This is
yet another fresh dawn for the Circuit of Ireland, with a new base
in L/derry, revamped stages and a new sponsor in Meteor. Some
things remain the same however. The rally, originating as it does
in the 1930’s, still carries a huge charisma and reputation in
rally circles. Of all the rallies in Ireland, and there are a lot
of good events here, it’s the Circuit name that is known around
the world and encapsulates the classic nature of this great
asphalt stage rally.
It is
against that background that some of our best drivers line up to
do battle this time, at stake not just the prestige of Circuit
honours, but points as well in the Pirelli Tarmac Championship.
Gareth MacHale was to lead the cars away, but the talented young
Dubliner is heavily involved in the World Championship and is
forced to give this one a miss. Instead it will be Derek McGarrity
first on the road, sporting No2 on the side of his Subaru World
Rally Car S11. McGarrity has won the rally three times on the trot
and is bidding to take his 4th consecutive victory. If
he does, he will be the only driver, including the greats like
Paddy Hopkirk, Billy Coleman, Roger Clark, and Jimmy McRae, to
have done so.
Doubtless
doing their best to deny McGarrity that honour will be the top
drivers behind. Eugene Donnelly, Tim McNulty, Austin MacHale,
Eamonn Boland, Peadar Hurson, Gareth Jones, Sean Devine and Paddy
White all drive various World Rally Cars. Then we have the first
of the GpN cars, defending GpN Tarmac Champion Garry Jennings from
Ballinamallard. He is in a new GpN Lancer. Interestingly, these
latest GpN machines are as fast as the top GpA and World Rally
Cars of a few years ago. Such is the pace of change in rallying.
Anyway,
just what are the chances of McGarrity winning again? Who knows,
but one thing is for sure, it won’t be easy for the Glengormley
car and helicopter dealer. Derek says the Circuit suits him, he
always enjoys it, usually goes well. Tarmac Champion Eugene
Donnelly reckons the nature of the stages, bumpy, tight but still
fast, should suit the Subarus. However, time and again Eugene,
following a cautious start, has turned up the wick in his
supposedly outdated Corolla WRC to leave the opposition
open-mouthed at his unrelenting raw speed.
Tim
McNulty is at 4 and drives the latest Subaru S11, much the same as
McGarrity’s. McNulty has been a revelation recently, won the Cork
‘20’ at the end of last season, led in Galway but crashed out, and
then won in Kerry a couple of weeks ago as a shakedown for this.
McNulty, who is a contractor himself and is backed by Pierse
Construction, reports. “I’m 100% looking forward to this and will
have all guns blazing. The new car was to my liking at the end of
Kerry and we did some testing yesterday, working at fine tuning
the suspension. I think the rally is going to depend on the first
couple of stages, and we’ll see where we are then. Derek (McGarrity)
and Eugene (Donnelly) may have more knowledge of the stages than
me, but that doesn’t put me off. I’m happy with my pace-notes, and
you have to just do your best against the opposition. It’s a three
day rally, it won’t be easy for anyone, and as regards the weather
I don’t care if it will be wet or dry. Maybe wet would be better
though, it might put some of the others off!” McNulty went on to
say that he thought practically any one of the top drivers could
win this Circuit, although the big dark horse will be Eamonn
Boland in his Focus WRC.
Mentioned
above is Garry Jennings as the first of the GpN competitors on the
road. In parallel with the battle at the front, the fight for GpN
supremacy should be really special. There is a horde of drivers,
such as Colm Murphy, Seamus Leonard, Roy White, Philip Morrow,
Donegal International winner James Cullen, and a whole lot more,
in a variety of new and not so new Subarus and Lancers, who should
be right up there, and indeed mixing it with some of the WRC
machinery.
In
addition there is a National and Historic rally joining in on
Sunday, with former Production World Rally Champion Niall McShea
the No1 seed in his brother’s Orion, and with Paul Gallagher at 2
in his Corolla. Adrian Kermode, with Maurice Beckett on the pace
notes in his Porsche 911, is the top Historic seed and runs at
107. The National/Historic section compete on all the Sunday
stages and 2 of the Monday stages in the Inishowen Peninsula.
Main
changes to the entry published in the programme, in the
International part of the rally are, besides Gareth MacHale
non-starting as already mentioned, Maurice Gass (13), James
Foley(14), and Willie Fannin (17), non-starting. Brian Murphy is
co-driving for Austin MacHale, Steven Casey for Seamus Devine, Huw
Lewis for Damian Shields. Richard Hyland is with Stanley
Ballentine. Mark Ammonds is with Wm Mavitty. Simon Mills with
Andrew Bushe. 55 cars will start the International Rally.
More news
after stage 1: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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