Mourne Rally - (Sat) 5 Jun 10

Promise Shown on the Mourne Rally for Desi Henry

Posted: June 11, 2010 8:26 AM

Last weekend’s Mourne Rally provided another chance for 20 year old Portglenone driver Desi Henry to adapt to his left hand drive Citroen C2 R2 Max. His eventual result of 42nd overall and 7th in the hotly contested class, does not illustrate the many minutes lost when the C2 suffered severe fuel starvation problems. The result at the weekend leaves Desi fifth in class five in the Hankook Northern Ireland Championship, despite this being only his second round in a class five machine, and fourth in the Superdrive MSA Junior Championship, after five rounds. However it could have been so much better on the Mourne for Desi and co-driver John Rowan.

“Overall we were happy that we had improved our pace on the event. When things were going right with the car, we were generally in the top three times in the class. On the Sperrins we were getting close to Barry Greer in the similar R2 Fiesta and on this event we took time on each of the stages that we had a clean run on. I enjoyed the car and it the tyres worked well in the dry conditions.”
Dramas were aplenty however. An intercom problem, caused by vibration on stage one- Gullion meant that co-driver John Rowan was shouting, as he thought Desi couldn’t hear the notes. However onto the ordinary closed road stages 2 and 3 and they set second fastest class times, but the C2 began to develop serious fuel problems.

“The car started to cut out and the fuel pressure light was coming on. When we got to service we found that the foam in the tank was breaking up, we think because of some sort of reaction, and the foam was then blocking the fuel pick up. The boys cleaned it out the best they could but we dropped a lot of time on stages 5 and 6 when the car was stopping.”
On stage 4- Gullion 2 they were third fastest in the class, and second fastest on stage 7, after a further clean out of the fuel tank at second service. However the problem intervened on the last two tests, and more time was lost.
“We were lucky enough to make it home in the end. At one point I thought she wasn’t going to make it up a hill on the next stage. We will have the problem fixed and it hasn’t deterred us on our attack on the Hankook Northern Ireland Rally Championship. Indeed we are very much looking forward to the next round, the Dogleap Rally in the Limavady Forests, but before that we have the Citroen Racing Trophy Round in Donegal. Definitely the run on the Mourne has helped us prepare for that also, and I very much enjoyed the new format of the Mourne Rally this year.”

The PRH Construction and Woodland Kitchens C2 R2 Max is being readied at John McKillop’s workshops for the Donegal International on 18th-20th June, and it will be another opportunity for young Desi to make further improvements.

John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson seals second overall at Mourne Rally!

Posted: June 8, 2010 6:14 PM

Cookstown's John McGlaughlin secured an excellent result at last weekend's Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally when he sealed second overall in his McGlaughlin's Bakery Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9.

Navigated by Magherafelt's Crawford Henderson, the crew also sealed the top production category placing, and finished just 11 seconds adrift of the rally winners.

McGlaughlin is contesting this year's Irish Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, and he entered the event with the intention of testing his car in preparation for the third round of the series.

So with no real plans of challenging for outright honours, nobody was more surprised than McGlaughlin when he emerged from the opening stage as the rally leader!

"I felt very confident in the car," McGlaughlin said afterwards. "It was the first time that everything felt good since last year. I was able to push hard and to set fastest time was a major confidence boost."

McGlaughlin has been fraught with mechanical troubles during the 2010 season but the Mourne event had started with no such issues. Stage two was to tell a different story though, as the Cookstown driver damaged a wheel.

"We were too fast going into a six-right over crest," McGlaughlin explained. "I had to cut the corner and there was a massive bang. The car was snaking all over the place at the next junction and we lost around five to 10 seconds."

That was enough to allow his more powerful World Rally Car rivals into the rally lead but John still held second overall. More problems were to raise their head however, as mechanical issues once again thwarted the Cookstown man's progress.

"The problem appeared midway through the third stage," John rued. "It wasn't a misfire...it was more like fuel starvation or something like that. Normally I change gear at 4000rpm but I had to rev the car over 5000rpm. I had hoped for a clean run at the rally so I was gutted."

When the crew returned to service, the McNeill Motorsport crew planted a new ECU into the Mitsubishi Lancer but that failed to cure the problem during the second loop of stages.

