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Killarney Forestry Rally - 2 Sep 07Posted: September 7, 2007 1:25 PM - 12727 Hits
The Malton 2007 Killarney Forestry Stages
Photo: Ray Gavin Posted: September 7, 2007 1:25 PM
Fantastic Forest Finale - Event Report The 2007 Hankook National Forestry Championship arrived at the final instalment as the competitors reached Killarney for the Malton Forestry stages. Added to the mix for the final round was the visiting 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship. The UK championship was visiting for its penultimate round and was set to provide a battle royale between Steve Perez and Marcus Dodd as they were locked in a battle for the 2007 title. The event began early from the Malton hotel in Killarney town centre but not very bright as a murky drizzle clouded the conditions, this meant wet and slippy stages were to be the order of the day. The first stage Mounteagle was a fast and flowing stage and just the place to be introduced to Irish forestry at its finest, as ever Brian McGillin & David Doherty were fastest out of the blocks and took a welcome lead of 3 seconds over the similar Hyundai of Marcus Dodd & Andrew Bargery. In the battle of the Ford Foci it was Stephen Moore who took first advantage he and new co driver Greg Shinnors kept it fast and neat to take 3rd fastest just one second off Dodd while Steve Perez in his VK Focus was blighted with a front puncture, meaning his day was an uphill batlle right from the outset having lost 56 seconds to his championship rival Dodd. Keith Cronin took his customary Group N first blood and 4th overall on 8 seconds behind Moore & Shinnors while Jock Armstrong & Kirsty Riddick settled their way in to 5th o/a and 2nd Group N at 14 seconds down to Cronin. Stage 2 was regrettably cancelled because of a shortfall of marshals, as ever safety is paramount and the reluctant decision for the officials was to cancel the stage in the best interests of safety. In the short wait this created a philosophical Perez commented, “its slippy and narrow and I almost never get front punctures but we just got caught out with a rock, that’s how it goes” Dodd commented also on the narrow nature of the stages and how difficult it was to get a good flowing rhythm as once you thought you were driving too cautious there was always a tight sudden corner to remind you of the dangers of pushing in the conditions. Moore was on his customary gentle start and said the addition of Shinnors to the team was gelling fine, adding a laugh when explaining that on the previous stage he was getting used to the Limerick lilt and at one point confused the note “onto tar” with “onto tyre”. Stage 3 Knockacummer was a 14km blast with every type of section, from flat out straights to tight hairpins, and it was one of these tight corners that caught out rally leader Brian McGillin, just before the finish Brian got wide on a tight corner and hit the bank. The impact damaged the car but shattered the windscreen meaning Brian was forced to pull out at the end of the stage. Yet more cruel luck for the Hyundai driver who has shown so much speed over the season. Moore ws now well in his stride to set joint fastest with Perez which moved the Irish champion into the lead of the event by one second from Dodd. Keith Cronin & Anthony O Connell held 3rd in their Hankook Evo 26seconds up on Jock Armstrong & Kirsty Riddick in their Subaru. Colin Britton & Arthur Kiearns dropped out of the group N battle having slid into a ditch on stage 3, the crew did well to get the car out and continue with cosmetic damage but just under ten minutes were lost. Emma Mc Kinstry & Kenny Hull were on an even more fierce pace than the last round and held 6th overall having set some top times to leave them 12seconds behind the recovering Perez. Stage 4 was to prove the sting even before the rally reached the tail, with 19km of slippy gravel it was sure to take its toll and it certainly did. James Murphy & Anthony Nestor were on a steady pace and the Escort WRC was remaining on song until a slippy square right caught out the pair and they found themselves stuck in a deep ditch, 14 minutes were lost here and while the pair would continue to the finish of the rally the wind was somewhat gone from their sails. In 2wd last year 2WD winners in Killarney Seamus O'Connell/Brian Duggan set the pace on the opening stage, 3 up on the hard charging Frank Kelly/Liam Breenan. For Cork 2WD winner Adrian Hetherington with stand-in co-driver Sean Duggan the event got off to the worst possible start with a puncture early on the opening stage, dropping them over a minute. O'Connell was surprised to add another 7 seconds to his 2WD lead on SS3 as he felt he wasn't driving well. Hetherington/Duggan started their fight back, and set a stunnng time of 11:44 on SS4 to jump up to 14th overall and 3rd in class from an