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Jim Clark Rally - 25-27 May 07Posted: May 31, 2007 5:38 PM - 17412 Hits
Round 4 - 2007 Tarmac Rally Championship
Photo: John Bayly Posted: May 31, 2007 5:38 PM
MRallying – Braveheart Performance With a new format and a new date on the British bank holiday weekend, the back roads around Kelso were to provide the first chance for the Irish crews to measure their pace against their British counterparts. And leading the Irish competitors into battle was the REMAX Killarney and Kenmare sponsored championship leading duo of Colm Murphy and Ger Loughrey. Fresh from their controlled win on the roads of their home international, the pairing threw their Hankook shod Impreza into battle on the Friday night spectator stage with aplomb - entertaining the crowds over the jumps and through the water splashes of the Langton test. Saturday morning saw the real business start on the rally and the Shell Racing Fuels backed Limerick men drew first blood - fastest Irish crew behind the British works teams in front. Locking rear brakes were to cause concern during the day making pushing on a fine line to tread. The Mckinstry mechanics investigated all avenues of repair, new brake pads included, but the issue was traced to a fault in the diff - something to be rectified on the cars return to Banbridge. Any fine lines became even finer when the unpredictable Jim Clark weather played its hand late in the evening. Standing water and heavy rain was to meet the crews as they tackled the last loop of the day. This wasn't to slow the Trackcare Engineering supported Impreza however - it arrived back into Parc Ferme a minute and seventeen seconds ahead of their next challenger and eighth overall. Sunday morning broke fine but the damp conditions were only an indication of things to come. As the heavens opened above the Chaterhall service area, Murphy and Loughrey were deep in discussion with all concerned about hat tyres to take - heavy rain and standing water would prove to quickly burn off as the roads dried rapidly. Reaching for Hankook wets followed by intermediates on the second loop, the Woodtown Plant Hire backing team would bring the Subaru back in a fine second in class in the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship and seventh overall. This allowed the MRallying crew further extend their lead at the top of the Group N championship but focus has now firmly switched back to Ireland and Donegal in particular as it awaits the arrival of World Rallying legend Sebastian Loeb. Colm and Ger would like to thank all their sponsors and supporters, without whose help none of this would be possible - Hankook tyres, Shell Fuels, Thermia Heat Link, Trackcare Engineering, The Connemara Gateway Hotel, Advanced Surveys, Woodtown Plant Hire, The Gables Bar, Murray Motorsport for Lico, Mann Construction, Bywell Plant Hire, Remax Kenmare and Killarney, Griffin Bros Contractors Ltd and Hella Ireland. MORROW ACHIEVES HIS BEST EVER RESULT Last weekend’s Jim Clark Rally, round two of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, saw Lisburn Driver Phillip Morrow score his best result to-date, when he finished on the podium for the first time in an international rally. Driving his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, together with his co-driver Daniel Barritt from Burnley, Phillip overcame a variety of difficulties in his determination to get to the finish, his efforts rewarded with an excellent third place. Starting and finishing in Kelso the Jim Clark Rally, as well as the British series, was also a round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, which brings with it a host of WRC cars. The event itself is unique, as it is the only stage rally on the UK mainland that takes place on closed public roads. The competition began on Friday evening with two spectator-friendly stages near Duns – the short runs through Langton 1 and 2 proving to be more difficult for Phillip than he had expected after organisers had altered the running order, meaning that he was the first car on the road. Other than a half-spin as he exited the infamous water-splash, everything went well and he started Saturday’s 10 stages fourth in the British Championship standings and 13th overall. Although having to contend with his car’s ignition switch causing the car to intermittently cut-out and a small under-bonnet fire, Phillip made good progress for the first four stages of the day, consolidating his BRC position and climbing to seventh overall. But then a puncture on SS7, coupled with a brush with the scenery due to the subsequent degradation of his car’s handling, dropped him back to 12th, albeit still fourth of the British runners. Following the lunch-time service halt Phillip went out to make up for lost time, but on SS9 the car’s front differential became inactive – another consequence of the puncture – meaning that he had to complete the remaining five miles of that and the following stage in just front-wheel-drive. Back in service the differential was replaced, but it transpired that the knock-on effect of the transmission’s stresses and strains had meant that the car’s centre-diff had become inactive, reducing the levels of grip. This was not good news for the final three stages of the day, as the heavens had opened and the roads became incredibly slippery. However, a concentrated effort saw Phillip and Daniel make it back to base for Saturday’s overnight stop and with 45 minutes of service time in the morning, the offending parts were replaced. With other competitors suffering problems, they moved up to a comfortable third after Sunday’s first stage and, with the car in front too far away to catch and the car following a long way behind, Phillip opted for a cautions approach to the day’s remaining five stages. With a clean run to the finish, he crossed the line delighted to have taken third place in the British Championship and a highly commendable eight overall. “I’m really pleased to have scored my first podium finish in an international rally- especially after such an eventful weekend”, said Phillip. “It would have been good to have challenged for the top two places and our stage times show that if we had a trouble-free event, we may just have been able to do that. Next time perhaps!” Phillip now turns his attentions back to the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, which he currently leads and prepares himself for next Saturday’s Severn Valley National Rally and the event’s 70 miles of gravel forest stages in mid-Wales. Phillip’s 2007 campaign is supported by Morrow Fuels, Matador Tyres, Lyons European Haulage, Lagan Motor Factors, DGM Motorsport, Kelly’s Toyota, Proflex, PIAA, Speedline Corse, AMS gear kits, BADMC and RPM Promotions. GASS FANTASTIC FIFTH ON C2 DEBUT Northern Irishman Darren Gass and his Scottish co-driver Neil Shanks took the Rally 3 class win and fifth British Rally Championship finisher in his newly acquired Citroën C2 S1600 on this weekend’s Jim