Down (Tarmac) Rally - (Sat) 21 Jul 18

In Car

Posted: November 15, 2018 9:31 AM

Steve Simpson & Patrick Walsh (Ford Fiesta R5) SS11


Alan Carmichael & Ivor Lamont (MINI WRC) SS11


Meirion Evans & Jonathan Jackson (Ford Fiesta R5) SS11


John Devlin & John McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2) SS3


Garry Armstrong & Philip Armstrong (Ford Escort Mk2) SS10


Stephen Kearney and Ryan Kearney (Ford Escort G3) SS2


Paul Killen & Jordan Murphy (Ford Escort G3) SS2

Video Clips

Posted: November 15, 2018 9:31 AM

Harper hits the jackpot as Sisson maintains Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship lead after thrilling Carryduff Folklift Down Rally

Posted: November 15, 2018 9:29 AM

Daniel Harper scored one of his best results of his rallying career when he finished fourth overall and took maximum Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship points on the Carryduff Folklift Down Rally in his Minisport-run John Cooper Works Mini WRC. And in a thrilling 11 special stage battle over the big jumps and twists of Northern Ireland’s closed roads, Wayne Sission survived a high-speed off through a fence to maintain his lead in the series in his AMS Arnside Motorsport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.

It was Harper’s first appearance in Northern Ireland since 1995 (when he rolled out of the Ulster Rally), but he was quickly into his stride and setting some consistently fast times as others around him spun into the scenery and left bodywork parts scattered across County Down. Having finished second on the Manx National and third in Rally van Wervik, another faultless performance by Harper and co-driver Chris Campbell was rewarded with the jackpot prize of maximum points, moving him from third to second in the series.

Melvyn Evans found that the Fiesta WRC was a lot more physical to drive than his previous Subaru Impreza WRC, but he hadn’t expected an unnerving vibration from the rear under moderate braking. It was so bad that he had to back off in several places, as getting the car to the finish in one piece was very much the priority. It was a learning exercise that he and co-driver Mark Glennerster relished, and being one and a half seconds per mile faster the final time through the stages was an indication of how quickly he had adapted to the car. Second in the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship and ninth overall was a truly great result, all things considered.

Sisson was joined in the cockpit of his Mitsubishi by a bird that flew in through the air vent on SS3, but he and co-driver Max Freeman carried on regardless. A more worrying moment came at a square right on SS8, where Sisson locked the brakes and careered along a fence – reaching the end of the stage with no turbo boost caused by a long wooden fence post that had speared itself neatly inside the engine bay. Thankfully, no more alien objects joined the ride during the third and final loop of stages, were a third place finish maintains his Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship and B14 class lead.

Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke appeared in their Manx National winning North Road Garage Ford Focus WRC and were looking to regain the Championship lead, but it wasn’t to be their event. The Builth Wells driver found that the brakes were locking up, which contributed to a spin into a bank on SS4, damaging the rear bumper and spoiler and costing over 15 seconds. Worse was to follow on the second loop, when he spun again and got the car stuck between two banks on a narrow section of road, just after a crest. He had to get out of the car and flag down an on-coming David Bogie, before getting going again, minus the front bumper and over a minute wasted. Bagging points for fourth was a very good salvage job and keeps his title chances very much alive.

Not even Barry Groundwater/Neil Shanks survived the Down Rally unscathed, as their magnificent season almost came to an abrupt end on SS4 when they skidded on some slippery mud in a farmyard and clattered their Groundwater Lift Trucks/AMS-backed Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X head first into a tree. Luckily it was just half a mile from the end of the stage and with bent steering and a damaged radiator they got back to service and eventually finished fifth.

A change to a softer suspension set-up saw David Hardie/John McCulloch improve after first service in their TEG Sport Subaru Impreza. Now able to ride the bumps better, they increased their pace to finish an excellent sixth.

It was a similar situation for Philip Hopkins/Aled Edwards, who found that their Spencer Sport-run Mitsubishi Mirage R5 had acquired a new tendency to land on its nose – so hard in fact, that one landing smashed the windscreen. Increasing the ride height at the front, replacing a broken rear anti-roll bar and changing the damper settings transformed the car – allowing the Bristol driver to finish seventh, albeit with oil all over the front of the car, after the oil stick blew out on the final stage.

Geoff Wright had been looking forward to the Down Rally, until he started feeling ill on the morning of the event. He got worse as the event progressed, and was physically throwing up at stage ends as energy and colour drained away. Together with Chris Sanderson, he did remarkably well to not just finish, but come home eighth in his FJ Booth Construction Fiesta S2000 to extend his lead in the R5 category.

Ross Brusby/Tom Murphy survived a spin into a tree near the end of SS4 which dented a rear quarter of their Chesterfield Transporters Ford Escort Mk2 to come home ninth, while young west Wales duo Rhidian Daniels/Tomos Whittle did brilliantly well to finish their first Irish rally in tenth in their rapidly improving JJ Aggregate-backed Citroen C1 Max. Olli Hopkins/Ian Taylor just missed out on a top 10 finish in their Hopkins Motorsport Mitsubishi Evo 9.

