenery which resulted in two punctures and relegation to ‘Rally 2’. Despite his scorching speed, Kris and his co-driver Paul Nagle had to be content with 19th o/a at the finish, with the bonus of 2nd in the Power Stage. This left Mads Ostberg to uphold Citroen honours and he was 4th, with Dani Sordo the top Hyundai representative in 5th. Dubliner Robert Barrable, co-driven by Stuart Louden, was reportedly on his last run under the Tunnocks banner with his Fiesta R5, and produced a very good drive to finish 3rd in WRC2 and 16th o/a. Robert was on the ball from the word go, quite an achievement in this WRC rally.

On the Rally Du Valais in Switzerland Craig Breen and his co-driver Scott Martin made a fantastic recovery from an early puncture delay to score a string of fastest times and finish 2nd o/a in their Peugeot Academy 208 T16. Circuit of Ireland winner Esapekka Lappi was the overall winner in his Skoda and is now the favourite to win the European Rally Championship. Breen has had a miserable mid-season spell since winning the Acropolis Rally and it looked initially that the Switzerland outing was not going to be much better. However Craig scythed back up the leaderboard following his puncture. Even with that 2nd place, which earned Craig the Colin McRae Flat Out Award, it would appear that his chance of winning the European Championship this year has probably gone, even with Corsica Rally still to go.

Quite a few drivers made the trip across the North Channel last weekend for the Galloway Hills Rally, and Desi Henry/Damien Duffin took 3rd o/a in their Lancer, with Shane McGirr/Jackie Elliott finishing best 2wd crew in their Starlet. Jock Armstrong, who sponsors the rally, was the overall winner in his Pirelli backed Subaru – for the 7th time!

Meanwhile back here in Ireland Midleton`s Daragh O`Riordan, co-driven by Tony McDaid in his Fiesta WRC, scored a resounding victory over Denis Cronin/Coleman Hegarty (Subaru) on the tough Fastnet Rally. Josh Moffett did well to take 3rd as he adapted to the switch from his Lancer to a Fiesta WRC. Monaghan man Josh was co-driven by John Rowan.
It was a wet and windy scene as the crews left service at Bantry Harbour, with the Atlantic Ocean seemingly doing its best to join the rally mechanics before they switched the cars onto wet weather tyres for the opening stage ‘Mealagh Valley’.

Three times Fastnet winner Denis Cronin is known as a careful starter, and he was 9s slower than Daragh O`Riordan on this opener. On stage 2, Glanabucha, Denis spun and stalled his Subaru, losing 35s to O`Riordan and dropping to 4th. Kevin Kelleher had slotted into 2nd place with an excellent stage 2 time, and Killarney man Rob Duggan in his Lancer had produced a brilliant run to slot into 3rd on that 2nd stage.

If Denis Cronin was to get back into contention he had to make a move in stage 3, the Bulls Pocket. This started from the Cronin`s Ballylickey doorstep and finished at Kealkill. Once again O`Riordan was fastest, by almost 9s from Cronin, and that more or less set the seal for the day. Kevin Kelleher still held 2nd place, 40s down on O`Riordan, with Denis Cronin now into 3rd but a further 13s back.

Kelleher managed to keep Cronin at bay over the next couple of stages, and indeed was fastest overall through stage 6. However on stage 7 Kelleher`s Subaru fuel pump broke. Denis Cronin set two fastest times during the day, but made no real impression on leader O`Riordan who won by well over a minute at the end. This was O`Riordan`s third win on the event. Josh Moffett brought his Fiesta WRC into 3rd, while Rob Duggan scored a fastest time on the very wet and foggy final stage to cement his 4th place and GpN victory. Ed Murphy/John McCarthy were on the pace throughout the day to finish best 2WD. Carbery Plastics backed Cal McCarthy/Eamonn Dullea started the rally on the wrong tyres and suffered a fourth gear spin which cost time. Once they got wet weather rubber fitted to their Honda they had a great run to finish 6th o/a.

Just some of the retirements from the leading crews included Frank Kelly who put his Escort backward off the road on a first stage ‘6L’. Then a gearbox tail-shaft bearing rattled and vibrated on the next stage and Frank headed for home. Daniel Cronin had made a cracking start to the rally, fractionally faster on the opening stage than Rob Duggan but then his Lancer succumbed to a suspected broken piston. Brian O’Keefe’s GpN Impreza was sidelined on the opening stage with a broken gearbox. Jason McSweeney had been an impressive 6th for most of the day but his Lancer stopped on the penultimate stage with a small accident on a tightening corner.

The rally was the final round of the Southern 4 Championship. Baltimore`s Stephen Carey, co-driven by Bandon’s Ella Ryan in their Civic had already secured the series victory with their determined top ten finish on the Cork 20. In another impressive display, Stephen started the day with his Civic on the wrong tyres and then worked his way up from 21st to a class winning 10th at the Fastnet finish. 34 year old Stephen, a Volkswagen technician by trade, was determined, it was a priority, to get his Civic to the finish of this Fastnet as he was promised a place at the finish ramp to be awarded the Southern Four Championship honours. He laughed later when he told us, “It will probably be the only time I’ll make the winner’s ramp and I was determined not to miss it!” Stephen has been rallying away in Civics since 2007 and has achieved some good results along the way. His cars are always immaculate. He was putting himself down to an extent, as he is really a very capable driver, when he commented, “We’ve had a fierce run this year in all fairness, our luck was in, we stayed consistent and kept going.”