earlier 40th place overall. Kelly took 8 back from O'Connell to bring the gap back down to 2 seconds at 2nd service in Mount Collins. Leaving that service it was Moore & Shinnors who were leaders but still only by 1 second from Dodd. Cronin was 3rd o/a but now had to watch for Perez who by this time had 4th and was closing on Cronin for 3rd. Moore really put the hammer down on SS5 to take 22seconds from Dodd and put the rally firmly into the hands of the newly crowned Irish champion. Dodd perhaps had begun to think of protecting his own championship battle as Perez was now in full stride and second fastest to Moore. John Reid was really getting to grips with his ex McHale Corolla WRC and was now up to 7th 11sec behind the flying Emma McKinstry and 6 seconds in front of Kevin O Kane. As with every round of the championship this year the top 2wd crew win the Superdrive prize and with it comes a voucher from www.superdriveni.com for part payment of entry fees for another round of the Championship to the value of €150.00 for first 2WD and €75.00 for 2nd place 2WD. SS5 was the point in the rally where this award was really decided. First Adrian Hetherington/Sean Duggan slipped off the road, even through they got the car out after 20 minutes, they choose to withdraw at the next service as there was damage to the front sub axle. In sub axle problems too were Seamus O'Connell/Brian Duggan, with the complete left wheel and hub parting company with the car. They nursed the car to the next junction and joined the growing retirement list, it could be said so that the battle of the Duggan brothers was a no score draw This left Frank Kelly take a relaxed win, although Frank on sideways tilt can never seem relaxed, but it gained him and Liam the victory in the 2wd Hankook Irish National Forestry series with class 3 winner Mossy Fitzgerald/Jimmy Deane having their reward for a seasons pace and brilliant 2nd 2 wheel drive championship result. On SS6 Moore got a reminder that its not over until its over when a puncture cost him 20 seconds and dropped him back into the clutches of Dodd, Perez was motoring on and was now just 11s seconds behind Cronin, Cronin was still the fastest group N car out there and had just under a minute in hand over Armstrong. Moore and Dodd tied on 3:57 for SS7 which still left Stephen Moore in a 4 second lead. Perez was fastest to put his Focus WRC just 2 seconds behind Cronin with one stage to run. That one stage was the 19km Mullagherik stage and in there Perez was out for the advantage he needed and this time he took second fastest to leap frog the Hankook Mitsubishi Evo and take 15 seconds from Cronin and put himself into 3rd o/a. Moore & Shinnors were again lightening fast to put their victory beyond doubt. However this did not mean a loss for Dodd as the Hyundai driver with Manx co driver Andrew Bargery was crowned 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Champions. Perez had fought back valiantly all day but the puncture had hampered him such that a recovery was perhaps impossible and Dodd did a sterling job to take the podium place and the points he needed to win the series with one round to go. Keith Cronin & Anthony O Connell crowned off what has been an excellent year for them with another Group N victory which sees them secure second in the championship results, they were true stars of the series and on more than one occasion they pushed the champion Steven Moore on his way to his excellent performances. Stephen and new addition to the team Greg Shinnors took a brilliant victory on the day and this was in the face of new and challenging visitors. Stephen took yet another maximum score in the series to leave him with an almost clean sweep across the championship board. Stephen will now turn his attention to the Northern Ireland Series and the return of Tony McHugh to the co drivers seat, a championship that the crew can possibly add to their 2007 Hankook Irish Forestry Championship. Third in the Hankook series for the second year in a row is former champion Kevin O Kane & Martin Brady, this pairing took their Subaru to a conservative 8th on the rally wanting to gain enough championship points on the day to secure the result and to preserve the car for a hopefully drier Lakeland’s rally the following weekend. The next visiting crew Jock Armstrong & Kirsty Riddick took their Subaru to 5th, while series regular Emma McKinstry & Kenny Hull took some great times all day in their WRC Subaru to be rewarded with 6th, a result to be proud of amongst the strong competition on the day. 7th was Meath man John Reid & Enda Shields on only his second day in a WRC car Reid held on well and took competitive times to take a well earned result, expect to see this man in the top times again soon. In the class battles Andrew Fanning took class 1 in his KA, and Jim & Rachel Fagan also in a Ford took class 2. Class 4 was another Ford crew Michael O Sullivan & Brian O Connor. It was yet another Escort but this one 4wd variety that took Dan Mulcahy & Donnocha O Callaghan to Class 6 and John Byrnes & John Nugent took the junior victory. 