Even a new fuel pump installed at final service failed to solve the issue but despite losing time on every stage, John still held a comfortable second overall.

It looked as though the Hilltop Fuels backed team were on course for the second step on the podium as they entered the final loop of stages. Then, at the end of stage seven, McGlaughlin had a brief sniff of potential victory when he spotted the rally leader with two punctures.

"I thought we were back in with a chance of victory," McGlaughlin explained, "and when I didn't see the World Rally Car driver at the start of the following stage, I presumed he had lost a lot of time and was running well down the order."

"I lost my concentration through the eighth stage and it was only when I was at the start of the final test that I discovered our rivals were still in the running."

The battle for the overall rally spoils was going down to the wire and unfortunately for the Bush Road Filling Station and TightAngle.com sponsored crew, they stalled on the start line.

In a panic to get the car fired up, the differentials were switched off. It was only when the crew were a couple of miles into the test that they realised something was amiss.

"We were driving through a very narrow section when I was trying to switch the diffs on," McGlaughlin explained. "I was trying to keep one eye on the road and one eye on the switches! It took three or four attempts and probably cost us the win."

McGlaughlin and Henderson went on to seal second overall, forcing the crew to wait that little bit longer for their maiden rally victory.

"I'm very happy with the result," John said. "We went there to test and came away with a very strong finishing position - and very nearly a win. I was happy with our stage times despite our problems, and the result has given me plenty of confidence. If we can get this niggling problem sorted, then hopefully our first win is not too far away."

With a successful test completed, John McGlaughlin and Crawford Henderson will be back in action on 28 June at the Raven's Rock Rally. More details can be found online at

John McGlaughlin

Video Clips

Posted: June 7, 2010 3:39 PM

Darren Gass/Sean Mullally win Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally!

Posted: June 7, 2010 3:36 PM

Markethill's Darren Gass scored his maiden Hankook Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship victory on Saturday at round five, the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally.

The 21-year-old Subaru Impreza WRC driver, who is a former British Junior Rally Champion, stormed into the rally lead after stage two and quickly built a substantial advantage of 45 seconds over John McGlaughlin and Crawford Henderson.

Then disaster struck the Gass camp. A double puncture and a 30 second time penalty dropped him behind McGlaughlin with just two stages remaining. Suddenly, it looked as though Cookstown's Group N Mitsubishi Lancer pilot, who had been struggling with a misfire throughout the day, had victory within his grasp.

But Gass was determined to regain the advantage and a no holds barred attack over the closing miles saw him swipe 24 seconds from the leader on the penultimate stage. Nine seconds separated the two crews going into the final test, and a similar performance ensured that Gass regained the number one position at the last gasp.

In the end, Gass and navigator Sean Mullally claimed victory by 11 seconds in their Subaru Impreza WRC, with John McGlaughlin and Crawford Henderson taking second. They also headed the Group N category, finishing more than one minute ahead of Mark Donnelly and Stephen O'Hanlon, who claimed third overall.

With neither Gass nor McGlaughlin registered for Hankook N.I. Championship points, Donnelly also claimed maximum overall championship points, maximum Sunoco Fuels Group N points and maximum points in the Superdrive Junior Championship tables.

The Mitsubishi Lancer pilot had been tussling with Stuart Biggerstaff for the top spot, and it was Biggerstaff who led in his Impreza WRC for much of the day. He looked set to claim third overall but was overhauled by Donnelly on the penultimate stage.

Then Biggerstaff stalled at a hairpin on the final test, forcing him to settle for fourth overall. He still claimed second placed championship points, and the result promoted him to the top of the Hankook Championship tables, four points ahead of Derek McGarrity. Meanwhile, championship hopeful George Robinson retired earlier in the day with gearbox problems.

In the Hankook two-wheel-drive category, Drew Stewart and Steven Park claimed victory aboard their Mark 2 Escort. Camillus Bradley had comfortably led the category but he retired after stage six with mechanical problems.

That left a battle between a number of competitors and the tussle went right down to the wire. Going into the final stage, five seconds separated three crews, with David Armstrong leading from Drew Stewart and Alistair Cochrane.