Fastnet Top Ten
1st Daragh O`Riordan/Tony McDaid (Fiesta WRC) 1.15.40.7
2nd Denis Cronin/Coleman Hurley (Impreza WRC) 1.17.04.7
3rd Josh Moffett/John Rowan (Fiesta WRC) 1.17.52.8
4th Rob Duggan/Noel O`Sullivan (Lancer N) 1.17.55.1
5th Ed Murphy/John McCarthy (Escort) 1.20.43.5
6th Cal McCarthy/Eamonn Dullea (Civic) 1.21.09.0
7th Leonard Downey/Mark Murphy (Escort) 1.23.25.3
8th Jonathan O`Callaghan/Gavin Sheehan (Peugeot 106) 1.24.27.8
9th Jer O`Flynn/Shane McCarthy (Escort) 1.24.37.9
10th Stephen Carey/Ella Ryan (Civic) 1.24.40.3

Class Winners:- CL2 Jason Roycroft/Nicole O’Shea (Civic): CL3 Stephen Carey/Ella Ryan (Civic): CL4 Rob Duggan/Noel O’Sullivan (Lancer N): CL6 Etienne O’Sullivan/Eoghan Coughlan (Peugeot 106): CL8 Daragh O’Riordan/Tony McDaid (Fiesta): CL9 Martin Lordan/Derek Tobin (Escort): CL10 Victor Beamish/Susan Beamish (Nova): CL11F Cal McCarthy/Eamonn Dullea (Civic): CL11R Paul Fitzgerald/Pierce Jnr Doheny (Escort): CL12 Ger O’Connell/Tony Hennessy (Escort): CL13 Ed Murphy/John McCarthy (Escort): CL14 Vincent O’Shea/Brian Hickey (Escort): CL15 David Cremin/Johnny O’Shea (Lancer): CL18 Historics George Swanton/Kevin Barry (Escort MK1): CL16 Juniors Conor McCarthy/Alan Whyte (Civic).

Following his retirement from the Fastnet, Frank Kelly said that he was doing no more rallies this year. But then he had a re-think and said that he would probably do the Glens of Antrim forestry, just to finish off! The Mid Antrim Club event, the final round of the Valvoline MI Forestry series, is again employing the fast enjoyable tracks of the Cam and Springwell forest complex. The Valvoline title is still up for grabs and the rally is expected to attract a decent entry. Series leader, Josh Moffett, as well as his brother Sam, have their entries in.

Also next weekend is the very popular Banna Beach event, and it too is sure to attract a decent entry. CoC Senan Raggett is using traditional territory although the stages are not really the same as in recent years. Lisburn man Wesley Patterson, who crashed his Escort out of the recent Cork ‘20’ is hoping to compete on the Banna based event. Wesley used to get his cars painted by Alyn Spiers, but sadly Alyn passed away some time ago. So, Wesley now gets his cars painted in Scotland, in Kilmarnock. He was heading over there this week with a spare Escort shell on his trailer, and to collect his blue car and bring it back. This spare shell he plans to be the basis of a forest car he hopes to build next year. Plan A for Wesley is to bring his current car back from Scotland on the same day, and then get stuck in to set up the suspension, possibly calling on Gordon Birtwhistle of Proflex to give a helping hand. All being well then, Wesley will head to Ardfert, and have a real go at the Banna, a round of the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship. That would then set him up for another crack at the Killarney Historic. Quite some competitor is Wesley. He won the Southern Four last year, and is full of praise for Stephen Carey, who won it this year. Wesley has also won the Killarney Historic, both in the modified and historic categories. He reckons it is 20 years since he did Banna, 1994, when he finished 3rd o/a with Bob Kelly co-driving. He was driving a Mk2 Escort, so nothing changes there then. Incidentally, Wesley is a great family man, and how he finds the time to run his successful security business and find time for the family as well as rallying is amazing. His daughter Rachel was supposed to go on the Scottish trip, but in his own words “she discovered she has to go on a pony thing so cried off. Pity, because she will miss sitting on a boat for 5 hours, sitting in the van in traffic, and then listening to two old people talking about cars!”

On a sombre note, it has been decided that the points for the McGrady Insurance NI Rally Championship will be finalised on the tally after the Bushwhacker. The tragedy on the Down Rally meant that what results there were are for information purposes only. Championship points and positions will be confirmed in the next day or two but should be the same as post Bushwhacker.

This weekend Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle are competing on the Condroz Rally, driving a Citroen DSR3R5 and behind him is Petter Solberg/Phil Mills in a Citroen C4 WRC - and that is just the top 2 seeded crews. Freddy Loix, or Fast Freddy as he is known, is at 3 in a Skoda Fabia S2000. Sounds like quite a rally! It is the final round of the 2014 Belgian Championship and Stephen Wright, co-driven by his sister Susanne, is entered in his Peugeot 208 R2. Well that was the plan, but Billy Coleman Award winner Stephen is not going to make the start as there is a gearbox problem with his car. Quite a shame, as Stephen and Susanne were second in the Peugeot 208 Rally Trophy going into this final Belgian round. On the positive side, it has been a year of great experience for Stephen and Susanne, who are now looking forward to the 2015 season.

The North Armagh Motor Club has announced details of the annual Charity Motorsport Quiz, which this year is being held on Friday 21st November in Tandragee Golf Club. This year the chosen charity is Diabetes UK NI. Further information is available from William Fullerton at wfullerton@namcc.com