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Mayo Stages Rally 11th March - Round 2 Preview

Courtesy Of Martin Walsh

Dunlop National Rally Championship Media Co-ordinator

CLAREMORRIS AWAITS DUNLOP CONTENDERS

THE second round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, the McWilliam Park Hotel/Fleet Transport Magazine Mayo Rally features no fewer than six World Rally Cars in a competitive top ten that will go head to head over nine testing stages in the Balla/Kiltimagh region of the county.

Top seed, Kevin Barrett in his Subaru WRC will be determined to get his Dunlop title bid back on track after finishing a disappointing sixth on the opening round in Abbeyleix at the end of last month. The Maynooth driver won the Mayo event last year, beating his Dunlop nemesis, Niall Maguire by 51 seconds, no doubt he will try and replicate that form to bring an end to his Dunlop drought - his last and only win in a round of the Dunlop series came at the Galway Summer Rally in 2010. “I picked the wrong tyres for the opening loop in Abbeyliex and when you drop that kind of time there is no way back. In reality, what we saw in the opening round is that Thomas (Fitzmaurice) has got on to the car very well while we all knew that Brian (O’Mahony) would be quick. Along with Niall, Seamus Leonard and Aaron MacHale it will make for an interesting day.”

Opening round sensation, Kerry’s, Thomas Fitzmaurice in the ex-Valentino Rossi/Patrick Elliott Subaru S11 will start from the number three slot as leader of the Dunlop National Rally Championship. “It won’t be easy, the stages in Abbeyleix suited me, you can take that kind of pace from Group N. If the stages are technical, then Kevin (Barrett) and Niall (Maguire) will be hard to beat, they are familiar with the one-day events. I was surprised with myself in Abbeyleix. I knew Brian (O’Mahony) was going to be quick and to be honest, tyre choice cost him the rally. You can be sure that won’t happen again.”

The Abbeyleix Rally was a great contest between Fitzmaurice and his Cork rival, Brian O’Mahony, also in a Subaru S11. Tyre choice proved crucial on that event and no doubt, both will be eager to take victory in the west of Ireland. O’Mahony will have his Mayo co-driver, John Higgins calling the pacenotes and hoping for a win in his local event.

Former triple champion, Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC) wasn’t that far off the pace in Abbeyleix, he lost time with a puncture and the Monaghan man will be intent on ensuring he will be an integral part of the battle in Mayo. It will be interesting to see how series interloper, Seamus Leonard (Subaru WRC) will fare against the opposition over the nine stages.

Meanwhile, former Dunlop champion, Aaron MacHale, who won the title in 2007 will compete in his Ford Focus WRC for the first time in several months, he will be co-driven by Brian Daniels. Monaghan’s, Daniel McKenna (Ford Escort) is the top entry in the Modified category and will be superb opposition for the fellow Escort duo of Frank Kelly and Declan Boyle. Kelly was the top finisher in Abbeyleix and leads the Dunlop National Mark 2 Escort Champions Trophy and the rally.ie category. The top ten is completed by Clonmel’s, Roy White (MG S2000), who crashed out on the opening round in Abbeyleix after making a good impression on the opening stage, will be intent on making amends.Elsewhere, the Mayo entry includes the Group N cars of Trevor Bustard (Mitsubishi), Shane Maguire (Subaru), Donagh Kelly (Mitsubishi) and Josh Moffett (Mitsubishi) while the Modified category in reinforced by Camillus Bradley, Rodney Wilton, Pat Donegan, Mickey Conlon – all in Ford Escorts and the Toyota Starlet of Declan Gallagher.

Organising Club: Mayo& District Motorsport Club.

Clerk of the Course: Padraic Roche.

Rally Headquarters: McWilliam Park Hotel. Claremorris. Tel: 094 93 78000

First Car Away: McWilliam Park Hotel. 08.50.

S.S. 1, 4 & 7: Craggagh Hill (12.8 Kilometres) 09.33; 12.28 & 15.23.

S.S. 2, 5 7 8: Thorn Hill (13 Kilometres) 10.04; 12.59 & 15.54.

S.S. 3, 6 & 9: Eden (14.3 Kilometres) 10.49; 13.44 & 16.39.

Service: adjacent to McWilliam Park Hotel: 09.05; 11.35 & 14.30.

