| RALLY
NEWS NO.1
Maghera/Start/Saturday 09.30
Huge effort by the Magherafelt Motor Club has succeeded in lifting this
KBB Doors backed Sperrins Rally into a major event. It is just about the
only rally in Northern Ireland outside the Circuit of Ireland and the
Ulster Rallies to have the privilege of closed road special stages, and
that has added its own special attraction. Indeed the rally has attracted
some 220 applications, including drivers from across the Irish Sea, for
the 120 available start slots. The event is round 4 of the NI Championship,
and that is sure to produce its own brand of close competition. Glenn
Allen, Stephen Moore and Raymond Johnston are the top three drivers in
the overall NI series standings. Richard Cathcart, Ian Cochrane and Neil
McCance are the top three in GpN, while class leaders include Mel McKeefry,
Glenn Campbell, David Kerr, Wm Smith, Eamonn McGuigan, James Kennedy and
Gareth Nevin.
Charlie Donnely, the reigning Irish National Champion, leads the cars
away in his trusty Corolla WRC from outside Walsh’s Hotel here in
Maghera this morning. Charlie is not contesting the Championship, so he
can just enjoy himself, defend his Sperrins winners’ title. Charlie
sometimes tests on a section of the road used for one of the stages, and
in terms of winning, that won’t do him any harm. On the downside,
Charlie hasn’t rallied since winning the Rally of the 1000 Entries,
so he may be a bit rusty. Glenn Allen at 2 should be sharp ‘out
of the box’, as he is contesting, and indeed leading the Irish National
Championship and had a good finish on last weekend’s Carlow Rally.
His Corolla suffered a little bodywork damage there in coming together
with a chicane, but that has been all fixed in Glenn’s Cookstown
paint shop, and he is very much on course.
At 3 is Sean Devine in his Subaru WRC, and Donnemana man Sean can always
be counted on to be right on the pace. Sean is a bit worried about tyre
choice in these changeable weather conditions, but then everyone is in
the same boat. At 4 is Stephen Moore in his Focus WRC, Stephen fresh from
winning the forestry Moonraker Rally down in Cork. Stephen is having a
great rally year, but it may take a mile or two for him to adjust back
to asphalt special stages.
Raymond Johnston at 5 has his old co-driver back in the shape of Richard
Bell. Raymond discovered after the Easter Stages that his Subaru
rear brakes were not working properly, and a change of master cylinder
has cured that. Richard Hogg at 6 is driving a Skoda Octavia for the first
time in anger over special stages so it will be interesting to say how
he fares out. Seamus Heron in his Focus WRC starts at 7, George
Robinson at 8 in his Escort Cosworth, Richard Cathcart at 9 is in the
first of the GpN cars and Neil McCance at 10 is also in Group N, Neil
fresh from winning the category on the Manx National last weekend.
There are lots of small changes to the published entry list. Just
some include – Seamus Heron has Elaine Doherty co-driving. Richard
Cathcart has Aidan Friel. Charlie Donnelly was to have Liam Reid
in the hot seat but Liam couldn’t get back from England because
of the storm last night so it looks as if Paddy Toner could sit in instead.
Connor McCloskey was to be at 12 but has withdrawn. Martin McGarrity
is co-driving for Errol Clarke at 14, and Stephen McAuley for John McGlaughlin
at 15. Sean Haveron was to be at 17 but his Escort Cosworth engine
blew up yesterday. Crawford Henderson is co-driving for Charlie Beattie
at 18 and Charlie has switched from a Lancer to the ex Meeke 4 wheel drive
Corsa. Robbie McGurk helped to set the Proflex suspension up on
the Corsa during the week so it should be really interesting to see how
it goes.
Camillus Bradley rolled his Escort last weekend in Carlow so he is not
filling the No.19 slot. Joe Friel is co driving for Frank Kelly,
Greg McCormack has taken over the entry at 25 from his brother Martin.
Gary Nolan is sitting with Adrian Hetherington and David Vance with Ian
Cochrane. John McCafferty is now co driving for Cathal Rogers at 31.
Cathal is driving a Lancer and could well belie his start number. Further
non starters included: Car numbers 32 and 34. There are several of the
reserves who are going to get a run including Sean Reid in his Lancer.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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