Merrick Stages - 06 Sep 08

Results

Posted: September 8, 2008 3:56 PM

Results:

flyingfinish.co.uk

Merrick Forest Stages.

• 2008 Scottish Rally Championship

Posted: September 8, 2008 3:55 PM

Connor McCloskey is using Paddy White's Ford Focus on
this weekend's Merrick Rally and the Lakelands next weekend,
run by McKinstry Motorsport
Photo: McKinstry Motorsport

Provisional Seeded Entry List

Posted: September 1, 2008 2:54 PM

Merrick Forest Stages.

CHAMPIONSHIP DUEL RESUMES ON THE MERRICK STAGES

Posted: September 1, 2008 2:53 PM

Two of UK rallying's hottest young talents will battle for top honours on next Saturday's (Sept 6th) Merrick Forest Stages in Dumfries and Galloway.

Northern Ireland's Connor McCloskey, in a Ford Focus WRC, will go head to head with local Dumfries ace David Bogie at the wheel of his Toyota Corolla WRC.

Twenty-two-year-old McCloskey, from Kilrea in County Londonderry, currently leads the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland championship, while Bogie, recently turned 21, is attempting to win the County Saab MSA Scottish series.

The two met previously on the Tour of Sperrins Rally in May, McCloskey finishing fourth overall, with Bogie fifth.

However, while the Irishman can drive for the outright win on the “Merrick”, untroubled by Scottish championship concerns, Bogie knows he cannot be distracted from the main task in hand – his title fight with Jimmy Girvan.

So far, Bogie has chalked up three full point scores (Granite, Scottish and Speyside) to Girvan's two (Snowman and Border Counties).

With the six best scores out of eight deciding the championship, the pair are equal on 116 points apiece, with two rounds remaining.

Twelve months ago, Bogie secured the GpN title on the “Merrick” after finishing in a dead heat with Girvan, who was awarded the win under tie-break rules.

This time, Bogie will not be content with second best at the wheel of his hired Toyota Corolla WRC.

“I need to come out of the Merrick with the outright Scottish championship points to keep the title race alive”, said Bogie, adding: “I think it's well within my grasp – they are good stages, last year I thoroughly enjoyed them”.

Girvan, the model of consistency all season in his TEG-Sport Subaru Impreza, finished second to Bogie on the last round, the Speyside Stages.

Said the 1990 title holder: “It means we have to win at least the Merrick, or the McRae Stages, to have a good chance of the championship”. Girvan continued: “We have led from the start of the year, and to be equal with David with just two rallies remaining means that we all have to go flat out from here on in”.

The GpN battle also remains finely balanced, with front runners Barry Groundwater, Steven Clark and John Morrison all in action on the Newton Stewart-based event, along with fellow Mitsubish Evo pilots Malloch Nicoll and Donnie MacDonald.

In the 2-wheel drive category, the Ford Escorts of Scottish championship regulars Steve Bannister, Calum Mackenzie and Mike Horne, will line up alongside those of former British Superbike star John Crawford, and Northern Ireland's Seamus O'Connell and Adrian Hetherington.

The “Merrick” organisers have been keen to build on the success of 2007, when it was voted best event in the Scottish championship.

With just under 70 road miles, the rally is one of the most compact on the SRC calendar.

Competitors will tackle six stages in the Galloway Forest, including a 14-mile test through the famous Glentrool complex, which will be run in the opposite direction to last year.

As well as the penultimate round of the County Saab series, the rally – jointly organised by the Machars and Scottishpen Sporting car clubs – is also a counter in the Beatsons Scottish Borders Rally Championship, the Palmerston Furniture Five of Clubs series, and the Motoscope Northern Historic Championship.

MERRICK FOREST STAGES IN

Posted: August 21, 2008 10:30 PM

The stages to be used on this year's Merrick Forest Stages Rally in south-west Scotland on September 6th have been given the "thumbs up" by the man who prepares the route notes for competitors.

Bill Sturrock of Scotmaps has driven through the six stages in the Galloway Forest and declared them to be "in great nick".

With just over 43 stage miles, and only 69 road miles, the "Merrick" is one of the most compact rallies on the County Saab Scottish Championship calendar, and last year won The Chairman's Cup for best SRC event.

The event also has the advantage of being just 25 miles from the ferry port at Stranraer - which is an important consideration for Irish competitors.

Keen to build on last year's winning format, the organisers have gone one better this time by bringing the pre-event formalities of signing-on and scrutineering into Newton Stewart itself - cutting out the previous 15-mile round-trip to Bladnoch Distillery.

For the first time, the rally will start and finish in the centre of Newton Stewart - with the main thoroughfare - Victoria Street - closed off, to provide a spectacle for the public.

On leaving the town, competitors will head north to the first test - the 6.23 mile stage at Loch Derry.

From there, it is on to Glentrool Forest and the Drumjohn stage - at 8.82 miles the second-longest of the runs.

The cars will then head to the purpose-built service area at Glencaird, which was deemed a major success when used for the first time in 2007.

After the first 30-minute service stop, competitors will drive the short distance to the 7.26 mile third stage at Arroch Hill, before tackling the two shortest stages at Balloch and Linfern - each just over 3-miles in length.

Competitors will then have the benefit of a 70-minute service break at Glencaird in preparation for the famous Glentrool test - regarded by many as one of the best rally stages in the UK, and which this year will total 14.04 miles.

To further spice up the challenge, much of the Glentrool stage will be run in the opposite direction to last year.

The cars will then head back to Newton Stewart for a champagne finish, followed later by the rally prize-giving taking place at the local cinema.

Rally manager Allan Marshall reckons they have come up with a winning package.

"We've pulled out all the stops to combine the best of last year's inaugural "Merrick" with new features - such as the town-centre start/finish. I think it provides a really attractive event for competitors and spectators alike".

A major incentive for SRC-registered ompetitors, is the offer of free-entry into the season's finale, the McRae Stage, for those who improve their seeding on the "Merrick".

As the penultimate round of the County Saab Championship, this year's "Merrick" promises to be one of the best yet, as 21-year-old Dumfries star David Bogie and Jimmy Girvan of Inverness continue to fight it out for title honours.

Last year on the Merrick, Girvan just got the upper hand over his young rival and was declared the winner after a tie-break. But with Bogie fired up after taking full points on the "Speyside" earlier this month - to add to two previous maximum scores - the 1990 champion knows he cannot put a wheel wrong in the Galloway forest.

The competition is fierce across all classes - with Gretna's Mike Faulkner - second-equal in the points - and team-mate Steven Clark, currently fourth-equal with Bogie, and third overall on the "Merrick" last year - among the likely front-runners.

Competitors from the Motoscope Northern Historic Championship will also take part this year, running ahead of the main field.

The Glentrool Mini Rally will run in conjunction with the main event and offers competitors a reduced mileage event of approximately 30 stage miles, which forms the counter in the Palmerston Furniture Five of Clubs Championship.

There will also be a Trophy Rally for those competitors who are unfortunate enough to retire early, giving them the opportunity of a run through the final Glentrool stage.

The "Merrick" is jointly organised by Machars Car Club, and the Scottish Sporting Car Club.

Full details and regulations for the event - which can be downloaded from the event website below:

Regulations available

Posted: January 28, 2008 10:43 PM

Merrick Forest Stages.

• 2008 Scottish Rally Championship