Stewart pulled out all of the stops to set fastest time over the final miles and he snatched the win as well as fifth overall. Alistair Cochrane and Gary McElhinney finished on equal times with Armstrong, but it was Cochrane who claimed sixth on the tie-break, forcing David Amrstrong and John Rowland outside the top six.

Malcolm Pedlow and Ivor Ferguson were the sole finishers in the Montgomery Motorsport Historic category, while victory in the Autofashion.ie Group A Cup was sealed by Clive Kilpatrick and Richard Hunniford.

The 2010 Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship has now reached the midpoint of the series. There is a two month break before competitors return to action at the Limavady based Dogleap Stages Rally on 07 August. More details are available on www.nirally.com.

Smith and Hamill Claim HASS Drive of the Day Double On Mourne Stages Rally

Posted: June 7, 2010 3:30 PM

David Smith and Austin Hamill won the HASS Border Championship Drive of the Day Award on the Mourne Rally on Saturday. In doing so the Monaghan crew became the first double recipients of the much sought after prize following their earlier success on their home event, the Monaghan Stages Rally in April.

Competing in a Peugeot 106, Smith and Hamill clinched the Drive of the Day Award by setting the fastest time for a Border Championship class 6 registered crew on special stage 4 of the Newry based rally. Stage 3 - Dead Man Hill - had originally been selected as the test to determine the winner of the special award, but with that stage cancelled early following a blockage, Border Championship organisers re-scheduled the challenge to the following stage, the second run over the 8.5 mile Big Gullion. A time of 8 minutes and 59 seconds was good enough for the Monaghan men to claim their second HASS Drive of the Day trophies in 2010, ahead of the Citroen Saxo of Sligo’s David Leonard and Adrian Foley.

The Drive of the Day Award is presented at each of the six rounds of the 2010 HASS Border Rally Championship. Open to all registered championship competitors, a class and stage are selected at random before the start of the rally, with the winner being the fastest crew in the class on that stage to finish the rally. If the preselected stage is cancelled, the organizers can use their discretion to move either to the previous or following stages.

Brendan Flynn, Treasurer Border Rally Championship Committee
congratulates David Smith and Austin Hamill on winning the
HASS Drive of the Day Award on the Mourne Rally.
Photo: Cathal Doyle

Photos

Posted: June 7, 2010 3:18 PM

neillpics.co.uk
Mark Breen Photography

Full Results

Posted: June 7, 2010 3:14 PM

1 Darren Gass/Sean Mullaly (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1.06.30
2 John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 GpN) 1.06.41
3 Mark Donnelly/Stephen O’Hanlon (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 GpN) 1.07.55
4 Stuart Biggerstaff/Anthony Nestor (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1.08.10
5 Drew Stuart/Steven Park (Ford Escort Mk2) 1.08.38
6 Alastair Cochrane/Gary McElhinney (Ford Escort MK2) 1.08.41
7 David Armstrong/John Roland (Ford Escort MK2) 1.08.42
8 Brendan Cumiskey/Ronan O’Kane (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 GpN) 1.08.45
9 Damien Toner/Paddy McCague (Ford Escort Mk2) 1.08.46
10 Michael Conlon/Aiden Boyle (Ford Escort Mk2) 1.08.56

Full Results: Mourne Rally 2010 Results
Results: RallyScore.Net
Rallynews (by Brian & Liz Patterson) (....Well actually it was Michael & Zoe...)

DESI HENRY AIMING FOR THE PRIZES IN NEW C2 R2 MAX!

Posted: June 3, 2010 10:13 AM

For 20 year old Desi Henry 2010 is an important season in his young rally career. The Portglenone driver only started rallying in August 2008, his first rally being the Ulster Rally.

Having progressed from kart racing where he was winning races in the Senior Max class, Desi’s first rally car was a Group N Ford Fiesta ST. It’s a car that provided some success including winning an All-Trak event at Aghadowey outright, and class wins on the 2008 Glens of Antrim, 2009 Mourne Rally and 2010 New Year Stages. Coupled to this two second places in the class on the opening Hankook Northern Ireland Championship rounds at Kirkistown and Bishopscourt, sees him lie fourth in class 1. However the Fiesta has been replaced with a left hand drive Citroen C2 R2 Max, which runs in class 5.