Clark International Rally. With the excellent result he closed the gap in the Championship category to new leader Stefan Davis and moved into fifth place in the overall drivers’ standings. The rally started on Friday evening and the Quarryfix backed Citroen finished the first pair of short spectator stages cleanly, Darren clocking up his first competitive mileage in the car. The margins after the four miles of Friday night were small, bur he led the class although Vesa Mikkola’s R2 Civic was just a tenth of a second behind. By first service on Saturday, the BRC’s youngest driver was beginning to get to grips with the new car, driving much faster and having a good run through second stage. “We’re playing it in gently while learning the new car.” explained Darren at the service halt at Charterhall airfield near Duns. His learning curve continued to be fairy steep; finding unfamiliarity with the car meant adjusting brake bias to the rear instead of the front. “It made it like pulling the handbrake every time.” he said, “Simple things caught me out like finding the wiper switch when it started raining, but the times are coming and there’s loads more to come from the car.” As the day progressed they found it easier to push hard after raising the suspension slightly, catching Hugh Evans in stage nine, but admitted the car was short of top end speed on the long straights “It feels like it needs two more gears on the straights but it is geared perfectly for the twisty stuff.” he explained. By the close of play on Saturday he and Neil had moved into fifteenth place overall and sixth British Rally Championship runners, leading the class by over six minutes in the afternoon’s sporadic heavy rain. On Sunday the Markethill youngster survived a huge jump which dislodged the car’s front wing, allowing it to flap across the windscreen, while they were one of the first to be stopped on the first stage after an accident, which caused them to take a nominal time. The second two stages were drying but they decided to take it steady to the finish. On the last few stages their plan had to change a little though, as Rob Swann’s Subaru was catching after an earlier puncture. “Rob was taking time on every stage and it was really close going into the last one.” said Neil, “He was 2.5 (seconds) behind and he only took 0.8 off us in the last one, so we’ve held fifth overall in the BRC and the R3 class.” Darren concluded, “This Citroën is so much better than the Fiesta and there’s still more to come, although like the Fiesta the suspension is the key to improving the performance.” The next event is Rally Isle of Man where Darren had a challenging time in 2006. The event is another all asphalt affair and is based at the famous TT Grandstand in Douglas on 19th to 21st July. Darren would like to thank Quarryfix Ltd, Cheevers Chemists, Dalzells of Markethill, Haffey Plant Hire, Killycarn Sand Gravel , EMC Autopax, AC Vehicle Components, Sligo Pallets, Castrol, ID Graphics (NI) and Crozier Motorsport Engineering for their support in 2007. You can check on the team’s progress at REID MOTORSPORT SCORE FIRST INTERNATIONAL WIN AS DONNELLY DOMINATES Scoring fastest times on all but three of the stages on the Jim Clark Rally, in Scotland, round four of the Irish Tarmac series, Eugene Donnelly and Paul Kiely took a resounding victory in their S12 Subaru. It was the first win for this crew and car combination. Indeed it was a weekend of firsts. The first International win for Reid Motorsport, coming just a week after their first rally win on the Tour of the Sperrins; the first time Eugene had won the Jim Clark Rally, and the first time any driver has won every individual round of the Irish Tarmac series in its long history. “To win for the team in particular is just fantastic. It’s been a difficult start to the season with no wins to date, and that makes it more satisfying. The car was in fantastic shape, having undergone it’s 1000 km rebuild, and just before the rally myself and engineer Eddie Corr took it up the road to check it, and I could feel the car had more power from its rebuild. It felt great, and we had a fair go at the first two Langton spectator tests to see what we could do, and we were happy with our time” quipped Eugene at the finish in Kelso town centre. Indeed in just those three miles the Reid team Subaru had opened up a gap of almost nine seconds on it’s nearest pursuers, the Subaru of Tim McNulty who finished second and Eamon Boland’s Ford which came home third. “During the weekend we had one incident were I got a puncture, but I have to admit it was a mystery why I got it, and a small spin and stall, but otherwise things were perfect, and we managed to pull out some time on the wet stages. Ok, we may have picked too soft a tyre on Saturday morning, but Tim had a spin, and Eamon had turbo trouble so they were unable to capitalise. During the weekend however we were still trying out new variations of our Kerr’s BF Goodrich tyres, and found some excellent rubber for the slippery conditions.” Indeed the team were pleased to gather vital data leading up to the Donegal International now less than three weeks away. “Yeah Charlie and the boys encouraged me to try a few things. For example when we had full wets on, and conditions started to dry, they told me to keep pushing to see how the tyre reacted. It was fantastic the car moved about a lot but the tyre held on very well” From a team point of view there was a lot to shout about as Shaun Reid brought his Evo 9 into a resounding fifteenth overall and ninth in the hotly contested Group N class, Shaun ever building his rallying experience. “I really enjoyed the rally and it was good to be involved in a couple of little battles. Every rally we are pushing more and learning more each event, and being part of a winning team feels really good.” James Cullen however was not so fortunate, James having got off to a very rapid start, fell foul of a patch of gravel on the second Saturday stage, sliding off the road into retirement, the KG Motorsport squad now setting to work on rebuilding the car before Jame’s home International in Donegal, were we may see real fireworks from the two time outright winner. The Jim Clark Rally was a sign of things to come for Reid Motorsport, which like any new team is finding its feet, but Eugene sees things coming together. “I feel like the whole team is beginning to gel, things are working very well for us and it’s just a brilliant feeling to get them a win. The only thing missing from the rally were a few more competitors from home, but that won’t be a problem in Donegal, and there’s that French man, he’ll be something.” HIGGINS TAKES SUPER 2000 TO THE BRC PODIUM TQ driver David Higgins and his co-driver Ieuan Thomas took their Toyota S2000R to second place in the British Rally Championship points on their asphalt debut on last weekend’s Jim Clark International Rally. It was not an easy event for the team, but a promising asphalt debut during which they learned a lot about the car