Manx Trophy Rally - 10-12 Sept '98

World rally style rules were used for service on this event, with no chase cars allowed and no work by anyone other than the crew on the cars between stages. A 20 or 45 minute service was given after every 2/3 stages.

Full Entry List Results and Stage Times

The event began in Darkness at 9:00pm on Thurday night with SS2 of the main event. Port Soderick begin the first stage for the historic and trophy sections. Starting just outside Douglas it followed the fast but slippery coast road to Castletown, a total of 6.32 miles. Williamson set the fastest time, of 6:45, 1 up on Ollie O'Donovan/Paul McCann in the Gp A Astra and 3 up on the surprise crew of the event Pernilla Walfridsson and Ulrika Mattsson. Local hero Shaun Fox blasted in a 4th fastest time, driving the rally without pace notes!. Kieran O'Neill who lead last years event before crashing out finished the stage on 7:01, not helped by the co-drivers light packing up, the intercom not working due to lose connection to the in-car camera and a small spin!

The all Kerry crew of Thomas Randles/Diarmuid Lynch in the 2.4ltr Dyno Rod Escort were down in 15th place, finding the fast roads of the Isle of Man a lot different to those found in Ireland. West Cork driver Colin Kingston with Hugh Giles on the notes took the stages like a duck to water clocking 7:41 in their 1.3 Swift engined Escort. Damien Hagan/Gregory McQuillan in their Twin Cam Corrolla were also easing themselves in to lie 23rd overnight and 4th in class.

2 trips around the famous Castletown stage followed. The trophy event really put on a show in the greasy conditions. The stage starts on the promenade, enters the harbour area, goes 90 left over the bridge and 90 left again up the other side of the habour and into the Square. The cars then must go around the monument, go around past the fire station and finish just pass the local school - length 1.26 miles. A stand for viewing was set up in the square with live commentary.
Top Marks went to Kieran O'Neill in the Group Motors Kadett. After rounding the first 90 left he set the car into a slide which lasted through the 90 left on the other side of the bridge and halfway up the harbour! Like every RWD car he ended up having a spin trying to go around the monument. Despite heading the sandbank after rounding the monument, Ollie O'Donovan set fastest time to move into a 3 seconds lead. He added another second on his final run to go into a four second over night lead. Colin Kingston and Hugh Giles' rally ended in spectacular style when on their second run over the stage they went backward though a wall at the end of the stage. Sean Keenan/Stephen O'Riordan were up to 11th and Sean McArdle 17th.

End of Leg One 1
 1 Ollie O'Donovan/Paul McCann (Opel Astra GSI).......0:09:58 
 2 Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson (Escort Mk I 2.0)......0:10:02 
 3 Pernilla Walfridsson/Ulrika Mattsson (Mit. Evo IV).0:10:07 
 4 Shaun Fox/Anton Cashen (Vauxhall Nova).............0:10:17 
 5 Dan McCartan/Michael McElwee (Mitsubishi Evo V)....0:10:19 
 6 Kieran O'Neill/Paul Nagle (Opel Kadett C GTE)......0:10:25 
 7 Nigel Hicklin/Sam McMullan (Vauxhall Corsa GSI)....0:10:28 
 8 Richard Batey/Nigel Hinds (Peugeot 205 GTI)........0:10:37 
 9 James Quirk/Edwin Kennaugh (Vauxhall Nova GSI).....0:10:39 
10 Sean Keenan/Stephen O'Riordan (Opel Astra GSI).....0:10:43

McCartan again set fastest time with 9 mins flat to move into a one second lead. Next up was Kieran O'Neill on 9:03, taking 6 seconds out of Williamson. 14 seconds now covered Dan McCartan in first to O'Neill in 4th! O'Donovan in his re-arranged Astra dropped 2 more minutes to lie 14. The car never handled (or looked) right again and he pulled out at last service of the day back in Douglas. Most Irish crews were complaining of the shear amount of chicanes and bales etc on the stages. Kieran O'Neill's Kadett showing signs of a brush with one or 2 on the co-drivers door.