“We debuted the car on the Tour of the Sperrins. There were a few things to get used to, not least left hand drive, but we finished third in class, not too far off second place so really I was quite happy with the day. This weekend I want to really see if we can be right on the pace. The car and the Hankook tyres felt good on the Sperrins, so I’m really looking forward to the event.”
Desi enters this weekend’s Mourne Rally, round five of the Hankook Northern Ireland Rally Championship in the 195 horse power front wheel drive Citroen R2 Max, and the opposition in class 5 will be very stiff.

Presently Desi holds joint fourth position in the Superdrive MSA Northern Ireland Junior Championship, a position he hopes to improve on this weekend. He is also in contention for the Hankook Junior Prize Scheme, open to drivers under 26 years of age as of the 1st January 2010. The winner of this scheme will receive an all expenses drive on an overseas International event in 2011, an excellent opportunity for a young driver.
“I think it helps to give you something to go for, as you have got not only the class to think about, but the Junior Championship and the Hankook Prize Scheme as well. I enjoy the rallies too; it’s definitely a good championship to be contesting this season.”

Co-driver for the Mourne is the experienced John Rowan, and sponsorship comes from PRH Construction and Woodland Kitchens, as the team prepare for the rest of the 2010 season.
“After the Mourne we have Donegal in two weeks, so we don’t want to do anything silly either at the weekend! Our plans for the rest of the season are to finish the Hankook Northern Ireland Championship, and also as many rounds of the Citroen Racing Trophy Ireland as we can budget for.”
Desi will be one to keep an eye out for as he adapts to the left hand drive Citroen C2 R2 Max this year.

Wright Returns to NI Championship in Newry

Posted: June 3, 2010 10:11 AM

After a break of two rounds, Stephen Wright returns to the Hankook Northern Ireland Championship this weekend on the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally. Stephen Missed the Circuit of Ireland due to Fiesta Sport Trophy commitments and the Tour of the Sperrins due to University exams. However the Monaghan native is raring to get back behind the wheel of the DGM prepared Fiesta and try to make up ground in the class standings.

"I was disappointed that I couldn't compete in rounds 3 and 4 and it leaves me very much on the back foot as regards the championship but hopefully if I can put in a few good drives throughout the remainder of the season I can get myself in contention for the junior prize drive. It has to be the ultimate goal, as I don't think there's any other National Championship offering a prize like this to junior drivers. There's plenty of stiff opposition out there and I’m looking forward to a close days rallying."

This will be Wright’s first time competing on the Mourne rally and will face tough competition for both class honours as well as for the M-Sport parts bonus scheme, where he’ll be competing against sister, Susanne who is co-driving for Fiesta R2 driver Barry Greer.

After being joint leader of the championship after the first two rounds, Stephen will be confident of a good result. The Killyhevlin Hotel backed Fiesta driver will also use this event to fine-tune his set-up for the Donegal International in two weeks time.

The Mourne rally gets underway this Saturday, 5th June.

2010 HASS Border Rally Championship Wide Open After Cavan Stages Rally

Posted: June 2, 2010 10:24 AM

Special Award On Offer For Leading Driver and Co-Driver In Championship After Mourne Rally

With the dust barely settled after round 3 of the HASS Border Rally Championship, round 4 action is all set to get underway. Only six days separate the Cavan Stages Rally and this week-end’s Mourne Stages Rally; precious little time for competitors to re-fettle their minds, bodies and machines in this vital stage of an enthralling Border Rally Championship.

Going into Cavan, four crews were joint leaders of the popular clubman based series. After the rally three driver / co-driver pairings sit atop the leaderboard. Pretty much as you were, you might think – until a closer examination reveals that none of the erstwhile leaders going into Cavan are among those now sharing the lead. Be under no illusions – there is many a twist and turn in this championship yet!

Always a key event in determining the eventual winner, suddenly this week-end’s Mourne Rally has taken on an extra significance in the race for championship honours. A useful haul of points here is likely to prove invaluable in what could be one of the most open Border championships for years.

Special Award For Leaders After Round Four

If that wasn’t enough to tempt competitors to tackle the Newry based event, this year for the first time a special award will be made to the leading driver and leading navigator in the HASS Border Rally Championship after round 4. To be presented at the following round in Sligo, tie-break rules as per Article 6 (a) of the Border Championship regulations will apply in the event of competitors being level on points.