and how it handles both on asphalt and in wet conditions. “We’re at a great stage now for starting the next round, Rally Isle of Man,” said David. “The car worked well on the twisty corners, but it was tricky on the fast sections you get on the Jim Clark because the Super 2000 does a maximum of around 118mph where a Group N car will do 135. On the Manx and Ulster that won’t be such a disadvantage because of the nature of the stages. “We’ve had lots of small problems over the weekend which probably didn’t need to slow us down as much as they did. Things like lights coming on on the dashboard which ended up not being anything to worry about. But we lost time on Friday night with fuel problems and that put us far enough back not to be able to catch anyone so we didn’t take stupid risks in the wet weather that followed. What we have done is prove what the car is capable of and that it will be impressive on the Isle of Man.” The points haul from the Jim Clark International Rally has moved David up the British Rally Championship points table to fourth overall, and has moved the TQ RED team up to third in the team’s championship. David’s team mate Hugh Evans finished 24th in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 on an impressive Jim Clark International Rally debut. John Mulholland secures top result at the Jim Clark Rally in his Very Rapid Skoda! The John Mulholland Motors rally team enjoyed the sweet taste of success at last weekend's Kelso based Jim Clark Rally! John, driving his NiiB backed Skoda Fabia vRS, secured third in class at the event, which marked round two of the British Rally Championship, as well as round four of the Irish Tarmac Championship. After three days of tough competition, the popular Randalstown car dealer arrived home inside the top 30 overall with his diesel Skoda, but it almost ended in tears towards the end of day two. Navigated by Eamon Gorman, the crew settled in quickly over Friday evening's opening stages, and Saturday's stages saw John climb the ranks. Then, as John explains, disaster almost struck during leg two's final loop! "They were fast stages and we were going very well but it rained during the last loop," John recalled. "We were caught out on slick tyres and the roads were very greasy. At the end of a fast straight, the car tried to swap ends! There was a hedge looming in front of us, so I stuck the boot down to try and clear it, which we did!" "We landed in the field and saw another competitor, Guy Wilks, had gone off there as well," he continued. "He couldn't get out but luckily, with the Skoda's torque, we were able to drive out of the field to the applause of the spectators!" Thankfully, John suffered nothing more than some panel damage and a missing front bumper! It was a lucky escape and the Shell Racing Diesel backed Skoda finished the leg just outside the top 30. The crew were in a perfect position to continue climbing the ranks through the third and final day, overshadowing many of their petrol powered opposition. The Hankook shod Skoda continued to nibble at its rivals, and bit by bit, John and Eamon climbed the leaderboard. When the crew arrived at the finish, they had secured 29th overall and third in class eight, but it was not without one final drama! "During the last stage we hit a bad jump and the driver's door popped off its hinges!" John said. "It was trying to open the wrong way while I was driving, with only the lock holding it in place, but thankfully we reached the finish intact. In the end, the car performed very well, the team did a superb job and we were the highest placed Hankook runners!" It was a superb result for the entire team and now John is hoping to participate in June's Donegal International Rally. The event has attracted an entry from current world rally champion, Sebastien Loeb, so the Randalstown man will be aiming to follow the Frenchman's tyre tracks! Mitsubishi shines before the rain This weekend’s Jim Clark Rally, which hosted round two of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, saw the Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team back to it’s front-running form, with round-one winner Guy Wilks and his co-driver Phil Pugh leading from the start - right up until six stages from the end, when his car slid off the road in wet and slippery conditions. Although unable to continue at that point, he was forced to complete Sunday’s stages under Super-Rally regulations. Following Wilks’ problems, team mate Gwyndaf Evans, co-driven by Huw Lewis, was all set to battle for the lead until the first of Sunday’s stages when his car’s transmission seized and the former British Champion had little choice but to stop and again invoke Super-Rally tactics. Following an excellent series of runs through the shakedown stage on Thursday evening, the team were pleased to establish a good set up for its two works Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IXs. The rally, which was also a round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, started in Kelso at 7.00pm on Friday, the competitive action getting underway with two high-profile spectator stages at Langton that evening. Straight away the Mitsubishi pair were on the pace, setting equal-fastest BRC times on the opening stage and, following the second, held first and second places before the overnight halt. At this point Mark Higgins driving a Subaru was in third, the battle between him and the two Mitsubishi’s resuming from round one. Higgins fought back by setting the fastest time on the first of Saturday’s 10 stages and went into the lead. However, Wilks had other ideas and snatched it back on the next stage, albeit clouting a fence with the rear of his car when gravel forced him wide on a left-hander half way through SS4. Evans was also getting quicker and following a fastest time on SS6, he too pushed his way past Higgins, whilst Wilks extended his advantage, even after stalling and spinning at a hairpin on the same stage - losing about eight seconds in the process. At Saturday’s halfway point, Wilks had pulled out a margin of 10 seconds over Evans, who was in-turn now four seconds ahead of Higgins. But with rain clouds gathering the talk in the service area was all about tyres. Whilst Wilks and Higgins opted for slicks, Evans went for a combination of intermediates on the back and slicks on the front. This mixture appeared not to be ideal for the conditions, as the roads remained dry for the following two stages - and he subsequently dropped back to third. With the weather looking as though it might hold and slicks being the order of the day so far, both Wilks and Evans went out for Saturday’s final loop of three stages with dry tyres fitted, whilst Higgins chose intermediates. The first of the three stages was dry and the two Mitsubishis made the most of it, both taking over 10 seconds off Higgins. Evans and Wilks were still quicker on the damper SS11, which meant that Wilks was now leading by 21 seconds from Evans, who was in -turn a further eight seconds