2007 Hankook Tyres National Forest Rally Championship was an exciting and challenging year. We saw it all each round has been fought competitively from start ramp to champagne celebration. The championship has showcased everything. From the wet and treacherous Carrick forests, and Mitchelstown hills to the newcoming territory of Limerick with its fast and dusty open stages. Then a fast trip around the forests among the Monaghan drumlins and the fabulous 2 day Cork classic, all before the Killarney finale. Full championship results will be available soon on www.hankook.ie REPEAT PERFORMANCE IN KILLARNEY IS PERFECT END TO CHAMPIONSHIP FOR EMMA Killarney played host to the final round of the Hankook Tyres Southern Forestry series. And it also played host to yet another sterling performance from Banbridge driver Emma Mckinstry and co-driver Kenny Hull. The Killarney event was also a counting round of the MSA British Gravel Rally Championship, the presence of top competitors from this series would make the challenge even tougher for Emma and Kenny. A dull wet morning would greet the crews, making the stages rough and slippy. Emma emerged from the first stage relieved to still be in one piece, but a fair way off the leading pace, in seventh place overall. With stage two cancelled there would be no change at first service. On ss3 Colin Britton went off the road, his time loss promoting Emma and Kenny to sixth overall. On stage five a spin would cost Emma at least fourty seconds, leaving Jock Armstrong beyond their reach and allowing Kevin O’Kane to close the gap behind. Leaving last service a mere three seconds separated Emma and Kevin, so Emma stepped up a gear over the last two stages, setting fourth and fifth fastest times respectively and taking a total of twenty seconds off nearest rivals Kevin O’Kane and Martin Brady. A delighted Emma and Kenny crossed the finish line at the Malton Hotel in Killarney, with overall awards taken into account it was left to Emma amd Kenny to once again lift the spoils for first in class. “It’s a great way to end a really enjoyable season, I thought we’d be out of contention after the spin on stage five, so I’m obviously relieved” commented Emma at the finish ramp. Emma and Kenny’s hard charge over the last two rounds has promoted them to fifth in the final championship standings, and they would like to thank everyone who made it possible; Hankook Tyres, Mckinstry Motorsport, Triton Showers, McGaffin Contracts, Protec, Kiverco Recycling Systems and Sunoco Fuels. Now their attentions move to competing on the final round of the Irish Tarmac Championship, the Cork 20. MSA Gravel Rally Championship - Dodd Clinches Championship In Killarney Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery were crowned the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Champions as they finished as the first championship registered crew and second overall on The Malton Killarney Forestry Stages Rally today (Sunday 2 September). Dodd and Bargery finished just 15 seconds behind event winner and 2007 Hankook Irish National Forestry Rally champions Stephen Moore and Greg Shinnors in their Hyundai Accent WRC to claim the title for a third time and wrap-up the honours with one round still remaining. Their closest title rivals, Steve Perez and Claire Mole, finished second in the championship and third overall in their Ford Focus WRC, just 51 seconds behind Dodd/Bargery. Perez had lost around 50 seconds on stage one with a puncture to put him 14th on the leaderboard but he managed to haul himself back up to fourth overall after stage four before eventually climbing to third. “It’s been rough, but we had a steady run and no problems,” Dodd said. “It would have been nice to have had more of a go at the locals but we had to think about the championship. For a few seconds it would have been stupid to try too hard and throw it all away, we were here to beat Steve (Perez). “I’m elated to win the championship for a third time. It’s great to win it on the penultimate round but it would have been nice to take it down to the final round, the Bulldog Rally, as that’s a bit special to me.” Subaru crew Jock Armstrong and Kirsty Riddick finished third in the championship, fifth overall and the already crowned Subaru Trophy champions won the trophy section and were second Group N overall as they had a smooth run across the 120km of forest gravel stages, which were slippery following a steady drizzle throughout the day. Jonathan Sparks and Bradley Magnus brought home their Mitsubishi Evo 7 12th overall and fifth in class eight with a problem-free run whilst Harry Dodd and Richard Skinner were the final