Ed Fossey, together with Neil Colman, extended his lead in the F2 category after another good performance in his Yokohama-backed Peugeot 208 R2, which he’d hired from Melvyn Evans Motorsport.

Paul Doroszczuk were also delighted with their performance, winning the B11 class and jumping into the class series lead (by four points) in their normally-aspirated Cosworth engine Drockspeed Motorsport Escort Mk2. They were lucky not to puncture a tyre when they clipped a bank on SS4 and took a chunk out of a rim, but an added incentive to drive as fast as possible was to get his co-driving brother Julian to the dentist, as he’d done the entire event with a painful abscess. They were kept honest all event by a hard-charging Geoff Glover/Keith Barker, who enjoyed their first rally in Northern Ireland, despite their rear-wheel drive Astra not ideally suited to the jumps and bumps.

Steve Retchless/Sasha Heriot had an “almost embarrassingly cautious” start in their newly-rebuilt and immaculate stage rally Morris Lubricants/Ralloy.com backed Escort Mk2. Their pace increased and were eventually rewarded with an excellent result – which gives them the joint lead of the B13 class, after Tim and Jack Waters retired their Renault Clio V6 (which was sporting a striking new colour scheme) with fuel starvation problems.

Graham Sherry/Sinclair Young crunched their way to the finish in a Weston Transport Honda that had a dodgy third gear, but it was still a good result in the near-standard double Scottish Civic Challenge winning car. Gearbox had been a worry for Kevin Harbour/Dave Tortoishell last time out in Belgium, but there were no such dramas this time in their class B10 leading Dovebank Motors Citroen C2R2.

Welsh pairing Mike Pugsley/Mark Clatworthy extended their commanding class B12 lead in their beautiful Escort Mk1 RS2000. A heavy landing cut the power on one stage, but otherwise it was a textbook run in the 1974 machine. Mike is married to a Northern Irish lady and he fulfilled a 25-year promise to come and rally on these wonderful roads, with accommodation provided courtesy of his mother-in-law!

Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson finished a very impressive fifth overall in his The Scan Station Fiesta R5, but the Melvyn Evans Motorsport pair were denied Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship points after failing to carry the mandatory decals. A similar fate befell Stephen Simpson/Patrick Walsh in their Fiesta.

Adrian Spencer/Matt Daniels had a turbo boost pipe come off on SS2 and in an effort to regain lost time had a massive 360° spin after a jump the first time through the signature Hamilton’s Folly stage, which damaged the front and rear of their Red Industries Subaru Impreza WRC beyond repair. Brian Watson/Sean Donnelly also retired their similar Subaru with steering failure on SS5. It was also power steering issues which saw David Bogie/John Rowan retire their CA1 Sport-run ŠKODA Fabia R5, although they’d achieved everything they’d hoped for in what was a pre-Ulster Rally test.

John MacNiven/Graeme Kermode made a great start in their Subaru Impreza, moving up 10 places on seeding in the opening two stages. However, it wasn’t to be the Mull pairing’s day, as the gearbox failed on SS3 – while Berian Richards/Rhys Stoneman retired their Escort RS1800 in SS4. Richard and Pat Egger were hoping to close the gap in the B11 class in their Highland Cottage-backed Vauxhall Nova, but retired after SS3 with engine issues.

Richard Clews was co-driven for the day by Matt Edwards – who currently leads both the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship and Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series in the drivers’ standings! They lost the rear spoiler after a landing on the opening loop, but sadly overheating problems were to stop their ITG Air Filters Subaru Impreza after SS8.

Daniel Harper (1st) said: “Considering the standard of the entry on the Down Rally, finishing fourth overall and first in the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship has to be one of our best ever events. From our point of view, it’s all gone to plan – which is unusual in rallying! We’ve scored some good results in the past in front-wheel drive cars and it’s taken a lot of effort by not just myself, but by my co-driver Chris and the entire team to get to where we are now in a four-wheel drive Mini WRC, so I’m very pleased. It’s been a brilliant event, the stages were excellent and it’s been very well organised – I take my hat off to all the event officials and marshals for putting on a very good and highly enjoyable event.”

Melvyn Evans (2nd) said: “I’m happy enough to finish where we have done on our first event in a Fiesta WRC. The car is very different to drive than my Subaru, and I think we needed another day of competition to be really on the pace. Having said that, we had a good push through the final loop of stages and it felt really good. It was important for us to get the car to the finish and to not do anything draft – and we’ve achieved that without putting a mark on it.”