up on Higgins. And then it rained, which meant that the final stage of the day became so treacherous that every competitor had a heart-stopping moment on the slippery road surface - but no-one more-so than Wilks, who was caught out on a fast left-right combination. Realising there was almost no grip at all when the car went sideways, Wilks corrected the slide, onto to find some traction which launched his Evo through a hedge and into a fence. Although most of the damage was cosmetic, the car’s radiator was split and he could go no further - but it could have been worse, as he managed to miss a number of sturdy fence posts and telegraph poles as his Evo left the road. Seeing his team mate stranded, Evans backed-off to make sure he got his Lancer to the overnight halt unscathed, but in the process handed the lead back to Higgins, albeit by just 1.2 seconds. Wilks’ car was brought back to the service area where the Mitsubishi team repaired his car for the following day. Evans had noticed a slight restriction when selecting second gear, which prompted the team to change his car’s gearbox at Sunday morning’s 45 minute service halt as a precautionary measure. But luck was certainly not running with the team for this event and on the first of Sunday’s six stages Evan’s gearbox seized, bringing his rally to an abrupt end. Besides a loose turbo pipe on the opening stage, which slowed his progress, Wilks’ car was running well and he carried on from where he left off the previous day with a string of fastest stage times. But with both cars now running under Super-Rally regulations, any chance of a top British Rally Championship result was over, as a 10 minute penalty was applied to the fastest stage time for every stage they failed to complete. Although this wasn’t the result the team were after, they came away delighted that their two cars were clearly the fastest of the British Championship feild and now look towards round three, the Rally Isle of Man on July 19th - 21st. The Cirencester-based Mitsubishi Motors UK rally team is supported by HKS, Pirelli, Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA, Ricardo and Performance Friction Brakes. The team’s two Lancer Evolution IXs are built and run on events by ADR Motorsport of Chesterfield. Guy Wilks is supported by Mobil 1. Team Quotes Gwyndaf Evans “I’m Bitterly disappointed not to have got through the last day. I was only 1.2 seconds behind Mark (Higgins) and following our performance upto then, I was confident we could have got ahead of him. I’m sure that with such quick cars as soon as the team gets to the bottom of the transmission issues the results will follow.” Guy Wilks “To be caught out by the weather when we were leading was a great shame. Once again, we proved we had the pace and the car was reliable too. Not the way I wanted the event to go, but with two more tarmac events this season I found out a lot about driving the car in the varying conditions Paul Brigden - General Manager, Ralliart “Both crews showed outstanding pace - as did our cars. It was a great shame that the weather conditions caught out Guy, but an even greater shame that Gwyndaf had to retire on the last day - especially as he drove faultlessly throughout the event. Still, there’s another four rounds to go and I’m sure that if we continue to post fastest times, more wins will come our way.” NO-ONE BEATS BOGIE!.. After twelve very tough stages over the closed public roads in the Scottish Borders, David Bogie arrived back at the finish of the Jim Clark National Rally in Kelso town square in 2nd place overall to take maximum points in the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship. Using the MG Metro 6R4 formerly campaigned with great success by his father, John, Bogie was less than half a minute from an outright victory but, nevertheless, the teenager came away with his best result in the Championship to date and, without doubt, there is more to come! As crews began to arrive in Kelso for the podium finish, provisional results were showing a timing error on one of the final stages for Steve Simpson/Mark Booth in their Hyundai Accent WRC. However, once removed, the Asphalt Championship leaders were elevated to 4th place overall, two seconds ahead of the MG Metro 6R4 of John & Caroline Price. As Bogie’s co-driver was not registered for the Championship, Booth took a maximum in the category, his second from three events. Dave Price brought his Ford Escort Mk6 RWD home in 12th place and has now taken class wins on both the events he has contested this year, while Tommi Graham/Mike Bailey posted a Top 20 finish in their Mitsubishi Lancer to elevate themselves to 2nd overall in the Championship at the halfway stage. Bill Robertson was co-opted in to co-drive for Nick James on the Jim Clark and, following the retirement of Paul Curphey/Eunice Cubbon when their Mitsubishi Lancer’s head gasket failed one stage from the finish, they proceeded to take top Class N4 points in their similar car. Following their absence from the Manx a fortnight ago, Richard Clews/Barry James reappeared in their Mechatronics Peugeot 106 to take a class win on the event and the Championship, their second from two events. The battle of the Ford Escorts in Class B11 between Graham Hollis and Pete Hughes/Chris Evans ended after the former, who had arrived in the Borders in runner-up spot in the Championship overall, was forced out early on Saturday with mechanical woes. Hughes/Evans went on to claim maximum class points, ahead of Geoff Glover/Charlie Turner in their Vauxhall Astra RWD. Similarly, the rivalry between Paul Harewood/Bob Jones (Renault Clio Williams) and Richard Butler/Matt Dubber (Honda Civic Type R) in Class N3, which was so close on the Isle of Man, failed to materialise when the Honda’s gearbox cried enough after the fifth stage. Winners of the ‘John Price Rallying Star Drive’ salver on the Jim Clark National Rally were Manx residents Dave Corris/Mark Perryman. They had rolled their Escort Cosworth quite comprehensively on their ‘home’ event just a fortnight before and were initially unsure whether they would be in a position to travel to Scotland at all. However, much burning of the midnight oil saw the car fitted with two new front wings, two rear-quarter panels, bonnet, bumper and all manner of other bits and pieces in double-quick time to the point that they were, indeed, able to head northwards. While taking the car off the trailer ready for the event shakedown on the Thursday evening, the turbo blew! Without a spare, one of their mechanics was despatched down to Northampton with the offending item to get it repaired. This was accomplished with the minimum of fuss and, well over 600 miles later, the refurbished turbo was returned to its rightful place under the bonnet in time for the car to take its place on the start ramp. To make the finish of the event after all this was, therefore, almost a bonus!.. Amongst those whose names did not appear on the results of the Jim Clark National Rally were defending