The in-form Donegal driver Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) and his Derry co-driver Kevin Flanagan netted maximum points on the Deebert House Hotel
Circuit of Munster Rally, round four of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship. They were fastest through all nine stages and finished with a winning margin of one minute and 59.4 seconds over the Subaru WRC of Kerry's Alan Ring and his Cork co-driver Adrian Deasy. The Tipperary/Cork duo of Roy White/James O'Brien (MG ZR) were 54 seconds further behind in third.
The Motorsport Safety Group N category was won by Aidan Wray/Kieran McGrath (Mitsubishi EvoIX); Roscommon's Cormac Phelan/Katja Auhl (Citroen C2R2) took the honours in the Junior section and the Historic category was won by Niall Keane/Conor Keane (Talbot Sunbeam).
Kelly was quickest on the opening stage where the Mk. 2 Escorts of Tipperary's Barry Ryan, local driver Ed O'Callaghan and Donegal's Manus Kelly occupied the next three places. Ryan was Donagh Kelly's closest pursuer - 9.7 seconds off the leader's pace with O'Callaghan and Manus Kelly a fraction of a second further behind. Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC) was sixth. Enda McCormack (Skoda Fabia S2000) had a short-lived rally - he crashed at the very first corner - some twenty metres after the stage start.
Kelly was the only driver to break the nine-minute barrier for the second stage, he was also quickest though the third stage and duly arrived at the Kilmallock service halt with a commanding lead of 41.6 seconds. ''It's very slippery out there, hard to find grip, particularly on the second stage. The car feels really sharp.' commented the rally leader.
Second placed Maguire reckoned he was going as hard as possible, he was concerned about the rear of his Subaru WRC that seemed somewhat twitchy.
After a slow opening stage Roy White (MG ZR) slotted into third - 8.1 seconds behind Maguire.
Alan Ring lost vital seconds on the second stage when he stalled the Subaru WRC at a very tight hairpin, he had to flick the master switch to get the car back in action - he trailed White by 4.4 seconds.
Ed O'Callaghan led the Modified category as Ryan crashed out on the second stage and Manus Kelly retired with a broken half shaft. Last year's Circuit of Munster runner-up Kevin Kelleher (Subaru WRC) was sixth - he had clutch issues at the beginning of S.S. 3 and it was some three kilometres before the problem sorted itself.
Kevin Barrett (Subaru WRC) had to contend with a misted over windscreen on the first stage, he was seventh in a top ten that also featured Chris Armstrong (Escort), Graham Scallan (Mitsubishi) and Martin Donnelly (Toyota Corolla). Armstrong admitted he had a slow opening stage while he endured a few slides on the other pair of stages. Scallan had several moments on the second stage.
Elsewhere, Jonathan Pringle lost time when he burst the rear right wheel some three kilometres from the finish of the third stage. Later, he incurred a two-minute road penalty exiting service. Carrick-on-Shannon driver Sean Gallagher (Mitsubishi) had rear differential trouble on the second stage and although he re-joined under Rally2, he withdrew prior to the final loop.
Continuing his domination, Kelly, with three more fastest stage times, extended his lead and at the final service he led Maguire by a minute and 16.2 seconds. Maguire had an overshoot on S.S. 6. Ring improved and slotted into third - 23.7 seconds behind Maguire with White occupying fourth.
Fifth placed Kevin Kelleher (Subaru WRC) tried some different tyres and was somewhat undecided on their performance as Kevin Barrett (Subaru WRC) was untroubled in sixth.
Ed O'Callaghan continued to set the pace in the Modified category, his nemesis Chris Armstrong - 54.8 seconds behind admitted he was concentrating on the acquisition of points for the Triton Showers series.
Graham Scanlon (Mitsubishi) was quite content with his pace that yielded ninth on the leaderboard. Paul Purtill (Escort) was tenth.
Niall Maguire's rally ended just metres after the start of S.S. 7 when his Subaru stopped with a suspected electrical malady. Kelly went on to claim maximum points - he was also quickest through the Power Stage (S.S.9). Ring claimed second spot, he gained an additional two points for second fastest on the Power Stage. White, despite a spin on the final stage managed to repel the charge of Kevin Kelleher (Subaru WRC) while fifth placed Kevin Barrett netted a bonus point from the Power Stage.
Ed O'Callaghan (Escort) had a clean final loop to win the Modified section and completed the top six. In Group N Aidan Wray (Mitsubishi EvoX) reeled in Pat O'Connell on the final stage to claim the category. Wexford's Graham Scallan (Mitsubishi EvoX) won Group R and secured his first top ten finish in the car.
The Kilkenny/Tipperary duo of Mark Geraghty/Robert Nolan (Vauxhall Nova) won the Triton Showers Drive of the Day award.
Results
Posted: June 1, 2015 8:48 AM
1 Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Ford Focus WRC) 64m 54s
2 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Subaru Impreza WRC) 66m 53s
3 Roy White/James O'Brien (MG ZR S2400) 67m 47s
4 Kevin Kelleher/Ray Fitzpatrick (Subaru Impreza WRC) 67m 49s
5 Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Subaru Impreza WRC) 67m 55s
6 Ed O'Callaghan/Ger Clancy (Ford Escort MkII) 68m 16s
7 Chris Armstrong/James Fulton (Ford Escort MkII) 69m 37s
8 Graham Scallan/Tom Scallan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 R4) 69m 58s
9 Aidan Wray/Kieran McGrath (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 GpN) 69m 59s
10 Pat O'Connell/Paddy McCrudden (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 GpN) 70m 01s
Motorsport Safety Team Group N award: 1 Aidan Wray/Kieran McGrath
Rally.ie Two wheel drive award: Ed O'Callaghan/Ger Clancy
Antrim's Derek McGarrity (S14 Subaru WRC) has withdrawn his entry for Sunday's Circuit of Munster Rally, round four of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.
