Tour of the Sperrins (Magherafelt) - 17 May 08

FIRST FINISH, FIRST PLACE FOR PAUL MANTON! CITROEN C2 R2 IRISH CUP ROUND THREE

Posted: May 21, 2008 12:21 PM

Paul Manton and John Carroll emerged as deserved victors on the third round of the new Citroen C2 R2 Irish Cup, held over the tarmac stages of the Tour of the Sperrins rally, on an event packed with high drama for the seven C2 R2 Cup starters, over six special stages. At the finish ramp in Maghera, as Paul sprayed the champagne, and received the winner’s cheque, he was understandably delighted to take his first C2 Cup win, and a little surprised. “Well to be honest after retiring on the first round in West Cork with a roll then a gearbox problem forcing us out on the second days round, we came to this event needing to score points. With the car just finished, our plan today was to get round and get some points, but as the day went on, people started to have problems and go off, and it worked out for us this time. I must say I am really happy, especially for the guys who fixed the car, and I really enjoyed the stages” quipped Paul.

The drama on the Tour of the Sperrins started early, with Armagh driver Sean Agnew running wide on stage one, clipping a bank and sending the C2 sideways into a field, thankfully without too much damage to the robust little machine, but his challenge was over. 18 year old Sam Moffett was one of the pre event favourites but his challenge faded a little like his brakes on stage one, and then on the second stage he clipped a wheel, bending the steering arm badly, causing retirement before he got a chance to shine. Really shining on the first two stages was local ace Marty McCormack. Fastest by eight seconds on the first stage, by the end of stage two, he had established a twenty three second lead, and a position in the top fifteen overall in the rally, an amazing achievement amongst all the WRC, Group N and modified cars entered. “It’s been a good morning, and the car has been going really well this morning. To an extent we are still learning the left hand drive, and front wheel drive, but I find if I concentrate on one at a time its coming fine. The next stage is quite bumpy so we are just planning to soften the suspension rebound here at service.”

But sadly Marty’s never got to try his suspension setting as his drive ended before the start of stage three, the C2’s fan not working, and suspected head-gasket damage meant the early leader handed the reigns over to young Monaghan charger Martin Tynan, who had a ten second lead over round two winner Barry Evans. Barry for his part came into service in a tyre dilemma, with his rear intermediate BF Goodrich’s moving about too much on the dry roads, but a change to rear slicks, also greatly increased the pace, as he carved nine seconds off Tynan’s lead on stage three, Tynan responding by carving two back on stage four. It was all set for a fight to the finish, but on stage five, the famous Rousky stage, Martin Tynan’s rally ended a long way off the road, after an off into a ravine, thankfully both Martin and brother Ciaran escaping unhurt.

With Martin gone, it meant that Barry Evans had nearly a two minute lead with just one stage to go, but all the drama was to continue. In fourth place at this stage on his debut in the C2 Irish Cup was Draperstown driver Charlie Beattie. With much rear wheel drive and four wheel drive experience, Charlie was finding the C2 a little different, but was thoroughly enjoying the car, and setting the odd stage time which would worry the competitors ahead of him, but his rally was over by the end of stage five, with a loose gearbox mounting. It was an amazing attrition rate for this six stage event, and the rate was to continue on the very last stage.

With a two minute lead, Barry Evans looked set to clinch his second C2 victory, but he was to loose a grip on that lead, like his back tyres lost grip on the Sperrins tarmac. “It wasn’t long from the start of the stage, and I don’t think I had the tyres warmed properly, and I basically lost the back of the car, and she came round, hit the bank, and we were stuck too. We eventually got the car out, and changed our broken wheel, and we limped back to the finish stuck in gear as well to ensure second placed championship points. But I must say that I am raging with myself, and I hope it’s a mistake that doesn’t come back to bite me later on in the year.” Despite the ten minute loss, Barry still scored second placed points, due another last stage drama he was to witness. “I was standing out on the road with my OK board, when Graham Kelly came round the corner and exactly the same thing happened to him!” Graham had been running with third place within ten seconds of Paul Manton, and had he have passed Barry Evans ditched C2 he would have moved into second, but it unfortunately was not to be, as subsequent electrical damage meant that he didn’t make the Maghera finish where Paul Manton arrived victorious. The Tipperary driver was a popular winner, having been very much behind the formation of the C2 Cup, helping to run the trial round on last years Stonethrowers Rally. Now he puts himself back in the championship hunt, with the next round, his home round, on the return to the Stonethrowers.