Competitors from classes six, nine and ten lead the HASS series at the half-way point, each on 27 points. In class 6 David Leonard and Adrian Foley from Sligo finished second in the category in Cavan, scoring nine valuable points in their black Citroen Saxo.

They share the overall lead with the class 9 Escort of Pa Bellew and Willie Fitzpatrick from Meath, and the class 10 Toyota Corolla of John Kelly and Adrian Flynn from Monaghan. These two crews have been models of consistency this season, both having finished second in their respective classes on each of the three rounds so far.

Hot on the heels of the leading trio, just one point behind, are two further crews. Monaghan’s Niall Maguire and Enda Sherry scored a last gasp podium finish in Cavan, but having lost out on a tie-break last year to Thomas Carolan and Declan Smith, the Subaru WRC pairing will know the vital extra point they scored in class 8 could be crucial come the final reckoning. Also on 26 points are the Donegal pairing of Samuel Kelso and Gareth Doherty. The class 13 Escort crew put in a fine drive in Cavan to take a top ten overall finish, but more importantly, score a maximum ten Border Championship points.

Sharing joint third in the series on twenty two points are the class 2 Donegal / Mayo pairing of Pauric McGee and Fergal Loughney. They lost a significant chunk of time at the week-end trying to get past a stricken competitor, but recovered well to score five championship points and retain the class lead in their Honda Civic. Aidan Cannon and Ivan Hernon from Donegal took maximum class 2 points in Cavan and are just two points behind.

Also in joint third is the class 7 Honda Integra of Anthony Masterson and Andrew Browne. The Meath men have been doing all they can this season with three class wins from three events, but lack of numbers in this class are limiting the points on offer.

A lack of competition isn’t the problem in class 12 where Eamonn McGuigan and Michael Moran from Co. Derry took a fine win in Cavan to move into the lead of the category in their Escort, and become the third crew to share third overall in the series.

Other class leaders at the championship half-way point include Alan McMahon and Benny Grainger from Fermanagh in class 3. Class four is a three way tie between Trevor and Kenny Bustard from Donegal and Monaghan rivals Shane Maguire / Paul Kelly and Sam Moffett.

Donegal’s Eamonn McCafferty leads class 5 ahead of category winner in Cavan Johnny Leonard, while Johnny’s co-driver Jackie Donaldson is two points ahead of Eamonn’s co-driver Chrystal Culkeen.

Mark Wedlock and Adam Kinkade had been on target for a strong finish on their home event on Sunday, but dropped out of a points scoring position towards the finish. They still lead class 11 in their Escort though.

The top Escort competitors in class 14 have been busy taking points off each other in this ultra-competitive division, but a strong second in class result in Cavan has moved Declan and Brian Boyle from Donegal into the lead of that category.

HASS Drive of the Day in Cavan went to Mayo’s Ambrose Gaughan and Derek Molloy. They were the fastest class 9 crew over special stage 4 to finish the rally. They also won the class for good measure.

A quick scan of the leader-board reveals that no fewer than twenty-four crews are within ten points of the series lead, with a number of others within another couple of points. With thirty points still up for grabs in each class from the three remaining rounds, it truly is still all to play for going into the second half of the 2010 HASS Border Rally Championship.

Darren Gass heads entry for Modern Tyres Mourne Rally!

Posted: May 31, 2010 2:32 PM

Round five of the 2010 Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship takes competitors to Newry this Saturday for the Modern Tyres Mourne Rally!

Organised by Newry and District Motor Club, this year's event will consist of nine special stages, totalling almost 80 stage miles.

And with the addition of closed road stages in the Newtownhamilton area, previously used by the Circuit of Ireland Rally, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the event.

"It is great to see so much support for the rally," said Clerk of the Course, Des O'Loan. "I must thank our title sponsor Modern Tyres, and the associate sponsors, Formula Karting Newry, Glen Print, MT Waste, The Orchard Bistro and SuperBites."

An impressive array of machinery will take to the roads this weekend, but championship leader, Derek McGarrity, is missing from the entry.