MSA Asphalt Champions David Kynaston/Andy Russell who seemed set for a good result until their Audi A3 Quattro’s clutch failed during Saturday morning and there was insufficient time to repair it at the following service. Mark Jasper’s quest for points was similarly frustrated when a combination of gearbox failure and a puncture proved to be his Ford Escort WRC’s undoing. Roger Priestnall/Jamie Forrest’s grip on Class A6 slipped when their Proton Satria went out, while Adrian Drury/Phillip Stone completed the whole route, only for their Peugeot 106 to be declared OTL at the finish. Contenders for the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship now have six weeks to prepare themselves for a trip across the Irish Sea to the Sligo Stages Rally on Sunday 8th July. Results 1 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 11m 36s, 2 Tim McNulty/Diarmuid Falvey (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 14m 01s, 3 Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Ford Focus WRC) 2h 14m 37s, 4 Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Subaru Impreza N12B) GpN 2h 19m 02s, 5 Gareth Jones/James O’Brien (Ford Focus WRC) 2h 20m 06s, 6 David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Toyota Corolla S2000R) 2h 21m 39s, 7 Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Subaru Impreza N12) GpN 2h 22m 41s, 8 Philip Morrow/Daniel Barritt (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) GpN 2h 23m 40s, 9 P J McDermott/Sean Harris (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 24m 01s, 10 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) GpN 2h 28m 11s. Group N Production class: 1 Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy, 2 Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey, 3 Philip Morrow/Daniel Barritt. Leaders After: SS1-SS18 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) Stage Winners SS1 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS2 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS3 Tim McNulty/Diarmuid Falvey (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS4 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS5 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS6 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS7 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS8 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS9 Tim McNulty/Diarmuid Falvey (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS10 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS11 Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Ford Focus WRC) SS12 Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Subaru Impreza N12B) SS13 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS14 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS15 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS16 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS17 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS18 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Subaru Impreza WRC)
Jim Clark Memorial Rally Rallynews (by Brian & Liz Patterson)
PRE EVENT NEWS
24/05/07 GARETH JONES LEAVES REID MOTORSPORT A decision was taken between Gareth Jones and the management of Reid Motorsport, that prior to this weekend’s Jim Clark Rally, Gareth would no longer run under the Reid Motorsport banner. To date its been a difficult season for Gareth adapting to his new Ford Focus, and it was felt that with the pressure involved it would be better for him to continue his programme under the guidance of his father. Gareth will be competing this weekend on the Jim Clark rally, and the Reid team wish him every success for the future. The Reid Motorsport team will be represented by Eugene Donnelly, Shaun Reid and James Cullen this weekend, who are currently preparing for their pre-event reece, for the Kelso based event which starts on Friday evening with two spectator stages, around the famous Langton Mill. The rally finishes on Sunday afternoon with a public reception in Kelso town centre. It is the only event in the Irish Tarmac series that current champion Eugene Donnelly has yet to win, and he would dearly love to do that this year. Stephen Murphy has had to pull his entry from the jim clark due to business committments 23/05/07 MITSUBISHI TEAM SET FOR ANOTHER TOP PERFORMANCE Following a stunning performance on the opening round of the 2007 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, last month’s Pirelli Rally, the Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team are eager to continue from where they left off – at the front of the field. With Guy Wilks winning his first ever rally with the works operation and team-mate Gwyndaf Evans holding a strong second place until clutch problems intervened, things looked good for a one-two victory last time out in Kielder Forest. However, with a change of surface to asphalt for round two, the team is well aware it cannot automatically expect a repeat performance. With this in mind, Wilks and Evans tested their works Lancer Evolution IXs on tarmac roads for the first time last Thursday, in order to familiarise themselves with the cars before this weekend’s event. Both drivers came away from the test extremely satisfied with the day’s work and delighted with the way their cars felt. During the test the team spent considerable time assessing the transmission in order to predict any further likely-hood of problems – an important consideration with asphalt providing greater grip levels and subsequently increased mechanical forces to that of gravel. The Jim Clark Rally is unique, as it is currently the only stage rally that’s competitive sections take place on closed public roads on the British mainland. With long straights and flowing corners, punctuated by slow junctions, the event requires maximum commitment and extreme concentration from the crews. These prerequisites become even more pertinent when it rains, as the Berwickshire lanes are notoriously treacherous when they’re wet. With his other motorsport programmes providing regular opportunities to get behind the wheel of a rally car, Wilks is raring to go and admits he’s really looking forward to driving the Mitsubishi again and carrying on from where he left off: “The works Mitsubishi is a great car – we proved that on round one, so if we can use what we learnt from then - and from the test last week, I’m confident we can be challenging for the lead again. I’m approaching this event as I did the Pirelli Rally, so I hope its going to be another case of being able to pull out an early advantage and letting the others play catch-up.” Wilks will be partnered by his regular co-driver Phil Pugh, who has recently been suffering from back problems, but has confirmed he is fit to compete in Jim Clark Rally. Evans was pleased to report that he has recovered from the bout of flu that plagued him during the Pirelli Rally and is keen to get back into the driving seat now he’s fully fit: “I’m hoping to be on the leading pace this weekend. I