Downhill Hotel Mayo Stages Rally - 9 Mar '99

Posted: March 15, 1999 6:59 AM

The Hillsborough, County Down native totally dominated this Opening Round of the 1999 Red Mills RIAC National Rally Championship, chalking up stage after stage win in his newly acquired Toyota Celica GT4. With Dean Beckett on the notes, the formidable duo celebrated their second successive Mayo Stages win in style with more than 2 minutes to spare over their nearest rivals, Daniel and Michael Doherty (Subaru Legacy) from Donegal. Overseas crew, James Harrison and Harvey Bell, came through the field to take third in an Escort Cosworth.

Ballina Motor Club’s Noel McCarrick and Charlie Adams proved to be the class of the Showroom Group N category in a Subaru Impreza.

The first of the 130 starters were flagged away from Market Square, Ballina by avid motorsport enthusiast, Willie McNeely, Sports Editor, MWR FM, before tackling 9 special stages which were held around Swinford, Bohola and Kiltimagh.

As expected, Greer was fastest over the first loop of three stages accumulating a 27 second lead over the Doherty brothers. But it wasn’t without its moments as Greer suffered a lapse of concentration and made a brief trip into the scenery. Doherty, on the other hand, pushed quite hard only to be hindered by excess wear in his tyres. Dubliner Michael Barrable (Toyota Celica) another leading contender who admitted to be a little ring rusty slipped back >from 3rd to 4th with Charlie Donnelly from Magherafelt moving up to that spot in an older version of the same car.

At the Service interval which was located along the Swinford by-pass, the main topic of conversation among the competitors was the slippery conditions experienced on the first loop, despite the fact that the weather remained dry.

Greer however continued his charge and took four seconds off his previous time the Meelick stage with Donnelly and Doherty in hot pursuit. Over the next two stages at Coolshinnagh and Middle Lough, Greer extended the lead to 1 minute and 8 seconds. Barrable ran into trouble on Stage 4 and continued but Charlie Donnelly’s rally came to an end with steering problems on his Toyota. Kilkenny’s Ray Breen moved up to 4th in the Escort WRC with Harrison and steadily improving John McCluskey (Dublin) in the new Toyota Celica 185 in 5th and 6th respectively.

McCluskey summed up his first encounter with the new machine by saying "Terrible conditions in places, a lot of mud pulled out of the banks, we’re up and down the ditches."

After the second Service (which again attracted a huge number of spectators), everyone realised that Greer could not be caught but battled-on regardless. As Greer took total control over the final loop, Doherty decided to consolidate the second place and secure maximum points in both the Red Mills Championship and the concurrent Four Seasons Border Series incorporated in the event.

James Harrison impressed many with his turn of speed and went home to Cheshire a happy man after securing 3rd overall. Ray Breen, Michael Barrable and John McCluskey completed the top 6 with the latter piping Gabriel Snow’s new Subaru Impreza by a mere one second.

Greer arrived back at the Rally Headquarters in the Downhill Hotel to rapturous applause. Commenting on his days activity Greer said "The stages were tough, very slippery after the bad weather, quite jumpy and bumpy in places. It was a good test for the car before the AA Circuit of Ireland at Easter."

Hosts, Ballina Motor Club, were in jubilant mood, apart from receiving glorious tributes on the efficient manner in which the event was run, no less than the three local crews who came away with Class honours.

Tubbercurry’s Noel McCarrick had a faultless run all day to take the Group N honours to finish 11th overall. James McGreal (Foxford) made a winning return to competitive rallying coming out on top in Class 14C in his newly purchased Nissan Sunny GTi-R. Chris Mitchell made all the right calls to keep James on the road to success. Another local crew to prove that ‘you can in a Nissan’ were the Cleary brothers from Kiltjmagh, Paul and Brian, bringing home their Nissan Micra 1300 GX to victory in Class 5 and 41st overall. Pat and Eamonn McGuinness made it inside the top 30 with a creditable run to 4th in Class 11. Two Crossmolina based crews fought tooth and nail throughout the nine stages with John Duffy and John Egan outpacing Declan and Ronan Moore in identical Toyota Corollas to finish 46th and 48th respectively. Andrew and Ronan Mullen from Ballisadare were pleased to finish 4th in Class and 66th overall first time out in their Sierra Cosworth. The Lang brothers David and Michael >from Dromore West may have started back of the field but swiftly moved up to finish 67th. Billy and Martin McDonald (Opel Corsa) were the best of the Ballinrobe crews in 72nd place as Joe Heneghan and Peter Gallagher (Vauxhall Nova) had a fraught days action and ended up 82nd. Another club member satisfied with his days work was Sean McHugh from Bekan Cross completing his second rally in the drivers seat with 79th place in the Peugeot 205 GTi. John Foy and Colin Currid from Dromore West overcame a few anxious moments in their Vauxhall Astra GSi to finish 77th. The same could be said for Claremorris based Gerard Stack and Tony Keating (Escort) as they headed up the tail of the field.

As with any sporting event there are winners and losers and among the 47 non-finishers were Rory O’Connor and Frances Kenny (Ballyhaunis) in a Ford Escort Cosworth. But they were not alone as many other locals failed to make it through the second loop such as Elaine Doherty and Paidraigin McGarvey (Sligo) Opel Corsa and first timers from Ballina Kevin Neary and Donal Molloy - Vauxhall Astra along with David Henry and Derek McCarthy. Unfortunate too, were Vinny Kelly and Pat O’Hora (Ballina) who failed to the finish ramp for the second year in a row in their Talbot Samba.

So, Ian Greer achieved what he set out to do, win this event and give the Toyota a good shakedown for the Circuit. Daniel Doherty has 20 points in the bag for the Red Mills Championship which moves on to the Circuit of Kerry on April 11th.

Results
 1. I. Greer/D. Beckett (Toyota Celica GT-Four)...........1:12.54
 2. D. & M. Doherty (Subaru Legacy RS)....................1:15.08
 3. J. Harrison/H. Bell (Escort RS Cosworth)..............1:16.52
 4. R. Breen/P. Newe (Ford Escort WRC)....................1:16.57
 5. M. Barrable/J. Downey (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD).......1:17.26
 6. J. McCluskey/M. English (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD).....1:17.33
 7. G. Snow/D. Wilson (Subaru Impreza 555)................1:17.34
 8. D. Armstrong/H. Blackburn (Escort RS Cosworth)........1:18.27
 9. D. Loughran/D. Nooney (BMW M3)........................1:19.26
10. G. Allen/A. Johnson (Escort)..........................1:19.34

     Championship Positions after Round 1
     D. Doherty      20 Points
     J. Harrison     18 Points
     R. Breen        16 Points
     M. Barrable     14 Points
     J. McCluskey    13 Points.