Wayne Sisson (3rd) said: “We can’t really compete on stage times against our World Rally Cars rivals, so it’s a case of pushing as hard as we can and be in a position to benefit from any mishaps that occur ahead. It’s great to still be leading the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship and to continue our great run, which now includes two third places and a fifth. We’ve scored on all rounds so far and the lowest score we have to drop is seventh, but if anyone near us fails to finish then that will be their second dropped score. The Championship is wide open and there is everything to play for in the last two rounds.”

The live streaming broadcasts from the Rathfriland MC and Ballynahinch & DMC organised Down Rally, with commentary from Howard Davies and special guest Alastair Fisher, will remain on-line for viewing on the Special Stage Facebook page. Edited highlights will be broadcast on Motorsport TV, on Front Runner and on the Motor Trend On Demand channel, as well as the Special Stage Facebook, YouTube and App platforms, in due course – please check TV guides for details.

Round 5 of the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship is the Old Forge Garage Mewla Rally (25/26 August).

Greer/Riddick win Carryduff Forklift Down Rally!

Posted: November 15, 2018 9:26 AM

Jonny Greer and Kirsty Riddick have won the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally, round four of the McGrady Insurance MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship!

Driving his Citroen DS3 R5, the Carryduff man secured the spoils by 20.1 seconds from Portglenone's Desi Henry, with current N.I. Championship leader Derek McGarrity in third.

Greer was lying in 10th overall after the short opening test in the Eikon Centre complex but he quickly stamped his authority once the event moved on to the closed roads between Hillsborough and Castlewellan. He moved up to second overall after stage two and then assumed a lead that he was never destined to relinquish after the third test.

"I can't quite believe it to be honest!" Greer said at the finish. "With my home motor club involved and with the family business sponsoring the rally, I always thought it would be great to win the rally."

"Last week, we had a problem with the car we were going to use so we had to change to the Citroen," he added. "At that point, I really didn't think we'd have a chance of winning but when the first few stage times came in, I could see we were quite competitive. It put us in a strong position and when a few others had some problems, we kept our noses clean and everything just worked!"

Greer's main opposition came from Scotsman David Bogie and Portglenone's Desi Henry. Bogie and Cushendall based navigator John Rowan had set the pace on the opening stage before dropping to third behind Henry after stage two. By the time crews arrived at first service, Bogie had regained second overall but his rally was set to go awry after the second loop of stages.

"We caught Jason Pritchard on stage five after he spun," Bogie said. "We had to stop but then we started to lose the power-steering."

Bogie's mechanics descended on the car at second service where it transpired that he could go no further.

"We drained the power-steering fluid and found a load of metal filings," he explained. "We topped it up with new fluid but it was no better - the pump had failed so we retired."

Meanwhile, Desi Henry and Liam Moynihan set about establishing themselves as the best of the rest. They had briefly led the rally after stage two but pushed a little bit too hard on the first run over Hamilton's Folly, near Castlewellan.

"We went over a jump too fast and the car nosedived," Henry explained. "The intercooler pipe burst and we lost about 30 seconds."

That placed him on the back foot and although he managed to regain a handful of vital seconds from Greer, it was nowhere near enough to mount a serious challenge. In the end, he had to settle for second overall and a healthy helping of McGrady Insurance N.I. Championship points.

Derek McGarrity and Paddy Robinson were the best of the rest in third overall. The Glengormley driver took his hired Ford Focus WRC to the final podium position despite some brake troubles and bolstered his position at the top of the N.I. Championship standings.

"We had a brake issue and there was nothing we could do about it," McGarrity lamented. "I kept losing the pedal on the long stage which just sapped confidence but I'm happy with what we achieved."

Fourth placed Daniel Harper enjoyed what was his first visit to Northern Ireland since he contested the 1995 Ulster Rally. Navigated by Chris Campbell, the Mini WRC mounted crew made the trip from England worthwhile as they also secured maximum points in the Protyre MSA Asphalt Championship.

"It's brilliant!" Harper said. "I didn't really know what to expect but we've had a brilliant weekend. The car has been faultless and we beat some good drivers so I'm very pleased."

Fifth placed Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson admitted that they are still bedding themselves in with their new Fiesta R5. The Down Rally marked the Welsh driver's second event with the car so he was over the moon to take fifth overall. His comment that "more speed will come when I get used to the car" should signal a warning to his rivals!

6th - 10th

In sixth, Ballymena's Alan Carmichael and Ivor Lamont had a difficult start to the day as they struggled with their suspension setup and tyre choice. However, by the end of the event, they were much happier having had a solid run over the final loop of stages.

Armagh's Damian Toner and Barry McParland managed to secure another two-wheel drive win as well as snatch seventh overall in the process. They reported no issues as they powered to the victory, while Kinallen's Stuart Biggerstaff snatched eighth overall in his Impreza WRC from Welshman Melvyn Evans' grasp on the final stage.

Biggerstaff had a character building start to the day when gearbox issues resulted in his Subaru going straight into a bank. He had been fourth overall after stage one but the stage four incident dropped him down to 11th.