2 more stages Ballagyr 1 at 9 miles and an 11 mile stage The Curraghs 1 brought the cars to service at Jurby Air Field. Ballagyr was cancelled after a car in the international rally blocked the stage. It was Williamson who set the pace on SS9 with a time of 10:55, with Walfridsson one second behind. This gave Williamson the lead with the Swedish Ladies in second. SS10 was the first run up the famous Thot-y-will. Williamson devastated everyone with a time of 4:02 for the 4.1 miles. Walfridsson, McCartan and O'Neill could all "only" manage 4:07. With SS11 canceled the crews went back to service, where the talk was now of tyre choice - the weather was very localised and with no service/chase cars allowed between stages the crews had to make a choice for 2 stages. With a 21 mile stage starting the loop of stages tyre choice was never more important. The first few cars got through the stage on dry weather, but for everyone else the last few miles were wet. Williamson again set fastest time, 4 seconds faster than the amazing Shaun Fox who finished the stage on 20:15 in his 1400cc Nova. Kieran O'Neill dropped 13 seconds to Williamson after slipping on the wet shiny surface on slicks when it rained and getting a puncture with 3 miles to go. However they moved up to third when Pernilla Walfridsson/Ulrika Mattsson put their Mitsubishi off the road for over a minute. Despite the setback on the previous stage O'Neill set fastest time on the following stage before Service again in St.Johns. 2 more fastest times bought the Kadett to within 2 seconds of McCartan's second place, but Williamson still had 40 seconds in hand over McCartan. Not to be out done Walfridsson blasted in a time 10 seconds faster than anyone else on SS15. O'Neill/Nagle moved ahead of McCartan but lost a few seconds to Williamson. Randles started to show the potential of his car with third fastest on the stage, but was now over 4 mins off the lead.
Williamson had trouble though: On the final jump just before the finish of the stage he landed heavily and damaged the gearbox. His service crew managed a record change to keep their man on the road. Damien Hagan/Gregory McQuillan had worked their way up to up to 15th overall and 2nd in class after a largely trouble free day, but were over 4 minutes behind the class leaders, the local crew of James Quirk/Edwin Kennaugh in a Nova. Just like home, local knowledge can be hard to beat!

2 stages remained before the overnight halt, both to be tackled in the dark: the second run over Tolt-y-will and SS17 the spectator stage around Ramsey town. On SS16 Tolt-y-will, Williamson set the fastest time of 4:13 one up on Walfridsson with Shaun Fox an amazing 4:15 in the little Nova. McCartan did enough to take back second from Kieran O'Neill, the Group Motors crew dropped time after the intercom packed up. The final stage of the night was in Ramsey, Walfridsson set the fastest time, but the RWD brigade again put on a show.
In fact the fastest car through the speed trap on the stage was Kieran O'Neill with 55 mph, the Meganes in the main event could only manage 52mph!

After the long days rallying Sean Keenan was cataching Tom Randles for 6th place and Sean McArdle had worked his way into top ten.

Eng of Leg 2
 1 Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson (Escort Mk I 2.0)......1:49:59 
 2 Dan McCartan/Michael McElwee (Mit. Evo V)..........1:50:42 
 3 Kieran O'Neill/Paul Nagle (Opel Kadett C GTE)......1:50:49 
 4 Pernilla Walfridsson/Ulrika Mattsson (Mit.Evo IV)..1:51:15 
 5 Shaun Fox/Anton Cashen (Vauxhall Nova).............1:51:26 
 6 Thomas Randles/Diarmuid Lynch (Ford Escort 2.4)....1:53:31
 7 Sean McArdle/Philip Smith (Escort G3)..............1:56:08 
 8 Sean Keenan/Stephen O'Riordan (Opel Astra GSI).....1:56:14 
 9 Mark Tucker/Simon Osborne (Ford Escort 2.0)........1:58:14 
10 David Craine/Simon Trenholme (Escort RS Cosworth)..1:58:31 

O'Neill/Nagle went at the stage flat from the start. Co-driver Paul Nagle joked that morning "....if we go off it will be a plane crash"..!" By Brandywell they was over 20 seconds up on everyone, but future down the road coming into the square left before the dip O'Neill ran wide on gravel pulled out by the main event. He hit a concrete post on the outside of the corner with the back wheel and ended up off the road in a dyke on the left hand side. It took spectators over 4 minutes to get the car back on the road. Damage was slight but any change of staying in the battle for the lead was gone. And what a battle it was turning out to be. Pernilla Walfridsson set fastest time of 13:15, Dan McCartan next on 13:29 and Williamson on 14:04. Randles despite having to pass O'Neill as he left his crash site managed 14:08. Sean Keenan/Stephen O'Riordan also had a close call on the stage, on a very slippery right hander which caught out alot of the international they had a huge spin, but spectators had them back on the road in no time. However Sean McArdle/Philip Smith closed the Gap on the Astra as the day when on to be only 17 seconds behind at the end.

After final service 3 stages remained for the trophy section, Jurby East a very fast 10 mile stage, SS20 Cornaa, a new stage and the worst of the rally, very tight and narrow with plenty tight downhill sections and the final test Baldhoon, starting with a very tight section and finishing with a very fast section.

