Tour of the Sperrins (Magherafelt) - 9 May 09

Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan claim second in Grp N at the 2009 KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins

Posted: May 12, 2009 2:49 PM

After missing round 3, the Larson Circuit Of Ireland Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan were laying 9th on the leader board of the Sunoco Fuels Group N category and knew they had to get a good result at round 4 the KBB Doors Tour Of The Sperrins.

A torrential downpour greeted Donagh and Kevin on the way to the first stage. They decided to take a cautious approach as Donagh was never in the Davagh Forest Complex before and ended the stage in 7th position 20 seconds behind the leader Camillus Bradley and Danny O’Neill.

On stage two the Donegal crew improved their pace and set a time of 6:55.1 which was fastest overall and was good enough to move them up to 4th overall and 4th in Grp N. Stage three they set another good time and were 3rd fastest, 2.2 seconds from Raymond Johnson the rally leader. Donagh and Kevin were now 3rd overall and 3rd in Grp N only a second behind Mark Massey with Derek McGarrity only 1.3 seconds behind Donagh in 4th.

On stage four the stage was reversed and the roads were beginning to dry. On this stage Donagh and Kevin were second fastest two tenths of a second from Derek McGarrity. With a good time on that stage the crew were now up to 2nd overall.

Going in to the final stage Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan were only one tenth of a second behind Mark Massey and Andrew McVeigh but Massey’s hopes of winning the rally were over when he slipped of the road and out of the rally. Unfortunately for Donagh he had problems too and lost out on a potential victory with an overshoot. After the final stage Donagh commented “We were well up on our previous time, but then we had an overshoot in the car park and lost about 10 seconds.”

Next for Donagh and Kevin is the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally on the 6th June where they hope to get more valuable points for the championship.

Thanks again to the 2009 sponsors, KN Network Services, Donnelly Bros. Dungannon, Prime Tyres and Swan Plant Hire and for there continued support, Vehicle Services Motorsport, Shell Racing Fuels and Pirelli Tyres.

Posted: May 11, 2009 5:03 PM

1st 2WD and 2nd Overall: Declan McNaughton/Sean Hayde
Photo: KG Rally Photos

1st GpN and 3rd Overall: Raymond Johnston/Rodney Hicks
Photo: Roy Dempster

Derek McGarrity/James McKee snatch last gasp KBB Tour of the Sperrins victory!

Posted: May 11, 2009 4:58 PM

Derek McGarrity and James McKee added another trophy to their already bursting cabinet with victory at Saturday’s KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally, but it was only on the final two stages that McGarrity started to challenge for the top spot.

The event, which was round four of the Hankook MSA N.I. Stage Rally Championship, saw one of the closest finishes in Tour of the Sperrins history. Little more than three seconds separated the top four crews at the Walsh’s Hotel finish ramp, with McGarrity just edging out the Mark 2 Escort belonging to Declan McNaughton and Sean Hayde.

The early stages told a totally different story as McGarrity struggled with a misted up windscreen in the difficult, wet conditions. Heavy rain was pelting the narrow Davagh roads, leaving a frustrated McGarrity down in sixth overall after stage one.

Kenny McKinstry was also in trouble after his Subaru lost its paddle gear change on the way to the start. His differentials also stopped working, while fellow Impreza WRC driver, Denis Biggerstaff, was having some gearbox troubles of his own.

Instead, it was Davagh master Camillus Bradley who demolished the opposition on that opening test. He threaded his Escort through the slippery lanes to set fastest time by an impressive 10 seconds from the Group N Evo belonging to Mark Massey and Andrew McVeigh. But sadly, Bradley’s incredible run came to a premature end midway through stage two when he crashed out of the rally.

Bradley’s exit also caused Declan McNaughton some problems. In the confusion surrounding the incident, an SOS board was shown. It was an innocent mistake, as both crew members were OK. They were merely holding the board the wrong way around!

McNaughton slowed as a result to check that both Bradley and navigator Danny O’Neill were uninjured. McNaughton lost precious seconds as a result, dropping outside the top 10 from an initial fourth overall. However, the crew appealed their stage time after the finish and were awarded a notional time which placed them second overall.