"The car jammed in fourth gear when we were braking for the corner so I couldn't use the gears to slow the car down," Biggerstaff explained. "We locked up, went straight across the road and into a bank."

The former champion recovered well and a final stage push saw him nip one-tenth of a second ahead of Melvyn Evans who had endured some troubles of his own.

"We had a small brake problem so we swapped the pads at first service but a rear disc had been warped," Evans explained. "On stage eight it was very bad so we just wanted to get it back to second service to put new discs on."

Ninth overall was still enough for him to pick up second placed Asphalt Championship points ahead of Wayne Sisson and Max Freeman who finished down in 16th after a troubled day which saw them demolish a fence!

Coming home in 10th, Lisburn's Wesley Patterson and Johnny Baird survived broken suspension and some errant steering to take their Escort MkII into the top 10.

Retirements

There were plenty of dramas and retirements throughout the day as the tricky County Down stages took their toll on competitors. Malcolm Pedlow and Billy Regan went out with gear linkage problems in their BMW 2002tii while Tim and Jack Waters were forced to retire their Renault Clio V6 when they lost the throttle on the third corner of stage two.

Berian Richards retired with a broken half shaft while Brian Watson retired with a broken steering rack. Paul Killen's differential expired, Allan Mackay's Anglia was forced out with a broken stub axle and Colin Price had hub failure.

Next Event

Round five of the McGrady Insurance MSA N.I. Rally Championship takes competitors to County Fermanagh for the Lakeland Stages Rally on 01 September. More details will be announced in the coming weeks on www.nirallychampionship.com and fb.com/nirallying.

Results

Posted: November 15, 2018 9:11 AM

1 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroen DS3 R5) 54:07.9
2 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5) 54:28.0
3 Derek McGarrity/Paddy Robinson (Ford Focus WRC) 55:36.7
4 Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell (Mini JCW WRC) 56:11.2
5 Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson (Ford Fiesta R5) 56:40.5
6 Alan Carmichael/Ivor Lamont (Mini JCW WRC) 56:42.7
7 Damian Toner/Barry McParland (Ford Escort MkII) 56:59.9
8 Stuart Biggerstaff/Anthony Nestor (Subaru Impreza WRC S9) 57:02.6
9 Melvyn Evans/Mark Glennerster (Ford Fiesta WRC) 57:02.7
10 Wesley Patterson/Johnny Baird (Ford Escort MkII) 57:39.2

Class Winners
Class 1:  Michael Nutt/Dessie Nutt (Honda Civic)
Class 2:  James Laverty/Barry McNulty (Subaru Impreza N12b)
Class 3:  Mervyn Tate/Dennis McMullan (Talbot Sunbeam)
Class 4:  William Creighton/Liam Regan (Peugeot 208)
Class 5:  Geoffrey Nevin/Paul Nevin (Ford Escort)
Class 6:  John Devlin/John McCarthy (Ford Escort MkII)
Class 7:  Damian Toner/Barry McParland (Ford Escort MkII)
Class 8:  Wayne Sisson/Max Freeman (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X)
Class 9:  Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroën DS3)
Class 10:  Stanley Orr/Graham Henderson (Ford Escort RS1600)

Leaders After:
SS1 David Bogie/John Rowan (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS2 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS3-11 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroen DS3 R5)

Stage Winners
SS1 David Bogie/John Rowan (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS2 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroen DS3 R5)
SS3 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroen DS3 R5)
SS4 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS5 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS6 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroen DS3 R5)
SS7 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroen DS3 R5)
Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS8 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroen DS3 R5)
Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS9 Derek McGarrity/Paddy Robinson (Ford Focus WRC)
SS10 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS11 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5)

Down (Tarmac) Rally - (Sat) 21 Jul 18 - RESULTS

Results on Line (Down 2018) | Results by: RallyScore.Net

CARRYDUFF FORKLIFT DOWN RALLY ENTRY LIST PUBLISHED

Posted: July 6, 2018 6:21 AM

Carryduff Forklift Down Rally 2018 is mere weeks away and the organising team have been working day and night to ensure a spectacular event. Part of this work has been collating our seeded entry list. This is no easy task when you have attracted some of the best crews from as far as France, as near as Hillsborough and just about everywhere in-between. When asked for his thoughts on the entry list, COC Andy Gilmore commented
"Both motor clubs are delighted to be welcoming an extremely high calibre of talent from across Europe. The stellar entry reflects the draw of the County Down roads. We look forward to hearing how competitors enjoyed the stages at the party in the Eikon Centre after the rally."

Carryduff Forklift Down Rally reached over half capacity within 90 minutes of entries opening. We heard tales of kitchen tables having numerous devices set up well in advance of the entries opening to ensure that their crew obtained an entry. Such was the demand for entries, the Down Rally team sought approval from the MSA to add an additional 10 entries, bringing the entry list to 130.

