John McGlaughlin takes maximum points at the Dogleap Rally!

Posted: August 10, 2004 10:45 PM

The 21-year-old driver had Gilford's David McElroy sitting alongside him and the crew knew they needed a good result in order to keep their championship hopes alive. Despite having a disastrous reconnaissance when their car suffered two punctures, forcing them to abandon the recce, the McGlaughlin's Home Bakery, Hilltop Fuels and Kumho Tyres sponsored team were on the attack from the outset.

John said: 'We were second fastest on the first three stages but we had a big moment on stage four and lost a few seconds. We were still second in class and the boy in front of us wasn't registered for the championship so we were happy enough!'

John moved into the class lead after stage five but a breathtaking moment on the following stage almost signalled the end to his rally:
'There was a long straight with some real quick jumps. We took the last jump on the limit in fifth gear and the car took off! I thought it was all over! As soon as we landed I stood on the brakes but we overshot the hairpin. I had to reverse, then I nearly stalled! We must have lost around 10 or 15 seconds but it could have been worse.'

With four stages remaining, John was second in class behind Eoin McErlean but the class leader was not registered for the championship so John was on course for taking maximum points. An overshoot on the final stage kept the Cookstown man on his toes but he arrived safely at the finish with another handful of points.

'I thought I had thrown it all away with that overshoot. We had to reverse but somehow we still managed to set fastest time! I probably could have won the class if it hadn't been for the two overshoots so I was a bit disappointed but that's rallying. The important thing is we got the points we needed!'

• Dogleap Stages Rally - (Sat) 7 Aug 04

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27/07/04
John McGlaughlin Cracks Cork!
John McGlaughlin added another fine result to his ever-growing CV after finishing third in Group N and tenth overall at last weekend's Cork Forestry Stages Rally.

The Cookstown driver, co-driven once again by Gilford's David McElroy, currently leads the Northern Ireland Junior Championship and is third in Group N. With each of the four remaining rounds of the Northern Ireland series based on gravel, John started the two day event with the aim of gaining more experience on the loose surface. The Cork Forestry Rally, which is not a counting round towards the Northern Ireland series, provided an ideal opportunity for the 21-year-old to build his confidence on gravel.

Dry, dusty conditions greeted competitors as they travelled into the forests on Saturday for a loop of three stages repeated twice. It was John's first forestry event south of the border and he was looking forward to tackling the demanding forest stages but a bad seeding position, combined with the dusty conditions, was set to cause havoc in the McGlaughlin's Home Bakery, Hilltop Fuels and Kumho Tyres sponsored Mitsubishi Lancer. John was catching other competitors on the stages and with the thick dust hanging in the air, he couldn't see the road!

John said: "We were catching other car's dust and I had to slow down. If I'd kept pushing we would have gone off without a doubt. On stage two we caught another car and were forced to sit behind him over the finish line, then on stage five the dust was so thick we had to stop in the middle of the stage to let it clear. Luckily we caught the car shortly afterwards on a tarmac section of road and he moved out of the way for us."

With the opening day's stages completed, John was lying fifth in class and 16th overall despite being slowed by the dusty conditions. Sunday was another day and with a better road position, John was set to move up the leaderboard. In one deft swoop, he moved into third in Group N and tenth overall after the opening 16 mile stage!

John continued to set top three times in his class throughout the remainder of the event and on stage nine he found himself second in Group N after the category leader retired. Sandwiched between two local drivers, John was determined to push hard but at overshoot at a square right dropped him back to third in the category. Realising that another Group N crew were just ten seconds behind him, John decided that caution was the better part of valour and a steady drive through the final stage netted the team third in Group N and tenth overall!

"I wasn't going to push to get second in class as it was too risky, I was happy with third. We were using the event as a test run ahead of the Dogleap Rally but to go out and compete on the same level as the local boys was fantastic! M. Doyle Services did a great job with looking after my car and thanks must go to Kieran Quinn of Hilltop Fuels in Pomeroy for his continued sponsorship."

John is on top form and the Cookstown man is now looking forward to the sixth round of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship, the Dogleap Rally, on Saturday 7 August.

• Cork Forestry Rally

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07/07/04
John McGlaughlin - Lough Neagh Stages John McGlaughlin takes to the podium and wins Group N at the Lough Neagh Stages!
John McGlaughlin (Cookstown) and David McElroy (Gilford) won Group N and finished third overall at Sunday's Lough Neagh Stages Rally!

