Donnelly and Subaru S14 WRC to light up Airfield Entry of 120 Rally cars confirmed for St Angelo
Posted: May 2, 2013 1:04 PM
Enniskillen Motor Club has attracted 120 Rally cars to compete on St Angelo Airfield on Bank Holiday Monday 6th May.
Clerk of the Course, veteeran Ron Neely says, 'The Motor Club is really pleased with how the Rally is progressing. We
have 120 cars signed up ready to deliver some spectacular action on May Day Monday 6th May. The weather forecast
says the sun will shine and we also have multiple Irish Tarmac Champion - Eugene Donnelly - with his Lakeland Tyres
sponsored Subaru Impreza S14 WRC as 'the icing on the cake'!
So rally fans will be in for a real treat. We have free car-parking opposite the airport, disabled parking as well and with a
special family ticket deal, plenty of hot food plus toilet facilities available it should be a terrific day's motorsport for
everyone! First car blasts off at 10.00am'. Motorsport fans will surely love to see tarmac specialist Donnelly 'hustle' the
impressive S14 Subaru around the airfield but also there to 'keep him honest' will be a fantastic array of local rallying
talent. Starting at No 1 will be last year's winners, Marc Johnson and Lynne Forde in their Grp N, Class 2, Mitsubishi
Evo.
Other contenders in four-wheel drive [4WD] cars who will be pushing Johnson hard for the win are: in-form Jonny
Leonard with Mum Geraldine co-driving in a Class 8 Evo, Anthony Cairns/Lee McCrory [Impreza], plus Derrick Jobb
and Gareth Sayers both in Mitsubishi Evos. In the very hotly contested 2WD category there is no shortage of potential
winners.
Local drivers, Shane McGirr [Toyota Starlet 2-litre Vauxhall], Fabian McAleer [Escort 2-litre BDG], Raymond and Simon
Johnson [Appendix 'K' Escort 2-litre BDG], Chris Armstrong [Escort RS 2-litre], Brendan Campbell [Escort 2-litre], plus
Andrew Trotter [Escort 2-litre] will all thrill the crowds as they vie for the much-coveted Class 7 win. The Rally is a
counting round of the Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland with a full quota of seven competitors including Adam
Bustard [Chevrolet Spark], William Creighton [Citroen C1], Kyle White [Peugeot 107, Eoghan Bogue [Nissan Micra],
James Partridge [Peugeot 107], Michael McGarrity [Nissan Micra] and Philip White Nissan Micra].
These youngster aged 14-17 are competing with their mature co-drivers as the event is totally on private property and
this really gives them a chance to hone their driving skills at a young age. Local lad, Connor Woods, who competed
here last year in the Junior category co-drives for Dad Trevor as they try out their Suzuki-engined Nova in preparation
for Connor gaining his full driving license in August. There'll be no stopping Connor now.
The rally consists of six stages making up almost twenty miles of tarmac which will test both the 4WD and 2WD
categories. But there are some rather unsual vehicles competing on May Day. Declan McKeown will wheel out his
impressive BMW M3 while Monea man, Paul McShea with daughter Lauren co-driving, will again compete in his
glorious-sounding Ford Orion RWD 2-litre V6. Irvinestown competitor, Scott Thompson will be in his Mazda 323 which
he also uses successfully in Navigation Rallies. Also returning to the airfield will be Neil Harron with Stacey Bothwell co-
driving in his 2-litre RWD Escort Mk III.
James McGovern will be back, but this time in the Co-driver's seat, with Neil McGahey in his Grp N spec front wheel
drive Escort MkV. The Malanophy family are out in force as well, with Danny and Adrian in their Ford Focus and Patrick
has Briege McManus sitting with him in his Escort – both in Class 7. Other family battles which will be the talking point
over kitchen tables for some time to come will feature; the Johnsons,Raymond and of course, son Marc; the McGowans
Michael [Escort MkII 2-litre Duratec] and son Marc [Sunbeam], not forgetting the Campbell clan with Brendan [Escort 2-
litre] having Theresa Melanophy beside him and brother Damian partnered by James McQuaid in his Escort with yet a
third brother Declan, breathing down his neck, with Dara Campbell in the hot seat in their 2-litre 'Pinto' Escort MkII.
McGarrity brothers Declan and Martin are out as usual in their ever-reliable Vauxhall Nova. Davy Forde aims to give his
newly-built Ford Puma its first run-out as OO car while son-in-law Jonny McDaid will be back out again in his Peugeot
106 with wife Sarah, competing in Class 5. One of several of the iconic Toyota Corolla RWD brigade will be Mark
Thompsom and Callum Funston from Kesh.
Fresh from his 'Driver of the Rally' award with Niall Burns on the notes on the Monaghan Stages Rally two weeks age
and also his magnificent 2nd Overall at Bishopscourt, codriven by Jackie Elliott in February, Jonny Leonard would be
the odds-on favourite to push Marc Johnson for the Overall position; that is before Donnelly and the S14 Subaru WRC
showed up! However, Derrick Jobb, Anthony Cairns and Gareth Sayers, all in Mitsubishi Evos will not let them have it
all their own way. In the hotly-contested 2-litre class; Class 7 the betting man would have to go for another local on-form
competitor, Chris Armstrong, who with Adam Faulkner beside him won the recent Midlands Rally and Monday 6th
should see the young Brookeborough man top the results sheet at the end of the day.
However Connor Watters [Escort], Jim Henry [Escort], Mervyn Wedlock [Escort], plus Raymond Johnson, Fabian
McAleer, Brendan Campbell all in Escorts and of course the rapid Shane McGirr, are all capable of winning Class 7.
Rally fans will just have to come out to St Angelo to find out who wins on the day.
The finish venue is the magnificent Ballinamallard United FC Clubhouse which has on display some of the memorabilia
of local rallying legend, Bertie Fisher and son Mark. Well worth a visit to Ballinamallard to see that alone!
EMC will run their usual Clubman's Single Venue Special Stage Rally: 'The McAleer's May Day Stages Rally', on St Angelo's Airfield at Enniskillen on Monday 6th May.
Alongside the main event EMC will host a round of the Junior 1000Rally Challenge Ireland.
MSA permit numbers 76558 and 76734 have been issued as well as Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland permit number 60/2013.
Entry is limited to 120 cars with an entry fee of £160.
Mechanical and Documentation Scrutiny will again be at McAleer's Spar, Dromore Road Irvinestown on Sunday 5th May from 16.30 to 20.00.
Super Unleaded fuel will be available at the Scrutiny venue.
For a small fee of £20 per competing car, an appointment may be made for scrutiny on Monday 6th May
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