Solway Coast Junior Stages - 10 Aug 14

Bogue Coasts to Solway Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland Victory!

Posted: September 14, 2017 10:15 AM

The seventh round of the 2014 McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland, took place in Scotland, for the Solway Coast Rally. This was the big event of the year, with the UK, Scottish and Irish Junior crews combining, and twenty-nine Junior 1000 crews. Clerk of the Course Sandy Dobie had laid on a superb event over thirty nine stage miles and thirty four road miles over the assorted by-roads of the Dundrennan military range. There was everything on offer here, and the crews had subjective route notes to listen to from the co-driver’s to translate the corners, crests and surface changes.

There was full support for the event this year from the Junior 1000 Ireland crews, with all eight taking the Stena boat trip across, for what was to be another challenging event for the 14-17 year olds, as heavy rain once again would soak the stages. Unfortunately Bailie McClinton didn’t take the rally start, due to an administrative oversight by the team, so seven of our Junior 1000 crews lined up for the ten stages ahead.

Leading them away was new champion William Creighton, doing the Solway event for the second time, and he commanded a narrow lead after two stages, despite a costly over-shoot at a slippery hairpin on the first stage. It was not to be his day however as on stage three the C1 broke a drive-shaft and William and co-driver Neil Colman where reduced to a spectating role. Eoghan Bogue on his first visit to Solway took up the lead mantle in the Nissan Micra. The Newry driver had a new co-driver, John Henderson aboard and they had an impressive run, finishing fifth overall and top Micra in the event, with Eoghan taking his first Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland victory.
“It was an amazing event, so much enjoyed it. The notes, the roads, brilliant, and great to get this result” commented Eoghan.

The battle for second place raged all day between Philip White in his Micra and Peter Bennett in his C1, and they were never too far from Eoghan Bogue either. Philip and new co-driver for the day, Richard Wardle from Yorkshire admitted to a slow start on the first stage, and Peter Bennett and Arthur Kierans held a superb second place, on only their second Junior 1000 event. On stage seven however Philip put in a superb time, third fastest overall to move into second and further extended the gap over the final stage to finish 23 seconds ahead of his Loughgall rival.

In was fourth place was Michael McGarrity with Liam Regan alongside this time. The C1 driver also admitted to a slow start on the first stage, as he adapted to this new terrain and translated the route notes. He closed up a little in the middle of the day and was happy to finish this tough event in one piece. Fifth looked likely for Moira’s James Partridge, who persisted all day with an engine misfire, but the 107 Peugeot finally quit for good on the road section to stage nine, and James and co-driver Colin McDowell were out. Alex Harper was the only female driver in the event, and she ended up fifth of the Irish Juniors, despite losing a lot of time with the car lapsing onto three cylinders on the first two stages.



McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland- Rnd 7 Positions

1 Eoghan Bogue/John Henderson Nissan Micra 56m26s
2 Philip White/ Richard Wardle Nissan Micra +19s
3 Peter Bennett/Arthur Kierans Citroen C1 +42s
4 Michael McGarrity/Liam Regan Citroen C1 +1m40s
5 Alex Harper/Andrew Bushe Nissan Micra +6m

Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs - www.motorsportni.org