At the top of the standings, it was Mark Massey and Andrew McVeigh who led after stage two. Despite catching Emma McKinstry during the test, Massey still did enough to move to the top of the leaderboard ahead of McNaughton and third placed Raymond Johnston.

Stage three saw another new name move to the top of the tables as Raymond Johnston set a stunning time through the test. He moved into a three second lead from Massey while Declan McNaughton spun his Escort, but there was trouble on stage four for new leader Johnston. His intercom stopped working, forcing the Fermanagh man to drive the stage blind. Then, three corners from the finish, he punctured two tyres, losing yet more seconds.

With the sun beginning to emerge from behind the clouds, the stage had started to dry but it was still very slippery. The dramas allowed Mark Massey to move back in front despite sliding on to some grass. But victory was by no means a sure thing, as he led the event by the tightest of margins – one-tenth of a second!

Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan were second overall and ready to pounce, but the Sunoco Fuels Group N Evo men had to keep their eye on another driver. Just as the rain disappeared, so had Derek McGarrity’s windscreen problems, and he was on a mission. Fastest through the penultimate test, he was in third overall, a little more than one second adrift of the rally leaders.

With nine seconds separating the top five crews going into the final stage, it was anyone’s game. Mark Massey had the advantage but sadly he slipped off the road and out of the event. Second placed Donagh Kelly also hit trouble, losing precious seconds with an overshoot.

Instead, it was Derek McGarrity who arrived home as the event victor. Despite opting for slick tyres, which he later admitted was a brave decision – and the wrong decision, the Glengormley driver sealed the KBB Tour of the Sperrins victory by 1.3 seconds!

Declan McNaughton pulled out all the stops through the final test in his Escort, and was actually faster than McGarrity, but it wasn’t enough to snatch the win. He had to settle for second overall, while third placed Raymond Johnston, who was fastest on stage five, claimed the final podium spot, as well as Sunoco Fuels Group N honours.

Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan admitted that they lost the rally win with that final stage overshoot, and were forced to settle for fourth ahead of Brian Muldoon and Charlie Beattie. Trevor Moore and Ray Fitzpatrick completed the top six.

Photos

Posted: May 11, 2009 4:55 PM

neillpics.co.uk
KG Rally Pics
Roy Dempster Photos
Tight Angle Photography

Results

Posted: May 11, 2009 4:52 PM

1 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Subaru Impreza WRC) 35m08.4s
2 Declan McNaughton/Sean Hayde (Escort Mk2) 35m09.7s
3 Raymond Johnston/Rodney Hicks (Evo) 35m10.1s
4 Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Evo) 35m11.6s
5 Brian Muldoon/Charlie Beattie (Evo) 35m20.2s
6 Trevor Moore/Ray Fitzpatrick (Escort Mk2) 35m48.5s
7 Neil McCance/Jonny Hart (Evo) 35m59.5s
8 Kieron Graffin/Vincent Fergus (Evo) 36m01.8s
9 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 36m03.9s
10 Trevor Ferguson/David McElroy (Impreza) 36m06.3s

Full Results and Times

Derek McGarrity heads entry for Saturday's KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins Rally!

Posted: May 5, 2009 11:55 AM

Round four of the Hankook MSA N.I. Stage Rally Championship moves to the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains this Saturday for the KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins Rally!

Headquarters are once again located at Maghera's Walsh's Hotel but there are some changes afoot for the Magherafelt and District Motor Club event.

The stages have moved to the lanes of Davagh forest, which is situated approximately 10 miles northwest of Cookstown. The tree-lined tarmac is not for the faint-hearted, and almost 70 crews will tackle five stages in the challenging complex.

Derek McGarrity, a former Northern Ireland and Irish Tarmac champion, heads the entry list in his Subaru Impreza WRC. He also heads the championship standings after winning the opening two rounds of this year's series, but after missing round three, his advantage was slashed to just five points.

Kenny McKinstry and Denis Biggerstaff currently share second position, so it's appropriate that these two drivers, who are also former champions, complete the top three seeds for this Saturday's rally. McKinstry, winner of the Larsen Circuit of Ireland National B rally, will start the event at number two ahead of Dromara's Biggerstaff.

