GARDA MOTOR CLUB ATTRACTS STAR-STUDDED ENTRY FOR BALTINGLASS RALLY
Posted: September 23, 2022 1:41 PM
This Sunday sees the Garda Síochána Motor Club’s Germaine’s of Baltinglass Mini Stages Rally return to the motorsport calendar after an absence of five years. The organisers have attracted over 120 crews to take the start, and the line-up is dotted with the names of some of the country’s top drivers, including newly crowned Irish Tarmac Champion and Motorsport Ireland National Champion, Josh Moffett, who swops his usual up-to-date Hyundai i20 R5 for the rawer challenge of a rear wheel drive Toyota Starlet.
Being the most recent winners of the event, in 2017, it is Enda O’Brien and John Butler who are the number one seeds in their Ford Escort RS. In the intervening timeframe, the Wexford crew has progressed to a modern Volkswagen Polo R5, but the Escort has also been retained and is to be wheeled out once again to tackle the challenging Wicklow stages.
Two other of the top four drivers from 2017 return to challenge O’Brien. Carlow’s David Condell, who was third in Baltinglass last time out, has more recently also sampled Rally2/R5 machinery, and won the Laois Rallysprint last summer. He is also in a version of the ubiquitous Mark 2 Escort for the GSMC Rally, as is Johno Doogan from Monaghan, who took fourth spot five years ago.
The returning trio will not have it all to themselves, however, as the entry list also includes various other very accomplished pilots. Ryan Loughran, seeded at 2, has won Mini Stages events in Carlow and Donegal, and the Cookstown man is widely regarded as one of the country’s fastest Escort drivers. Likewise, Gary Kiernan (No. 3) has recorded Mini Stages victories in Cork and Kerry, and won the Modified battle on the Galway International Rally early in the year.
The Toner brothers, Damian and Martin, are seeded at four and five. Damian set an incredible pace on the Ulster Rally, setting second fastest time overall on one stage, and he headed the Modified field until his Escort hit a bridge within sight of the finish. The mishap handed the Modified laurels to Martin, who continues to develop his BMW 1-Series.
Limerick’s Chris O’Callaghan (No. 7) led the recent ‘Escort Rally Special’ in Belgium before a mechanical problem forced retirement. Given a clean run, he should be in with a chance of a win in Baltinglass. Local driver, Jack Newman, finished second on the Belgian event, and is seeded just outside the top ten for the GSMC Rally.
Should Sunday turn wet, the advantage will likely turn to the four-wheel drive runners, such as Pat O’Connell (Mitsubishi Lancer), Stuart Darcy (Proton Millington) and Daragh O’Riordan (Ford Fiesta S2000). The latter has won all the major events in the south of the country in recent years, including the West Cork Rally, Killarney Rally of the Lakes, and the Cork ‘20’ International Rally, and he can be expected to be a strong contender for victory laurels in Baltinglass.
The intriguing presence of Josh Moffett, seeded at ten, is sure to swell spectator interest in the event. The Starlet he will drive is the same car as that campaigned by his brother Sam throughout the year, and Josh will also have Sam’s co-driver, Keith Moriarty, calling the notes on this occasion, as his usual partner, Andy Hayes, had committed to doing the GSMC Mini Stages with Daragh O’Riordan. With a smaller engine than the Escorts seeded up front, the Starlet is a class below and at a horsepower disadvantage. One of the stories of the rally will undoubtedly centre around how far up the leaderboard Josh Moffett’s talent can bring the car.
The 2022 Germaine’s of Baltinglass GSMC Mini Stages Rally will consist of six special stages, a loop of two repeated three times. They are located near Dunlavin and Grangecon, with Service to take place after the SS2 and SS4 at Crookstown, on the Kildare side of the county boundary. The official programme, priced at €10, will be on sale in local shops and it provides full details of where and when to catch the action. The victory celebrations are scheduled to occur outside Germaine’s Hotel, Rally Headquarters, at around 4.15pm.