Reflecting upon the bumper entry, Deputy COC Brian Crawford shared his thoughts.
"Both championships have opened the doors of the Down Rally to a variety of crews. The McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Championship has brought a mix of youth and experience and we are delighted to be partnered with our home championship. The Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship has brought a number of crews for whom the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally will be their first rally in Northern Ireland. It will even be the first time several of the crews have visited County Down. It is a real privilege to welcome the Protyre Asphalt Championship to our local stages".

The countdown is officially on to the 2018 Carryduff Forklift Down Rally. We look forward to seeing you all at the event and at the Rally after party in the Eikon Centre on the evening of 21st July 2018.

Evans heads bumper Down Rally entry - Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship

Posted: July 6, 2018 6:12 AM

Melvyn Evans/Mark Glennerster are seeded at number one for the Carryduff Folklift Down Rally, as a very large Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship contingent head to Northern Ireland for Round 4 on Saturday 21 July.

The winners of the opening round will be in a Ford Fiesta WRC this time, having won the Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour of Epynt in a Subaru Impreza WRC.

Seeded at number two are Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke, who appear in their Bet On Aces Manx National winning North Road Garage Ford Focus WRC in an effort to regain the series lead. The top three is completed by David Bogie/John Rowan, who scored second place points in their ŠKODA Fabia R5 last time out on Rally van Wervik. Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship leaders Wayne Sisson/Max Freeman have also secured a top 10 seeded position in their AMS Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.

Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell, who are third in the overall standings, aim to continue their great run of form in their John Cooper Works Mini WRC, while Stephen Simpson/Patrick Walsh appear in a Subaru Impreza WRC 12b.

All the Championship classes are very well represented too, with the likes of Roger Priestnall/Jamie Forrest (Proton Satria S16), Ed Fossey/Neil Colman (Peugeot 208 R2), Steve Retchless/Sasha Heriot (Escort Mk2), Kevin Harbour/Dave Tortoishell (Citroen C2R2), Richard and Pat Egger (Vauxhall Nova), Tim and Jack Waters (Renault Clio V6 – pictured), Geoff Wright/Chris Sanderson (Fiesta S2000), Rhyidian Daniels/Tomos Whittle (Citroen C1 Max), Paul and Julian Doroszczuk (Escort Mk2) and Chris Wheeler/Shaun Layland (Citroen DS3 R3T) all entered, to name put a few – all the way to Adrian Drury/Cat Lund (Peugeot 106 GTI), who are seeded at number 128.

Organised by Rathfriland MC and Ballynahinch & DMC, the event – which sought approval from the MSA to run 130 cars, such was the demand for entries – will take place over 100 stage miles on closed roads in County Down on Saturday 21 July.

“The Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship has brought a number of crews for whom the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally will be their first rally in Northern Ireland,” said Deputy Clerk of the Course Brian Crawford. “It will even be the first time several of the crews have visited County Down. It is a real privilege to welcome the Protyre Asphalt Championship to our local stages.”