Finish Ramp: McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris. 17.15.

Top 10 Starters:

1. Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Subaru WRC)

2. Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru WRC)

3. Brian O'Mahony/John Higgins (Subaru WRC)

4. Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru WRC)

5. Seamus Leonard/John McCafferty (Subaru WRC)

6. Aaron MacHale/Brian Daniels (Ford Focus WRC)

7. Daniel McKenna/Andrew Grennan (Ford Escort)

8. Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Ford Escort)

9. Declan Boyle/Brian Boyle (Ford Escort)

10. Roy White/James O’Brien (MG S2000)

FITZMAURICE NETS FIRST VICTORY IN THRILLING FINISH

Martin Walsh

Media Co-Ordinator Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley Subaru S11 WRC - 1st Overall Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Birr Stages Rally 2012

Photo © Martin Walsh

THE opening round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally, was won by the Kerry crew of Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Subaru WRC). In an absorbing tussle through all nine stages, they finished 17 seconds ahead of the Cork/Mayo combination of Brian O’Mahony/John Higgins, also in a Subaru WRC. Monaghan’s, Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru WRC) were third – 44 seconds further adrift.The Group N category was won by Robert Barrable/Dermot O’Gorman (Skoda Fabia S2000) and Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Ford Escort) took victory in the Modified section.

Fitzmaurice (Subaru WRC) made a great start and punched in the best time on the opening stage – three seconds ahead of both Brian O’Mahony (Subaru WRC) and Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC), who tied for second. Robert Barrable (Skoda Fabia S2000) was fourth – eight seconds further behind and two ahead of the MG S2000 of Roy White. Colm Murphy (Subaru) held sixth overall. Late entry, Garry Jennings lost front brakes and then stalled the ex-Donnelly Toyota Corolla WRC and became the first major retirement when it wouldn’t re-start. Fitzmaurice also set the pace on the second stage while O’Mahony dominated the time sheets on the final stage of the loop. At the Rathdowney service halt, Fitzmaurice held a seven second advantage, like all the other drivers he remarked on the extremely slippery nature of the stages. A spin on the third stage illustrated the slippery conditions. O’Mahony took sole occupancy of second place with Barrable moving into third – nine seconds further behind. Maguire stalled his Subaru on the final junction of the third stage, nevertheless, he held fourth – a mere second behind Barrable. Murphy slotted into fifth from the Mitsubishi of Sam Moffett, who was 27 seconds behind the Limerick driver. Top seed, Kevin Barrett struggled in the conditions, a hard slick was certainly not the correct tyre choice. Frank Kelly, who led the Mk. Escort brigade despite an overshoot and a full 360 degree spin on the third stage, was eighth overall. The Group N cars of Josh Moffett and Shane Maguire completed the top ten.Meanwhile, Roy White crashed his MG S2000 out of the rally on the second test, a stage later, overseas driver, Steve Simpson, who had an altercation on the opening stage, went off the road and out of the rally.

The battle between Fitzmaurice and O’Mahony was intense over the second loop. The Kerry driver increased his lead to eight seconds after Stage four even though he had a major moment. O’Mahony was quickest through the remaining two stages to trim the deficit to five seconds. Maguire lost time with a puncture on the fifth stage but remained in third, albeit 27 seconds behind O’Mahony. Barrable retained fourth from Colm Murphy, who was probably the only driver looking for wet conditions.

Barrett was pleased with his performance through the second loop, he was sixth. Sam Moffett was another driver happy with his performance, he admitted to being off the pace on the opening loop.

Meanwhile, Kelly continued to set a cracking pace in the Modified category as he held a 31 second lead over Mike Quinn. The final place in the top ten was annexed by Josh Moffett (Mitsubishi). Declan Boyle (Escort) and Jonathan Pringle were just outside the top ten, the latter, seeded at 44 was worried about his Escort’s head gasket.

On Stage 7, Fitzmaurice and O’Mahony shared the same time but the Cork driver lost around eight seconds when his Subaru drifted against a bank as he exited an intricate junction. Remarkably, the top three set identical time on the penultimate stage leaving Fitzmaurice with a five second advantage entering the final stage.