CITROEN C2 R2 IRISH CUP- ROUND THREE- RESULTS
1 Paul Manton/ John Carroll Citroen C2 R2 45mins 06.1
2 Barry Evans/ David Lyons Citroen C2 R2 +3min 24.0

Peadar Hurson/Allan Harryman win KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally

Posted: May 21, 2008 12:19 PM

It was a surprised Peadar Hurson and Allan Harryman who emerged victorious from last weekend's KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally, round four of the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship. After a day long battle which saw them fend off challenges from Sean Devine and Charlie Donnelly, Hurson arrived at the finish victorious by 11 seconds!  

"It's nice to get a finish and even better to get a win!" Hurson said afterwards. "I've only completed one day of rallying during the last 18 months, so we were a wee bit rusty to start off with. To be honest, I didn't expect to be so far up the leaderboard from the start - it was a bit of a culture shock with the new car. But after service we started to get into the groove and it was a very well run rally with good stages."  

"That sort of event suits me now," Hurson continued. "It's all about time and money, and the cost is manageable. You can do the recce in one day and the rally in one day. I'd like to do more events like that so I may come back and do another round of the Northern Ireland Championship."  

The six stage event, which was organised by Magherafelt and District Motor Club, attracted a high quality entry but there were numerous withdrawals before the start. Derek McGarrity, Eugene Donnelly and Glenn Allen were among the notable names who failed to make the start, but it worked out well for Hurson who had been placed on the reserve list. Their withdrawals, combined with others, allowed him to get a run, and he promptly took control.  

Fastest on the first stage, Hurson made his intentions clear. It had been six or seven years since he last won a rally, and the Newry driver was thirsty for another win. He had last year's winner, Charlie Donnelly, as well as Sean Devine in hot pursuit, and it was by no means going to be an easy ride for the Impreza pilot.  

While George Robinson and Tommy Speers retired after stage one when a shaft in their turbo broke for the second event in succession, and County Fermanagh's Raymond Johnston also joined the retirement list with mechanical problems after stage two, there were no such issues for the rally leaders.  

Hurson continued to set the pace through the second test, extending his lead to almost five seconds over Donnelly. He was in fine form and while it was young Connor McCloskey who set the pace on stage three, Hurson continued to extend his advantage.  

The fast third test didn't seem to suit Donnelly's Corolla, as he dropped time to Sean Devine and Damien Duffin. Devine moved into second as a result, pushing Donnelly down to third. It was Strabane's Devine who set the pace through stage four, and he made in-roads into Hurson's lead. Swiping five seconds out of the rally leader, just seven seconds separated the two crews going to the final two stages.  

Hurson knew he had to do something about the chasing Devine, and through the fifth test he managed to almost double his advantage. Suddenly, Devine was embroiled in a battle for second with Donnelly, who had set fastest time. It was enough to move the Corolla pilot back into second position with one stage remaining, while Hurson was leading the rally by 10 seconds.  

A clean drive by Hurson and Harryman through the closing miles ensured that they were rewarded with KBB Tour of the Sperrins victory. Meanwhile, Sean Devine and Damien Duffin were the best of the rest, as they snatched second from Donnelly's grasp at the final hurdle. Despite pulling out all the stops on the final stage, which included a heavy landing, the Toyota Corolla pilot sealed third overall.  

Connor McCloskey and Francis Regan enjoyed their day with their Impreza WRC, and set two fastest times on their way to finishing fourth overall. The result allows them to cling on to their championship lead by a slender one point from Sean Devine. Completing the top five overall, Scottish visitors David Bogie and David Paterson survived a bad misfire during the early stages to arrive at the finish unscathed in what was good preparation for the Jim Clark Rally.  

Sunoco Fuels Group N  
Cathal and Eoighan Rogers had plenty of competition for Sunoco Fuels production category spoils, but nobody could seemingly take the challenge to the Mitsubishi Lancer pilots. While Gregory and Fergal Shaw sent spectators scattering after an overshoot on the opening test, it was Rodney McKnight and Seamus Donnelly who claimed fastest time by two seconds from Rogers.  

Rogers really upped his pace through stage two, moving into a lead of 18 seconds from McKnight. It was Rogers' first of five fastest times, as he extended his lead on every stage until crossing the finish line. Meanwhile, McKnight received a two minute penalty, dropping him down the order. So Brian McFall and Oonagh McFerran picked up second position ahead of Eoin McErlean and Donard McCann, with John Walker and Des Wilson fourth ahead of Brian Muldoon and Tony McHugh.  

Superdrive two-wheel-drive  
Seamus O'Connell and Aidan Friel had high hopes for Superdrive two-wheel-drive victory but a spin and a puncture during the opening miles of stage one hindered their challenge. Instead, Wesley Patterson and Nigel Frazer set the pace, but they lost ground during the second stage. That allowed Adrian Hetherington and Gary Nolan to move in front with Calum and Iain Duffy in second position.  