The event, based in the walled town of Kilmallock in south County Limerick with headquarters at the Deebert House Hotel, marks the halfway point of the popular national series.
Series leader Donegal's Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) is fourteen points ahead of former triple national champion Niall Maguire, who will use his S11 Subaru WRC.
KELLY SEEKS FOUR IN A ROW ON CIRCUIT OF MUNSTER
Posted: May 29, 2015 12:53 PM
With three wins from three events Donegal's Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) will seek to continue his dominance of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship that reaches the half way mark on Sunday next with the Circuit of Munster Rally.
Along with his victories in the Abbeyleix Rally, the Midland Rally and maximum points in Monaghan, Kelly and Derry co-driver Kevin Flanagan have also annexed a total of six bonus points - three each from Midland and Monaghan - bringing their total points haul to sixty-six.
Reigning National champion Declan Boyle (who has acquired a Ford Fiesta WRC) is a notable absentee from the Circuit of Munster that has a new base in Kilmallock with headquarters at the Deebert House Hotel. Boyle - one of three drivers to have won back to back national titles is of the opinion that a hat-trick of titles is beyond his reach this time - as he has just seventeen points on the board.
In terms of the Triton Showers series, Kelly's main rival is Monaghan's Niall Maguire, who has acquired Boyle?s championship double winning S12B Subaru WRC. "Niall is a formidable opponent, I presume he will have his new car. If we were to secure another set of maximum points, then the Triton Championship becomes a reality. But you can take nothing for granted, the car has been completely re-built since the Rally of the Lakes. You have to work on every aspect. The Power Stage is a good incentive especially if you are not in the rally lead." commented Kelly.
Maguire, second in the non-championship Cavan Rally last week, has yet to decide if he will debut his recently acquired ex-Declan Boyle S12B Subaru WRC. Currently, he's in second spot in the Triton series - fourteen points behind Kelly.
Cork driver Kevin Kelleher (Subaru WRC) returns to Triton action in County Limerick, he's a past winner of the rally and last year finished runnner-up to Sam Moffett. Having finished fourth in the opening round, he retired from the Midland Rally after he he damaged the steering following an altercation with a chicane bale. The Clonakilty driver, a former National Group N winner, has targeted a top three Triton Championship finish.
Kerry's Alan Ring in the Mel Evans hired S12B Subaru WRC occupies the number four berth for the Circuit of Munster as he too will try and move up the championship table. Antrim's Derek McGarrity (S14 Subaru WRC) is seeded at number five while Maynooth's Kevin Barrett in the Triton Showers Subaru completes the top six.
Last year's National Championship runner-up Roy White (MG ZR) has endured a somewhat troubled season and needs a strong haul of championship points in Limerick.
The Ford Escort trio of Chris Armstrong, Ed O'Callaghan and Jonathan Pringle round out the top ten. Cavan driver Armstrong is in impressive form this season and has already opened up a twenty points lead over Pringle in the race for the Triton Showers Ford Escort Mk. 2 Champions Trophy. O'Callaghan will be on home territory and is likely to present a real challenge as will Tipperary's Barry Ryan. Other Mk. 2 protagonists are Jack Newman and Manus Kelly while the Toyota Starlet pair of Monaghan's David Moffett and Carlow's George Condell will provide an added dimension to the two-wheel drive category.
British driver John Stone in his Skoda Fabia WRC makes another foray across the Irish Sea where he will have the Skoda Fabia S2000 of Longford?s Tommy Doyle amongst the opposition.
Despite missing the last round, Tyrone's Aidan Wray (Mitsubishi) retained the lead in the Motorsport Safety Group N category. His rivals in Limerick include reigning champion Shane Maguire, who crashed on the opening stage in Monaghan, Paul Barrett (Subaru), who is currently in second spot, former Irish Forest champion Pat O Connell (Mitsubishi) and Carrick-on-Shannon's Sean Gallagher (Mitsubishi)
Having campaigned his Toyota Starlet in Monaghan, Donegal's Declan Gallagher will revert to the Toyota GT86 on Sunday next.
Others on the Circuit of Munster entry list Cahir's Don Keating (Subaru), Limerick pair Sean Moran (Toyota Corolla) and Declan Wilmott (Ford Escort). Tipperary's Benny Kennedy (Ford Escort) while former forest rally championship regular, James Murphy, a native of Kilmallock makes a rare appearance in his Ford Escort Cosworth WRC.
Other local drivers are Eamonn Daly (Mitsubishi), Sean Liston (BMW E30) along with the Escort duo of Aidan Walsh and Ken Lyons. Wexford's Graham Scallan (Mitsubishi) goes in search of his fourth straight win in Class 5.
In the Junior category, Triton Showers Junior pacesetter Wexford's James Bradley (Honda Civic) is the top seed with opposition including title rivals and reigning champion Cormac Phelan (Citroen C2 R2 Max) from Roscommon and the Honda Civic trio of Wexford's Richard Moore, Meath's Gary McNamee and Cavan's
Darren O'Brien.
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