Bishopscourt (Ballynahinch) - 14 Mar 09

Posted: March 20, 2009 2:16 PM

Photo: Roy Dempster

Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan Gets Hankook NI Championship Into Gear

Posted: March 19, 2009 1:31 PM

After transmission troubles on round one of the 2009 Hankook NI Championship Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan have finally got there championship off to a solid start on round 2, the Mc Grady Insurance Stages.

Stage one of the rally in Bishopscourt was some what of a non starter as Raymond Johnston's car caught fire causing the stage to be stopped while the fire was extinguished and the car saved. For many of the GPN runners it was a blessing as quite a few of the crews had problems and had lost time.

The rally got underway proper on stage two and a wrong tyre choice for Donagh and Kevin meant the soft slicks "went off" and the race that would unfold all the harder. A 5th fastest GPN time on the stage was not going to be enough.

With another sets of tyres fitted to the car stage 3 went better, just 2 seconds slower than a hard charging Mark Massey and 2nd fastest GPN on the stage narrowed the gap to the cars in front. Finally the setup was good and now the job was to close the gap as much as possible before the stages ran out.

Everything was to change on stage 4, Massey had a spin and dropped 5 seconds, Donagh was fastest and the leader board had changed. Alan Burrows now led the class, the top 3 cars were only seconds apart with 2 stages to go and now the track would be reversed to make the challenge more interesting.

A very fast start to stage 5 saw Donagh and a recovering Dennis Biggerstaff merge side by side at the first corner, a real rally cross scene unfolded with the cars running nose to tail for the first few corners before Denis finally powered past on the back straight. Lap two was more of the same with the WRC Subaru of John McGaffin and the KN Networks Evo9 of Kelly battling it out on the first corner, this time John had the inside line and got the better of Donagh into corner 1. A second or two slipped away before John was able to move over to let a charging Kelly through!

Another fastest time on the final stage saw the gap to Massey narrowed to just 3 seconds with Alan Burrows only 2 seconds behind Kelly in 3rd.

After the event Donagh commented Its good to get points on the board at this stage in the championship. If someone had offered me 2nd at the first corner of the first stage Id have taken it! Its going to be a long year and I have no doubt a fantastic championship. Many thanks to BADMC and all the marshals who attended the event and congratulations to Mark on his class win."

Prior commitments will mean Donagh and Kevin will miss the Circuit of Ireland Rally but will be back again for the Magherafelt Motor Club event in May.

Thanks again to the 2009 sponsors, KN Network Services, Donnelly Bros. Dungannon, Prime Tyres and Swan Plant Hire and for there continued support, Vehicle Services Motorsport, Shell Racing Fuels and Pirelli Tyres.

In Car

Posted: March 19, 2009 11:23 AM

Video Clips

Posted: March 19, 2009 11:22 AM

CHANGE OF FORTUNE FOR EMMA AT BISHOPSCOURT

Posted: March 18, 2009 10:09 AM

After a disappointing 2008 season and an even more disappointing start to the 2009 season at Kirkistown for Emma Mckinstry, being forced into retirement by a fire, Emma and co-driver Kenny Hull could be forgiven for wondering if their luck would ever change.

Thankfully at round 2 of the Hankook NI Championship, Ballynahinch Motor Club’s Bishopscourt Rally, it did. Emma decided to try a new setup for her Mckinstry Motorsport Impreza WRC and straight away found it to her liking. With only the first seven crews making it through stage 1 Emma and Kenny emerged in fifth place.

Stage 2 would see the Triton backed team concede position to a recovering Denis Biggerstaff after an off on stage 1, and English crew Ray Brammer and Matthew Whattam in their Subaru, with Kieran Graffin closing the gap to just one second behind Emma.

As the track dried Emma began to feel that her Dunlop tyres while gripping brilliantly were starting to go off slightly towards the end of the stage and as a consequence lost another position to a hard charging Kieran Graffin, leaving Emma in eighth overall. Graffin would also take another second off Emma in stage four.