In a thrilling finish, tyre choice proved crucial as Fitzmaurice took victory by a margin of 17 seconds. The 38 year old, who netted his first win said, “I enjoyed the first loop, then I had a big moment on the fourth stage. I really nailed it on the last stage, I gambled on tyres and it paid off. This win didn’t come easy, Brian (O’Mahony) really pushed me to the limit, I was race fit from Galway.”

Obviously disappointed, O’Mahony was still delighted to have got 18 Dunlop championship points. “I drove hard on S.S. 7 but then the tyres went off on the final stages, especially on the final stage.”

Former triple champion, Niall Maguire was third and Barrable, who admitted the fast stages didn’t suit his Skoda S200, was fourth. Colm Murphy (Subaru) finished fifth. Meanwhile, Kevin Barrett took the Dunlop “Drive of the Day” award, he made the most improvement on his opening stage loop times.

Driving a 2.5 Vauxhall engine Escort, Frank Kelly dominated the Modified section. The top ten was completed by Sam Moffett (Mitsubishi) and the Escorts of Declan Boyle and Mike Quinn.

Kerry’s, PJ O’Dowd/John Young (Sunbeam) won the Historic category and victory in the Junior section went to Richard Moore/Richard Cleary (Honda Civic).

Top 10 Overall

1. T. Fitzmaurice/F. Foley (Subaru WRC)1h. 15m. 59s.

2. B. O'Mahony/J. Higgins (Subaru WRC) 1h. 16m. 16s.

3. N. Maguire/E. Sherry (Subaru WRC) 1h. 17m. 00s.

4. R. Barrable/D. O’Gorman (Skoda Fabia S2000) 1h. 17m. 16s.

5. C. Murphy/D. Montgomery (Subaru) 1h. 17m. 34s.

6. K. Barrett/S. Mullally (Subaru WRC) 1h. 18m. 36s.

7. F. Kelly/L. Brennan (Ford Escort) 1h. 18m. 47s.

8. S. Moffett/J. O’Reilly (Mitsubishi) 1h. 19m. 01s.

9. D. Boyle/B. Boyle (Ford Escort) 1h. 19m. 22s.

10. M. Quinn/G. McEnery (Ford Escort) 1h. 19m. 31s.

Dunlop National Rally Championship (Positions after Round 1): 1. T. Fitzmaurice 20pts; 2. B. O’Mahony 18pts; 3. N. Maguire 16pts; 4. R. Barrable 14pts; 5. C. Murphy 13pts; 6. K. Barrett 12pts & 7. F. Kelly 11pts.

DUNLOP HEADS TO THE MANOR WITH MAXIMUM BOOKING

Martin Walsh

Media Co-Ordinator, Dunlop National Rally Championship.

THE first of the eight round Dunlop National Rally Championship events blasts into action in Abbeyleix on Sunday next (February 26th.) with the nine stage Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally. A cracking entry list is the perfect platform for the season opener with five WRC’s and an S2000 car amongst the top eight. The organisers, the Birr and District Motor Club, have attracted 130 entries along with 21 Junior crews and five crews in the Historic category. Commenting prior to the series opener, Dunlop supremo, Richard Warbrick remarked, “We welcome the new format, it brings value to the competitor. The inclusion of the National Mark 2 Escort Champions Trophy within the Dunlop series is a very important element of the series, the Mk. 2 Escort remains hugely popular, both with competitors and spectators and we are very conscious of the contribution that they make to Irish rallying. The quality of the entry in Abbeyleix is remarkable, it’s a fabulous start to the series.”

For top seed, Maynooth’s, Kevin Barrett (Subaru WRC), the season ahead offers another opportunity to secure his inaugural Dunlop title. A Dunlop regular for several seasons, Barrett gained his first Dunlop event victory in the 2010 Galway Summer Rally, however, since then, the top step of the Dunlop podium has eluded him. Former triple champion, Monaghan’s, Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC), who won in 1999, 2002 and 2004, is finding that unprecedented fourth title quite difficult even though he has finished runner-up on numerous occasions.

Cork’s, Brian O’Mahony in a McKinstry run Subaru WRC is set to make a bid for the national title. A former karter, the Carrigaline driver, who is seeded at number three in Abbeyleix, won Class 6 in the Dunlop series a few seasons ago when he campaigned a Renault Clio S1600. He had his first ever experience of a Subaru WRC on last year’s Cork “20” and actually led the event for a short time, he retired early in the second day.Former Billy Coleman award winner, Robert Barrable (Skoda Fabia S2000) is also competing in Abbeyleix. Last season, the young Dubliner made a great impression in Carlow and Cavan – finishing runner-up to Dunlop champion, Tim McNulty. Barrable actually won the Sligo round of the series.

