Stewart/White Success at Mourne Rally!
Posted: June 13, 2012 12:05 PM
Drew Stewart and David White became the second two-wheel drive mounted crew in as many events to win a round of the Carryduff Forklift MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship when they secured victory at last weekend's Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally!
The event hosted round five of the 2012 series, and it was Stewart who headed home just 20 surviving crews after a day rallying through the Mourne Mountains.
It was a day that saw the lead change hands on a number of occasions and it was only after stage 10 that Stewart finally moved into a lead that he was never going to relinquish.
Stewart had been in the hunt from the start, but after the opening stage it was Mark 2 Escort crew of David Armstrong and Paul Mulholland that shared the lead with an Evo 9 belonging to Andrew Mullen and Elaine Doherty.
Then Mullen made the lead his own after stage two, while Derek McGeehan and Damien Connolly moved into second position with their Mini WRC. At this point, Drew Stewart was fifth overall, trailing the leaders by eight seconds. However, a stunning time set through stage three, Big Gullion, was set to propel him to the top...
Stewart pulled out all of the stops on the third test, stopping the clocks 13 seconds faster than his rivals over what was a six-mile stage. That propelled him into the rally lead, while Andrew Mullen dropped to third behind Derek McGeehan.
Early leader Mullen started his comeback charge on the following test. Using his Group N Evo 9, within the space of two stages he had transformed a nine second deficit into a one second lead. He continued to set the pace on stages six and seven, while Derek McGeehan managed to nab fastest time on stage eight to promote him to second position ahead of Stewart.
With five stages remaining, 12 seconds separated the top three crews, but it was all change again after stage nine. Another stunning drive through the Big Gullion stage saw Drew Stewart and David White leap from third to first, emerging from the test as joint leaders with Andrew Mullen and Elaine Doherty.
The Big Gullion test was run in reverse for stage 10, and again it was Stewart who dominated. He edged out a seven second advantage, and with another run through what appeared to be his favourite test still to come, the odds were beginning to look in his favour.
Stewart was equal fastest with Mullen on the reverse run through the Camlough stage, and then it was back to Big Gullion where he dominated once again. With one stage remaining, Stewart held a 13 second lead, and the final two-mile Camlough test was just a formality. Stewart kept his nose clean during those final miles and secured his maiden Carryduff Forklift Northern Ireland Rally Championship victory!
In the end, Andrew Mullen and Elaine Doherty had to settle for second overall in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, 12 seconds adrift of the rally winners. David Armstrong and Paul Mulholland sealed third overall, with Alastair Cochrane and Ronnie Craig fourth ahead of Derek McGeehan and Damien Connolly. Fintan McGrady and Mark Hanna completed the top six in their McGrady Insurance backed Escort.
Crews now have a one month break before tackling the Hankook Down Rally. This year's event has switched from its traditional forestry format to a closed road event, and competitors will tackle eight stages surrounding Castlewellan on Saturday 7 July.
Results
Posted: June 13, 2012 12:03 PM
1 Drew Stewart/David White (Ford Escort Mk2) 49:18
2 Andrew Mullen/Elaine Doherty (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) 49:30
3 David Armstrong/Paul Mulholland (Ford Escort Mk2) 49:37
4 Alastair Cochrane/Ronnie Craig (Ford Escort MkII) 50:00
5 Derek McGeehan/Damien Connolly (JCW Mini WRC) 50:06
6 Fintan McGrady/Mark Hannah (Ford Escort MkII) 50:27
7 Chris Simms/Chris Hazley (Ford Escort MkII) 50:50
8 Trevor Ferguson/David McElroy (Subaru Impreza N12B) 51:12
9 Robert Erwin/Jimmy Graham Toyota Corolla 51:17
10 Steven Armstrong/Philip Armstrong Ford Escort MkII 51:33
Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship 2012 Round 4 Preview:
Posted: June 7, 2012 10:25 PM
Following the tragic accident at the Cavan Stages Rally, round 3 of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship, each registered competitor who started this event will receive 1 point for this round. The committee of the Border Rally Championship offers it condolences to the families of the deceased. We also wish all those involved in the accident a full recovery.
The Sligo Pallets Border Championship returns this weekend with Newry Motor Club's Mourne Rally, playing host to Round 4 of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship. The event is based in the challenging Camlough and Slieve Gullion Mountains in South Co. Down and will comprise of thirteen stages and a total mileage of 45 miles. The event is a unique challenge in the championship and due to its short, sharp nature any mistake may prove costly. Adding interest to the proceedings will be the battle between crews contesting the Border Championship and the Northern Ireland Championship, of which the event is also a counting round. The action gets underway with the first stage at 10.00am on Saturday 9th June.
Adrian Cannon, Arthur Kierans and Barry McGill share the lead of the Championship with navigators Paddy McCrudden and Mac Kierans also with maximum scores so far. With four out of six scores counting, there are many more crews still in with a strong chance of challenging for overall honours.
Keep Saturday 7th July in your diary for Round 5 of the Border Rally Championship, the Sligo Stages Rally. Regulations will be available shortly for this event as the battle for the 2012 Border Championship heats up.
2012 Mourne Rally will run as scheduled
Posted: June 5, 2012 5:33 PM
Newry and District Motor Club confirm the 2012 Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally will run as scheduled on 9-June-2012.
Entries Received
Posted: June 5, 2012 5:32 PM
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