With two stages remaining time was running out for Emma and with the stage reversed it was time for Emma and Kenny to go on a charge. Ray Brammer was the first to suffer, conceding 15 seconds to Emma with a costly spin, while Emma edged ahead of Kieran Graffin by a mere 0.4 seconds. Going into the last stage Emma was under pressure to stay ahead, and she rose to the challenge, setting a fantastic sixth fastest time taking 3 seconds off Brammer and 10 off Graffin to clinch sixth overall and third in class.

At the finish a delighted Emma commented “we tried a new setup with the car today and it worked brilliantly, very responsive, and the Dunlop Tyres worked brilliantly, despite going off a bit towards the end of the stage”. This result is a welcome boost for the Banbridge team and they now look forward to round three, the Circuit of Ireland which this year is based in and around their home town.

Thanks again from Emma and Kenny to all their sponsors for their continued support; Triton Showers, Dunlop Tyres, McGaffin Contracts, Sunoco Race Fuels, ID Graphics NI and Tom Geraghty Tyres

Two on the trot for Derek McGarrity at the McGrady Insurance Stages Rally!

Posted: March 16, 2009 2:10 PM

Glengormley's Derek McGarrity and James McKee raced away with their second successive victory at the McGrady Insurance Stages on Saturday, round two of the Hankook MSA N.I. Stage Rally Championship!

The Ballynahinch Motor Club event, which was based near Downpatrick at Bishopscourt Race Circuit, attracted a full capacity entry of 120 crews. And there was an action-packed start to the day when Raymond Johnston's car caught fire, and Eoin McErlean overturned into a field!

Thankfully, marshals were able to extinguish the fire before it was too late but the incidents forced organisers to award most crews nominal times for the rally opener. At least that worked in favour of McErlean, who was able to get back on all four wheels and complete the event!

At the top of the leaderboard, there were no such troubles for Derek McGarrity. He put in another faultless drive to lead from start to finish in his Subaru Impreza WRC. For the second year in succession at Bishopscourt, and indeed the second event in a row this year, the Glengormley pilot was simply unbeatable.

"It wasn't a bad day," McGarrity said after the event. "It was fun, and it's a really enjoyable place for a rally!"

Rivals Connor McCloskey and Francis Regan made a wrong tyre choice for the opening stage and spun their Focus, immediately handing McGarrity a 13 second advantage. In the end, that made little difference, as 2002 champion McGarrity went on to take a full complement of fastest stage times to win by almost half a minute, leaving Kilrea's McCloskey to settle for second.

"We had a wrong tyre choice on the first stage and had a bit of a spin," McCloskey admitted. "After that, we were second quickest all day so I'm happy enough. There was nothing we could do about that other man!"

Omagh's Seamus Leonard and John McCafferty took the final podium position in their Subaru Impreza WRC. As a newcomer to the Hankook Championship, Leonard is building his experience of circuit based events, so third was a satisfying result for the former Irish Tarmac Group N champion.

"It turned out well," Leonard said at the finish. "The rally was sore on tyres and I'm still getting used to these racing lines on circuits - that's something new to me. But I'm happy enough with the result!"

Outside the top three, George Robinson and Tommy Speers were a consistent fourth fastest in their older specification Impreza WRC. The Ballymena based crew were pleased to be trading times with younger specification cars, and finished comfortably ahead of Denis Biggerstaff and Damian McCann.

"We had a pretty clean run all day," Robinson said afterwards. "The tyres went off a wee bit at times but apart from that, it was good. We finished among the S9 Imprezas so I'm happy with that."

Two-times champion Biggerstaff finished fifth overall but couldn't explain his lack of pace. He lost 20 seconds during the opening stage after hitting a bank, but was never really on song throughout the event.

"The car was pushing the nose like a pig all day," Biggerstaff rued. "It was a disappointing day, I just don't know what the problem is. We'll take a look at the car when we get back home."

Banbridge's young lady driver, Emma McKinstry, enjoyed another solid drive in her Impreza WRC. Navigated by Kenny Hull, she was ecstatic with another top six position!

"We had a fantastic day," McKinstry enthused. "The tyres have been absolutely super, although we used a set almost every two stages. It was good fun!"

Coming home in seventh position, Kieron Graffin and Dermot Fahy encountered a few problems along the way. Graffin admitted to having only two clean stages after being held up by other crews on four of the six tests, but he still took seventh ahead of Ray Brammer and Matt Whattam, who were lucky to survive a high speed spin during the fifth stage.