After several years competing in a Mitsubishi, Kerry’s, Thomas Fitzmaurice has switched to a Subaru WRC and is set to compete in the full Dunlop series. He utilised the recent Galway International as a shakedown for the Dunlop campaign. “I want to do the national series and get on top of my game. I’m really looking forward to it and I think it is going to be a good year. I don’t know where to pitch my pace but I want to work it up as the events go along. It is important not to get over confident with the car.”Limerick’s, Colm Murphy took his Group N Subaru to third overall in last year’s event in Abbeyleix. There’s no doubt that he is capable of a similar result this time around. Wexford’s, James Stafford in his nimble Darrian will also be seeking a strong result on the nine stage encounter where he should be amongst the pacesetters in the two-wheel drive category, he led the category for a time last year but retired after the opening loop. British driver, Steve Simpson (Subaru WRC) returns to Abbeyleix following his fourth place finish last year. He will be co-driven by 2010 Dunlop championship winning co-driver, Patrick Walsh.

Clonmel’s, Roy White (MG S2000), who had a number of outings in last year’s Dunlop campaign is seeded at number nine, his car has been fitted with a 2.5 Millington engine for the 2012 season. Monaghan’s, Shane Maguire (Subaru) completes the top ten and will make another bid to win the Motorsport Safety Team National Group N award. Opposition in the category in Abbeyleix also includes the promising Josh Moffett (Mitsubishi Evo IX) and Eugene Meegan in a Mitsubishi Evo IX, who is seeded directly behind Maguire.

One of the new awards for this year is the Dunlop National Mark 2 Escort Champions Trophy. On this opening round, Kerry’s, Mike Quinn is the top seeded Mk. 2 Escort driver. The opposition is fascinating with former rally.ie champion, Declan Boyle, last year’s rally.ie runner up, Frank Kelly, Camillus Bradley, Pat Donegan, Trevor Mulligan, Michael Conlon, Michael Curran, Neil Williams, Russell Woods, James Coleman and Aidan Walsh. The battle for supremacy should be intense throughout the nine stages. Elsewhere, there are entries from the Citroen C2R2 trio of Peter Barrable, Kieran Daly and Graeme Colfer; Jason McSweeney (Honda Civic) and Joe Connolly (Ford Escort). The top seeds in the Junior category are Meath’s, Christopher Snow, Kerry’s, David Fleming, Galway’s, Dean Raftery, Clare’s, Patrick Horan, Wexford’s, Leon Galvin and Cork’s, Derek Butler. Denis Collins and Whitby Moynan head the Historic entries.Meanwhile, Richard Talbot, Chairman of the Dunlop National Rally Championship sub-committee remarked, “We are delighted with the way the season is shaping up with over 130 cars entered for the opening round in terms of quality and quantity. The reduction in the number of events (from ten to eight, with the best six to count) has made the championship a more realistic goal for competitors. The Mk2 Dunlop Champions Trophy seems to have caught the imagination of Ireland's leading competitors and together with the rally.ie two-wheel drive award, we now have a championship that is even more attractive to a wider range of competitors in terms of classes and budgets.”

Organising Club: Birr & District Motor Club.

Clerk of the Course: Bill Ryan.

Rally Headquarters: Abbeyleix Manor Hotel, Abbeyleix. Tel: 057-8730111.

First Car Away: Abbeyleix Manor Hotel. 9.05.

S.S. 1, 4 & 7: Oldtown (19 kilometres.)10.00; 12. 20 & 14.40.

S.S. 2, 5 7 8: Clough (15 kilometres) 10.40; 13.00 & 15.20.

S.S. 3, 6 & 9: Harristown (15 kilometres) 11.13; 13.33 & 15.53

Service: Rathdowney: After S.S. 3: 11.43 & after S.S. 6: 14.03.

Finish Ramp: Abbeyleix Manor Hotel. 16.49.

Top 10 Starters:

1. Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Subaru WRC).

2. Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru WRC)