Enniskillen Lakelands Stages Rally - 12 Sep 09

Awesome Second Overall for Alastair & Barry on Lakeland Stages’ Rally!

Posted: October 2, 2009 12:12 PM

Last weekend’s Fisher Engineering Lakeland Stages’ Rally presented an opportunity for Alastair to get both himself and his Group N Mitsubishi Evo 9 back into gravel mode before the final round of the British Rally Championship in two weeks’ time. It also gave him a chance to demonstrate his pace on his home rally, organised by Enniskillen Motor Club; a counting round of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship. Alastair remarked, “The headquarters of Fisher Engineering in Ballinamallard provided an excellent venue for both scrutineering and the start of the rally. Enniskillen Motor Club has always been renowned for organizing an excellent event and as always the stages were very challenging. It was a fantastic day’s rallying and the fine weather was an added bonus!”

After the opening two stages, Alastair and co-driver Barry McNulty lay second overall in their PPG / Fisher Engineering EVO 9, just 5 seconds behind Sean Devine’s S11 Subaru WRC, and ahead of all the other Group N and WRC opposition. Indeed that was a position they were to maintain right to the finish. “We had decided not to go max. attack on the first stage in order to get bedded in, as it was a short stage and also to give us an opportunity to evaluate the Group N opposition; this probably played in our favour as the stage was very slippery due to surface gravel.”

Onto stages two, three and four where the McElwaine Electrical Lancer set two more second quickest times, to arrive back at the Garrison mid-way service in a fabulous second place overall and leading Group N, with the similar Evo of Jonny Greer holding second in Group N.

It wasn’t without its moments however, as Alastair and Barry experienced on stage 3. “The second stage was a tricky one in places with some big jumps and crests, but it was actually coming out of a high speed jump dip on the third stage that almost ended our assault. It has to be the biggest moment I have ever had and it’s as close as I ever want to be to going end over end; the back of the car just lifted in the air and we landed bang on the nose. There is no doubt we were very lucky we didn’t damage the radiator or the intercooler.” Bent chassis legs and minor cosmetic damage were the worst injuries subjected to the UK Direct Car Sales Lancer and indeed over the remaining four tests Alastair directed the Evo to several more impressive times, which was good enough to ensure him a superb second place overall and first in Group N.

Alastair commented at the finish, “It was a very worthwhile day which allowed me to get back into the flow of the gravel. I was pleased from the start to be on the Group N pace and Jonny Greer wasn’t too far behind either which also made for an interesting day, and I was simply delighted to reach the finish in second place.” Alastair will now be concentrating his efforts on the Trackrod Rally in two weeks’ time. “We need to finish the Trackrod to secure third in the British Rally Championship; after that’s over the focus will be on the Cork 20, hopefully securing 3rd O/A and the Group N title in the Irish Tarmac Championship”, he concluded.

The Pirelli shootout in early October which will be prove to be a very testing challenge for Alastair as he goes head to head with his BRC counterparts for a chance to win the Pirelli works drive. For the latest news, check Alastair’s website-www.alastairfisher.com

Sean Devine/Tony McDaid secure Fisher Engineering Stages Rally victory!

Posted: October 2, 2009 12:10 PM

Strabane's Sean Devine secured his second consecutive Hankook MSA N.I. Rally Championship victory at Saturday's Fisher Engineering Stages Rally!

Navigated by Tony McDaid, the construction company owner sealed a start to finish win at the County Fermanagh event, finishing comfortably ahead of leading Group N crew, Alastair Fisher and Barry McNulty.

The tussle for the event spoils was expected to be a battle between the main championship contenders, Derek McGarrity and Kenny McKinstry, but both crews suffered various problems which thwarted their efforts.

Glengormley's McGarrity, who leads the Hankook series, sealed a deal for Glenn Allen's Toyota Corolla WRC on the eve of the rally. He decided to use his new mount at the Enniskillen Motor Club event but almost immediately hit trouble with a misted up windscreen.

Meanwhile, there was a troubled look on Kenny McKinstry's face at the end of stage one. He had set second fastest time, one second slower than Devine, but was fiddling with his Subaru's paddle gear-change. Some clutch troubles were causing him concerns, and a rushed re-program of the car's ECU didn't help the car's handling characteristics during the second stage.

Not helped by a near overshoot, McKinstry's problems saw him drop down the order after the second test. And with McGarrity also in trouble, it was Devine who reached the end of stage two leading the event by five seconds from Alastair Fisher and Barry McNulty, while Steven Whitford and Jonny Hart held third.

Only a handful of crews completed the second stage after it was stopped when Matthew Cathcart and Martin Brady had a massive accident in their Group N Subaru. Near the start of the stage, Cathcart lost control of his car after a jump. His Impreza hit a bank at high speed which threw the crew into multiple rolls over tree stumps. It was a massive accident but thankfully both crew members were able to walk away.

Back at the top, there were no such troubles for Sean Devine as he continued to set the pace. Through the long third stage, he was an impressive 23 seconds quicker than his nearest rivals, allowing him to cement his position at the top of the order. That set the scene for the day, and by the end of the rally, he had done more than enough to secure victory by more than 40 seconds from Alastair Fisher and Barry McNulty.

Fisher was overjoyed at taking second overall in his Group N Mitsubishi Lancer at what was his home event. The 21-year-old driver, who currently holds third overall in both the Irish Tarmac and British Rally Championships, also claimed maximum Sunoco Fuels Group N points in the process.

Jonathan Greer and Kirsty Riddick claimed the final podium position and second in Group N with their Mitsubishi, just 11 seconds behind Fisher. Enda McNulty and Ronan O'Kane moved up to fourth after Stephen Whitford retired with mechanical trouble during stage seven, while championship leader Derek McGarrity completed the top five.

