The fourth round of the 2017 McGrady Insurance ANICC Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland, in association with www.rallysales.eu took place at Bishopscourt for the Ballynahinch Motor Club's McGrady Insurance Stages event. Five Junior 1000 crews lined up for the six stage event, as the 14-17 year old rally stars of the future took to the expanses of the County Down race-circuit for nearly forty miles of special stage.
Making another return to the series, before he is old enough to compete in his R2 Skoda Fabia, was Loughgall's Peter Bennett. The 16 year old, who was runner up in last year's series had once again borrowed a Nissan Micra and proved to be the class of the field, but elected again not to score points. He was fastest on the first slippery stage, despite a half spin, ending the test only 0.9 of a second faster than 15 year old Sam Adams who was on his first ever visit to Bishopscourt. On stage two Bennett was eight seconds faster, but he ended it with a tattered Micra after over-cooking the braking into then chicane on the main straight and ploughing into the tyres. It was battered but not broken, as Peter and co-driver Mac Kierans powered to some seriously fast stage times in the afternoon to take a convincing win, proving the fact that one of the lower budget Nissan Micra's is still capable of winning the Junior 1000 rallies. "I was pushing it everywhere just as hard as I could go" said Peter "It was good to be out competing again and it's more useful left hand drive practice too before the competition debut in the R2 car."
Bishopscourt was a new experience for the other Junior drivers including championship leader Sam Adams. The 15 year old very much enjoyed the venue, and put in a good challenge during the day, the only real moment running wide on stage four at a hairpin and getting a tyre lodged underneath the Skoda Citigo for a time. Once again he improved his technique in the car, and took a maximum point's score, a good result before embarking on a trip to Angelsey in Wales next weekend for the first round of the UK series.
Peter Beaton and co-driver Kenny Foggo once again made their long trip from Nairn near Inverness in Scotland. 15 year old Peter in his Peugeot 107 lay third after stage one, but on stage two the Peugeot 107 was stranded as a gear linkage popped off. Co-driver Kenny Foggo used some expertise and leapt out and jammed the car in gear, enabling them to complete the stage dropping back to fourth. That allowed 14 year old Marcus McElwee in his Nissan Micra into third, but he too struck trouble on stage four, when the gearbox mount bolts failed and he dropped many minutes. The loan of some bolts from the Bennett team got them back out and the crew ended up fourth, behind Beaton in third who set some promising times on the final two tests.
The award for the unluckiest crew however went to Rory Byrne and James Byrne in their Volkswagen UP.
It was very much down for the 16 year old Mayobridge driver after stage one however as he limped to the end of the stage with a damaged sump, which was unable to be repaired, and it was instant retirement. Rory will be hoping for better luck on round five which heads for St. Angelo airfield for the Enniskillen Motor Club's event on 4th May.
Derek & Nigel Drive Home the Advantage on Round Two of the 2017 MSA ANICC McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship
Posted: March 13, 2017 7:59 AM
Seven times Northern Ireland Rally Champion- Derek McGarrity with co-driver Nigel Magee in their Ford Fiesta WRC took a superb twenty-four second victory on the McGrady Insurance Stages Rally, held at Bishopscourt race-circuit for round two of the MSA ANICC McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship on Saturday. The Glengormley driver debuting a new striking blue Fiesta WRC led from the first slippery stage, and as conditions dried out for the two final anti-clockwise stage he always looked in control, taking five of the six fastest stage times.
Derek McGeehan's second place with the Mini WRC looked much less certain as had a titanic tussle with Stuart Biggerstaff in the S9 Impreza WRC. It was McGeehan who took charge over the opening two tests, but the new lay-out on stage three, and Stuart re-acclimatising to his Subaru, the Kinallen driver took over second place briefly with a superb fastest time. However Derek replied on stage four taking back the place and the 1600 Mini held off the older 2 litre Subaru by just 3.8 seconds.
Kenny McKinstry had his nephew Jack on his first rally in the co-driver's seat. This time the Banbridge engineer had a more modern right hand drive S14 Impreza WRC and he made a solid start in fifth before snatching fourth from Peader Hurson on stage four, a position Kenny was to maintain. Fifth at the finish was Alan Carmichael in the Mini WRC. He was an excellent third on stage one, but stage two provided the dramas, dropping him to ninth before charging back to fifth, just six seconds ahead of Peader Hurson in sixth.
Taking seventh on the final stage was Saintfield's Mark Massey in a new Group A Subaru, just 2.8 seconds in front of Dromore's Kyle Orr who was also debuting a new machine the unique Fiesta 4X4 Proto. Ninth and first in Group N was Phillip Morrow, the Lancer dropping down from eighth as conditions dried up and favoured the more powerful cars. Group N winner on round one- Philip Allen had his Evo 10 in his dad's old colours, but he was forced out after stage four, but not before setting a fastest Group N time on the third test. Finishing second and third in Group N where the Evo's of Geoff McMahon and Clive Kilpatrick separated by just four seconds.
Two wheel drive winner in a fine tenth overall was James Kennedy with wife Heather alongside in their 2.0 MK2 Escort. The Antrim pair climbed from fifteenth to tenth during the day with Kyle White taking second in the two wheel drive's in his Peugeot 208 R2 despite an early misfire, and the novel Toyota MR2 of Robert Erwin a close third. One of the hard luck stories of the rally belonged to James Leckey Jnr who rolled his modified Peugeot 106 out of the event on the final corner whilst challenging Kyle White for second and the 1600 class. Another hard luck story was Colin Price's retirement from the class three lead on the final stage with a broken drive-shaft on the Vauxhall Corsa.
Niall Henry with his Evo 10 made up for his first round retirement with an eleventh place overall finish, whilst championship sponsor Fintan McGrady was delighted with fourteenth and a class seven victory.
Other class winners were: Michael McCarroll- class 1 (Ford Fiesta), Alexander Cochrane- class 3 (Ford Escort MK2), Jamie Grant- class 5 (MK2 Escort), Greg McCormack- class 10 (Skoda S2000), Drew Wylie- class 11-Historic (MK2 Escort RS1800), Raymond Johnston- class 12- FIA Historic (MK2 Escort RS1800). Round three of the McGrady Insurance series will be an exciting new closed road event held by the Mid Antrim Motor Club on the 6th May.
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