Rallying Round Up

Patterson takes the honours in Imokilly

Wesley Patterson wins in Imokilly

Wesley Patterson and Johnny Baird took victory on last weekend's Imokilly Single Stage Rally. The crew won the event in their Escort from last year's winner Roy White by 6.2 seconds. White, navigated this year by Des Cooney had a great battle with Patterson over the three stages but in the end wasn't able to better his pace. Taking third was Barry Meade and Eamonn Hynes finishing just under 21 seconds behind the winners. Event report available here



Dogleap Tarmac Stages Rally 

Dogleap Tarmac Stages Rally Launch

Saturday the 2nd of August will see Maiden City Motorclub host the RiverRidge Recycling Dogleap Stages Rally. 6 stages and almost 40 stage miles is what will greet competitors when they arrive at the Shakleton complex in Ballykelly. Last year's winner Kieran Graffin will lead the almost 80 strong field away but the main talking point leading up to the event is the entry of motorbike ace Michael Dunlop. After sinking his teeth in a MK2 Escort on the Donegal International Rally earlier in the year the 25 year old will tackle his second rally in Brian Brogan's immaculate MK2 Escort. All eyes will be on him on Saturday. The event is also a round of the 2014 NI Junior Championship and will see the country's potential star's of the future tackle the event.


Breen Set for Rally Finland

Rally Finland Takes Place This Weekend

Craig Breen will tackle the world famous Rally Finland for the first time in a World Rally car this weekend.  Fresh from a win on his home Ravens Rock Rally Craig and his co-driver Scott Martin while on a break between rounds from their regular FIA ERC duties with the Peugeot Rally Academy team will use the same Fiesta RS WRC that they used back in February on WRC Sweden where they took 9^th overall on Craig’s first event in the car. This time the pair will use the 
all gravel rally to further evaluate their pace up against some of the world’s top drivers on another road surface.The pair are seeded in at number 23. Breen has competed in the event using a Fiesta ST, R2 and S2000 in the past. Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle will also continue their attack on the WRC. They currently sit in 7th place with 38 points. Alastair Fisher will also continue his WRC 3 campaign. The Ulster man is currently 5th in the championship on 18 points.

Patterson takes the honours in Imokilly

Wesley Patterson and Johnny Baird took victory on last weekend's Imokilly Single Stage Rally. The crew won the event in their Escort from last year's winner Roy White by 6.2 seconds. White, navigated this year by Des Cooney had a great battle with Patterson over the three stages but in the end wasn't able to better his pace. Taking third was Barry Meade and Eamonn Hynes finishing just under 21 seconds behind the winners.

Wesley Patterson wins in Imokilly

Patterson started the event with a time of 12:01.30 which was over seven seconds faster than White who set a time just 0.1 seconds faster than Meade setting up a great fight for the day. On stage 2 Patterson extended his advantage by almost three seconds to lead Roy White by 10.6 seconds. Barry Meade lay 17.7 seconds behind the leaders after his second run with White's MG ZR only 7 seconds ahead in second. On the final stage of the event White made one last push for victory but in the end it wasn't enough and he had to settle for the runners up spot. Wesley Patterson and Johnny Baird had the honour of being the first names on the Paul Mulcahy Memorial Trophy.
.

Further down the top ten there was a great battle between Frank Kelly and Jason Ryan. Ryan was ahead come the end of stage 1 in his starlet but only by 0.3 seconds from Kelly and on stage 2 the Escort driver moved ahead by 3.4 seconds. Kelly cemented his fourth place on the final stage finishing 20.4 seconds ahead of Ryan and winning class 14 in the process. It was however a very impressive drive from Jason Ryan winning class 11F by almost a minute.

1. Wesley Patterson/Johnny Baird  29:35.0
2. Roy White/Des Cooney  +6.2
3. Barry Meade/Eamonn Hynes +20.9
4. Frank Kelly/Mo Downey +29.8
5. Jason Ryan/Tadgh O'Sullivan +50.5
6. Stephen McCann/Breen McNamee +1.06.6
7. Mark Dolphin/Finbar Quirke +1:18.7
8. Alastair Cochrane/Gary McElhinney +1:29.8
9. Allen Treacy/Bob Fitzgerald +1:32.1
10. Tom Flaherty/Patrick Curley +1:50.1

Rallying Round Up

Phelan Gets the Third Billy Coleman Award Nomination

24 year old Cormac Phelan has become the third nominee for the 2014 Billy Coleman Award. The Roscommon driver has been setting the stages alight this year with a hat-trick of junior class wins on the Circuit of Kerry, Carlow and Circuit of Munster Rallies and he now lies second in the Dunlop National Junior Championship. Cormac began his motorsport career in 2012, tackling three rallies, and increased this to five events last year, so this is his first full season of competition. He has been driving a Honda Civic until recently, but has now changed to a Citroen C2R2 Max which he drove to second place in class in Sligo last weekend on his first outing in a left hand drive car. Cormac joins Josh Moffett and Keven Eves on the list of nominations for the Billy Coleman Award.