Seeded Entry List

Posted: July 5, 2018 7:59 AM

Number Driver/Co-Driver (Car) [Class]
1 Melvyn EVANS/Mark GLENNESTER (Ford Fiesta WRC) [9]
2 Jason Tauber PRITCHARD/Phil CLARKE (Ford Focus WRC) [9]
3 David BOGIE/John ROWAN (Skoda Fabia R5) [9]
4 Desi HENRY/Liam MOYNIHAN (Skoda Fabia R5) [9]
5 Jonathan GREER/Kirsty RIDDICK (Ford Fiesta R5) [9]
6 Derek McGARRITY/Paddy ROBINSON (Subaru Impreza WRC S14) [9]
7 Peadar HURSON/Damien CONNOLLY (Ford Fiesta WRC) [9]
8 Kenny McKINSTRY/Noel ORR (Subaru Impreza WRC S14) [9]
9 Wayne SISSON/Max FREEMAN (Mistubishi Lancer Evo X) [8]
10 Alan CARMICHAEL/Ivor LAMONT (MINI JCW WRC) [9]
11 Alan SMYTH/Mac KIERANS (Mistubishi Lancer Evo X) [8]
12 Ross BRUSBY/Tba TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
12 Daniel HARPER/Chris CAMPBELL (MINI JCW WRC) [9]
14 Stephen SIMPSON/Patrick WALSH (Subaru Impreza WRC S12b) [9]
15 Paddy McVEIGH/Gary McELHINNEY (Subaru Impreza WRC S12b) [9]
16 Barry GROUNDWATER/Neil SHANKS (Mistubishi Lancer Evo X) [8]
17 Camillus BRADLEY/Crawford HENDERSON (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
18 Brian WATSON/Sean DONNELLY (Subaru Impreza WRC S11) [9]
19 Stuart BIGGERSTAFF/Anthony NESTOR (Subaru Impreza WRC S9) [9]
20 Rodney WHITE/Sam McMULLAN (Talbot Sunbeam) [6]
21 Robin PHILLIPS/Laura PHILLIPS (Subaru Impreza WRC S10) [9]
22 Adrian SPENCER/Matt DANIELS (Subaru Impreza WRC S11) [9]
23 Kevin BARRETT/Sean MULLALLY (Subaru Impreza WRC S14) [9]
24 Emma McKINSTRY/Kenny HULL (Subaru Impreza WRC S14) [9]
25 Richard CLEWS/Hamish CAMPBELL (Subaru STi) [9]
26 Amy COX/Caron McCORMACK (Skoda Fabia S2000) [9]
27 David HARDIE/John McCULLOCH (Subaru Impreza) [8]
28 James LAVERTY/Barry McNULTY (Subaru Impreza N12b) [2]
29 Paul BRITTON/George TINSLEY (Subaru Impreza N12b) [2]
30 Gary RODGERS/Geoff PATTERSON (Mistubishi Lancer Evo IX) [2]
31 Jonny MORROW/Simon MORROW (Mitsubishi Mirage RS) [8]
32 Meirion EVANS/Jonathan JACKSON (TBA) [4]
33 William CREIGHTON/Liam REGAN (Peugeot 208 R2) [4]
34 Brian McFALL/Matthew McKENNA (Mistubishi Lancer Evo IX) [2]
35 Kyle WHITE/Sean TOPPING (Peugeot 208 R2) [4]
36 Wesley PATTERSON/Johnny BAIRD (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
37 Colm McFALL/Paddy McCRUDDEN (Mistubishi Lancer Evo IX) [2]
38 Paul KILLEN/Jordan MURPHY (Ford Escort G3) [6]
39 John DEVLIN/John McCARTHY (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
40 Fintan McGRADY/Ray FITZPATRICK (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
42 Philip HOPKINS/Aled EDWARDS (Mitsubishi Mirage R5) [8]
43 Oliver HOPKINS/Ian TAYLOR (Mistubishi Lancer Evo IX) [8]
44 Barry MORRIS/Tba TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
45 Geoff WRIGHT/Chris SANDERSON (Ford Fiesta S2000) [9]
46 Alan ATCHESON/Thomas WEDLOCK (Ford Fiesta Proto) [8]
48 David ARMSTRONG/Paul MULHOLLAND (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
49 Peter BENNETT/Simon JONES (Mistubishi Lancer Evo IX) [8]
50 James KENNEDY/Heather KENNEDY (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
51 John BRADLEY/Ryan CROZIER (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
52 Stanley ORR/Graham HENDERSON (Ford Escort RS1600) [10]
53 Andrew McCORMICK/Rudy TATE (Vauxhall Chevette) [6]
54 Martin McCORMACK/Laura CONLON (Ford Escort Mk2) [10]
55 Cathal MULGREW/Darren O'BRIEN (Ford Escort) [6]
56 Conor McCROSSAN/Connor MURPHY (Skoda Fabia S2000) [8]
57 Ian GREEN/Amanda GREEN (Peugeot 205 GTi) [5]
58 Andrew BUSTARD/Tba TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
59 Jamie GRANT/Tba TBA (Toyota Starlet) [5]
60 Stephen McFERRAN/Martin McBREARTY (Ford Escort) [5]
61 Geoff McMAHON/Rob GRAHAM (Mistubishi Lancer Evo IX) [2]
62 Ryan McCUSKER/Barney MITCHELL (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
63 Steve RETCHLESS/Sasha HERIOT (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
64 Ed FOSSEY/Neil COLMAN (Peugeot 208 R2) [4]