Driving their Hilltop Fuels and McGlaughlin's Home Bakery sponsored Mitsubishi Lancer, John and David were immediately on the pace, setting second fastest time on the opening stage. Rain had left the concrete lanes just outside Toomebridge very slippy and although other crews were caught out by the treacherous conditions, John and David had a clean run.

'It was really wet and mucky,' John said. 'We had more or less slick Kumho tyres on the car but we had a very steady run through the stage. I could see a lot of tyre marks left by other competitors going off onto the grass so I wanted to make sure we kept it tidy. It seemed to work!'

Lying second overall, the 21-year-old driver was on a high. The slippy conditions were providing a more level playing field, giving John the opportunity to trade times with the powerful World Rally Cars. Brimming with confidence, John went on to set more top three times but a breathtaking incident during the fourth stage resulted in the Cookstown man losing ground to fellow Group N competitor, Ryan Graffin.

'I was throwing the car around a bit more and it was losing us some time. Ryan was one second in front of us so I pushed hard, almost too hard! At a square right, the car was very sideways and I almost took the side out of her but we managed to get away with it! We reached the end of the stage safely but we were still behind Ryan so I pushed as hard as I could on the fifth stage and regained the Group N lead.'

With three stages remaining, John and David were fourth overall and back in the category lead. Although slippy in places, the stage was now dry and John was beginning to lose ground to the more powerful Group A and World Rally Cars. Nonetheless, it didn't deter the crew from continuing to push hard over the final three stages. They chipped away at Justin McCartan who was holding third position and just 1.3 seconds separated the two crews going into the final stage. A final stage shoot-out followed and John emerged as the victor, taking enough time out of Justin to finish third overall!

'I didn't think we could do it! I was putting the car on the transporter at the hotel when I was told to take it off and park it with the first and second placed drivers. I couldn't believe it! I was extremely happy with the result as it was two World Rally Cars which had finished in front of me

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16/06/04
Mechanical problems thwart John McGlaughlin's progress at the Mourne Rally Cookstown's John McGlaughlin continues to lead the Junior category of the Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship and is third in Group N after taking his Mitsubishi Lancer to sixth in class at Saturday's Mourne Rally.

Co-driven by David McElroy (Gilford), the Hilltop Fuels and Kumho Tyres sponsored crew left the Newry start ramp ready to face nine tarmac stages, including three runs over the daunting Cooley Mountain. After retiring from the Tour of the Sperrins just three weeks earlier, 21-year-old John was determined to get a good result on what was only his second tarmac rally but car problems before the opening stage looked set to thwart his progress.

John said: 'We had the car out the night before the rally and everything was working well but at the start of the first stage I hit the anti-lag button and there was nothing! We went through the stage and it came on now and again but the car was down on power. On stage two it wouldn't boost and to make matters worse the throttle jammed opened as we approached a square right while flat in fourth gear! We eventually got her slowed down but it was a heart stopping moment!'

John was losing time hand over fist and by the time he reached the first service area, he had lost more than 40 seconds to his rivals. His mechanics pounced on the McGlaughlin's Home Bakery sponsored car and a few turns of the spanner later it was boosting again'but it was still down on power and they couldn't find the source of the problem.

'It wasn't giving us the power that it should but we were more than happy to still be in the event. We had lost so much time I just wanted to reach the finish and get more experience in the car on tarmac. The rest of the day went as well as it could with not having full power and the anti-lag taking notions of working. We matched Seamus Donnelly's times on a couple of stages and finished sixth in the class so I was happy with that.'

Although John was sixth in class, only two drivers who finished in front of him were registered N.I. Championship competitors so the Cookstown man walked away with a large helping of points. He now holds third overall in the Group N standings, just one point behind second position, and continues to lead the Junior category.

The Northern Ireland Rally Championship returns to the forests for the final four events with round six of the series, the Limavady based Dogleap Rally, due to take place on Saturday 7 August.

