Juniors: Creighton Holds Off McGarrity’s Challenge in Challenging Conditions!
Posted: February 6, 2014 9:49 AM
The first round of the 2014 McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland, took place on Saturday on the New Year Stages Rally at Kirkistown. Despite such an early start to the season, five junior drivers, aged 14-17 lined up to lead the field away in their 1000cc machines. This series, now in its third year provides a superb stepping stone for future rally stars to learn their skills.
Crumlin’s Philip White in his Nissan Micra led the field off into a treacherous first stage, and Philip was to find out just how treacherous it was, with a spin on the chicane before the top hairpin, losing over forty seconds to the leaders. On stage two he was third fastest showing what might have been, and was joint second fastest on the final stage. Second off the line was William Creighton, in his Citroen C1. After third in last year’s series and picking up a win at Bishopscourt along the way, the Moira driver was hot favourite for this extremely wet opening round, and he didn’t disappoint on as was fastest on stage one, and second fastest on stage two.
Moira’s James Partridge was making his debut in the ex Kyle White Peugeot 107, and he had a torrid first stage, sliding down the grass and re-joining just in front of Michael McGarrity, the whole escapade costing Jamesover twenty seconds. 15 year old Michael McGarrity was on a flyer. He was also in a new car, a freshly built Citroen C1, and after some winter driving tuition has a renewed focus on this season’s Junior 1000 series. Second fastest on stage one was followed by his first fastest time in the Junior 1000 series which put him into a 2.9 second lead.
The was a lot of change on the car front this weekend, as Newry’s Eoghan Bogue was making his debut in the 2012 championship winning Micra of Ben Crealey. Eoghan had just tested the car for the first time the previous day, and added to this it was his first time in left hand drive, which made his day’s rallying all the more impressive as he slotted into an early third place.
On stage three William Creighton took the lead and stage four was cancelled for the Junior’s so two tests made up the rest of the mileage, as the Kirkistown circuit was continually belted with heavy rain. On the penultimate test Michael McGarrity was fastest, to start the final test just two seconds behind. Behind them the positions looked settled with Eoghan Bogue third, despite a few moments, James Partridge fourth, after a promising third fastest time on stage three, and a recovering Philip White fifth.
In the end it was William Creighton who took the spoils after an excellent, trouble free run, where he steered clear of trouble, and held off Michael McGarrity’s challenge. An off road excursion, in which he lost over a minute on the final stage meant that Michael had to settle for second place, a superb result in his new C1. Also in a new car, Eoghan Bogue took a fine third, with James Partridge fourth and Philip White fifth.
17 year old Kyle White who finished second in the 2013 series, made his adult rallying debut at the wheel of a Citroen C2 R2 Max, and recorded a fine result- 12th overall and 3rd in two wheel drive.
To keep up to date please check out our new Facebook page-Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Junior-1000-Rally-Challenge-Ireland/588151257878544
McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge- Rnd 1 Positions
1 William Creighton/Liam Regan Citroen C1 35m 09.4s
2 Michael McGarrity/ Stephen Massey Citroen C1 +1m 06.8s
3 Eoghan Bogue/Aidan O’Connor Nissan Micra +1m 31.6s
4 James Partridge/Billy Regan Peugeot 107 +2m 02.0s
5 Philip White/ Wendy Blackledge Nissan Micra +2m 06.1s
Video Clips
Posted: January 31, 2014 2:45 PM
Seeded Entry Lists
Posted: January 17, 2014 9:40 AM
1 Derek McGarrity/TBA Newtownabbey TBA 9a
2 Denis Biggerstaff/Stuart Biggerstaff Dromara 2.0t Subaru WRC 9a
3 Paddy McVeigh/Graham Henderson Dungannon 2.0t Subaru S10 9a
4 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan Portglenone 2.0t Subaru S9 9a
5 George Robinson/Tommy Speers Ballymena 2.0t Mitsubishi Evo 9 9b
6 Kieron Graffin/Paddy Robinson Toomebridge 2.0t Mitsubishi Evo 10 9b
7 Derek Jobb/TBA Fintona 2.0t Mitsubishi Evo 9 2
8 Steve Wood/Gary McElhinney Wales 2.0t Subaru WRC 9a
9 Dessie McCartney/Maurice Jellie Groomsport 2.5 Darrian T90 8
10 Keith White/Damian McCann Crumlin 2.5 Ford Escort 8
11 Adam Bustard/TBA Castlederg 2.0t Mitsubishi Evo 7 9b
12 Fintan McGrady/Cliodhna McGrady Belfast 2.5 Ford Escort 8
14 William McClurkin/Louise McClurkin Crumlin 2.0 Ford Escort 6
15 Kyle White/Alan Purdy Belfast 1.6 Citroen C2 R2 5
16 Richard McCartney/Christopher McGhee Larne 1.6 Citroen C2 R2 5
17Callum Devine/TBA Claudy 1.6 Ford Fiesta R2 5
18 Andy Johnson/TBA Killinchy 2.3 Vauxhall Chevette 8
19 Alan Woods/Kevin Martin Banbridge 1.3r Mazda RX8 9b
20 Jonathan Macdonald/Gareth McKay Donaghadee 2.0t Mitsubishi Evo 9b
21 Jeremy Carey/Brendan Ingram Ballymena 2.0 Ford Escort 6
22 Ian Green/Amanda Green Ballynahinch 1.9 Peugeot 205 6
23 Stephen Smith/Jordan Murphy Hillsborough 1.6 Honda Civic 5
24 Seamus Goodfellow/Ryan O'Kane Dungannon 1.6 Vauxhall Nova 4
25 Andrew McCormick/TBA Crossgar 2.0 Vauxhall Chevette 7
26 Chris Byers/Joan Gilmore Portaferry 2.0 Ford Escort 6
27 Brian Little/Caroline McGuinness Omagh 1.6 Ford Escort 4
28 Philip Greenlee/Jason Curran Tandragee 2.1 Ford Escort 7
29 Ashley Dickson/Jason Dickson Drumquin 2.0t Mitsubishi Evo 9 2
30 Ian Dickson/Aaron Johnston Drumquin 2.0 Ford Fiesta ST 1
31 Stephen Dickson/Denver Rafferty Drumquin 2.0 Ford Fiesta ST 1
32 Gary Dunlop/Philip Wylie Bangor 2.0 Ford Escort 6
33 Sean McNabb/James McNabb Downpatrick 2.0 Vauxhall Chevette 6
34 Gerard Hughes/Paul Hughes Belfast 1.6 Peugeot 205 4
35 Niall Creighton/Gregory Roberts Moira 1.6 Lotus Cortina 4
36 Robert Coulter/Olivia Coulter Crumlin 1.5 Ford Anglia 4
37 Willie McKee/John Lee****e Antrim 1.9 Talbot Sunbeam 6
38 Harry Brown/Martin McGrath Moira 1.6 Hillman Avenger 4
39 Rory Tougher/Harry Armour Comber 1.3 BL Mini Cooper S 3
40 Dermot Hassett/Niamh Power Dunshaughlin 1.4 Chevrolet Kalos 3
41 Robert Bunting/TBA 2.0t Subaru Impreza 2
JUNIOR 1000
J1 Philip White/TBA Crumlin 1.0 Nissan Micra
J2 William Creighton/Liam Regan Moira 1.0 Citroen C1
J3 James Partridge/TBA Moira 1.0 Peugeot 107
J4 Michael McGarrity/TBA Newtownabbey 1.0 Citroen C1
J5 Eoghan Bogue/TBA Newry 1.0 Nissan Micra
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