65 Michael McGARRITY/Damien GARVEY (Peugeot 208 R2) [4]
66 Christian COCHRANE/Martin LYNCH (Ford Escort) [6]
67 Roger PRIESTNALL/Jamie FORREST (Proton Satria S1600) [4]
68 Davey CRAINE/Stewart SAYERS (Ford Escort Cosworth) [8]
69 Albert McCLENAHAN/Caleb McCLENAHAN (Subaru Impreza) [8]
70 William McCLURKIN/Tba TBA (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
71 Tim WATERS/Jack WATERS (Renault Clio V6) [7]
72 Marty TEGGART/Dessie WILSON (Ford Escort) [6]
73 Conor LAVERY/Mo DOWNEY (Ford Escort) [6]
74 John MacNIVEN/Alexander Graeme KERMODE (Subaru Impreza) [8]
75 Drew WYLIE/Stephen McAULEY (Ford Escort) [10]
76 John DEVLIN/Rachael McCULLOUGH (Ford Escort Mk2) [10]
77 Neil KIRKPATRICK/Richard LIVINGSTON (Mistubishi Lancer Evo IX) [2]
78 Lee MORELLI/Tba TBA (Ford Escort) [6]
79 Raymond DOYLE/Tba TBA (Toyota Corolla) [4]
80 Paul DOROSZCZUK/Julian DOROSZCZUK (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
81 William HERRON/Tba TBA (Mistubishi Lancer Evo) [2]
82 Chris WHEELER/Shaun LAYLAND (Citroen DS3 R3T) [6]
83 Seamus BRANNIFF/Tba TBA (TBA) [1]
84 Richard EGGER/Pat EGGER (Vauxhall Nova) [6]
85 David WALSH/Sam MATHERSON (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
86 Dimitri PIVERT/Samuel BOISNE (Toyota Corolla AE86) [10]
87 Geoffrey NEVIN/Paul NEVIN (Ford Escort) [5]
88 Philip HAMILTON/Damian KELLY (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
89 Chris McGURK/Liam McINTYRE (Mistubishi Lancer Evo IX) [8]
90 Andrew BUSHE/Gavin SHEEHAN (Vauxhall Chevette HSR) [10]
91 Berian RICHARDS/Tba TBA (Ford Escort RS1800) [10]
92 Allan MACKAY/Ben TEGGART (Ford Anglia WRC) [6]
93 Aidan DONNELLY/Arthur LOUGHRAN (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
94 Niall BRANNIFF/Tba TBA (Ford Escort) [6]
95 JT WARNOCK/Andy HAYES (Ford Escort) [6]
96 Andrew STRANEY/Sarah TATE (Vauxhall Astra) [6]
97 Francis Jr. McMULLAN/Patrick McMULLAN (Ford Sierra Sapphire) [8]
98 Stephen McGURK/Mark O'CONNOR (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
99 Geoff GLOVER/Keith BARKER (Vauxhall Astra) [6]
100 Eamon DOHERTY/Damian McAULEY (Ford Escort) [5]
101 Mike PUGSLEY/Mark CLATWORTHY (Ford Escort Mk1) [5]
102 Conor GILLESPIE/Martin HARTE (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
103 Gerry McPOLIN/Rory McPOLIN (Ford Escort) [5]
104 Mervyn TATE/Dennis McMULLAN (Talbot Sunbeam) [3]
105 Rhyidian DANIELS/Tomos WHITTLE (Citroen C1 Max) [4]
106 Kevin HARBOUR/Dave TORTOISHELL (Citroen C2R2) [4]
107 Keith RIDDICK/Tba TBA (MG ZR) [4]
108 Gerard HUGHES/Paul HUGHES (Peugeot 205 GTi) [3]
109 Colin PRICE/Connor DUNLOP (Vauxhall Corsa) [3]
110 Eamon McLAUGHLIN/Steven BOYLE (Vauxhall Nova) [3]
111 Stephen KEARNEY/Ryan KEARNEY (Ford Escort G3) [5]
112 Joe McATEER/John MAGILTON (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
113 Des CAMPBELL/Craig FORSYTHE (Peugeot 206) [4]
114 Graham SHERRY/Sinclair YOUNG (Honda Civic) [4]
115 James NICHOLLS/David ALLMAN (Peugeot 205 GTi) [6]
116 Ryan O'KANE/James DUFFIN (Honda Civic) [1]
117 Mark ROBINSON/James HOLLAND (Honda Civic) [1]
118 Darren McGRATH/Tony McGOVERN (Honda Civic) [1]
119 Michael NUTT/Dessie NUTT (Honda Civic) [1]
120 James THOMSON/Sean DOUGLAS (Vauxhall Nova) [3]
121 Brian BLACK/Gareth BLACK (Toyota Starlet) [3]
122 Geoffrey SIMM/Tba TBA (Nissan Sunny) [4]
123 Garry ARMSTRONG/Philip ARMSTRONG (Ford Escort Mk1) [6]
124 Derek CROSSEN/Chris McSHERRY (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
125 Philip GRATTAN/Richard GRATTAN (Peugeot 205 GTi) [5]
126 Miceal REDMOND/Niall KEARNEY (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
127 Paddy MILLIGAN/Kevin MURPHY (Opel Manta) [6]
128 Adrian DRURY/Cat LUND (Peugeot 106 GTi) [4]
129 Mark STEWART/Chris HOBSON (Mazda MX5) [4]
130 Malcolm PEDLOW/Billy REGAN (BMW 2002tii) [10]
131 Niall CREIGHTON/Gregory ROBERTS (Ford Cortina Mk1) [10]
132 Harry BROWN/Martin McGRATH (Hillman Avenger) [10]

