Dogleap Stages Rally - 5 Aug 06

Posted: August 15, 2006 4:43 PM

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Kevin Lynch is top dog at the Dogleap Rally! Kevin Lynch is top dog again!   - Dungiven's Kevin Lynch takes fourth consecutive win at Limavady's Dogleap Stages Rally!
- Enniskillen's Richard Cathcart brings home Group N honours and third overall!
- Moy's Frank Kelly takes the two wheel drive honours!
 
Dungiven's Kevin Lynch emerged victorious once again last weekend as he took his Subaru Impreza WRC to the top of the podium at the Dogleap Stages Rally. Backed by North West Motor Factors and Limavady Borough Council, the event marked round five of the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship.  

Lynch had to work hard for his fourth consecutive Dogleap victory, as Cookstown man Glenn Allen was in top fettle with his Toyota Corolla WRC. While Lynch was quickest out of the blocks, it was Allen who led the rally after the second stage. Lynch replied to retake the lead and the topsy-turvy battle continued throughout the event.  

In the end though, only one man could win and while both crews entered stage nine on equal times, it was Lynch who emerged from the test with a sizeable advantage. Allen had hit trouble, after pushing a little bit too hard in his Corolla.  

"On the previous runs over the stage, I was braking on the crest for the chicane," Allen said. "But this time I braked a bit later. She took off on the crest and when we landed I was on the brakes. She must have got a lot of grip and just spun the two front tyres off their rims. Maybe I was pushing a wee bit too hard but what can you do. When you're against a man like Kevin, he's no pushover, that's for sure!"  

With Allen out of contention, Lynch and navigator Martin McNicholl cruised home to record their fourth consecutive Dogleap victory, closing the gap to Allen in the championship standings.  

"It was close but it was a win all the same," Lynch said. "We had a few niggly problems but nothing major. It's a good event but it isn't very technical so it's hard to find time. We broke a shaft at the end of the ninth stage and we had to go through the final stage with it. But other than that, it was a good day and a good rally!"  

Sean Devine and Damien Duffin had a solid run in their Subaru Impreza to take second while Richard Cathcart and Killian Duffy had the drive of the rally to finish third in their Group N Impreza. It was Cathcart's first visit to the event, and he was unable to complete the recce, making his drive all the more impressive!  

It wasn't an easy run for the Enniskillen man as Johnny McKenna led the Group N men from the start. He had amassed a 10 second advantage over Cathcart until the third run through the demanding 10-mile Cam stage.  

"Midway through Cam, as we went over the jumps I selected fourth gear," McKenna recalled. "But when she landed, she must have gone into second. She let a rip out of her and I knew straight away something was wrong. We broke a timing belt and that was the end of our rally. Everything was going so well up to that point. It was Eugene's first time on the notes and he was doing really well, and our tyres were brilliant. But that's the way it goes."  

In the end, it was Cathcart who took the final podium position, 10 seconds ahead of former N.I. Group N champions, Richard Hogg and Mark Hanna. Kevin O'Kane and Martin Brady brought their Subaru home in fifth position, while English visitors, Tristan Pye and Andrew Roughead, completed the top six.  

Superdrive sponsored two wheel drive category  
Mark Barnett and Frank Kelly had an electric battle throughout the event. Both men were 'on the door handles' and there was little to separate the two pilots. Five seconds ahead going into stage nine (of 10), it looked as though Kelly and navigator Aidan Donnelly had the upper hand. And when Barnett was forced to the sidelines with a broken half shaft a few miles into the test, it was Kelly emerged from the rally as the two wheel drive victor!  

"We had a good clean run for the first time this year," Kelly said. "I didn't break a gearbox, I didn't get a puncture and I didn't visit the scenery! I was fighting with Mark Barnett all day - he was on fire! Both of us were flat out and going into stage nine there were five seconds between us. Unfortunately, he broke a half shaft so it was a disappointing end, but it let me go into the last stage and drive like a hooligan for a bit of craic!"  

Kelly was not eligible to receive the Superdrive prize so it was second placed Bob Riddles and Vincent Fergus who took the honours, ahead of Paul and Peter Ward.  

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Dogleap Success for Cool Fm’s Sonya Mac
The Dogleap’s only all female crew, Cool FM’s Sonya Mac and Superdrive’s Safron Thomas scored another third in class at the North West Motor Factors Dogleap Rally in Limavady last Saturday 5th August.

The Maiden City Motor Club’s Dogleap Rally was Sonya’s first venture out onto gravel stages after completing four tarmac rounds earlier this year.

Sonya said,
“I was surprised at how difficult it was in the forest compared to tarmac. I really felt like a passenger in some of those slippy corners but as with any rallying you can only learn by experience”

The loose gravel on the final stage at Springwell almost claimed the pink Ka when it skidded down into a ditch.

Fortunately, more than 30 marshals and spectators managed to lift the Ka out of the hole and set it back on the stage for Sonya and Safron to complete the last two miles of the Dogleap with no major damage.

Sonya said,
“I was so overwhelmed by the amount of people who ran over to help us and I would just like to say thank you to everyone who helped us back on the stage. What an amazing experience!”