Wright takes 208 podium in Luxembourg

Photo Cred: Conor Maguire

Stephen and Suzanne Wright traveled abroad last weekend to attack Rally Luxembourg in their Peugeot 208 R2 and the Monaghan pair had a successful event. The Wrights finished a fantastic 13th overall and 5th in the R2 class. They also netted 2nd in the 208 class. There was a few hiccups along the way however. A difference in the local rules to Irish regulations resulted in Stephen suffering a big time loss after a stage cancellation. The pair also lost 10 seconds having to stop at an accident on Day 2. Apart from that it was a good run for the pair. The next outing for Stephen will be the Ulster Rally next month. The pair will return to the Belgian Rally Championship at the Tour of Flanders on the 5th of September.


Imokilly Single Stage This Weekend!

All roads lead to Cork this Sunday as Imokilly hosts round 4 of the Southern 4 Rally Championship with the Imokilly Single Stage. The event is the only single stage event in the country at the moment and it hosts an entry list of 120 crews. Last year's winner Roy White will lead the field off the start line along with entries such as Frank Kelly, Darragh O'Riordan and Wesley Patterson. The event consists of a 20 Km stage repeated three times.

Entries to close soon for the Ulster Rally

With the final closing date for the Ulster Rally only a week away excitement is building for one of the biggest events of the year and this year's rally will be no different The organisers received an entry from three times Ulster Rally winner Jimmy McRae. The Scottish Rally legend is competing in the British Historic Rally Championship in a Vauxhall Firenza and his many Irish Rally fans will be cheering him on during the event. The event will also host an interesting point in the British Rally Championship. With the final round of the BRC canceled the Ulster Rally is now the penultimate round of the championship which will make it an exciting contest between championship leader Daniel McKenna and last year's winner of BRC section of the Ulster Rally, Osian Pryce. In the Clonikilty Blackpudding Irish Championship, Donegal’s Donagh Kelly has already secured his place on the start list and is expected to be joined by a large contingent of rapid WRC pilots including Irish Championship leader Declan Boyle, Monaghan’s Sam Moffitt in his Fiesta WRC and last year’s winner Garry Jennings. 

Moffett to Attack Rally Germany

It was announced on Tuesday that Sam Moffett and James O'Reilly are to make their World Rally Championship debut at Rallye Deutschland next month. The pair will compete in round 9 of the WRC in their Combilift Rallying Fiesta WRC. The team have had a successful year so far in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and the National Rally Championship winning three events so far for Sam and James. Craig Breen will also contest the event as well as Rally Finland next week.  Rallye Deutschland is famed for its testing conditions, from tight bumpy lanes through vineyards to wide, open roads through military ranges. . ADAC Rallye Deutschland runs from August 21st to 24th and is based in the town of Trier.

Josh Moffett Takes Maiden Win In Sligo

                                        PODCAST AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE




It was a day to remember for Josh Moffett and the Combilift rallying team as the young Monaghan driver took his first overall rally win in Sligo. Co-driven by John Rowan the crew won eight of the nine stages to take victory by over three minutes. When it was announced mid - week that Josh would be taking the Fiesta WRC from his brother Sam for the event everyone was keen to see how his transferal from Group N to WRC machinery would go.