RESERVE LIST
133 Damian TONER/Denver RAFFERTY (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
134 Dermot O'HAGAN/Pierce Jnr DOHENY (Honda Civic) [4]
135 Jason BLACK/Karl EGAN (Toyota Starlet) [4]

Classes
1 Group N Cars upto & including 2000cc
2 Group N Cars over 2000cc
3 2 wheel drive cars upto 1650cc 8 valve
4 2 wheel drive cars upto 1650cc 16 valve
5 2 wheel drive cars from 1650-2100cc 8 valve
6 2 wheel drive cars from 1650-2100cc 16 valve
7 2 wheel drive cars over 2100cc
8 Any 4 wheel drive cars not classified for Class 9 & 10
9 All WRC, R5, R4 & S2000 cars
10 Historic rally cars registered before 31st December 1990

David Bogie adds Rally van Wervik and Down Rally to his 2018 programme

Posted: May 31, 2018 4:06 AM

David Bogie has registered for the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship and will contest the Rally van Wervik (9 June) and the Carryduff Folklift Down Rally (21 July) in his CA1 Sport-run ŠKODA Fabia R5.

The 2011 British rally champion and five-time Scottish rally champion (who is the only driver to hold both titles at the same time) is using the events as practice for the Ypres and Ulster rallies, which are rounds of this year’s Prestone MSA British Rally Championship. The 30-year old Dumfries driver will be co-driven by John Rowan.

“Rally van Wervik will be perfect preparation for the Ypres Rally and the Down Rally is perfect timing ahead of the Ulster,” said Bogie. “We like to support other championships, so we have registered for the Asphalt Rally Championship. In fact, together with the BRC and Scottish, it’s the third championship we have registered for this year. We won’t do a pre-event test before Rally van Wervik, but we’ll go there with a base set-up from last year’s Ypres Rally and take it from there.”

Rhys Yates/Elliott Edmondson have also registered for the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship and will contest the Rally van Wervik in preparation for the Ypres Rally. With a FIA European Rally Championship programme, it’s likely to be a one-off Asphalt Championship appearance for the Chesterfield based driver, who will pilot his CA1 Sport-run Fabia R5.

High demand for Down Rally places

Posted: May 17, 2018 8:32 AM

Just 48 hours after entries opened for the Carryduff Folklift Down Rally, the organisers of the fourth round of the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship are already looking at opening a reserve list – such has been the high demand for places.

The Rathfriland MC and Ballynahinch & DMC organised event takes place over 100 stage miles on closed roads in County Down on Saturday 21 July, and the first 100 entries are guaranteed a run. The remaining 20 places will be awarded at the discretion of the organisers.

Registered Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship crews are strongly encouraged to enter the event as soon as possible!

On Line Entry Open

Posted: May 14, 2018 3:15 PM

Entries have opened for the Carryduff Folklift Down Rally, Round 4 of the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, which takes place in Northern Ireland on Saturday 21 July.

The event, which is jointly organised by Rathfriland MC and Ballynahinch & DMC, will consist of around 100 stage miles on classic County Down closed roads.

The event will run a maximum of 120 entries, with 20 of those awarded at the discretion of the organisers – meaning that the first 100 entries received will be automatically accepted.

On Line Entry:

On Line Entry System by RallyScore

Down Rally

MAJOR CHANGES & NEW SPONSOR FOR 2018 DOWN RALLY

Posted: September 13, 2017 4:09 AM

Rathfriland Motor Club are delighted to announce that major changes are in store for the 2018 Down Rally, which will take place on the new date of Saturday 21st July 2018.

The club have joined forces with close neighbours Ballynahinch & District Motor Club to co-promote and organise the rally which was first held in 2005. The 2018 event will be a closed road rally, run on high quality, famous County Down stages.

In addition, the event organisers are delighted to announce a new main sponsor, Carryduff Forklift. The local company are sponsoring the Down Rally for the first time.

Comments from David Greer of Carryduff Forklift:
“It’s an honour to be the main sponsor for the Down Rally, as it’s in my home County, and will consist of some of the most famous stages in Ireland. I’m delighted the two clubs have come together to organise this spectacular event."

Comments from Andy Gilmore, Chairman of Rathfriland Motor Club:
“Rathfriland Motor Club are delighted to be announcing the new working partnership with Ballynahinch Motor Club. This arrangement is something our local Regional Motorsport Association the ANICC has been encouraging clubs in Northern Ireland to do. It has strengthened the organising team for the rally, and brought a renewed freshness & enthusiasm to the event. We are also absolutely delighted that Carryduff Forklift have come on board as the main sponsor of the event, we very much look forward to working with them.”

Comments from Brian Crawford, Chairman of Ballynahinch & District Motor Club:
“Ballynahinch Motor Club are very excited to be entering into a new working relationship with Rathfriland Motor Club. We honestly believe clubs working together is the way forward for rallying in this part of the UK. We are also very happy to welcome on board Carryduff Forklift Ltd as the main sponsor. Carryduff Forklift have been avid supporters of Ballynahinch Motor Club for many years. We are very happy to have them on board and very appreciative of their continued support. We are looking forward to July 2018.”

Further major news regarding the event will be announced in the coming days.

Club Websites

Posted: September 11, 2017 4:41 AM

Rathfriland Motor Club
Ballynahinch & District Motor Club
Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs - www.motorsportni.org