was pleased with the way the car performed on the test, especially with the big brakes and 18” wheels and if it’s stays dry, then I’m sure we’ll go well. But I know this event of old and if it’s wet the road surface becomes so unpredictable anything can happen. So let’s hope it doesn’t rain and we can really get the best out of the cars.” Evans will be co-driven by fellow Welshman Huw Lewis, who contested the Berwickshire-based event for the first time last year. The activity starts on Thursday evening with a shake-down test held in the grounds of Floors Castle near Kelso. The rally proper gets underway on Friday evening with two spectator stages which pass through the popular viewing point of Langton Ford. The action continues on Saturday with 10 stages and again on Sunday with a further six, before crews return to Kelso for the finish that afternoon. Besides leading the British Driver’s Championship, Mitsubishi also heads the Team’s standings, albeit currently tying on points - a situation they are keen to address this time out. The Cirencester-based Mitsubishi Motors UK rally team is supported by HKS, Pirelli, Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA, Ricardo and Performance Friction Brakes. The team’s two Lancer Evolution IXs are built and run on events by ADR Motorsport of Chesterfield. Guy Wilks is supported by Mobil 1. CHAMPION PUTS BRITISH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CAMPAIGN ON ICE. Despite lying a strong third in the 2007 Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship, 31 year old Ryan Champion will not be contesting the next round this weekend, the Jim Clark Memorial Rally. Castleton based Champion was runner up in the 2006 series taking three wins but found himself without a drive just weeks before the opening 2007 event. However, with the loan of a car from former British Champion Jonny Milner, Ryan was able to contest the first round, the Pirelli International Rally, and took a fighting third place. But the deal was just a one-off and with no sponsorship on the horizon, Champion is now force to sit out round two. "After having a great season last year this is really frustrating, but that's the nature of the sport. At the moment I'm not sure when I'll be competing again but I'll certainly keep chasing any opportunities. Rally Yorkshire in October is a definite but before that we'll just have to see," Champion commented. 21/05/07 GASS SWITCHES TO CITROEN Young Northern Irish driver Daren Gass will drive his newly acquired Citroen C2 S1600 for the first time in anger on the forthcoming Jim Clark International Rally He will be joined in the new car by regular co driver Neil Shanks who will only see the car for the first time on the Friday of the rally. “I have driven the car for just ten miles on the roads near my house.” said Darren, “but hopefully I’ll get a chance to test a little more before the start. The problem is that the springs are French tarmac specification and we’ll probably only get the right ones just before the rally.” Despite the suspension being too stiff Darren has nothing but praise for the little Citroen, “Everything about the C2 is 100% better than the Fiesta; the gear change, the ratios, the engine, everything. Even the guys from Crosier Motorsport like it already; apparently the front bumper is held on with three screws so you can access the parts behind like the power steering pump quickly. It has been well designed I’m already excited about using it.” The team has been looking for a replacement to the Ford for the gravel rounds of the Championship and was considering four wheel drive. But the additional development of the Citroen means that the swap will be for all the remaining events The rally kicks off on Thursday evening with a shakedown at Kelso’s Floors Castle but the action proper stars on Friday. Two spectator stages near Duns are followed on Saturday and Sunday by fast and furious asphalt Berwickshire stages. The 160 mile event then finishes in the centre of Kelso on Sunday afternoon. Darren would like to thank Castrol, Dalzells of Markethill, EMC Autopax, PIAA, AC Vehicle Components, Alpha Cam, Killycarn Sand & Gravel, Crozier Motorsport Engineering, and ID Graphics for their continuing support in 2007. BRC PREVIEW - Tussle on Borders Tarmac Round two of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, the Jim Clark International Rally gets underway next weekend from its now traditional home of Kelso. As it is the first of three consecutive asphalt events in the series, all the drivers will need to change their driving styles and car setup accordingly after the gravel of Kielder Forest. The 160 mile event is unique in the UK mainland as it is the only event to utilise closed public roads and the character of the roads is as changeable as the weather. The rally starts and finishes in Kelso town centre with centralised service at the nearby Charterhall airfield, but the action begins with a shakedown stage at the picturesque Floors Castle on Thursday. The real competition starts on Friday evening with a pair of spectator stages near Duns, the birthplace of Jim Clark, and then restarts on Saturday morning with ten stages before an overnight halt. The final leg comprises six more stages and a ceremonial finish back in Kelso on Sunday just after 3pm. The Classes: Rally 4 Mitsubishi’s new signing Guy Wilks heads to the Scottish Borders after a maximum points tally on round one, but he has shown his hand and there are several drivers who will not be willing to give him any slack here. Not least of these is triple British Rally Champion Mark Higgins in his Stobart Teg Sport Subaru, who would dearly like to make it four. More importantly a win in 2007 would see him achieve the first ever consecutive hat-trick since the series’ inception in 1958. Another former champion Gwyndaf Evans had a torrid start to his Mitsubishi works drive, being beaten by Wilks then having transmission problems on the penultimate stage. He is followed by the final former title holder David Higgins whose TQ RED Toyota team will be hoping to make it to the start in time in the Corolla S2000R. The team struggled to get the new car finished after parts supply problems, but Higgins the younger should go well with time to iron out the glitches before the Jim Clark. Next in class R4 is a pair of young guns from Northern Ireland. Phillip Morrow currently leads the Evo Challenge, several points ahead of Connor McCloskey’s similar car, but the pair will have the lead of the British series in their sights on their favoured asphalt. Rob Swann was close to his best ever BRC finish on round one, breathing down the neck of Stobart Teg Sport’s second driver Wyn Humphreys. Swann retired near the end of the event but was buoyed by his pace and will give Humphreys a battle in Berwickshire. The top ten R4 drivers are rounded off by privateer David Meredith who is getting to grips with his new four wheel drive Evo. He is followed by the second TQ RED driver Hugh Evans, who will fly