There's one notable name missing from this Saturday's event. Seamus Leonard, who currently lies fifth in the series standings, has decided to "pull the pin" on his Hankook Championship campaign. The Omagh driver has been plagued with mechanical problems of late, so instead he has decided to concentrate on supporting his two sons, Declan and Dara Leonard.

With Leonard out of action, a trio of Group N drivers follow Biggerstaff with Cookstown's John McGlaughlin heading the Sunoco Fuels sponsored category. Navigated by Crawford Henderson, the crew will have plenty of opposition to contend with this weekend, not least from Neil McCance and Kieron Graffin.

Emma McKinstry and Kenny Hull start at number seven, and the Banbridge youngster will be hoping to put her Easter disappointment behind her. She was on course for an excellent result at the Circuit of Ireland, only for a minor indiscretion during the final day resulting in her retirement.

Englishman Ray Brammer makes a welcome return to the series after missing round three. Navigated by Matthew Whattam, the crew start at number eight in their Impreza WRC, while Group N drivers, Mark Massey and Raymond Johnston, complete the top 10 seeds.

There is also a large contingent of Superdrive 2WD contenders, with Draperstown's Camillus Bradley heading the entry. Declan McNaughton and Trevor Moore are among those that will be aiming to stop Bradley in his tracks.

The Montgomery Motorsport historic category continues to attract a small but high quality selection of crews to the Hankook series. Philip Hunter returns to action with his Escort, while Alan Jardine and Derek Boyd will be hot on his heels in Davagh.

The KBB Tour of the Sperrins starts at approximately 9am on Saturday morning from Walsh's Hotel, Maghera, while service will be located at Meteor Electrical, Drum Road, Cookstown. After crews tackle all five stages, they will return to Walsh's Hotel for the champagne finish at approximately 5pm. More information can be found online at www.tourofthesperrins.com and www.nirally.com.

KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins Rally - top 10 entries

1 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Subaru Impreza WRC)
2 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC)
3 Denis Biggerstaff/Damian McCann (Subaru Impreza WRC)
4 John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Mit. Lancer Evo 9)
5 Neil McCance/TBA (Mit. Lancer Evo 9)
6 Kieron Graffin/Neil Doherty (Mit. Lancer Evo 9)
7 Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Subaru Impreza WRC)
8 Ray Brammer/Matthew Whattam (Subaru Impreza WRC)
9 Mark Massey/Andrew McVeigh (Mit. Lancer Evo)
10 Raymond Johnston/TBA (Mit. Lancer Evo 9)

Entry List

Posted: May 5, 2009 11:53 AM

• Tour of the Sperrins

Entries Received

Posted: April 29, 2009 12:41 PM

• Tour of the Sperrins

Entries Still accepted

Posted: April 23, 2009 3:14 PM

• Tour of the Sperrins
• Magherafelt Motor Club

New Tarmac for 2009!

Posted: April 1, 2009 12:09 PM

The Tour of the Sperrins will take place this year on the 9th May on the new tarmac of Davagh! The soon to be refurbished Davagh forest will host this year’s event with 35+ miles on sealed tarmac with service being held in Meteor Electrical on the outskirts of Cookstown. Staying with tradition, KBB doors have once again continued to support the rally as event sponsor with Walsh’s Hotel Maghera providing the start and finish.

When asked about the format of this year’s rally, COC for the event Stephen Mc Ferran stated
“This is a side step for our event, having been on tar (closed roads) for the past few years and because of extensive logging we have had to revisit Davagh.
In an effort to attract the good entry we have been accustomed to, we are investing heavily in Davagh , repairing the potholes and resurfacing where needed, also by scraping the grass which has overgrown the road in places, and brushing the entire 7 miles.
We also decided that at the chicanes the road will be widened so the cars aren’t in the muck!”

Regulations now available on the rally website:

Regulations / Details

Posted: January 1, 2009 12:01 AM

• Tour of the Sperrins
• Magherafelt Motor Club