Seeded Entry List
Posted: September 22, 2022 2:23 PM
1 Enda O'Brien/John Butler (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
2 Ryan Loughran/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
3 Gary Kiernan/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
4 Damian Toner/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
5 Martin Toner/TBA (BMW 1 Series) [14]
6 David Condell/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
7 Pat O'Connell/Mark Wiley (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo x) [20]
8 Chris O'Callaghan/Kaine Treanor (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
9 Stuart Darcy/Liam McIntyre (Proton MEM S2500 Millington) [20]
10 Daragh O'Riordan/Andy Hayes (Ford Fiesta S2000) [1]
11 Josh Moffett/Keith Moriarty (Toyota Starlet RWD) [13]
12 David Moffett/Martin Connolly (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
14 Tomas O'Rourke/Tomas Scallan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [4]
15 Mike Quinn/Kieran Doherty (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
16 Conor Murphy/Sean Collins (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
17 Padraig Egan/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
18 Johno Doogan/Ciaran Marron (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
19 Raymond Conlon/TBA (Toyota Corolla Twin Cam) [13]
20 Aaron McLaughlin/Darren Curran (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
21 Eddie Doherty/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
22 Richard Moore/Richard Cleary (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
23 Vincent O'Shea/Eoin O'Donoghue (Darrian T90) [14]
24 Maurice Moffett/Jason McKenna (Toyota Starlet RWD) [14]
25 James Cassidy/Domhnall Lennon (Ford Escort Mk2) [12]
26 William Nolan/Conor Hade (Toyota Corolla) [11R]
27 Terence O'Shaughnessy/Eugene McGrath (Toyota Corolla GT) [11R]
28 Casey Jay Coleman/Adam Coffey (Ford Fiesta Rally4) [2]
29 Gareth O'Mahony/TBA (Ford Escort) [14]
30 Michael Brazil/Ray Fitzpatrick (Peugeot 205 RWD) [13]
31 Barry McKenna/Raymond Knox (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
32 Richie Dalton/Ger Brett (Subaru Impreza GpN) [4]
33 Anthony Masterson/Tommy Clinton (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [4]
34 Niall Fitzpatrick/Matthew Reade (Ford Escort Mk1) [12]
35 Johnny O'Connor/Michael Breen (Mitsubishi Mirage RS) [20]
36 Kieran Murphy/John Fogarty (Subaru Impreza GpN) [20]
37 Basil Stephenson/TBA (Ford Escort RS Cosworth) [15]
38 Mark O'Connor/Dean Kelly (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
39 Ray O'Sullivan/Gavin Sheehan (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
40 Frank Rafferty/Sean McCaffrey (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [20]
41 Robbie Allen/John Burke (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
42 Owen Percy/David Percy (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) [19]
43 Jason Tuthill/Ben Teggart (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
44 Colum Browne/Kieran Carroll (Honda Civic) [11F]
45 Philip McDonald/TBA (Honda Civic) [11F]
46 Brian Lavelle/Piaras O'Ceallachain (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
47 Emmet Watchorn/Noel Coogan (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
48 Denis Moynihan/Martin O'Brien (Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1) [19]
49 Robert Falvey/John Doody (Ford Escort RS2000 Mk2) [18]
50 Peter Kelly/Tommy Hayes (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
51 John Pettit/Andy Hayes (Darrian T90 GTR) [13]
52 Dermot Cannon/Bobby Trimble (Ford Escort) [14]
53 Tommy Foley/TBA (Honda Civic) [11F]
54 Paul Clarke/TBA (Ford Escort) [13]
55 Leo Doyle/TBA (TBA) [13]
56 Kieran Hayes/Andy Purser (Peugeot 205) [12]
57 Eamon McGuigan/Michael Moran (Ford Escort) [12]
58 Aaron Martley/TBA (Toyota Corolla Twincam) [13]
59 Raymond Spence/Ger Somers (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
60 Jason O'Brien/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) []
61 Declan Byrne/Gary Deegan (Honda Civic Type R) [2]
62 John O'Rourke/William Nolan (Opel Adam R2) [2]
63 Kevin Flanagan/Mark Reilly (Austin Mini Cooper S) [9]
64 Kevin Cole/Bernard Farrell (Ford Escort) [12]
65 David Quinn/Enda McGonigle (BMW E30 M3) [14]
66 Brendan Brosnan/Eilish Dunne (Ford Escort) [18]
67 Jack Maguire/Keith McConnon (Honda Civic) [11F]
68 Daragh Smith/TBA (Honda Civic) [11F]
69 Francis Kelly/Charlotte Egan (Vauxhall Nova GTE) [9]
70 Colm Browne/Michael Browne (Ford Escort) [12]