MSA National Championship crew to be classified as they finished 23rd overall and fourth in class seven in their Hyundai Accent WRC after struggling without a turbo for five of the seven stages. Eight MSA National Gravel Rally Championship crews made the start of the Killarney-based rally, which was included in the series calendar for the first time. Alan Cookson and Julian Wilkinson retired on stage five with a broken front suspension on their Subaru Impreza after earlier losing their brakes, while Trevor Martin and Ray Cleghorn failed to finish as they went off on stage four in their Subaru. Rod Bennett and Henry Richardson broke the driveshaft on their Fiat Stilo in stage five. Despite the title already been claimed, there are still plenty of class honours to fight for on the final round of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship, the Oswestry-based Bulldog Rally which takes place on Saturday 20 October. TITLE TRIUMPH FOR MARCUS DODD! Poole driver Marcus Dodd is celebrating after being crowned the 2007 MSA National Gravel Rally Champion after a controlled drive on today’s Killarney Forest Stages Rally. On a rare foray into Ireland for the premier British forest rallying series, Marcus had a trouble free run to second place overall taking yet another maximum points haul in the process. The result means that Dodd cannot be beaten with one round to go. Supported by Flitewise.com, Pirelli Tyres and Sunoco Fuels, Marcus and co-driver Andrew Bargery arrived in Ireland confident they could take the fight to title rival Steve Perez in his Ford Focus WRC. The HPM Motorsport team had done a fine job of preparing the Hyundai Accent WRC ready for the new demands of Irish forestry. The stages are rougher than their equivalent roads on the mainland but the team were well prepared for the challenge posed by the forests near to the base town of Killarney – better known for its tarmac roads than gravel. Eight special stages would greet the crews on Sunday 2nd September and Marcus had a clear mission. Beat Perez, and in doing so, win the title. Seeded behind his rival on the event, Marcus watched Perez head into the first stage and knew he would have to push hard to do lift the crown. Not long into the stage Dodd could smell burning rubber – but crucially it wasn’t coming from the Hyundai. Perez had picked up a puncture and Dodd took 50 seconds out of his rival on the first stage alone. Marcus and Andrew could breathe a sigh of relief but the job was far from over. Dodd steadily picked his way through the stages to find himself just four seconds behind rally leader Stephen Moore heading into the final stage. Did he risk pushing to take the win or should he settle for 2nd overall and winning the championship for the third time? Unsurprisingly, Dodd chose the latter option and took a steady run through the stage. The result was a well earned win for the non championship registered Moore, and the prize of the championship title for Marcus, Andrew and HPM Motorsport. Dodd was understandably elated at the finishing ramp of the event: “I’m delighted for the HPM team as they have put the hard work in this year to give me a reliable and fast car. We’ve steadily developed the Hyundai over the past few seasons and winning the title was always the aim for the whole team. Andrew has been fantastic and the combination of the Pirelli Tyres and the excellent Sunoco Fuels has worked really well with the Accent WRC. It would have been so easy to collect a puncture here today as Steve did but we were able to keep our noses clean and out of trouble. After the first stage the title was pretty much decided and we could control the pace as we wanted to. Winning the series with a round to go is a testament to our performances during the year and we’ve been rewarded for being the pace setters on many of the events this year.” Joining Marcus in Ireland was his father, Harry Dodd. The National Championship stalwart was also looking forward to the challenges posed by a new event to the team. Together with his Manx co-driver Richard Skinner, Harry would finish the rally a fine 23rd overall and 4th in class in his identical Hyundai Accent WRC. October will see the final round of the series take place in Oswestry. The Bulldog Rally uses the highly popular forest stages of Dyfi, Gartheiniog and Dyfnant and is a favourite with competitors and spectators alike. Marcus and Andrew will hope to end the season in fine style with another maximum points score and victory if they can. Results 1 Stephen Moore/Greg Shinnors (Ford Focus WRC) 54:02 2 Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC) 54:17 3 Steve Perez/Claire Mole (Ford Focus WRC) 55:08 4 Keith Cronin/Anthony O'Connell (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7) GpN 55:21 5 Jock Armstrong/Kirsty Riddick (Subaru Impreza N12) GpN 56:49 6 Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Subaru