Event Report: Champions Claim Drumlin Hat-trick
Posted: November 29, 2009 5:06 PM
Defending champions Arthur Kierans & Ashley McAdoo claimed a third successive victory on Monaghan Motor Club’s Drumlin Navigation Trial to move into the lead of the 2009-2010 National Night Navigation Championship. The pair showed their tremendous abilities as a team to score a third win a row and a fourth in six years on the one of the classic events on the navigation calendar. After a demanding 140 miles, including 70 timepoints, 11 vias and 4 controls, the Aghabog, Co. Monaghan pair finished on just 6 penalties, half that of their nearest rivals. This is Arthur & Ashley’s first win of the season together and indicates to their rivals that they have their work cut out to try to deny them a 3rd straight National title. Trevor Farrell & Noel Hall also produced an exemplary display to score a well earned 2nd place, while Paul Phelan used all of his experience to guide Richard Cassidy to a fine 3rd overall on 24 penalties.
With former National Champions Andy Mackarel & Liam Higgins as COC and ACOC for this year’s Drumlin, it was always expected that this would be a challenging event. However crews were amazed to find 80 checkpoints on their agenda as they hurried to complete plotting the route in the two and half hours given. With “plot & bash” to start the event, crews could not afford to relax as timepoints came thick and fast on top of one another. The first “plot & bash” caught a few crews out. TP3 and TP4 had to be plotted first before going to TP2 or double visit penalties lay in wait. Round 1 winners, Gareth Beagan/Stephen Thornton were caught out here and skipped TP4 to avoid a double visit, while Alan & George Shinnors received a double visit penalty at TP3. Already two crews’ hopes for a win were over and there was still 66 more timepoints to go!
TP7 & TP8 were in the same maze of lanes and only Martin Tynan/Gary Hall managed to clean these to move into a clear overall lead. Tricky farm lanes at TP9 & TP10 caused more problems. Not a single crew could clean TP10 and Martin & Gary still led on 2 penalties by furthest cleanest from Fintan McGorman/Daniel McKenna (Drumlin winners in 2005). ITC1 resulted in Tynan/Hall dropping 1 penalty and losing the lead, but worse was to follow at TP18. A very clever “plot & bash” brought the crews back through the shortest distance from ITC1 to TP17. For crews who didn’t follow the tulip, a double visit awaited. Amazingly 4 expert crews were caught out here, Fintan McGorman/Daniel McKenna, Martin Tynan/Gary Hall, Michael Tynan/Ciaran Tynan and Cork winners Shane Maguire/Ciaran Coyle. This trick eventually decided the winners of the event as McGorman/McKenna would have won if it wasn’t for their double visit.
Arthur Kierans/Ashley McAdoo now led the event on 3 penalties from Trevor Farrell/Noel Hall on 4 penalties. The latter were literally competing on their own doorstop, as the route passed through Noel’s farm. TP27 took crews right through a cattle shed while there were more farms at TP28, TP29 and TP30. There was no change at the front with Kierans/McAdoo continuing to hold a 1 penalty advantage from Farrell/Hall. Leading semi-experts Michael Carbin/Evin Hughes were 3rd overall at the petrol halt, from experts Richard Cassidy/Paul Phelan who were doing well after losing 8 minutes stuck in a ditch at TP10. Ray & Stephen O’Neill were going well and completed the top 5 on 21 penalties.
As crews clocked out of petrol after 1am, another 40 timepoints and 8 vias still lay ahead. This event was certainly not for the faint-hearted. Via3 was plot & bash and took crews over a slatted floor of a shed and TP32 was a new lane which had crews chicaning their way through the gates of yet another cattle shed. TP33 saw Farrell/Hall hit the front for the first time, as Kierans/McAdoo dropped 2 penalties here. The approach to TP39 was around a newly built house and Via7 was at the infamous Hall’s yard where crews slotted along the gable of a house to find their route.
Next up was the “Knocks Lane”, across the “Black Pig’s Dyke”, the twisty lane at Corracken and a new farm lane to TP48. Trevor & Noel lost 1 penalty at this timepoint and Arthur & Ashley re-took the lead on furthest cleanest. These two crews were in a league of their own with 3rd placed Cassidy/Phelan 12 penalties adrift. TP50 was very tight indeed and nearly all of the leading crews lost a minute here. But Kierans/McAdoo would not a drop another penalty thereafter, keeping their concentration as the second half took a lot out of both driver and navigator. The route now headed from Scotshouse to Stonebridge and on towards Smithborough. TP61 was around the side of a silage pit. Kierans/McAdoo cleaned this timepoint and now took a clear lead again, as Farrell/Hall dropped 1 penalty. TP62 caused a few anxious moments as crews passed over an extremely slippy grassy lane with streams running either side of the narrow road! Via11 was through a very narrow farmyard and after a much needed relaxed section, the 2nd ITC followed.