McGarrity, who won last year's event after an intense tussle with Kenny McKinstry, is concentrating on other commitments. He also intends to miss round six, the Dogleap Stages Rally, which will give his rivals a massive opportunity to play catch up in the championship stakes.

Instead, local Markethill driver, Darren Gass, tops the entry list. Gass, who will be navigated by Sean Mullally, will have a Subaru Impreza WRC at his disposal. The 22-year-old driver will be aiming for his maiden Hankook series victory.

At number two, Cookstown's John McGlaughlin will be hoping to put his mechanical problems behind him. McGlaughlin debuted his new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 earlier this year, and as the top Sunoco Fuels production category seed, he will be hoping to stay in that position come the end of the event.

George Robinson and Tommy Speers are at number three. Ballymena's Robinson was running inside the top six overall in 2009 until a minor road accident put him out of the event.

At number four, Camillus Bradley and Danny O'Neill are first of the two-wheel-drive competitors. They will start the event in their Ford Escort Mark 2, ahead of Raymond Johnston's Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9.

Johnston, from Enniskillen, was another driver who retired from last year's event. He recently won a single venue event near his hometown, and is hoping to continue that success this weekend.

A number of two-wheel-drive entertainers complete the remainder of the top 10 seeds. Declan and Brian Boyle start at number six in their Escort, ahead of the potent Toyota Starlet belonging to Maurice Moffett and Jason McKenna.

Just outside the top 10, a number of crews could throw a spanner into the works, not least the Hankook Junior contenders.

Stuart Biggerstaff, who currently holds second in the overall series standings, starts the event at number 17 in his Subaru Impreza WRC. Just behind him, Mark Donnelly will be on top of the world after his top six finish at round four, the Tour of the Sperrins.

Action kicks of this Saturday morning at approximately 9am from the Modern Tyres depot in Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry. After nine stages, the winners will be crowned at approximately 5.30pm in the Carrickdale Hotel, Newry. More details can be found online at

Northern Ireland Rally Championship

Full Entry List available

Posted: May 31, 2010 12:36 PM

• Newry and District Motor Club

Modern Tyres Mourne Rally - Local Support

Posted: May 31, 2010 12:34 PM

Markethill's Darren Gass will lead the way at this weekend's Modern Tyres Mourne Rally, behind the wheel of his Subaru WRC. The 22 year old plans to put his local knowledge to good use but 90 crews will be hot on his heels. Newry Motor Club has stated,

“It is fantastic to see the support from local crews and those who are travelling to the Mourne Mountains on Saturday. No doubt the local men will be on form this weekend, so make sure you get yourself to Newry for the 9.00am start!”

The local crews include,
Darren Gass (1)
Damien Toner (8),
Norman Armstrong (11),
David Armstrong (12),
Clive Killpatrick (22),
Brian Armstrong (24)
Gerry Smith (26),
Winston Henry (27),
Chris Simms (33),
Steven Armstrong (36),
Thomas McCreesh (49),
Alan Spiers (66),
Paddy Quinn (69),
Melissa Beattie (84),

Competitior Bulletin 1 / Scrutiny Times

Posted: May 28, 2010 1:03 PM

Available on Club website

• Newry and District Motor Club

List of Entries (24/05/10)

Posted: May 25, 2010 12:47 PM

Mourne Entry List by class up to 24th May 2010.pdf

Modern Tyres Mourne Rally Countdown...

Posted: May 14, 2010 2:39 PM

The countdown is on to the 2010 Modern Tyres Mourne Rally, with only three weeks remaining. The event will mark the half way point of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship series, while offering  spectacular scenery along the way.  

It is expected that the series leaders will be taking to the start line, but challenging for the leading positions will be the local crews, that will be out in force. A Mourne Rally regular, Norman Armstrong with Stephen Griffith in the passenger seat, has confirmed they will take to the event on the 5th June. The Ford Escort pilot will be amongst the favourites for the local honours.

  Event Clerk of the Course, Des O'Loan commented,
   " It is great to see the support for this rally, and I must thank our title sponsor Modern Tyre Services, and the associate sponsors; Formula Karting Newry, Glen Print, MT Waste, The Orchard Bistro and SuperBites."  