Impreza WRC) 57:55 7 John Reid/Enda Shields (Toyota Corolla WRC) 58:32 8 Kevin O'Kane/Martin Brady (Subaru Impreza WRC) 58:42 9 Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Ford Escort Mk2) 59:34 10 Colm McBride/Rodney Hicks (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) GpN 59:53 Leaders After SS1 Brian McGillin/David Doherty (Hyundai Accent WRC) SS3-8 Stephen Moore/Greg Shinnors (Ford Focus WRC) Stage Winners SS1 Brian McGillin/David Doherty (Hyundai Accent WRC) SS2 Cancelled SS3 Stephen Moore/Greg Shinnors (Ford Focus WRC) SS4 Stephen Moore/Greg Shinnors (Ford Focus WRC) SS5 Stephen Moore/Greg Shinnors (Ford Focus WRC) SS6 Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC) SS7 Steve Perez/Claire Mole (Ford Focus WRC) SS8 Stephen Moore/Greg Shinnors (Ford Focus WRC)
rally.connect.ie (Angus Sealy)
Waylander Video Clips 2WD Winners - Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan PRE EVENT NEWS
(Left to Right) Orla McAndrews and Andrew Flatherty (Malton Hotel) Clive Taylor (S-Tec Motorsport) Kevin Flannery(Asst CoC) Stephen Hayes (ADA Homesafe Security) & Gary McCormick (CoC) at the Launch of The Malton 2007 Killarney Forestry Stages Rally. Photo: Ray Gavin 30/08/07 Event Preview It’s the final showdown Round 7 of the 2007 Hankook Tyres National forestry championship is upon us and ready to go, it has been an exciting and successful year in the championship. We have had every type of excitement and fierce competition and even new and challenging events have joined the fray. However ultimately it has been the year of Stephen Moore and Tony McHugh with they having already taken the overall championship honours with one round to spare. Now the final round is to add even more spice to an already potent mix, for Killarney we have welcome visitors in the shape of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship. This modest influx of the UK’s finest gravel rally competitors is sure to add an exciting mix to the front running pace of the regular Irish runners, and no doubt it will be an interesting yardstick to analyze the times once the battle commences. Nonetheless before we make it to the first stage of the event the rally will begin in the bustling town of Killarney where scrutiny of the rally cars will take place at the fire station on the easily accessible N22 main ring road. Then the competitors will place their cars in the Parc Fermé at the 4 star Malton Hotel in Killarney town centre. The event begins from Killarney town centre at 8am Sunday, early and eager to begin the forest battles! The crew at the front line of the battle will be Stephen Moore & Greg Shinnors in the Ford Focus WRC, both forest champions in their own right. Moore the now reigning champion and Shinnors a former champion of some experience and note. Stephens’s regular co driver Tony McHugh is busy for the weekend as he is involved in the marshalling of the Ulster rally, therefore he took a step back and Greg was the man to fill his co driver boots. Steven has the advantage of being the reigning winner of this event. Right behind them and eager to be the pacesetters are Steve Perez & Claire Mole. Steve will already have been in a race just to get to the event as he is competing on another UK national gravel rally on Saturday and a quick helicopter dash to Killarney to a second waiting Ford Focus WRC will see him take the start ramp in peak match fitness. This is sure to motivate his main challenger Marcus Dodd even more, not that such motivation should be needed. Dodd and Perez are locked in a fierce battle for the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally championship and Killarney is the penultimate round of this series therefore its all very much to play for. Dodd will use his regular Hyundai Accent WRC and Andrew Bargery will again co drive. 4th on the road follows another Hyundai WRC, that of Omaghs Brian McGillin and David Doherty. Brian has had serious levels of pace all year and is just waiting for the event where his luck will allow him to take that pace all the way to the finish ramp and victory, Killarney may well be that chance. Next is another travelling from Omagh, Kevin O Kane and Martin Brady. Kevin is a former Killarney winner in his Subaru WRC and has always had a reliable pace in the Killarney forests. At 5th is the Group N sensation of the Hankook Irish series Keith Cronin, he took his Evo 7 to an overall lead for the lions share of the last round in Cork and he was a podium finisher on last years Killarney event. Keith is navigated by fellow Cork man Anthony O Connell. Colin Britton & Arthur Kiearns are at 7 on the road. They had real solid pace without any errors for the 2 days of Cork Forestry, they hold 3rd in the championship overall but are under significant threat for this place from Brian McGillin, Colin will need all his reliability and pace