The Superdrive two-wheel-drive category saw Frank Kelly and Liam Brennan emerge supreme in their Mark 2 Escort. The crew entertained the spectators with their spectacular sideways driving style, and they also claimed sixth overall in the process.

It was a tight battle between Kelly and Adrian Hetherington throughout the day, with Kelly snatching the 2WD win by five seconds at the finish. And in the Montgomery Motorsport historic category, Tommy O'Connell and Sean Magee took the category spoils.

But what of Banbridge's Kenny McKinstry? His car troubles worsened on stage three when his clutch pedal stuck to the floor of his Subaru. He lost a couple of minutes during the test, but towards the end of the day, he set a couple of fastest times which pulled him back up to 10th overall.

Video Clips

Posted: September 14, 2009 10:00 PM

Video Clips

Posted: September 14, 2009 9:56 PM

Photos:

Posted: September 14, 2009 4:15 PM

KG Rally Pics
Mark Breen Photography
neillpics.co.uk
Tight Angle Photography

Results

Posted: September 14, 2009 4:03 PM

1 Sean Devine/Tony McDaid (Subaru Impreza WRC) 43m23s
2 Alastair Fisher/Barry McNulty (Mit. Lancer Evo 9) 44m06s
3 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Mit.Lancer Evo 9) 44m17s
4 Enda McNulty/Ronan O'Kane (Mit.Lancer Evo 6) 44m47s
5 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Toyota Corolla WRC) 45m11s
6 Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Ford Escort Mk2) 45m25s
7 Adrian Hetherington/Gary Nolan (Ford Escort Mk2) 45m30s
8 Raymond Johnston/Rodney Hicks (Mit.Lancer Evo 9) 45m43s
9 Trevor Moore/Ray Fitzpatrick (Mit.Escort Mk2) 46m18s
10 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) 46m23s

Full Results and Times

Rallynews (by Brian & Liz Patterson)

Enniskillen Motor Club

Hankook N.I. Rally Championship heads to Fermanagh!

Posted: September 10, 2009 11:44 AM

The Hankook MSA N.I. Rally Championship moves to Fermanagh this weekend for Enniskillen Motor Club's Fisher Engineering Lakeland Stages Rally!

The forestry event has attracted almost 80 crews to the start-line, with the two main championship contenders, Derek McGarrity and Kenny McKinstry, topping the entry list.

McGarrity and navigator James McKee will lead the field away from Ballinamallard's Fisher Engineering Ltd on Saturday morning. They currently lead the Hankook series from Kenny McKinstry, although the chasing Banbridge pilot closed the gap at August's Dogleap Rally.

McGarrity missed the Dogleap event but he still leads the series by 17 points. Second placed McKinstry, who will be navigated by Noel Orr, realises he must start adding a few more victories to his tally if he is to stay in the hunt for another N.I. title. But no matter what happens on Saturday, McGarrity will continue to hold the championship lead.

Starting at number three, Donagh Kelly is the first of the Sunoco Fuels Group N crews and he will face stiff opposition from local man Raymond Johnston. They will also need to keep an eye on Stephen Whitford, as will McGarrity and McKinstry. The Larne driver has a Group A specification Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 at his disposal - a car which he used to win the event in 2002.

Seamus Devine will also bring his Impreza WRC into the equation but there are a host of additional production category crews that could raise a few eyebrows. Alastair Fisher is the current Group N leader in the Irish Tarmac Championship, and is another local man aiming to impress on home ground. Carryduff's Jonathan Greer will also be in the mix, and new kid on the block, Matthew Cathcart, is hoping to impress on his home rally debut.

The Cathcart name is a familiar one in rallying, with Roy Cathcart having multiple successes to his name. Last year, it was Matthew's brother, Richard, who dominated the Lakeland event in an Impreza WRC, and now 18-year-old Matthew is beginning to make a name for himself. Less than two weeks ago, he entered his first forestry event behind the wheel of a Group N Subaru Impreza, and promptly claimed victory!

In the Superdrive two-wheel-drive category, Frank Kelly starts the event at number 15. Adrian Hetherington will be biting at his heels, while Trevor Moore and Paul Barrett will also be vying for the top spot.

The Montgomery Motorsport Historic category will provide additional entertainment for the spectators, with Philip Hunter, Tommy O'Connell and Alan Jardine all set for battle in the woods.

This Saturday's Fisher Engineering event starts at 10am and competitors will tackle eight stages in the County Fermanagh forests. Service will be based at Garrison, and after the final stage has been completed, the winner will be crowned at the Irvinestown's Mahon's Hotel.

Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan Plan Lakeland Assault

Posted: September 6, 2009 5:17 PM

Next weekends Enniskillen Motorclub’s, Fisher Engineering Lakeland Stages Rally hosts the seventh round of this years Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Rally championship. This year the rally has moved from Kesh to Ballinamallard with the HQ being Fisher Engineering.

Donagh and Kevin come into the rally still leading the Sunoco Fuels Group N category on 48 points with Raymond Johnston laying second 10 points adrift on 38 points and Mark Massey in third 1 point behind Johnston.

Last year Donagh and Kevin finished the rally in 5th overall and 2nd in Group N. This year the Donegal crew will be eager for another good result just like last year to help them keep their lead in the Group N title hunt. Another good result overall will also help Donagh and Kevin stay in the top 3 overall in the championship.

The rally starts for Donagh and Kevin on Saturday 12th September at 10.00am and features eight challenging stages. The Donegal crew will arrive back at the finish around 6.00pm having covered 42 competitive stage miles.

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

Entry List

Posted: September 6, 2009 5:16 PM

• Enniskillen Motor Club

Regulations / Details

Posted: January 1, 2009 12:01 AM

• Enniskillen Motor Club