71 Mark Ashton/Tony Kelly (Honda Civic) [11F]
72 Emmet Cleary/Anthony McKinkey (Honda Civic Vtec) [11F]
73 Padraig Gorman/Shane Gorman (Toyota Starlet RWD) [10]
74 Cullen Paul/Brian Rowan (Opel Corsa) [10]
75 Martin McKeown/Declan Ryan (Ford Escort) [13]
76 John Newman/Pat Caulfield (Toyota Ae86) [11R]
77 Paddy O'Reilly/David Fitzsimons (Ford Escort G5) [13]
78 Ed Colton/Enda Shiells (Hillman Avenger) [17]
79 Owen-roe Skelly/Anthony Smith (Ford Escort) [11R]
80 Darren O'Connor/Seamus O'Grady (Ford Escort Mk2) [13]
81 John Smithwick/Alex Wilsdon (Ford Escort) [11R]
82 Eamon O'Connell/Paul Bruton (Ford Escort) [11R]
83 Darren Barrett/TBA (Ford Fiesta) [2]
84 Daniel Dunne/David Dunne (Toyota Starlet RWD) [11R]
85 Kevin Wilson/Katie Wilson (Mitsubishi Evo 9) [4]
86 Barry Murphy/Conal Doherty (Mitsubishi Evo 9) [4]
87 Aaron McIntyre/Paul McPhillips (Toyota Starlet RWD) [13]
88 David Dowling/Patrick Dowling (Ford escort) [12]
89 Gary Lordan/Rory Hennessy (Honda Civic) [9]
90 John Michael Kennelly/Brendan Behan (Honda Civic) []
91 Stephen Brennan/John Rooney (Honda Civic EP3) [3]
92 Kenneth Treacy/Michael Walsh (Morris Mini) [17]
93 Adrian Cannon/Bernard Gallagher (Ford Escort G3) [12]
94 Tomas Ryan/Shane Dillon (Honda Civic) [11F]
95 Ben Caldwell/TBA (Ford Fiesta) [2]
96 Conor Wilson/Aaron McCarron (Ford Rally4) [2]
97 John McCabe/Stephen Doogan (Ford Ford Fiesta R2) [2]
98 Gerry Casey/Conor Duffy (Ford Escort) [12]
99 Brian Walker/Davy Creane (Honda Civic eg6) [11F]
100 John Forde/Brian Keohane (Citroen C2) [10]
101 Ray Kirwan/David Busher (Honda EP3) [3]
102 Liam Fitzgearld/TBA (Austin Mini Cooper) [9]
103 Ollie Kierce/Sean Marsh (Ford Escort) [10]
104 Mark Martley/TBA (Talbot Sunbeam) [11R]
105 Tom Sheehan/Deirdre Coffey (Vauxhall Nova) [9]
106 Barry McCarthy/Jonathan Carroll (Suzuki Swift GTI) [9]
107 Jack Brennan/John McGrath (Ford Fiesta) [1]
108 Conor Sherry/Ger Leech (Peugeot 205 RWD) [13]
109 Sylvester Shaughnessy/Eoghan Doyle (Ford Escort Mk2) [11R]
110 Keith Costello/Ken Blanche (Ford Fiesta) [3]
111 Gearóid O'Regan/Brian Martin (Honda Civic Type R) [3]
112 Killian Murphy/Dylan Nacey (Ford KA) [9]
113 Ger O'Brien/John Liston (Ford Escort) [13]
114 Paul Dowling/Myles Redmond (Ford Escort Mk2) [12]
115 Robert Counihan/Timmy Kelly (Toyota Corolla Twin Cam) [13]
116 Brian Cassidy/Conor Lappin (Toyota Corolla Twin Cam) [11R]
117 Nigel Brennan/James Sherry (Honda Civic Vtec) [11F]
118 Kieran Baverstock/Mick Lonergan (Honda Civic Vtec) [TBA]
119 Seimi Browne/Ben Walsh (Honda Civic) [16]
120 Sean Enright/Kevin Doherty (Ford Escort Mk2) [12]
121 Letisha Conn/Stephen Conn (Peugeot 106 Cup Car) [10]
BALTINGLASS AWAITS GSMC RALLY FIELD
Posted: September 11, 2022 4:18 AM
With just two weeks to go to this year’s Garda Síochána Motor Club Germaine’s of Baltinglass Mini Stages Rally, preparation is at an advanced stage. The event takes place on Sunday, 25th September, and will be the fourth round of the 2022 Hugo Loonam Motors Midlands East Rally Championship.
The GSMC is delighted to have Germaine’s Hotel, Baltinglass, as the event’s title sponsor for 2022, with Pro-Tray and Herbie Stephenson Sand and Gravel coming on board as stage sponsors.
David McCormack returns as Clerk of the Course, having been previously at the helm for the most recent running of the event in 2017. He and his team have created a rally offering 90 stage kilometres over a very compact route.. The event will comprise of two stages ran three times, over challenging Wicklow roads, with Service at Crookstown, on the Kildare side of the county bounds.
The Hugo Loonam Midlands East Championship is shaping up to be a four-way fight for the title, with the standings currently headed by Anthony McCann (Class 12) on 46 points, Thomas O’Rourke (Class 4) and Colum Browne (Class 11F) are tied for second on 43, and Andrew Cullen (Class 2) is in fourth place on 39.
The GSMC Rally will be based in Germaines Hotel, with Scrutiny, Parc Fermé and Prizegiving all centred in Baltinglass. Scrutiny will be at the CVRT Centre in the village, with a secure trailer park located 500 metres away.
Entries have been strong with approximately 110 received to date. Paid entries will take priority and a preliminary entry list will be posted on Monday, 12th September, 2022.
Seeding will take place the following weekend with a seeded entry list available on 20th September.
On Line Entry / Regulations / Sportity / Details
Posted: August 21, 2022 2:19 PM
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