Sunoco Fuels Group N category
There was fiery start to the Sunoco Fuels Group N category when Raymond Johnston's car caught fire on the opening stage. A seemingly harmless incident at the first corner quickly caused round one winner Johnston some major concerns.

"I think we hit a couple of car tyres on the long left-hander after the start," Johnston explained. "It really wasn't a big incident but unfortunately it fractured the oil cooler which sprayed oil between the engine and the sump guard. Further around the circuit, she caught fire and only for the marshals using their big extinguisher, I probably would have lost the car."

With Johnston out of the event, a new name was destined to top the Sunoco Fuels Group N podium. Reigning champion Cathal Rogers was hotly tipped to take the spoils but he made a few bad tyre choices which dropped him down the order, while John McGlaughlin also had troubles of his own.

Instead, the battle went down to the wire between three men. Mark Massey, Alan Burrows and John Walker. Only a handful of seconds separated the three crews but in the end, victory and ninth overall were awarded to Mark Massey and Alan Purdy. Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan finished just three seconds adrift in 10th overall, while Alan and Gavin Burrows were a further two seconds behind.

Superdrive 2WD category
There was another close battle in the Superdrive two-wheel-drive category between three crews. In a tussle that went right down to the wire, Trevor Moore, Camillus Bradley and event sponsor Fintan McGrady were all fighting for honours.

It was Bradley who entered the final stage with the upper-hand but he caught another competitor on the test and lost vital seconds. Trevor Moore and Ray Fitzpatrick capitalised and a stunning time saw them nab the category victory by three seconds from Bradley and Danny O'Neill, with Fintan McGrady and Gary Rodgers taking third.

Montgomery Motorsport Historic category
Philip Hunter and Denver Rafferty claimed another category victory in the Montgomery Motorsport Historic category. They took their Mark 2 Escort to the top of the podium, while Alan Jardine and Jim McSherry were the best of the rest in their beautiful Mark 1 Escort. They finished a little more than 20 seconds ahead of Tommy O'Connell and Sean Magee, with Philip McDowell and Mark Stirling fourth.

Round three - Larsen Circuit of Ireland
After the opening two circuit based events, competitors will now face the closed roads of the Larsen Circuit of Ireland Rally at Easter! The two-day event takes place over 11/12 April, with stages based in County Down and County Armagh.

In the meantime, round one of the Hankook MSA N.I. Stage Rally Championship will be broadcast on UTV's RPM Motorsport programme at 11pm on Thursday 26 March. Make sure you tune in to catch all the action from the Eurocables Stages. More details can be found online at www.nirally.com.

More Photos:

Posted: March 16, 2009 2:05 PM

Roy Dempster Photos
KG Rally Pics
neillpics.co.uk
Tight Angle Photography

Full Results and Times

Posted: March 15, 2009 10:50 AM

Full Results & Times

McGarrity aims for two in a row at Saturday's McGrady Insurance Stages!

Posted: March 9, 2009 2:45 PM

Round two of the Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship gets underway this Saturday with the McGrady Insurance Stages. And popularity of the series certainly isn't waning, as another full capacity entry of 120 crews will tackle the stages at Bishopscourt Race Circuit!

Based near Downpatrick, the event will see round one winner and current championship leader, Derek McGarrity, starting first on the road. Driving his Subaru Impreza WRC, the Glengormley driver was unstoppable at Kirkistown. He also won at Bishopscourt last year, and is the hot favourite for another rally victory.

Reigning champions, Connor McCloskey and Francis Regan, will be hot on their heels in their Ford Focus WRC. They finished second at the opening round, and were also second to McGarrity at Bishopscourt in 2008. The Kilrea driver is hoping to turn the tables on the former champion, and perhaps this time it will be third time lucky for McCloskey.

At number three, Denis Biggerstaff and Damian McCann bring their Impreza WRC to the fray. The crew were lucky to escape a fire at Kirkistown's opening round, where they finished fourth overall. Biggerstaff is another former champion, and has had mixed success at Bishopscourt over the years, but will be looking for another podium finish to add to his résumé.