Patterson was back on song for stage three, and he started eating into Hetherington's lead. After stage five, he was out in front once again, and a clean run through the final stage ensured Superdrive two wheel drive victory, as well as seventh overall, were his once again. Hetherington and Nolan finished second in class and eighth overall, with the Duffy brothers taking third in class and ninth overall.  

Round five - Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally  
Round five of the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship takes competitors to Newry for the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally on Saturday 7 June. The event, which marks the midpoint of the series, features challenging all tarmac stages on tree-lined stages.

Full Results / Photos/Video Clips

Posted: May 21, 2008 12:14 PM

Download Full Results & Times

Rallynews (by Brian & Liz Patterson)

Photos
Roy Dempster Photos
msportimages.com

Video Clips
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Tour of the Sperrins

Magherafelt Motor Club

• 2008 Northern Ireland Rally Championship

Scintillating rally action in the Sperrins!

Posted: May 13, 2008 3:26 PM

Round four of the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship gets underway this Saturday with the Maghera based KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally!

Magherafelt and District Motor Club has once again received a superb entry for the closed road event, including entries from overseas visitors looking for a taste of Irish rallying. With an array of World Rally Car competitors, as well as a healthy mix of Group N and two wheel drive machinery, plenty of hot rallying action is guaranteed this Saturday!

It's the local Irish contingent that head the entry list, with two-times winners, Charlie Donnelly and Paddy Toner, leading the field away from Walsh's Hotel in their Toyota Corolla WRC. Their Sperrins crown has never been under so much threat, with numerous competitors capable of taking the challenge to the number one seeds.

Connor McCloskey, the sensation of this year's series, starts the event with number two on the door of his Impreza WRC. He currently leads the Pacenotes championship from Sean Devine, who starts at number three in his Impreza, while reigning champion Glenn Allen is at number four.

Fresh from finishing second overall at the Killarney International Rally of the Lakes, Derek McGarrity will be a major contender for overall honours. The Glengormley driver is a former Irish Tarmac and Northern Ireland champion, although it will be his first attempt at the Tour of the Sperrins since it switched to tarmac.

Reigning Irish Tarmac champion, Eugene Donnelly, also returns to action - this time behind the wheel of a potent Metro 6R4. The 20-year-old car may be behind the times in the technology stakes, but with Donnelly behind the wheel, a top result could be on the cards.

Scotland's David Bogie is also among the top 10 entrants with a Toyota Corolla WRC, and he could spring a surprise or two. Meanwhile, Seamus Heron has switched his Toyota for a Subaru, while Enniskillen's Raymond Johnston completes the top 10 ahead of George Robinson.

The Sunoco Fuels production category battle will be fierce, so expect to see some of the Group N leading lights trading times with a few WRC crews. Neil McCance, Cathal Rogers, Eoin McErlean, Rodney McKnight and Johnny McKenna are among those that will be battling for the trophy.

The Superdrive two wheel drive runners could also spring some surprises, especially if it stays dry. Wesley Patterson is no stranger to success, and he has an impressive Sperrins record. The Lisburn man will trade times with Draperstown's Camillus Bradley, with Aidan Toner, Declan McNaughton and Adrian Hetherington also capable of taking the top spot.

Regardless of where crews are seeded, there's only one number that matters - the finishing position! The action kicks off this Saturday, and event programmes are available from selected outlets in the area, with a full list of stockists available from the event website:

Tour of the Sperrins

Entry List Available

Posted: April 25, 2008 9:18 PM

Tour of the Sperrins

Rally Launch - 4 May 08

Posted: April 14, 2008 5:33 PM

The Official Launch of the KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally will take place at 1.30 p.m. on Sunday 4th May 2008 at Walsh's Hotel, Maghera, which acts as Rally Headquarters for the event.

The Launch will include a “Show & Shine” display, so wash and wax your wagon and bring it along to show it off. There will be Rally cars on display, some of last years drivers will be speaking and Clerk of the Course, Steven McFerran, will be giving a run down of the event. Everyone is welcome to join Magherafelt Motor Club in getting the KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally of to a great start!

Over 160 Entries Received

Posted: April 14, 2008 5:33 PM

Excitement is starting to build as the KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally on 17th May 2008 draws closer.

The call for entries went out on St. Patrick’s Day and already 163 entries have been received in advance of the April 19th closing date. With only 120 cars able to start the rally, competition is fierce and it is going to be a tough job for the Magherafelt & District Motor club, who organize the event, to narrow down the field in all the 8 classes.

Top entries received included Charlie Donnelly and Paddy Toner, last years Tour of the Sperrins winners, Sean Devine, Glenn Allen and many competitors from England, Scotland, Wales have also applied, with the Motor Club even receiving an entry from as far away as America.

Regulations available

Posted: January 28, 2008 10:41 PM

Magherafelt Motor Club

• 2008 Northern Ireland Rally Championship