to triumph over McGillin . Emma McKinstry & Kenny Hull are now a regular top ten force in their Subaru WRC and have chosen to come to the Killarney forests in deference to the Ulster tarmac stages. However they have another fast mixed crew on their tail with Jock Armstrong & Kirsty Rid****, this determined Scottish crew are taking the start in their Subaru GrpN trophy winning N12, which is currently for sale but don’t expect this in any way to encourage Jock to drive at anything other than 110%. Other visitors from the Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship include Harry Dodd and Jonathan Sparks as well as Trevor Martin and Alan Cookson and with the event comprising rounds of the HPM Motorsport 2WD and VK1400 Challenges, Andover farmer Rod Bennett will be looking to add to his points score. The 2wd warriors are next with Adrian Hetherington and Sean Duggan just ahead of another Escort crew Frank Kelly & Liam Brennan. The rivalry in this class is always fierce but fun, yet this weekend it has an even newer dimension with the addition of sibling rivalry as Seamus O Connell & Brian Duggan are the third MK2 heroes, Seamus now will have even added incentive and instruction from Brian WW Duggan and that instruction will be to finish in front of Hetherington and his guest co driver Sean Duggan, expect hard trying from both corners of the ring!! As with every round of the championship this year the top 2wd crew win the Superdrive prize and with it comes a voucher from www.superdriveni.com for part payment of entry fees for another round of the Championship to the value of €150.00 for first 2WD and €75.00 for 2nd place 2WD. Superdrive recently celebrated their ten year anniversary and have been a valued associate sponsor of the Hankook Forestry Championship throughout 2007 In the 2wd championship standings Frank Kelly has a decidedly strong lead with 83 points yet Mick O Sullivan is right behind on 70 points tied with Ciarain Mahon, they will both be pushing to pounce on any opportunity that Kelly could give them and then Mossy Fitzgerald is just shadowing on 66 points. In other classes many results are just almost tied up, in class 1 the Piggott’s in their Honda have the class secured and in class 2 Mick Nevin & Alan Higgins are also beyond reach. Class 3 is far less secured with Mahon, Fitzgerald or Butler all possible victors. Class 4 will almost certainly fall to Mick “The Warrior” O Sullivan and Class 5 is lead by Frank Kelly but a podium in the overall 2wd reckonings for Frank could change that class to fall to Jason Roche. Connie Smith & Dan Mulcahy will be battling with their Fords to see which takes victory in class 6 and in the junior class it is between Stephen Wright and John Byrnes. Stage 1 is Mounteagle at just less than 14km; this is a challenging stage as an opener with many deep ditches waiting to catch the unwary. It will be repeated as SS6. Stage 2 is Forehane and is 12.5km, it will also be repeated as SS5 Stage 3 is Knockacummer and this is a challenging 13.8km and shall be repeated as SS7. The final test of the first loop and the rally is Mullaghareirk at almost 19km it is a significant challenge and will be visited for SS4 & SS8 Service for the event will be in Mountcollins village, extensive Maps of the route will be available for purchase at Paper Scrutiny at Killarney fire station on Saturday. The champagne reception for the victors will be taking place at The Malton hotel at 17:10approx on Sunday Eve So yet again we have the scene set for the final round of the 2007 HankookTyresNational Forest Rally Championship, it’s our last shot at gravel rallying till 2008 so let’s make the most of it and looking forward to seeing you all in a hopefully sunny Killarney. Rally Programme outlets: - Statoil Killarney - The Reeks Gateway Killarney - The Malton Killarney - Scrutiny at Killarney Fire Station - Statoil Castleisland - Moloneys Shell Abbeyfeale - Statoil Newmarket 29/08/07 BATTLE RESUMES IN IRELAND... The battle for honours in the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship crosses the Irish Sea this weekend when competitors descend on Killarney in Co. Kerry for the penultimate round of the ANCRO-organised series which will see the two-horse race for the title resume on The Malton 2007 Killarney Stages Rally. In an entirely new venture for both crews and organisers, the classic South Western forests of the Irish Republic will play host to the battle between former ANCRO champions Marcus Dodd and Steve Perez on Sunday's event and whilst it is 2004 ANCRO National Champion Perez from Chesterfield who leads the standings thanks to a win and four other podium placings in his Ford Focus WRC, Dorset businessman Dodd have been in the ascendancy as of late with two successive wins and are looking to close the gap even further in their Hyundai Accent WRC. But the big factor in the