Newcomers to the series, Seamus Leonard and Gerry McVeigh, will also be in the mix with their Impreza WRC, while another former champion, George Robinson, is in an older specification Impreza WRC. Impreza-fever continues at numbers six and seven, with both Ray Brammer and Emma McKinstry entered in similar cars.

In the Sunoco Fuels Group N battle, Raymond Johnston and Cathal Rogers resume battle at Bishopscourt. They were separated by just a couple of seconds at the opening round, so it will be interesting to see who emerges on top at round two. Mark Massey and John McGlaughlin will also be vying for the top spot, as will 2008 Group N winner, Stephen Kelly.

The battle for Superdrive two-wheel drive honours will be equally intense, and event sponsor, Fintan McGrady, starts the event as the top seed among the 2WD competitors. He will have his hands full though, as he tries to fight off reigning champion James Kennedy, as well as a host of other drivers.

And the new Montgomery Motorsport Historic category has received eight entries. Headed by Philip Hunter's Escort, Alan Jardine and Derek Boyd will again be tussling for the number one slot.

The McGrady Insurance Rally will feature six stages, all based within the confines of Bishopscourt Race Circuit. The first car is due to leave the start line shortly after 9am.

Entry List

Posted: March 9, 2009 2:44 PM

• Ballynahinch & District Motor Club

MAXIMUM ENTRY FOR McGRADY INSURANCE BISHOPSCOURT STAGES RALLY

Posted: March 9, 2009 10:47 AM

There’s a maximum capacity entry for the McGrady Insurance Bishopscourt Stages Rally on Saturday March 14th. At 9am the 120 plus rally cars will line up at the Downpatrick venue for this second round of the Hankook Northern Ireland Rally Championship. An added attraction to the Ballynahinch and District Motor Club event is the addition of TV coverage by RPM, which will be shown on UTV, Motors TV and Setanta TV.

Six stages around the confines of the superb Bishopscourt venue will be run, utilising the main track, the infield areas, and of course the famous jump. Event sponsor Fintan McGrady, of McGrady Insurance is also competing on the event in his rapid MK2 Escort, and has a good chance of the two wheel drive honours. “I think it’s our fifth year sponsoring this event, and it’s an event that Ballynahinch and District Motor Club run extremely well. It’s nice to be involved with this rally, which really is equally as thrilling for spectators as it is to compete in.” Fintan’s main rivals will be former NI Champion Trevor Moore in his 2.4 Escort, and James Kennedy in his 2.0 litre Escort. Leading the field away however will be round one winner, Derek McGarrity, in his latest Subaru Impreza WRC. The former Irish Tarmac and NI Champion, faces stiff competition from the reigning NI Rally Champion, Conor McCloskey in his Focus WRC. Another former NI Champion, Dromara’s Denis Biggerstaff starts at three in his Subaru WRC, ahead of former Group N Tarmac Champion Seamus Leonard who is now using a Subaru WRC. The Subaru Impreza is a popular weapon as another former NI Champion,George Robinson starts at number 5 in his older version, ahead of English visitor Ray Brammer at 6. Emma McKinstry is the top female competitor at number 8, taming her S9 Subaru. Gilford’s Mark Doyle in his Toyota Celica GT4 splits the Subaru’s at 7, before the top Production seeds, round one winner Raymond Johnston at 9 and Cathal Rodgers number 10, both driving the popular Mitsubishi Evo 9’s.

Ballynahinch and District Motor Club members are well represented in the entry. Andrew Bushe in his Citroen Saxo Super 1600, is aiming for a place amongst the top two wheel drive runners, Gary Rodgers in his Evo 9 will be mixing it in the Group N hunt, whilst Andy Mulholland in his 1600 Escort, and young Becky Cherry on only her third rally, will be pushing for top class positions.

Clerk of Course Brian Crawford is looking forward to the event, and his team of volunteers have already been working to lay out the course for this extravaganza. Spectators are welcome, in what promises to be one of the most exciting Bishopscourt events to date.

List of Entries Received

Posted: March 3, 2009 12:49 PM

• Ballynahinch & District Motor Club

Regulations / Details

Posted: January 1, 2009 12:01 AM

• Ballynahinch & District Motor Club