TP67 & 68 were plot & bash and took crews over two extremely grassy farm lanes as crews used all of the road and more to try and reach the timepoints on schedule. TP69 was a real beauty. A very tricky plot in a farmyard, four entrances to the left, all very inviting, but the last one was the only one that would go. Crews had to find their way round the farm, then round a grass cow pass, left and left again through two gaps, then, faced with three turkey houses, keep left through the last two and go past the tractor hiding the exit out to the time point. All of this had to be navigated with only one minute allocated for it. The fact that Kierans/McAdoo along with two other crews cleaned this timepoint was a testament to the combination of skillful driving and accurate measuring which makes them such formidable opposition.
So its four Drumlin wins now for Kierans/McAdoo but more importantly they have moved into the lead of this season’s championship. Trevor Farrell & Noel Hall shouldn’t be disheartened in 2nd place while Richard Cassidy/Paul Phelan took the final podium position. Fintan McGorman/Daniel McKenna may have finished in 4th place, but they were on par with Kierans/McAdoo all night and actually would have been the winners on furthest cleanest if it wasn’t for that double visit at TP18. This shows again just how simple it is to lose an event, it only takes one small mistake over the course of the night for it to slip away. 5th overall went to Gareth Beagan/Stephen Thornton who recovered well from their early mistake at TP4 and also a wrong approach at Via7 to hold on to 2nd place in the championship table after round 3.
Expert Class:
The top 5 overall were all expert crews showing that experience really does count on events as tough as this. Martin Tynan/Gary Hall showed a flash of form. Early leaders on the night and only dropping 3 pens on the first half, things went a little pear shaped in the 2nd half with a wrong departure but they still came home 6th overall. Jim Cassidy/Damien Connolly could have been in the top five, if they hadn’t failed a stop sign and it was unfortunately a similar story for Michael & Ciaran Tynan. Shane Maguire/Ciaran Coyle were also well in the running but mechanical problems intervened as the night wore on and they were forced to skip the last 8 timepoints and ITC to make it back to base. Ray O’Neill/Stephen O’Neill held a top five place at the petrol halt, but sadly their rotten season continued as their hired Vectra let them down in the second half.
Semi-Expert Class:
Paul Doherty/Donny Riney came from behind to take class honors with Cork’s Colin Fitzgerald/Daire Hayes not far behind in 2nd. Conor Maguire & Bobby Willis completed the top three.
Initially it was class veterans Declan Tynan/Andrew Grennan leading the way with Michael Carbin/Evin Hughes in hot pursuit in 2nd. Colin Fitzgerald/Daire Hayes were also well in the running but a flat tyre, which they were forced to change, dropped them behind the leading pair. A wrong approach by Tynan/Grennan at TP22 dropped them behind Carbin/Hughes who were down 11 penalties by this point, but it was Colin Fitzgerald/Daire Hayes who had pulled back into the class lead on 10 penalties. However they’re great run suffered a set back as they missed TP31. By petrol, Carbin/Hughes led on 15 penalties from Tynan/Grennan on 22 penalties. Things changed dramatically in the 2nd half of the event. Tynan/Grennan slid off and unfortunately they were not able to regain the road and were forced to retire. Carbin & Hughes had pulled clear in the class and were up to 3rd overall. However it was not all plain sailing. The manifold had broken and the car was well down on power. Distracted by this problem they misjudged a 90 right and slid off the road where they remained for almost an hour before tractor assistance enabled them to regain the road.
The class was turned on its head and it now appeared a straight battle between Fitzgerald/Hayes, Conor Maguire/Bobby Willis and Paul Doherty/Donny Riney. Colin & Daire had picked up a wrong departure at TP32, but only three penalties split them and Doherty/Riney. Ahead of them both though were Conor Maguire/Bobby Willis who were having a good run and down 36 penalties. Conor & Bobby would hit problems though, dropping 12 penalties at TP46 and missing five more soon after. The battle between the other two crews was resolved at TP51 as Fitzgerald/Hayes got a wrong departure and Doherty/Riney would not make another mistake to claim the class win on 67 penalties. Fitzgerald/Hayes took 2nd on 85 penalties with Maguire/Willis 3rd on 164 penalties. Amazingly Carbin & Hughes regained the road after their excursion and having discovered the car still drivable, continued with the event albeit after missing 14 timepoints. They salvaged 4th in class, ahead of Janice Mackarel/Colin Brady who endured a difficult night to take 5th. Fitzgerald/Hayes now hold a four point lead in the class in the championship from Carbin/Hughes, although Doherty/Riney and Maguire/Willis are still in touch especially on dropped scores.
Novice Class:
The biggest class of the night was the novice class, with 30 of the field combined between novices and beginners. Peter Hagan/Sam Johnston took a 2nd straight class win in the championship from main rivals Kevin Keenan/Barry Garvey in 2nd place, just 2 penalties splitting these emerging crews. 3rd place points went to double stages rally winners Enda Sherry/Dessie Keenan, quite an achievement for them as it was only Dessie’s 2nd event as a navigator.
