RALLY
NEWS NO.1 Sligo/Friday evening….
“May the
road rise up to meet you and the wind always be at your back” is a
well known and fairly hackneyed Irish saying, denoting best wishes
to the recipient. We’ve never heard it used towards a rally before.
Indeed we haven’t heard it said about this Rally Ireland. But the
sentiment is undoubtedly there from a lot of people, wishing
Ireland’s pilot bid for a World Rally Championship event every
success. Of course there are detractors, knockers and sceptics.
That’s the way of things. However, maybe against the odds, this
inaugural event is up and running from a standing start, from little
more than a gem of an idea, a pipe-dream, amongst a few far sighted
rally people, and it’s looking good.
Swedish
driver Daniel Carlsson heads the entry for this two days of action,
with 12 special stages over the roads of Sligo and Leitrim, as well
as through the forests of Co. Fermanagh. Carlsson may be ‘only’
driving a GpN Lancer, but he is a world class driver who could well
open a few eyes this weekend. At 2 is the charismatic Belgian Freddy
Loix, always a favourite with the Irish fans, and sure to make his
diminutive Suzuki sing!
Kevin Lynch
is next up and runs with No.4 on his Subaru WRC (No.3 Nesbitt is a
non-starter). Lynch has Allan Harryman co-driving this time and has
proven over this last few years that he is a force to be reckoned
with both on asphalt stages and through the forests of Northern
Ireland, having just clinched his 2nd Rally Champion’s
title. Interestingly the cars will run at 1 minute intervals
throughout the rally, but Kevin will have a 2 minute gap between his
Subaru and the Suzuki Ignis of Freddy Lois. Five times Tarmac
Champion Austin MacHale is at No.5 in his Focus WRC, although Austin
has made his name on the tarmac stages he has always been a front
runner on gravel as well so cannot be discounted this weekend.
Eamonn Boland at 6 could struggle a little through the forests of
Fermanagh but should certainly be on the pace through the tarmac
stages.
Matthew
Wilson at 7 in his Focus WRC has just won his first International
Rally. That was through the forests of Yorkshire so again he could
be right in the frame come Sunday evening. Interestingly, Matthew’s
usual co driver Scott Martin has stepped down and Michael Orr is
co-driving this weekend. Gareth MacHale in the Corolla WRC at No.8
has been a complete revelation this year having had a fantastic run
to win the Irish Forestry Championship. Gareth and co driver Paul
Nagle are both suffering from flu but should be OK for the rally.
Glenn Allen at No.9 is recognised as one of the most courageous of
the forestry drivers in Ireland, and his Corolla WRC shouldn’t be a
mile away. Sean Devine rounds off the top 10 in his Impreza WRC.
Sean was a close 2nd to Kevin Lynch 2 weeks ago at
Aghadowey which gives a fair indication of the Strabane man’s pace.
Immediately
outside the top 10 we move into the realm of the best of the Group N
drivers. Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy have just clinched the
category on the Pirelli Tarmac Championship, and when you take into
account that the forest stages are right at Garry’s back door he
must be a strong favourite. Seamus Leonard was to be at 12 but he
is non-starting, so next up is Shaun Gallagher. Shaun drives the
same Lancer that Brendan Kelly used last weekend on the Donegal
Harvest and Donegal man Shaun should go well. George Tracey at 15
is not in a group N car but is driving his Peugeot 206 WRC. Freddy
Loix won the Haspengouw Rally last weekend in this car and has
helped to set it up for this Rally Ireland.
Roy White
as No.16 is in at the deep end a little, his FESP Lancer Evo9 just
built in time for this event, and Roy has had no chance to test at
all, so here’s hoping.
Willie
Fannin was to be at No.17 but is non-starting. Next up is John
McGlaughlin, his Group N Lancer carrying the number 18. Then its
Terry McGonigle and Seamus Donnelly in their respective Lancers
making up the top 20. Stephen Moore is at 21 in his Group N
Impreza. 22 is a non starter. Aaron MacHale at 23 drives his usual
Lancer then it’s the 18 year old Estonian driver Jaan Molder in his
Group N Lancer and then local man Noel McCarrick makes up the top 25
in his Impreza WRC.
Further
non-starters from the programme entry list include: Glenn Wilson
(26). Brian Pat Doherty (43). Eddie Garry (47). Philip Johnston
(55). John Mulholland (60). Three drivers, Emma McKinstry, Brian
O’Mahony and Danny Barry will receive start times slightly better
than their place in the seeding. 63 cars will take ceremonial start
here in Sligo tonight in what is a historic occasion for Irish
rallying. Local driver Andrew Mullen who is competing here in his
ex Guy Wilks Sligo Pallets Ford Puma commented. “It is excellent
that the rally is here in the North West, and we have the best of
both worlds with the tarmac and the gravel, it’s great to see it”.
Finally for
now M-Sport supremo and respected World Rally team manager Malcolm
Wilson summed up his feeling when he said before the start. “No
better place to create a World Rally Championship event. We wish it
every success and look forward to seeing it in the World Rally
calendar”.
More news
after stage 1. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