equation is that crews have to drop two scores from the seven rounds and with one DNF to Dodd so far when he rolled out of the Border Counties Rally in March, coupled with Perez's amazing consistency of scoring on all rounds to date; it means that nothing will be decided just yet but if Dodd leads Perez over the finish ramp for the fifth time this season, all he will need to make it a third title success would be a finish on the season-ending Bulldog Rally in October. Rather disappointingly, only another half dozen other crews are making the trip over to the Emerald Isle including recently-crowned Subaru Group N Trophy winner Jock Armstrong and other ANCRO regulars Harry Dodd and Jonathan Sparks as well as Trevor Martin and Alan Cookson andwith the event comprising rounds of the HPM Motorsport 2WD and VK1400 Challenges, Andover farmer Rod Bennett will be looking to add to his points score. 28/08/07 Entry List No Driver/Co-Driver (Car) [Class] 1 Stephen Moore/Greg Shinnors (Ford Focus WRC) [ 7] 2 Steve Perez/Claire Mole (Ford Focus WRC) [ 7] 3 Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC) [ 7] 4 Brian McGillin/David Doherty (Hyundai Accent WRC) [ 7] 5 Kevin O'Kane/Martin Brady (Subaru Impreza WRC) [ 7] 6 Keith Cronin/Anthony O'Connell (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7) [8] 7 Colin Britton/Arthur Kierans (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) [ 8] 8 Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Subaru Impreza WRC) [7] 9 Jock Armstrong/Kirsty Riddick (Subaru Impreza WRX) [ 8] 10 Adrian Hetherington/Sean Duggan (Ford Escort Mk2) [ 5] 11 Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Ford Escort Mk2) [ 5] 12 Seamus O'Connell/Brian Duggan (Ford Escort Mk2) [ 5] 14 Daniel Barry/Mark Bowens (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [ 8] 15 Damien Tourish/Donal McAlenney (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) [] 16 John Reid/Enda Shields (Toyota Corolla WRC) [ 7] 17 Alan Cookson/Julian Wilkinson (Subaru Impreza) [] 18 Trevor Martin/Ray Cleghorn (Subaru Impreza) [ 8] 19 Jonathon Sparks/Bradley Magnus (Mitsubishi Evo 7) [ 8] 20 Brian O'Keeffe/Carol O'Keeffe (Subaru STI) [ 6] 21 Jason Roche/Ray Breene (Ford Escort Mk2) [ 5] 22 Mossy Fitzgerald/Jimmy Deane (Toyota Corolla) [ 3] 23 Sean Heaney/Liam McLaughlin (Mitsubishi Evo 6) [ 8] 24 Mark Murphy/William Kiely (Subaru Impreza) [ 6] 25 Connie Smith/Breen McNamee (Ford Sierra Cosworth) [ 6] 26 Dan Mulcahy/Donnacha O'Callaghan (Ford Escort Cosworth) [ 6] 27 Ciaran Mahon/Conor Bruton (Ford Escort) [] 28 Jimmy Devane/Mike Buckley (Nissan Sunny) [ 5] 29 James Lehane/Andrew Lehane (Honda Civic) [ 3] 30 Gerard Lucey/Peter Somers (Toyota Celica) [ 6] 31 JJ Carroll/Denis Guiney (Vauxhall Astra) [ 5] 32 Mike O'Connor Jnr/Sinead O'Keeffe (Peugeot 205 RWD) [] 33 Jim Fagan/Rachel Fagan (Ford Escort Mk2) [ 2] 34 Michael O'Sullivan/Brian O'Connor (Ford Escort) [ 4] 35 Rod Bennett/Henry Richardson (Fiat Stilo Trofeo) [ 5] 36 Harry Dodd/Richard Skinner (Hyundai Accent WRC) [ 7] 37 Sean Benskin/Bobby Nugent (Ford Escort) [ 4] 38 Raymond Benskin Jnr/Ollie Kierce (Ford RS2000) [ 4] 39 Alan Dineen/Tony Dineen (Vauxhall Nova) [ 2] 40 Hans Matthia/Pat O'Connell (Subaru Impreza) [ 6] 41 Marc Butler/Shane Buckley (Honda Civic) [ 3] 43 David Dunne/Ciaran O'Connor (Ford Escort) [ 5] 44 Andrew Fanning/ TBA (Ford Ka) [ 1] 45 Enda Hallinan/PJ Fahy (Honda Civic) [] 46 Owen Mulcahy/Paul Duane (Ford Fiesta RWD) [] 47 John Byrnes/John Nugent (Honda Civic) [ 9] 48 Liam Lynch/Kieran Madden (Ford Escort) [ 3] 49 Stephen Wright/Ashley McAdoo (Vauxhall Corsa) [ 9] 50 Jimmy Lucey/James Lucey (Toyota Celica) [ 5] 51 Michael Piggott/Breeda Piggott (Honda Civic) [ 1] 52 Michael O'Donoghue/Declan McAuliffe (Subaru Impreza) [] 53 John O'Connor Jnr/Kaye Shanahan (Ford Escort G3) [ 4] 54 Kevin O'Connor/ TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [ 2] 56 Jason Culleton/Sandra Culleton (Renault Megane) [ 4] 57 Paul Dowling/Brendan McCullagh (Opel Corsa) [ 3] 58 Gerard Seaman/Sean Hayde (Ford Escort) [ 3] 59 Denny Greaney/Davie Hallinan (Vauxhall Nova) [ 1] 60 Sean Allen/Donal Falvey (Honda Civic) [ 1] 61 Joe Dowling/Mark Doody (Opel Corsa) [] 62 Sean Liston/Daniel Browne (Toyota Corolla GTI) [ 9] 63 Alan McCormack/Michael Walsh (Ford Ka) [ 9] 64 Kevin Donnelly/ TBA (Toyota Starlet) [ 9] 65 Paul McMahon/Derek Butler (Ford Escort Mk2) [ 9] 66 Mark Shaughnessy/John Falvey (Peugeot 106) [ 9] 67 Colman Hegarty/Nick Hegarty (Toyota Corolla Twin Cam) [ 3] Late Entries will be numbered from 68 on and reseeded on Saturday Night 27/08/07 Marshall Meeting Points and Times Stage 1 & 6 Mounteagle 7:00am at Centra shop in Ballydesmond Stage 2 & 5 Forehane 7:30am at Kerry Agri Business on the Abbeyfeale/Newmarket Road Stage 3 & 7 Knockacummer 9:00am at Rockchapel Community Centre Stage 4 & 8 Mullaghareirk 9:30am at Rockchapel Church Marshalls