Maximum points haul for McElroy and Downey at Kilbroney!

Posted: March 31, 2004 5:37 PM

Saturday's A-One Tyres Kilbroney Stages Rally, which was based just outside Rostrevor in County Down, provided the Courtney Motorsport Images and Wee Minnies Bar & Lounge sponsored crew with seven challenging tree-lined stages. With a new engine and new tyres for their Vauxhall Corsa, David and Mo were raring to go despite enduring a hectic few days before the event.

'We only got the new engine from Rodney Stewart on Thursday morning,' David said. 'Mo went to collect it and on his way back he had to stop with a puncture, so it was 1am before he arrived at the workshop. We spent all night installing the engine and all day Friday setting it up. In fact, we bedded the engine in while we were on our way to scrutiny - we didn't know how the car was going to perform until the first stage!'

David and Mo arrived at the start of the opening stage feeling as though they had already completed a marathon! But their spirits were high and both were looking forward to putting their new engine and tyres to test.

'The first stage was a bit wet and we were trying a new pacenote system so we were both a little slow. During service we changed the suspension set up and tried to make some time up on the second stage. Despite a small overshoot we were five seconds faster so it was going well. We were two seconds quicker again on stage three and were having a good cut at stage four only to find another competitor had blocked the stage!'

The rally was at its midpoint and the crew were pleased with their progress. They were fifth in class, the Corsa was working well and they were quickly becoming accustomed to the new pacenote system. After having a bite to eat courtesy of the team chef, Sam Paul, David and Mo were ready to tackle the final loop of stages.

'With the stage being run in reverse we decided to give it a go,' Mo said, 'but unfortunately the car decided otherwise! On the uphill section at the start, the carbs started messing about. The car didn't have any power at low revs so time was lost at the start and at the hairpins.'

Despite losing time, David and Mo were on the move and after stage six they were fourth in class. They were setting similar times to the class leaders but with only one competitor registered for championship points in front of them, the crew were happy to settle for fourth. They were set to take a large helping of points home with them but their plan (and their Corsa) almost went banana shaped as they narrowly escaped an incident during the final test.

'We were so lucky!' Mo said. 'On the last corner of the final stage the back of the car shot into a small drain and we almost hit a bridge and then a tree! Thankfully, we survived to tell the tale!'

Incredibly, their class rivals, Walter Nevin and Ronnie Stewart, also encountered problems of their own and were forced to stop on the final stage! This allowed David and Mo to take third in class but, more importantly, they finished the event as the leading class two points registered crew!

David said: 'We had a day long battle with Nevin so it was unfortunate to see him hit problems on the last stage. It was a good event and I'd like to thank John Devlin, Ian Newport and Simon Gordon for a great days sport and a good close finish.'

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12/02/04
Successful outing for David McElroy and Mo Downey at the GMW Stages

DAVID MCELROY and Mo Downey enjoyed a successful outing at the opening round of the Clubman's Stage Rally Championship on Saturday.

The GMW Stages Rally marked their first event without pacenotes. It was also their first event in the forests but the Vauxhall Corsa pairing took it in their stride. Sponsored by Wee Minnies Bar & Lounge, Courtney Motorsport Images and MotorsportPR.com, David and Mo emerged as the leading eight-valve crew in their class after ten demanding stages in County Antrim. However, it wasn?t all plain sailing for the boys as they suffered with mechanical problems after the first stage!

Mo said: "We came out of the first stage and Davy said there was something wrong with the brakes so we jumped out to take a look. We thought we were out of the rally but Davy came up with the idea of loosening the box right off. So we completed the next four stages with the master cylinder hanging out of the car?and with very little brakes!"

Their brake problem certainly wasn't going to slow them down and they hammered through the four stages in Tardree Forest. They were seventh in class by the time they reached the service halt but David and Mo were determined to improve their position. During service, they descended on the car and fixed their Corsa's brakes in preparation for the final loop of stages.

With the car in tip-top condition, they entered the final five stages confident of being able to improve on their first run times. Sure enough, David and Mo laid down the gauntlet and bettered their time on every stage bar one. They arrived at the finish fifth in class and leading eight-valve crew. It was a great result for the pair who displayed the grit and determination needed to succeed.

David said: "The stages were a bit slippy but they didn't cut up at all. Some were a bit short and you couldn't really get into it but other than that it was good fun. It was our first time in the forests and our first time without pacenotes which was very frightening!"

"Our engine is completely bog standard - it was only supposed to do one rally but we?re getting another engine built by Rodney Stewart Race Engines. It will definitely be here in time for the next round of the series so it can only get better!"

NOTE
David and Mo are currently looking for sponsors to help fund their Tracker Clubman's Stage Rally campaign. If you or your company would be interested in becoming involved with a team that has the potential to win, contact David McElroy on +44 7766 835094.