It is also important to outline that HANS Devices are NOT required for this event, reducing costs for many competitors. Regulations and Entry Forms are still available on the Newry and District Motor Club’s website:

• Newry and District Motor Club

Entries Received as of 13/5/10

Posted: May 14, 2010 2:37 PM

Armstrong, Norman Griffith, Stephen Ford Escort 2000 16 7
Beattie, Melissa , Mitsubishi Mirage 1597 16 No
Boyle, Declan Boyle, Brian Ford Escort MK II 2500 16 8
Carbin, Michael Garvey, Barry Peugeot 205 1600 8 5
Carron, Paul Coll, John Toyota Corolla 1600 16 11
Carson, Dominic , Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 2000 16 2
Conlon, Michael Boyle, Aidan Ford Escort MK II 2020 16 7
Doherty, Cyril Henderson, Graham Subaru Impreza 1994 16 2
Donnelly, Oran Hughes, Paul Ford Escort 2100 8 6
Donnelly, Aidan Loughran, Raymond Ford Escort MK II 2000 16 7
Erwin, Robert , Toyota Corolla 1600 20 5
Ferguson, Trevor , Subaru Impreza 2000 16 2
Hamilton, Philip Sride, Dereck Citroen C2 1600 16 5
Kennedy, Roger Blackledge, Wendy Peugeot 306 Maxi 1999 16 No
Leonard, David Foley, Adrain Citroen Saxo Super 1600 1598 16 No
Leonard, Jonny Donaldson, Jackie Ford Fiesta 2000 16 1
Magee, Micheal Magilton, John Ford Escort MK II 2000 8 6
McFall, Brian Craig, Ronnie Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8 1997 16 4
McFall, Colm Lennon, Domhnall Ford Escort Cos 1998 16 9
McGrady, Fintan Hannah, Mark Ford Escort MK II 1998 16 7
McToal, Paddy O'Loan, Connor Ford Escort MK II 1600 8 4
Moffett, Maurice McKenna, Jason Toyota Starlet 2400 16 No
Moffett, Richard , Toyota Starlet 1598 16 No
Moffett, David Speares, Andrew Toyota Starlet 1598 16 11
Pedlow, Malcolm Ferguson, Ivor BMW 2002 1991 8 11
Quinn, Paddy Loughran, Arthur Ford Escort MK I 1600 8 4
Robinson, George Speers, Tommy Subaru Impreza WRC 1998 16 9
Robinson, Mark Robinson, Shane Vauxhall Nova 1598 8 4
Sayers, Gareth Gilchrist, Gareth Vauxhall Nova 1400 16 3
Smyth, Gerry McQuillan, Gregory Ford Escort 2000 8 6
Stewart, Drew Park, Steven Ford Escort MK II 2001 16 7

• Newry and District Motor Club

Modern Tyres Mourne Rally on Facebook!

Posted: May 2, 2010 6:37 PM

With an increasing number of rally competitors, fans and media joining Facebook it is the fresh way to keep up-to-date with the latest information on motorsport event's. The Promotions team at the Mourne Rally has noticed this important development and has created a dedicated Facebook Group to the 2010 Modern Tyres Mourne Rally.

Join up now to the Official Modern Tyres Mourne Rally 2010 Facebook Group:

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106404202736719&ref=ts

Modern Tyres Mourne Rally takes to the roads!

Posted: March 29, 2010 9:43 PM

The Newry and District Motor Club have revealed, the popular Mourne Rally will take to the roads this year for the fifth round of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship on 5th June.  

At the recent press launch the organising committee also announced, they secured a further three years sponsorship from Modern Tyre Service. Des O’Loan commented,  
“It is great to have Rory Byrne on board again, as without sponsorship; events like this would simply not be possible”  

The rally will consist of 9 special stages totalling to approximately 80 competitive miles, including three runs over a lengthened Sleeve Gullion test. The remaining stages will be held on closed roads previously used by the Circuit of Ireland Rally in the Newtownhamilton area.  

It is also important to outline that HANS Devices are NOT required for this event, reducing costs for many competitors. Regulations and Entry Forms are now available on the Newry and District Motor Club’s website:

Regulations / Details

Posted: January 1, 2010 12:01 AM

• Newry and District Motor Club
• Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs - www.motorsportni.org