in from Kuwait again to support his team. Rally 3 With Conrad Rautenbach absent from the event with commitments overseas, the battle for R3 honours will be between Darren Gass and Stefan Davies, both in Fords. Gass had a major scare in his Fiesta in 2006 with a huge moment on the infamous Swinton crossroads bump, which both he and Puma driver Davis will hopefully be wary of this year. Rally 2 & Citroën C2R2 Cup Leading the R2 category away on the tarmac is Finland’s Vesa Mikkola whose Civic who retired on round one after a storming drive was cut short by transmission problems. Matt Beebe swaps from Citroën to his familiar MG, while James Wozencroft will be hoping to stay out of trouble in his Dealer Team Suzuki Swift, after a frustrating retirement in Kielder. George Thomas leads the Citroën C2R2 Cup contenders and is split from the first round victor Jason Pritchard by the Suzuki of Lorna Smith. An Englishman, Japanese and Irishman follow in the guise of Jamie Hickman, Kazutomo Kusama and Martin Laverty, all in Citroëns, and they are joined by Martin Roberts who missed the opening event as his car was not ready. Rally 1 The R1 category is once again solely represented by brothers Steve and Tony Graham in their trusty MG in which they finished an impressive fifteenth overall on the Pirelli International Rally. Diesel Cup Irishman Fin McCaul in his BMW 120D is joined in the Diesel Cup by Welsh youngster Simon Hughes who debuts the Vauxhall AstraD. Two further diesels add to the battle but Irishmen John Mulholland and Brian Dennis in similar Skoda Fabia VRS TDis are yet to be persuaded to register for the British series. David Higgins - BACK TO BUSINESS TQ driver David Higgins and his co-driver Ieuan Thomas have a non-stop week ahead of them getting ready for the Jim Clark International Rally on May 25-27. The team will spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday testing the car at various locations to ensure they find the perfect asphalt set up, and give David plenty of time behind the wheel before the Scottish event. From there it will be straight to Kelso to recce the stages before a pre-event shakedown at Floors Castle on Thursday night and the rally start on Friday. “Three days testing so close to the event will be fantastic,” says David. “After the problems we had on the Pirelli International Rally we went home with just two points. We’ll be aiming for maximum points this time round.” David, and his sponsor and fellow TQ RED driver Hugh Evans, have also undertaken driving tuition from F1 driver trainer Rob Wilson to up their game on asphalt. “We learned a lot with Rob, but transferring what we were taught in a saloon car on a race track into driving a rally car on the stages will be the big test on the Jim Clark,” says David. He may not have taken many points, but David set stunning times in the TQ RED Toyota S2000R on the Pirelli having never sat in the car before. He was just 0.4 seconds off a fastest stage time on the gravel event, and the car is expected to perform even more impressively on asphalt. “On paper it looks like the car will be highly competitive on asphalt,” says David. “It is lighter and has less torque than a Group N car which can put it at a disadvantage on gravel. I just can’t wait to get back into the car again for the test runs. It’s stunning.” David and Ieuan are seeded at number 8 on the Jim Clark International Rally entry list. Their TQ RED team mates Hugh, and his co-driver Iestyn Williams, are seeded at number 31 in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9. McCLOSKEY BACK ON BLACK Connor McCloskey and Robbie Durant continue their 2007 double championship campaign with the Jim Clark International Rally next weekend. The classic asphalt event is the second round of the British Rally Championship (BRC) and comes immediately after the previous Evo Challenge round on the Isle of Man, also on the black stuff. Connor’s recent experience on Manx asphalt should stand him in good stead, as the previous BRC event was over a month ago and on gravel, but the young Northern Irish driver will have to push hard against tough opposition. “I’ve done the Jim Clark a couple of times now and it is always an enjoyable rally.” said Connor, “But the competition in the Championship is tough with three former Champions and drivers like Guy Wilks and Phil Morrow to try and stay with.” The closed road event is unique in mainland UK rallying and the changeable weather will be a stern test for the team. “It is great that everyone is on Pirelli tyres now, but the choice of compound, wet, dry or intermediate is always critical on the Jim Clark.” explained Connor, “The weather can change in an instant and you don’t want to be stuck on slicks in the rain.” Following a shakedown stage on Thursday and two spectator stages on Friday evening the real action begins in the pleasant countryside around Duns in Berwickshire. Returning to the finish in Kelso after 160 miles of stages on Saturday and Sunday will reveal the result of the first of three tarmac rallies in a row for Connor and the Egger team. Connor and the team would like to thank Egger (wood based panels), Euro Components, KBB Doors, Pirelli and Shell Racing Fuels for their continuing support in 2007. 17/05/07 MSA Asphalt Rally Championship PREVIEW - JIM CLARK NATIONAL RALLY For many rally fans, especially those whose preference is asphalt, the Jim Clark Rally (25th/26th May) represents the pinnacle of the sport in the UK – closed road rallying on the mainland – and the entry list reflects this popularity. The third round of the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship sees competitors congregating in Kelso on Friday 25th May for the start of the Jim Clark National Rally. Split into two legs, the event offers thirteen stages, totalling almost 100 miles, on some of the classic Borders roads and the first car leaves the start at 8.00pm. Following an overnight halt, the rally resumes at 8.00am on the Saturday morning for a full day’s sport, prior to the finish in Kelso town square at 7.00pm. Leading the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship contenders will be defending champions, DAVID KYNASTON/ANDY RUSSELL, in their Audi A3 Quattro, with the MG Metro 6R4 of multiple series winners JOHN & CAROLINE PRICE right behind them. DAMIAN COLE (Hyundai Accent WRC) will be looking for a much-needed finish to put his season back on track but, with each competitor’s four best scores from the six qualifying events, there is still plenty of time for a change of fortune for the Get Connected! boss. Championship leaders following the recent trip to the Isle of Man, STEVE SIMPSON/MARK BOOTH (Hyundai Accent WRC), will have their work cut out to maintain that position as the top three crews in the points table are currently separated by a mere five points! Meanwhile, MARK JASPER (Ford Escort WRC) was leading the Jim Clark National Rally in 2005 before being sidelined by mechanical problems, and he will be hoping to improve on his 7th place last year. DAVID BOGIE is already making a name for himself as a talented driver who has turned in some amazing results in a Vauxhall Corsa. This season, under the watchful eye of his father John, the Scottish teenager is still acclimatising himself to a new Group N Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9 and it is only a matter of time before the results start to come – and where better than on home soil?