McCartan set fastest time to take the lead by 4 seconds after SS19, Jurby East, only to roll the white Evo V on a downhill section on the next stage. Damage was limted to a broken windscreen and a dented roof but the car was going no future. Williamson also hit his car but added ten seconds to his lead over the Swedish crew, the Lancer having gear selection problems. O'Neill/Nagle had backed off slighty at this stage but was still taking chucks out of Tom Randles/Diarmuid Lynch in front of them. After th "off" on SS18 the Kadett was over a min behind the 2.4 Escort, but he finished the rally less than half a minute behind.

Final Results 
 1 Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson (Escort Mk I 2.0)......2:27:57 
 2 Pernilla Walfridsson/Ulrika Mattsson (Mit.Evo IV)..2:28:13 
 3 Shaun Fox/Anton Cashen (Vauxhall Nova).............2:29:56 
 4 Thomas Randles/Diarmuid Lynch (Ford Escort 2.4)....2:32:25 
 5 Kieran O'Neill/Paul Nagle (Opel Kadett C GTE)......2:32:54 
 6 Sean Keenan/Stephen O'Riordan (Opel Astra GSI).....2:35:31 
 7 Sean McArdle/Philip Smith (Escort G3)..............2:35:48 
 8 Richard Batey/Nigel Hinds (Peugeot 205 GTI)........2:36:10 
 9 David Craine/Simon Trenholme (Escort RS Cosworth)..2:39:12 
10 Sean Crellin/Sheila Thomson (Suzuki Swift GTI).....2:39:14 

12 Damien Hagan/Gregory McQuillan (Corolla Twin Cam)..2:43:45 

16 Alyn Spiers/Angela Straney (Suzuki Swift GTI)......2:45:46 
17 Billy Gamble/Clarence McKeown (Suzuki Swift GTI)...2:47:02

19 Martin Doherty/Shaun Lafferty (Vauxhall Nova)......2:47:43 
20 Michael Murray/Richard Skinner (Nissan Sunny GTI)..2:48:30 

Leaders SS2 Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson, 
SS3-4 Ollie O'Donovan/Paul McCann,
SS6 Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson 
SS7-8 Dan McCartan/Michael McElwee
SS9-18 Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson 
SS19 Dan McCartan/Michael McElwee
SS20-21 Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson

Stage winners
 SS2 - Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson
 SS3 - Ollie O'Donovan/Paul McCann
 SS4 - Ollie O'Donovan/Paul McCann

 SS6 - Dan McCartan/Michael McElwee
 SS7 - Dan McCartan/Michael McElwee
 SS8 - Cancelled
 SS9 - Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson
SS10 - Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson
SS11 - Cancelled
SS12 - Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson
SS13 - Kieran O'Neill/Paul Nagle
SS14 - Kieran O'Neill/Paul Nagle
SS15 - Kieran O'Neill/Paul Nagle
SS16 - Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson
SS17 - Pernilla Walfridsson/Ulrika Mattsson

SS18 - Pernilla Walfridsson/Ulrika Mattsson
SS19 - Dan McCartan/Michael McElwee
SS20 - Uel Williamson/Glenn Wilson
SS21 - Pernilla Walfridsson/Ulrika Mattsson

Liam O'Callghan took max. Toshiba Eqiuim Tarmac Championship points to move into third place in the championship. Derek McGarrity won GpN in the Irish Tarmac Championship after finishing second in Group N on in the International event.

Results - International Rally
  1 Martin Rowe/Derek Ringer (Renault Megane Maxi)....3:13:01 
  2 Tapio Laukkanen/Kaj Lindstrom (Megane Maxi).......3:16:57 
  3 David Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Subaru Impreza WRX)...3:21:39 
  4 Jarmo Kytolehto/Arto Kapanen (Astra Kit Car)......3:22:53 
  5 Liam O'Callaghan/Steve Harris (Ford Escort Maxi)..3:24:45 
  6 Alister McRae/David Senior (Golf Kit Car).........3:26:05 
  7 Barbara Armstrong/John Richardson (SEAT Ibiza E2).3:26:34 
  8 Derek McGarrity/Victor Carrothers (Mit. EVO V)....3:29:22 
  9 Stephanie & Rachael Simmonite (Escort Kit Car)....3:30:34 
 10 Robert Woodside/Allan Harryman (Mit. EVO IV)......3:30:45 


 14 Niall McShea/Mark Cassidy (Mit. Lancer EVO V).....3:33:08