Despite being unsure about the gravel Sonya is planning to compete in the Enniskillen Motor Club’s Lakeland Rally on 9th September 2006.

The pair are also taking part in the Turkington Lurgan Park Rally this Saturday 12th August as a double-0 car.

Sonya and Safron would like to sincerely thank their sponsors for all their support over the past four events. Sonya and Safron’s sponsors are Adelaide & Roadwise, Pirelli, Mascott Construction, Velocity Paintball@Superdrive, McCance Steel, Signlines, Superdrive and Cool FM.

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Results  
1 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC - 56m01s
2 Sean Devine/Damien Duffin - Subaru Impreza WRC - 56m37s
3 Richard Cathcart/Killian Duffy - Subaru Impreza WRX (GpN) - 58m48s
4 Richard Hogg/Mark Hanna - Mit. Lancer Evo 8.5 (GpN) - 58m58s
5 Kevin O'Kane/Martin Brady - Subaru Impreza WRC - 59m04s
6 Tristan Pye/Andrew Roughead - Subaru Impreza (GpN) - 59m49s
7 Brendan O'Hagan/Paul Hone - Ford Focus WRC - 1h00m01s
8 Sean Lynch/Enda Sherry - Subaru Impreza WRC - 1h00m13s
9 Brendan Connor/Alan Redstone - Subaru Impreza - 1h00m23s
10 Donagh Kelly/Mark Cassidy - Mit. Lancer Evo 6 (GpN) - 1h00m26s

Rally Leaders AFter
SS1 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS2 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly - Toyota Corolla WRC
SS3 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS4-5 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly - Toyota Corolla WRC
& Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS6 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly - Toyota Corolla WRC
SS7 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS8 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly - Toyota Corolla WRC
& Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS9-10 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC

Stage Winners:
SS1 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS2 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly - Toyota Corolla WRC
SS3 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS4 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly - Toyota Corolla WRC
SS5 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
& Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly - Toyota Corolla WRC
SS6 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS7 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS8 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly - Toyota Corolla WRC
SS9 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC
& Sean Devine/Damien Duffin - Subaru Impreza WRC
SS10 Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl - Subaru Impreza WRC

Full Results:

rally.connect.ie (Angus Sealy)

Photos:
rallypics.org

Maiden City Motor Club

• 2006 Northern Ireland Rally Championship

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PRE EVENT NEWS

• Dogleap Stages Rally: Who will be top dog?
• Entry List available
• Latest News
• Closing date for Entries - July 14th
• Regulations available

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31/07/06
Dogleap Stages Rally: Who will be top dog?
The 2006 Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship bounces back into action this Saturday 5 August with round five, Maiden City Motor Club's Dogleap Stages Rally.

Sponsored by Limavady Borough Council and North West Motor Factors, this year's event boasts a mouth-watering array of Northern Ireland's leading rally talent, ready to commence battle in the gravel strewn forests surrounding Limavady!

Local driver Kevin Lynch heads the entry list in his Subaru Impreza WRC. Partnered by Martin McNicholl, the Dungiven driver is aiming for another victory at his home rally. It was on this event that Lynch claimed his first Northern Ireland series win in 2003, and he promptly repeated that success with two more Dogleap wins in 2004 and 2005. Now with an armful of wins and experience under his belt, he will be in the hunt for his fourth Dogleap win on the trot.

"It's always a good event," Kevin said, "and it has very good stages. Until one week ago, the last time I was out on gravel was at the Bushwhacker Rally in October last year. So I took the car down to the Cork Forestry Rally and it went very well. Hopefully, we should be back up to speed now so we'll have another good crack at the Dogleap!"

Lynch, who comfortably won the Cork event, will start the event ahead of current championship leader, Glenn Allen. The Cookstown driver has yet to win a major championship and when Lynch announced his sabbatical from the sport earlier this year, Allen was the odds on favourite for taking championship honours. Now, with Lynch back in the fray, success is far from certain.

"We were a bit closer to Kevin at the Mourne Rally," Allen said. "We were able to work with him a bit better, although we had our own problems in the end and he was well in front at the finish. We'll try our best as usual and hopefully it will all come good!"

Starting at 3, Raymond Johnston is another man that will be looking to build on his championship position. Currently lying third in the Pacenotes backed series, the Fermanagh man has been enjoying a relatively successful year, with top three finishes on three out of four events. The second round of the series at Bishopscourt is the only blot in his copybook when a suspension problem caused a very heavy landing over a jump, resulting in Johnston jarring his back.

Other men capable of springing a few surprises include Kilrea's Kieran Shaw, with Crawford Henderson on the notes. Shaw is listed on the entry list with a Ford Focus WRC beside his name, and if he brings it to the woods, it will be his first outing in the 2003 specification car.

Donemana's Sean Devine and Omagh's Kevin O'Kane will also be two of the top runners while the production category battle will be headed by local man, Richard Hogg. The former Group N champion is listed to start in a Lancer Evo 8.5 MR but the Limavady driver is hoping to have his car upgraded to Evo 9 specification in time for the event.