… Having missed the opening round of the season while a rebuild of his Mitsubishi Lancer was completed, former Group N Asphalt Rally Champion CHRIS MARSHALL and co-driver SIMON HUNTER are now chasing Class B13 points. Following a Top 10 finish on the Jim Clark in 2006 in the car, a repeat performance this time is certainly on the cards and the soaring temperatures experienced when the rally ran in July should not be a problem this year!.. Manx residents PAUL CURPHEY/EUNICE CUBBON retired their Mitsubishi Lancer on their home event and will be hoping for better luck as the Championship reaches the halfway stage. GRAHAM HOLLIS took his Ford Escort RS to a class win in the Borders last year and, having done likewise on both Asphalt Championship rounds so far this year, the South Walian has good reason to be confident of further success! NICK JAMES (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO8) overcame considerable problems to move into the lead of Class N4 on the Isle of Man as he put behind him the memory of a major accident on the event last year. The Jim Clark could now give him the opportunity to press home his advantage prior to the trip to Ireland for the Sligo Stages Rally in July. TOMMI GRAHAM/MIKE BAILEY are contesting their first full season of Asphalt Championship events in their Lancer EVO9 and consistent finishes on each round so far should do wonders for their confidence. DAVE PRICE (Ford Escort MkVI RWD) is back for more this year and a good result on his first event, the Manx, persuaded him to put a late entry in for the Jim Clark. The rigours of the 2006 event resulted in transmission failure but, having survived the punishment on the Isle of Man, there is no reason why a similar run should not bolster his position still further. GEOFF GLOVER/CHARLIE TURNER take the start in their immaculate rear-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra, not only chasing Class B11 points but also those in the RWD category. RICHARD CLEWS/BARRY JAMES return in their Mechatronics Peugeot 106, while PAUL HAREWOOD/BOB JONES (Renault Clio Williams) and RICHARD BUTLER/MATT DUBBER (Honda Civic Type R) spent the Manx Rally locked in combat for maximum Class N3 points. The battle eventually went to the former crew, but they were never more than a few seconds apart throughout the weekend. The Ford Escort RS of PETE HUGHES/CHRIS EVANS was, unfortunately, one of the long list of non-finishers on the Manx while, on the other side of the coin, ROGER PRIESTNALL/JAMIE FORREST strengthened their hold on Class A6 with another win in their Proton Satria, a fact that was not lost on ADRIAN DRURY/PHILLIP STONE whose Peugeot 106 – also Class A6 - was one of the early casualties in some atrocious weather! Diarmuid Falvey to co-drive Tim McNulty Winning co-driver on Last year's Jim Clark, Diarmuid Falvey is to co-drive for Tim McNulty on this year's rally. Entry List available at:
12/04/07 JIM CLARK RALLY AIMS FOR SAFER REFUELLING With Regulations published and entries now being received for the 2007 Jim Clark Rally, the organisers are announcing more stringent controls for the re-fuelling of competing cars. The Jim Clark Rally, set to run on the weekend of 25th to 27th May, will once again see a route based on central servicing at Charterhall, the former wartime airfield south of the Berwickshire county town of Duns, which saw some of the early racing exploits of the future Formula 1 World Champion Jim Clark. Competitors, who will visit service nine times at Charterhall throughout the three days of competition, will be required to re-fuel at a single designated area on the airfield. All major suppliers of motor sport fuel will have tankers in attendance. Jim Clark Rally Manager Colin Pagan said: “We are doing this for both safety and ecological reasons. We are continually aware of protecting the good name of not just the Jim Clark Rally but also the sport in general. It’s just not acceptable or safe for re-fuelling to take place at multiple locations all over an airfield which is at other times used for agricultural operations. Charterhall is essential to the rally, and it’s a facility for which we’re very grateful. This is a new move for our event, but one we feel should be met with universal agreement.” Latest Entries Latest Entries available on the rally website below: Regulations and Entry Form on:
16/01/07 Preliminary Details The organisers of the Jim Clark Rally have released preliminary details of the 2007 rally which will be held on the weekend of 25th to 27th May. The event, now Scotland’s only international rally, will once again be a counting round of the Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship, as well as a round of the Scottish, Irish Tarmac and other national and local series. Confirming the new, earlier date in the rallying calendar, the organisers have also announced a revised format to the Jim Clark, which remains the only such event run over closed public roads on mainland Britain. In following the general move to more concise rallies, the opening day of the main international event will be reduced to a double run of the ever-popular Langton spectator stage near Duns. However the international event will now continue with a full itinerary on the Saturday through to the Sunday. The organisers have also cut the number of special stages - although the international section’s competitive mileage has not been reduced. Following the opening two stages on the Friday, initial plans indicate five stages run twice on Saturday and a further three repeated on Sunday. Based as before at Kelso Racecourse, and centrally serviced from Charterhall Airfield, the rally will for the first time see the clubman’s event - the Jim Clark Reivers rally - staged in conjunction with, and run over the same stages as the second leg of the international rally on the Sunday. Commenting on the 2007 event, Rally manager Colin Pagan said: “Having to bring the date earlier to suit the international rallying schedule has meant we have had to look at a number of changes - none least because as a rural event we have to take into consideration different agricultural circumstances. As a major bank holiday weekend south of the Border there are also both good and not so good aspects we have to face. But we are confident that we will once again put on an event which will, as always, be every bit as challenging for our competitors as it will be exciting for the spectators.” More Details
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Jim Clark Memorial Rally
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