Conor McCloskey wins Pacenotes NI Rally title at Townparks Rally!
Posted: November 4, 2008 1:15 PM
Glengormley's Derek McGarrity and James McKee won Saturday's Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally, but it was 22-year-old Conor McCloskey and Francis Regan who walked away with the prestigious 2008 Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship crown!
McCloskey finished 14 seconds adrift of McGarrity but more importantly, 4.5 seconds in front of championship rivals, Sean Devine and Damien Duffin, ensuring he became the youngest ever Northern Ireland rally champion!
It was a close fought affair throughout the eight stage event, which was held on closed roads in County Antrim, and there was never any more than 6.5 seconds separating the two title contenders!
Indeed, it was a close fought championship, with numerous changes for the lead throughout the season. But in the end, it was the 22-year-old newcomer to the series that reigned supreme and held the number one spot when it mattered most. McCloskey came of age when he claimed his maiden rally victory just five weeks earlier at the McGillin Bushwhacker Rally, and promptly repeated that success with another win at the FM Contracts Down Rally.
Under huge amounts of pressure, he showed a maturity beyond his years by taking control from the start of the Townparks event. Switching to a Subaru Impreza WRC hired from event leader Derek McGarrity (the same car which he used at the start of the season), McCloskey settled down quickly. He held a consistent second position behind McGarrity throughout the event, but could never afford to relax, as Devine was only a few seconds adrift.
Devine tried hard to catch the flying Kilrea man, and one stage from home, he swiped more than two seconds out of his advantage. But for the Strabane pilot, it was too little, too late, as McCloskey and Regan held on to claim the championship laurels!
"I can't believe it!" a jubilant McCloskey after the finish. "I was a bit nervous on Saturday morning but I found the Impreza easier to drive than the Focus. It was a good race all year so it's good to get it - first class! The best about it is we went testing on the Friday morning on the road was white with frost - I wasn't sure if I was going to get a run in her or not!"
"We all went out with Sean (Devine) for a bit of craic on Saturday night," McCloskey continued. "We sort of made an agreement in the pub that we'd go to Bournemouth in February for the Sunseeker Rally, so there could be an influx of Irish over there next year!"
As expected, Sean Devine and Damien Duffin were disappointed at the finish but congratulated McCloskey on winning the title. In true sportsmanship style, they joined the winning team in their celebrations on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, event winner and former champion, Derek McGarrity, was also in jubilant form at the finish. He and navigator James McKee lost time with a spin earlier in the day, but still brought their Impreza WRC home at the top of the leaderboard.
Outside the battle among the top three, Cathal and Eoighan Rogers claimed the Sunoco Fuels production category title and finished fourth overall. The father and son team entered the event on top of the championship tables but it was Neil McCance and Sean Ferris who took the early lead.
Unfortunately, the Comber driver overturned his Mitsubishi during stage four, allowing Rogers into the top Group N position. There he stayed until the finish, claiming fourth overall in the process.
"It's my first championship victory in more than 30 years," Rogers said afterwards. "Until now, anytime I started a championship, I always failed to finish the rallies!"
In the Superdrive two-wheel-drive category, Wesley Patterson and Martin McGarrity finished fifth and topped the Superdrive 2WD crews. However, James Kennedy and John Rowan, who rolled heavily at the end of the opening stage, had already sealed the 2WD title.
The 2008 Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship prizegiving will take place at the Seagoe Hotel, Portadown, on Saturday 24 January. Tickets cost £30 but award winners receive one complimentary ticket for the event, which will feature a meal, raffle and live entertainment.
The 2009 championship will get underway a few weeks later, starting with Kirkistown Race Circuit's Eurocables Stages. More information will be announced in due course on www.nirally.com.
Video Clips
Posted: November 4, 2008 12:56 PM
Full Results and Times
Posted: November 2, 2008 8:42 PM
Entry List
Posted: October 27, 2008 6:08 PM
Season finale - McCloskey versus Devine at Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally!
Posted: October 27, 2008 4:53 PM
The tussle for the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship crown will be decided this Saturday 1 November at the Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally, where seasoned veteran Sean Devine goes head to head with new kid on the block, 22-year-old Conor McCloskey!
It has been a long, difficult year with numerous changes at the head of the championship leaderboard, but after nine (out of 10) events, the battle for the prestigious crown is going down to the wire. One month ago, it looked as though the title was swinging in Devine's favour, but a flurry of victories by Kilrea's McCloskey see the two drivers enter the final event on even terms!
Championship regulations state that competitors may discount their three lowest scores from their championship tally. Devine has three no-scores, while McCloskey has two. That puts McCloskey at the head of the standings but taking his lowest score of eight points into account, both men are equal!
The battle in the Sunoco Fuels Group N category will also be decided in County Antrim. Cathal Rogers heads the category but four other drivers - Alan Carmichael, Neil McCance, John Walker and Brian McFall - all have a chance of securing the honours.
Meanwhile, the Superdrive two-wheel drive category has already been sealed by James Kennedy but there are still plenty of class battles to be decided!
The event also sees a number of former N.I. Rally champions return to the fray, with Glengormley's Derek McGarrity (2002 champion) wheeling out his Subaru Impreza WRC. 1998 champion John McKeown starts the event at number four, and a bit further down the order, 1997 champion Sean Haveron starts at number seven.
The Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally provides a perfect setting for the season finale, with the Mid-Antrim Motor Club event switching from the forests to closed roads. Based from the Millennium Centre in Loughguile, the first car will leave at approximately 10am before tackling some classic rally territory, with 'Torr Head' and 'Glendun' among the famous stages. More information can be found online at www.nirally.com
Details
Posted: October 17, 2008 7:45 PM
The 2008 Townparks Glens Of Antrim Rally is set to be something of a surprise ending to the 2008 Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship.
With the event switching from its normal forest gravel roads to the closed tarmac roads of Co Antrim it will be something new for the competitors. The event again is sponsored by Townparks Car Sales in Antrim one of NI`s leading Vauxhall Dealers.
The event has has a new base this year, with rally HQ being the Millennium Centre in Loughguile with the Service Area just a few hundred yards away in the GAA Grounds.
The event will consist of 8 stages with a total stage mileage of 54 miles.
Glens of Antrim goes Tarmac - Regulations available
Posted: January 28, 2008 10:44 PM
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