After missing the Mourne Rally, Hogg has dropped to second in the category standings, six points behind Antrim's Martin Elliott. It's all still to play for, though the favourite for Dogleap Group N victory will be the local crew. It's their home event, and it's one that 'Hoggy' always enjoys.

Making the trip from across the water, Tony Arnsby is returning to the event with his Group A Lancer while Trystan Pye is bringing his Group N Impreza. The two Englishmen will be aiming to throw the cat among the pigeons, and Arnsby is hoping to lay his Dogleap ghosts to rest. Last year's event came to an abrupt end for the Gateshead driver when he rolled his Lancer on the final stage while lying inside the top six!

The battle for Superdrive sponsored two wheel drive honours will be equally as interesting with a number of men capable of taking the spoils. Glenarm's Andy Magee took the spoils last year ahead of Moy's Frank Kelly, and both men have indicated that they are going to return for another Dogleap battle. Mark Barnett and Trevor Moore will also be tussling for honours, as will Bob Riddles and Mickey McGillen.

Rally updates will be provided on the hour, every hour, through Cool FM and Downtown Radio, while television coverage will be aired on UTV, RTE, Sky Sports and Motors TV during the weeks after the event. Keep an eye on www.nirally.com for more details!

Top 20 entries
1 Kevin Lynch / Martin McNicholl (Dungiven) Subaru Impreza WRC 8
2 Glenn Allen / Damian Connolly (Cookstown) Toyota Corolla WRC 8
3 Raymond Johnston / Richard Bell (Ballinamallard) Subaru Impreza WRC 8
4 Kieran Shaw / Crawford Henderson (Kilrea) Ford Focus WRC 8
5 Sean Devine / Damien Duffin (Donemana) Subaru Impreza WRC 8
6 Kevin O'Kane / Godfrey Crawford (Omagh) Subaru Impreza WRC 8
7 Richard Hogg / Mark Hanna (Limavady) Mitsubishi Evo 8.5 2
8 Martin Elliot / Brian Crawford (Antrim) Mitsubishi Evo 6 2
9 Brendan O'Hagan / Paul Hone (Dungiven) Ford Focus WRC 8
10 Tony Arnsby / Phil Cook (Gateshead) Mitsubishi Evo 8.5 8
11 John Donnelly / TBA (Ballymena) Ford Escort WRC 8
12 Brendan Connor / Alan Redstone (Cross) Subaru Impreza 8
14 Johnny McKenna / Eugene O'Kane (Draperstown) Mitsubishi Evo 2
15 Kieron Graffin / Neil Doherty (Toomebridge) Mitsubishi Evo 8 2
16 Tryston Pye / Andrew Roughead (Newcastle) Subaru Impreza 2
17 Stanley Ballantine / Gary McElhinney (Strabane) Mitsubishi Evo 3 2
18 Brian McGillin / David Doherty (Omagh) Subaru Impreza N12 2
19 Donagh Kelly / Mark Cassidy (Donegal) Mitsubishi Evo 6 2
20 Mark Barnett / Jonathan Charlesson (Strabane) Ford Escort RS 7
21 Trevor Moore / Dickie Curran (Newtownabbey) Ford Escort MkII 7

Full Entry List on:

Maiden City Motor Club

• 2006 Northern Ireland Rally Championship

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07/07/06
Latest News
The Maiden City Motor Club brings the Northern Ireland Rally Championship back in the woods, thanks to event sponsors Limavady Borough Council and North West Motor Factors. Saturday 5th August sees the best rally teams from both North and South of the Border and indeed this year the event has attracted entries from the main land to the beautiful Borough of Limavady to challenge the Dogleap Stages Rally.

For a lot of competitors it’s the most important event of the Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship. It is Round Five and one of the most prestigious, however challenging for the competitors. This year will be no exception with some major changes and challenging twists to the event format. It could prove to be both a test of wits, techniques, grit force and pure determination to see who becomes the winner of the Dogleap Stages 2006.

Entries have been received from three times winner, Kevin Lynch in a Subaru Impreza S9 WRC. Kevin will be keen to retain the title on his home event. Glenn Allen who is currently at the top of the Northern Ireland Championship leader board will be competing along with Kieran Shaw who will be fielding a ’03 Focus for the first time.

The event format has been changed this year, to consist of ten stages. The mighty Cam stage has been extended to almost ten miles of what must be one of the fastest and most challenging forest stages in the country.

Once again the event has secured television coverage from RPM Productions for viewing on UTV, RTE, Sky Sports and Motors TV. Live stages results will be on Downtown Radio and Cool FM on the hour.

Entries are still being taken with Regs and entry forms available on www.nirally.com or www.maidencitymc.co.uk,
or
Contact 07772 319 794 / +44 7772 319 794

Competitors are reminded to get their entry in quick as the final closing date is 14th July 2006.

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14/06/06
Regulations and Entry from on:

Northern Ireland Rally Championship

Maiden City Motor Club

• 2006 Northern Ireland Rally Championship