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28/05/04
Sperrins Disappointment for John McGlaughlin
Twenty-one year old John McGlaughlin (Cookstown) retired from Saturday's Tour of the Sperrins Rally but the Mitsubishi driver once again proved that he has the pace to take him to the top of the Group N tree

Co-driven by David McElroy (Gilford), the event started well for the Hilltop Fuels and Glenavon Hotel sponsored crew. After the first stage, they were fourth overall and leading Group N! Considering they were pitted against one of the strongest entries that the Northern Ireland Championship has seen this year, including a lot of more powerful Group A machinery and a selection of World Rally Cars, it was a very promising start to the Maghera based gravel event.

John said: 'I was shocked! We were very cautious, just taking it easy and not taking any chances - apart from one wee moment when the car stepped out of line while flat in fourth gear! Then on stage two I couldn't get any grip, it was like driving on ice and the car was all over the place so we took it easy through there and dropped a couple of seconds.'

After the second stage, John was second in Group N so he decided to up the pace through stage three, Banagher Forest. His Mitsubishi Lancer, which is also sponsored by McGlaughlin's Bakery and Kumho Tyres, was working well and the crew were a few seconds quicker than their rivals midway through the stage. But nearing the end of the test, they were slowed by dust being thrown into the air by top seed Derek McGarrity. 'Derek had gone off and only just got back on the road as we were approaching ' he pulled out about 400 yards in front of us so the rest of the stage was a bit scary. I just couldn't see the end of the straights, jumps or corners! It must have cost us at least five seconds.' Despite being slowed by McGarrity's dust, John reached the end of the stage to find that he shared the Group N lead and fourth overall with fellow Mitsubishi driver, Johnny McKenna! A battle was beginning to develop but it all became academic as John's rally came to an abrupt end on stage four.

'Everything was working real well, the car was perfect over the jumps thanks to Triple 7 getting the suspension sorted out before the event. But it all went wrong on a 'care one right'. There was loose gravel on the corner and the car didn't make any effort in turning in at all. We went off the road flat in third gear and came to a very sudden stop. I think we went from about 70mph to zero in the space of about two seconds. Then I couldn't get my harness off and the car started to go on fire so there was a bit of a panic to get out!'

Eventually, John and David managed to get out of the car and extinguish the fire but their Mitsubishi was too badly damaged to be able to continue. Nevertheless, John continues to lead the Junior Category of the Pacenotes Northern Ireland Championship and is second overall in the Group N standings.

Round five of the series is the Newry based all tarmac Mourne Rally, due to take place on 12 June.

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13/04/05
Another Top Ten Finish For John McGlaughlin!
John McGlaughlin and David McElroy finished eighth overall and fifth in Group N at Saturday's Dublin Crystal Easter Stages Rally.

With new sponsors on board in the form of Glenavon Hotel and Kumho Tyres, the McGlaughlin's Bakery and Hilltop Fuels Mitsubishi Lancer team enjoyed the challenges of their first closed road event of the year. The rally was based in County Fermanagh and the crew faced nine challenging stages. It was John's first event on closed roads with the Lancer but it didn't take the Cookstown man long to settle in. He was quickly on the pace and was setting very competitive times throughout the day. Going into the last stage at St. Angelo airfield, John was seventh overall and had fourth position in Group N within his sights.

John said: 'The last stage was very mucky but we were going well until we were caught out by some manure in the farmyard! I was taking it easy through there as I knew it would be very slippy but I felt the rear end just step out. We ended up facing the opposite direction and the car was covered in muck. I had to reverse so we lost a good 15 seconds and dropped to eighth overall and fifth in class.'

'I'm still pleased with the result - I wasn't sure what to expect from the car on the closed roads but I'm very happy with the way she handles. We had a couple of scary moments when the car slid into a hedge while we were in fifth gear! But all in all it was a very enjoyable day and the times were there so I know the pace was there!'

The team are now looking forward to the fourth round of the Pacenotes N.I. Rally Championship. The Tour of the Sperrins Rally is a gravel based event and is due to take place on 22 May.

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22/03/04
Group N victory for McGlaughlin and McElroy at Bishopscourt!
Cookstown's John McGlaughlin and Gilford's David McElroy took an excellent eighth overall and first in Group N at the second round of the Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship on Saturday!

The wet and windy PHP Bishopscourt Stages Rally started well for the Hilltop Fuels and McGlaughlin's Home Bakery sponsored Mitsubishi team. The incessant rain proved to be a great leveller as the leading World Rally Cars were unable to use their power advantage to maximum effect and the team capitalised on the slippy conditions. Despite being slowed by another competitor during the opening test, John and David kept their cool and arrived at the finish of the first stage third overall and joint leaders of Group N.