needed, contact Chief Marshall, 086 0541859 24/08/07 Crunch time in Killarney for Dodd! Multiple British National Rally Champion Marcus Dodd heads to Southern Ireland on 2nd September for the Killarney Forest Stages Rally, the penultimate round of the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship. It will be Dodd’s first ever attempt at the rally which is making its first appearance within the MSA backed series this year. Eight brand new special stages lie in wait for the Flitewise.com, Pirelli Tyres, Sunoco Fuels and Sunseeker Powerboats backed driver from Poole in Dorset. Together with regular co-driver Andrew Bargery (Hove), the HPM Motorsport pairing head to Ireland knowing that a good result is crucial if they are to succeed in overtaking title rival Steve Perez in the race for the championship crown. Dodd has clearly been the man in form over the past two events in the series. Maximum points were taken after a controlled drive on the Severn Valley National Rally in June. Marcus and Andrew followed that with an attacking start to July’s Swansea Bay National Rally where they comprehensively destroyed the opposition on the opening stage of the event and were then able to cruise to a comfortable victory in their Hyundai Accent WRC4. Killarney is a completely new challenge for both Dodd and Perez, with neither driver having contested the rally before. The forest stages of Abbeyfeale and Newmarket may not be household names to rally fans like Kielder or Crychan, but Dodd is wary of the challenge posed by these completely new stages to him: “I’m not sure what to expect is the honest answer” said Marcus before the event. “I’ve never been to the area before for a gravel rally so I can honestly say that the first we’ll know about the stages is when we watch the safety DVD beforehand. The good thing is that neither Steve (Perez) nor I have competed on the rally before so it is very much a level playing field in terms of us chasing for championship honours. All I know is that I need to keep Steve behind me and try to take another maximum points haul. Things have gone to plan for us recently so I’m very confident we can go there and put in another strong performance. The Bulldog Rally is still to come in October so the championship is a long way from over yet. Steve will be pushing hard for the win in Ireland but we’ll be driving with the championship in mind. I’m looking forward to trying a new rally so either way I’m sure it will be a very interesting day’s rallying for us all!” Marcus will be joined on his Irish adventure by his father Harry Dodd. Dodd senior was on the fringe of a Top 20 finish on the Swansea Bay Rally before his retirement, so he’ll also be looking for a result on this new event to the calendar. It all adds up to being a very busy weekend for the HPM Motorsport team. A third Hyundai Accent WRC is also competing that weekend – but not in Ireland! BTRDA National Rally Championship front runner Peter Egerton and co-driver Paul Spooner will contest the Woodpecker Stages Rally in Shropshire on Saturday 1st September as they look to get their run of excellent results back on track after an accident on the Quinton Stages Rally in July. To keep up to date on HPM Motorsport or to find out more about Marcus Dodd log on to www.hpmmotorsport.co.uk. 22/08/07 Entries are still available for the The Malton 2007 Killarney Forestry Stages Rally Overseas entries have been received from: Marcus (& Harry) Dodd (Hyundai Accent WRC x2) Steve Perez (Ford Focus WRC) Jock Armstrong (Subaru Impreza WRX) 31/07/07 New HQ for Killarney Forestry Killarney and District Motorclub are pleased to announce that plans are at an advanced stage for the 2007 Killarney Forestry Stages Rally which will take place on Sunday 2nd September. The organisers are delighted to welcome on board this year The Malton (formerly the Great Southern Hotel) Killarney as the event sponsor and The Malton will also be Rally Headquarters. New Clerk of the Course Kevin Flannery and his team have put together an event with 104 stage Kilometres (64 stage miles) over eight stages. Four separate stages will be repeated twice in the Castleisland/Abbeyfeale/Newmarket areas with centralised service in Mountcollins village. The Malton 2007 Killarney Forestry Stages Rally is Round 7 of the Hankook Tyres National Forest Rally Championship 2007 and Round 6 of the ANCRO MSA National Gravel Rally Championship 2007. The rally launch which will take place in rally headquarters The Malton, Town Centre, Killarney on Sunday 12th August at 6pm. 19/01/07 Killarney Forestry to be a round of the ANCRO MSA National Rally Championship This Year's Killarney Forestry rally will be a counting round of the ANCRO MSA National Rally Championship as well as the Irish Forestry Championship. More Details:
Topics:
Killarney Forestry Rally
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