RALLY NEWS NO.1 Rally HQ Sligo/Friday
evening…
Out at Mullaghmore for the Shakedown stage this afternoon
the roaring white horse Atlantic waves suddenly got some competition
in the noise stakes as three hundred horse power Subaru, Ford Focus
and Mitsubishi engines burst into life. The sleepy little village
was witnessing the opening salvo of Ireland’s bid to enter the World
Rally Championship arena. What a setting it was as the rally cars
traversed the headland above Mullaghmore, most of the drivers with
broad grins on their faces as they settled into their thoroughbred
machines. The task for them now is to try and win the rally, or at
least their class, Through it all they also realise that this
weekend is about putting on a great show to boost Ireland’s effort
to gain that coveted world rally status.
Daniel Carlsson is first on the road over the weekend, the
Swedish driver expressing himself so pleased to be back here in
Ireland and saying he was looking forward to driving the car over
the tough Rally Ireland asphalt stages. Daniel told us that this is
much the same Lancer WRC in which he finished 3rd overall
on the Swedish Rally a few weeks ago. He found the stages here
pretty demanding but reckoned they will be very enjoyable.
Australian driver Chris Atkinson is at No.2 in the Prodrive Group N
Impreza, and Chris said. “I’ve only done about 4 tarmac rallies so
for me this will be a major experience. I’m not really going out to
try and win, just to get the miles done”. Nicolas Bernardi is at
No.3 and the Frenchman said. “It was not a good feeling with the car
at first, it was too soft, but now it is getting better. This is my
first time in Ireland, so we will see”.
Gareth MacHale starts at No.4 in a Ford Focus WRC. Gareth
and his co-driver Paul Nagle put up a heroic showing on last
weekend’s Rally Mexico to finish 6th overall. It was a
long tough trip and Gareth had to get straight into the groove here
on Tuesday to start his reconnaissance. He observed. “Yes, I was a
bit tired at the start but not too bad, I think the stages are
pretty tricky. The Sunday stages are not too bad, basically the same
as last year, but the Saturday stages will be very difficult. The
first one is very bumpy and jumpy, the 2nd one quite
slippery and there is rain forecast. We’re driving the 03 car this
weekend. There is not a lot of difference between the 03 and the
05, although the hydraulics and the launch control are a bit
different. It should be OK though”. Pirelli Tarmac Champion Eugene
Donnelly starts at No.5 and is definitely driving his Corolla WRC
(there was a suggestion that he might be in his Skoda). Eugene
said. “I’m so looking forward to this; I feel that there is no
pressure at all as compared to the Tarmac Championship.”
Andrew Nesbitt is listed in the programme to start at No.6,
but Kenny McKinstry is now driving, with original co-driver James
O’Brien. This is the left hand drive that Andrew drove on the Galway
International in February so for Kenny it will be a bit of a job to
get back into the swing of the left hand drive. When we talked to
Kenny at shakedown at Mullaghmore he didn’t seem too worried about
that aspect of the drive, his main concern seemed to be sorting out
the best Pirelli tyres for the job this weekend. At No.7 in the
entry is Eamonn Boland in his Focus WRC. No.8 was to be Rory
Galligan but he is non-starting. Ray Breen is at No.9, his Focus WRC
rebuilt since last weekend’s Mayo accident, Ray appearing to be in
top form. Peadar Hurson was to be No.10 but is non starting. So next
up is Patrick Elliott in his new Impreza S10 running at No.11. Then
it is Kevin Barrett at No.12 in his Impreza WRC S9. Kevin was
another driver who remarked on how tricky some of the stages could
be and of course Kevin is pretty determined to keep his Triton
Showers backed Subaru in one piece as it is being shipped to
Catalunya Rally next week.
Cars 14 and 15 are non starting, that is JJ Fleming and Sean
Devine. Noel McCarrick is at 16 in his Impreza and reports no
problems. While Aaron MacHale has his Corolla WRC repaired following
last week’s collision with a chicane on the Mayo Rally, at Coleman’s
Bridge on the Partry Mountain stage. Ironically a front mudguard had
to be replaced following that little incident and Aaron got caught
out again today, at a chicane, in the rain on slick tyres and
scraped the new mudguard. Fortunately it was a very minor incident,
more of a wake up call! George Tracey is due to take his place on
the start line at No.18 in his Peugeot 206 WRC with Liam Brennan
co-driving. David James has his Ford Focus WRC in top form and he
starts at No.19. Car 20 Scandola is non starting, so next in the
line up is Garry Jennings in his beautiful new Lancer Evo9 following
by Shaun Gallagher in a GpN Lancer. James Foley was to be about 23
but isn’t, so Roy White is next at 24 in his FESP Group N Lancer.
The top 25 is rounded off by young Michael Curran, the National GpN
Champion. Michael drives his new Lancer Evo 8.5. There are further
non-starters of which more news later.
In the meantime it is all stations go for this Rally Ireland
– just one of the many top personalities at Mullaghmore to give the
rally his best wishes on its WRC mission was Paddy Hopkirk. It is a
long time and there has been much water under the bridge since Paddy
was Ireland’s great rally ambassador when the won the Monte Carlo
Rally and many other great classics. In some ways though nothing
has changed. Ireland has a great rally pedigree and hopefully this
weekend will be a further demonstration of the superb rally
expertise in this small country.
More news after stage 1. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
