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| Clare Stages Rally |
| RALLY NEWS No.1 - Pre Start - Sunday @ 08:06:46 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.1 Auburn Lodge Hotel/Rally HQ
About 5kms into the 2nd stage of this Clare Stages Rally the road passes a large austere grey house set on its own in a field, the very same house used in the iconic TV series ‘Father Ted’. As on the TV programme, it will be a case of “Go on go on go on” for the drivers on what will almost certainly be an ultra competitive day. Any time the rally goes near Ruan village, local pride comes into play and the horns come out! Clerk of the Course Dermot Kelleher and his team have put a lot of effort into the rally and a switch of base to the Auburn Lodge Hotel has put a fresh complexion on the rally. There are 9 stages planned, many of the roads skirting the fabulous Burren terrain, the Monolithic limestone deposits which have evolved over millions of years to form the most fascinating bare rock patterns. Just a pity the drivers and co-drivers won’t have much time to admire the views!
Monaghan crew Niall Maguire and Enda Sherry are No.1 seeds, Niall driving his Impreza WRC S10 on this one, and hoping to reinforce his lead in the Top Part West Coast Championship. Interestingly Niall’s son Shane, who drives his wee Peugeot here at No.62, leads his class in the series. P.J. McDermott was to be at 2, but he can’t make it, and No.3, Garry Jennings, looks like he will also be absent, as he awaits a new crown wheel and pinion for his Lancer. This leaves Ruan man Anthony O’Halloran next on the road behind Niall Maguire. In theory Niall, even though he is suffering from a heavy cold, should be the man to beat. However it would be a brave man who would bet against O’Halloran here on his home patch, even if he is only driving a GpN Lancer. Anthony’s car has had a new engine fitted, and the transmission is all overhauled and re-mapped.
Next on the road will be Listowel man Mike Quinn in his indecently quick Escort. Mike’s co-driver Grainne is from here in Ennis so wouldn’t she be a happy lady if she can get in the winning frame, and beat her brother Charlie, who is co-driving for Anthony O’Halloran. It’s Grainne’s birthday as well! Hopefully Mike will keep his mind on the driving and not on the Kerry Vs Cork All Ireland match in Croke Park! Trevor Bustard, who carries the No.8 on his Lancer, should be 4th on the road. Trevor and his co-driving brother Kenny found a real turn of speed on the recent Galway Summer Rally, putting their newfound competitiveness down to a new differential controller. Des Moore has given them a new prototype dog box for this rally, and it will be interesting to see how they go with the new set up. Apparently this new gearbox has no name as yet, so maybe Moore will call it the Bustard Box! Current Top Part West Coast Champion Ed Synan is at 9, and another Ruan man, Richard Casey, is at 10. At 11 is young Craig Breen in the new model Fiesta and at 12 Aidan Walsh, with last year’s C of C Jim Casey co-driving in one of Mick McQuaid’s hire Escorts.
Further withdrawals from the programme entry list include Thomas Fitzmaurice, Andrew Purcell and Alan O’Callaghan. Co Clare man O’Callaghan had hired a McKinstry Subaru WRC to do the rally in, but has been struck down with the dreaded swine flu. Changes to co-drivers include Dermot McGettigan now sitting with Brian Brogan at No16. One of the reserves not listed in the programme is Andrew Mullan in his Lancer. 116 cars should start the rally plus 9 Juniors. Galway crew Patrick and Caroline Divilly in their Corolla Twin Cam head the Junior section and they join in at stage 5.
Finally for now at the start of this RallyNews we mentioned the hard working Clare MC team. One of them, Event Secretary Vicky Finn, is getting married next Friday the 25th to Club Chairman Joe Baker. The wedding is taking place in Newmarket on Fergus and then they are off on honeymoon to Aruba and New York. We wish them both all the best for the future. RallyNews No.2 from end of stage 1: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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