Keenan/Garvey were first of the novices away but they were in early trouble, 2 penalties at TP2 and a whopping 10 penalties at TP5. Stephen Wright/Martin Connolly were on a real charge. By TP11 they were down just 5 penalties. Darren Babington/Francis Keenan were also down 5 penalties, with Peter Hagan/Sam Johnston down 6 and James McCarville/Fintan Clerkin down 7. Sadly the event would not last much longer for Babington/Keenan and McCarville/Clerkin as both would retire before petrol. Enda Sherry/Dessie Keenan had moved into the class lead by petrol, down 17 penalties and indeed they were lying in 5th place overall to boot. Kevin Keenan/Barry Garvey now held 2nd place on 30 penalties and 3rd place was in the hands of Peter Hagan/Sam Johnston on 39 penalties.
A good start to the 2nd half of the event resulted in Keenan/Garvey moving into the class lead by TP49. Enda & Dessie lost the lead after a wrong departure at TP36, but worse was to come with a stop sign failure and massive 100 penalties that would ultimately cost them the class victory. Peter Hagan/Sam Johnston were lying 2nd and when Keenan/Garvey missed Via8 and then had a wrong approach to TP51, they inherited the class lead. Keenan/Garvey hadn’t given up on the class yet and re-took the class lead by TP62. But there was one more sting in the tail in this closely fought battle. At TP69, the 2nd last of the night, the class was finally decided when Kevin & Barry took a wrong approach and dropped 1 penalty behind Hagan/Johnston who then extended their advantage to 2 penalties at the final timepoint.
These two crews look set for a battle royal for the class this season and the next round is Sam’s home event, the Midland Navigation Trial. 3rd place points on the night went to Enda Sherry/Dessie Keenan who had a great run, ruing a stop sign failure which would have left them an amazing 7th overall and class winners on only their second event together since switching seats. Gene McDonald/Damien McCabe took 4th place points from Round 1 winners Warren Carleton/John Hetherington in 5th. Only four penalties split these two crews after 140 miles of the toughest of routes. Damien Ward/Laurence Keenan also had an admirable run to finish 6th amongst the classified novices in the championship on 271 penalties. Early leaders, Stephen Wright/Martin Connolly were next home followed by Mark Hamaill/Darren McCague, Damien O’Reilly/William Kennedy and Vincent McAree/Jonathan McGovern.
Congratulations to Andy Mackarel, Liam Higgins, Monaghan Motor Club, the marshals who ensured all timepoints were manned, the results team, Newbliss Community Centre and all the competitors which ensured another full field of crews on what will surely go down as a classic event. We appreciate the co-operation of the residents along the route, especially those who offered their private lanes.
Kierans/McAdoo are now five points clear in the standings from Beagan/Thornton with Andy & Liam lying 3rd. Fitzgerald/Hayes and Carbin/Hughes continue to battle in the semi-expert class, while the ultra competitive novice class appears to be a two horse race between Peter Hagan/Sam Johnston and Kevin Keenan/Barry Garvey.
Results
Posted: November 17, 2009 1:21 PM
1 Arthur Kierans/Ashley McAdoo (Subaru Impreza) 6 marks,
2 Trevor Farrell/Noel Hall (Subaru Impreza) 12m,
3 Richard Cassidy/Paul Phelan (Vauxhall Vectra) 24m,
4 Fintan McGorman/Daniel McKenna (Vauxhall Vectra) 36m,
5 Garreth Beagan/Stephen Thornton (Subaru Impreza) 55m,
6 Martin Tynan/Gary Hall (Subaru Impreza) 62m,
7 Paul Doherty/Donny Riney (Subaru Impreza) 67m,
8 Colin Fitzgerald/Daire Hayes (Subaru Impreza) 85m,
9 Peter Hagan/Sam Johnston (Toyota Sprinter) 93m,
10 Kevin Keenan/Barry Garvey (Subaru Impreza) 95m.
Semi-experts:
1 Paul Doherty/Donny Riney,
2 Colin Fitzgerald/Daire Hayes,
3
Conor Maguire/Bobby Willis (Subaru Impreza) 164m.
Novices:
1 Kevin Keenan/Barry Garvey,
2 Gene McDonald/Damien McCabe (Subaru
Legacy) 257m,
3 Warren Carleton/John Hetherington (Toyota Carina) 261m.
Beginners:
1 Peter Hagan/Sam Johnston,
2 Enda Sherry/Dessie Keenan (Subaru
Impreza) 163m,
3 Damien Ward/Lawrence Keenan (Subaru Impreza) 271m.
Regulations Available:
Posted: November 5, 2009 7:26 PM
Event Website / Details
Posted: January 1, 2009 12:01 AM
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