'I thought it was a bad run,' John said, 'We caught another competitor and lost around five seconds. I was shocked when I discovered we were joint third fastest overall with Seamus Donnelly but I knew it was going to be a different story once the track cleaned up a bit and the WRC cars started getting the power down.'

With confidence high, John and David entered the second test determined to move into the Group N lead. A clean run resulted in fastest time and the Cookstown driver held a two second advantage over Donnelly's Impreza. There were no major dramas on during the following test but as John explains, stage four proved to be an altogether different story:

'I decided to take an intermediate tyre but they went off during the first lap and it cost me big time. I ended up sliding out over the grass ' it certainly didn't help with the battle against Seamus!'

When John and David reached the end of the test, they found themselves tenth overall but more importantly, they were almost eight seconds behind class leader Seamus Donnelly. It was a major blow to their challenge for class honours but the Lancer crew were determined to make a comeback over the remaining two stages. The circuit was starting to dry out so John equipped his Lancer with a set of slick tyres in preparation for the fifth stage'it was time to go flat out!

'We were really going for it on that stage!' John said. 'I wanted to pull back some of the time that I had lost over the bad tyre choice on stage four. It ended up we were fastest Group N car, taking two seconds out of Seamus!'

The gap between John and his first Group N victory was down to six seconds. With one stage remaining, it was going to be a tough job to overhaul the Impreza driver but John was determined to try his best. Sitting on the start-line of the stage, his plan appeared to go pear-shaped as the heavens opened once again. John had slick tyres on the car and with the countdown clock already ticking, it was too late to change.

'I thought any chance I had of getting the time back was gone. The car was sliding all over the place but we reached the finish safely. It had stopped raining for Seamus so I thought it was all over. I was still very happy with second in class but as I was getting changed in the van, I was told that Seamus had spun twice during the stage, I couldn't believe it!'

Seamus' excursions dropped him down the leaderboard and allowed John and David through to comfortably win the Group N category, finishing eighth overall and taking the Junior Driver honours in the process!

'It was a shame it ended the way it did, it was a good battle all day," John said. "I would like to have chosen the right tyres for stage four and I wish Seamus had a clean run through the final stage. It would have been tight but that's the way it goes!'

John now leads the Group N category of the Championship and has extended his lead in the Superdrive Junior Driver section. The Easter Stages Rally, due to take place on Saturday 10 April, is next on the agenda and the team are looking forward to the challenges of closed road stages.

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23/02/04
John McGlaughlin impresses at the Eurocables Stages Rally
Cookstown's John McGlaughlin and Hugh McGoldrick finished 13th overall and third in Group N at the opening round of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship on Saturday.

Sponsored by McGlaughlin's Home Bakery and Hilltop Fuels, John and Hugh took their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V to Kirkistown's Eurocables Stages with one thing on their minds ' attack! It was only John's second event in the car since swapping his front-wheel-drive Peugeot 106 for the Mitsubishi but his lack of experience behind the wheel of his Lancer certainly didn't show in his stage times.

After using the first two stages to settle in, John and Hugh were seventh overall in their 16 strong class but a decision to turn up the heat on the third test was a sign of better things to come. Third fastest time was the result and the Mitsubishi crew moved into fifth position. John and Hugh were pleased with their progress and with confidence high, they carried their speed into the fourth stage where they were second fastest ' just two tenths slower than the class leaders! In two stages, they had moved from seventh to third in Group N.

John and Hugh pushed hard over the remaining two stages. As they entered the final test, just one tenth of a second separated them and fourth placed Mark Leathem. Another quick time was essential to secure the final podium position. Sure enough, John and Hugh delivered the goods and they arrived at the finish ecstatic with third in Group N and 13th overall!

John said: 'We were going for a top six finish but to finish third in the class after our first proper rally in the car is fantastic! We're still getting used to it and apart from a couple of small spins, we had no problems at all. If I can just push it on now to its full limits then I'll be happy.'
John now leads the Junior category of the Northern Ireland series and is third in the Group N category. He couldn't have wished for a better start to his 2004 Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship campaign.