Josh Moffett and John Rowan on their way to victory

Trevor Bustard John McCafferty - Group N Winners

 The day didn't start well for some of the top competitors with Frank Wray retiring after stage 1 with brake issues. Paddy McVeigh led the event after stage 1 by 4.9 seconds but a spin on stage 2 left him with light damage and cost him the lead. Sam Moffett was out in a brand new class 20 Mitsubishi Evo 9 and lay 3rd after the opening loop. A fantastic battle between the Evo 9s of Martin Doherty, Pat Kirk and Trevor Bustard was brewing and it was Kirk who who led Group N going into the first service by 14 seconds from Doherty with Bustard a further 6 seconds behind. More drama was to follow mid way through the second loop as gearbox issues on the road section between stage four and five forced Paddy McVeigh into retirement and elevated Sam Moffett into second. Pat Kirk was promoted to third but the battle between the Group N trio was still very much alive with the gap to Doherty now just under nine seconds after the second loop with Bustard a further 13 seconds behind. Into the final loop and drama was about to hit yet again as Sam Moffett retired on stage 8 with a broken wishbone, denying the team a famous Combilift Rallying 1-2. That development should have promoted Pat Kirk to second but Martin Doherty was on a charge and heading into the final stage he found himself 11 seconds ahead of Kirk and second overall. After McVeigh's retirement Josh Moffett had the breathing space to get to grips with his Fiesta and it became very clear he was learning fast. His times improved noticeably throughout the day and the size of his winning margin is a testament to that. It was Martin Doherty and Kevin Flannagan that took the runners up spot after a fantastic final loop. Pat Kirk and John McElhinney were 25 seconds behind in third. This meant that Group N went to Trevor Bustard and John McCafferty who took the class by over two minutes from Sean and Claire Gallagher. The win was especially pleasing for Bustard after a big accident during this event two years ago had a big impact on their rallying.The modified section was won by Gary Kiernan and Niall Tierney. The Cavan crew dominated in their class 13R Escort from start to finish and came home over a minute and a half ahead of his nearest rivals Brian Armstrong and Mark Tierney in their class 12 Escort. Kiernan put in an excellent performance and came home 4th overall.

Gary Kiernan and Niall Tierney took the modified honours

In class 2 it was another win for David Keller. Co-driven by Dean O'Suillivan the Donegal crew beat class 2 championship leaders Brian Quigley and Seamus McTigue by just over a minute and 19 seconds. In class 3 Mark Ewing and John Egan ran out comprehensive winners over Raymond Gilleece and Anthony Gilligan. In class 5 Eamon McCafferty and Michael Donnellan were the sole entrants and got their Ford Puma to the finish. In class 6 a close battle for the win saw Calvin Beattie and Emmett Sherry take the win by 37.9 seconds from Cormac Phelan and Katya Auhl. Roger Kennedy and Wendy Blackledge were the sole entrants in class 7 and got their Peugeot 306 to the finish. Damien O'Reilly and Martin Byrne ran out clear winners in class 9 beating their nearest rivals by over four minutes. Mark and James Ewing took class 10 by over four minutes in their Peugeot 205. In class 11F Alan Smyth and Martin Swinburne took a narrow 5.3 seconds win over Alan Lawson and Sean Harte. Class 11R went to David Moffett and Fintan Sherry winning the class by almost two minutes. Class 12 honours went to Brian Armstrong and Mark Tierney beating Martin Toner and Gary McCrudden by just under 10 seconds. Shane Buckley and Keefe Kilcoyne were the sole entry in class 13F and got their Honda Civic to the finish. Class 14 went to David Quinn and Enda McGonigle who were the sole survivors of the class. Anthony Cairns and Mark Preston dominated class 15 winning by well over 11 minutes. The junior rally went to Niall O'Sullivan and Sean O'Crowley who managed to battle mechanical issues to win by 46 seconds. Michael Carbin and Emmett McCooey were the sole survivors of class 20.


So with round 4 over us there is only one round of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship left. October 11 will see the Donegal Harvest Stages Rally host the final round of the championship and no doubt many of the championship competitors will make the trip up to the North West once again.


 https://soundcloud.com/matthewmcmahon5/sligo-stages-rally-podcast

All Roads Lead to Sligo this Weekend

This weekend will see the Connacht Motor Club host round 4 of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship and by the looks of things it has all the ingredients to entice spectators to the West. Over 100 entries will take the start ramp at the Sligo Park Hotel and tackle the 9 stages predominately based in neighbouring Leitrim.

Josh Moffett will take the wheel of the Fiesta WRC in Sligo

The big story coming into this weekend is that Josh Moffett is to take his brother Sam's Fiesta WRC for the event. The Billy Coleman Award Nominee has been in stunning form this year in his Group N Mitsubishi Evo 9 and currently joint leader at the top of the class 4 table in the championship. It will be interesting to see if he can make the transition to faster machinery. His brother Sam won on his debut in a WRC car in Monaghan two years ago driving a Subaru S14. His direct competition comes in the form of Paddy McVeigh and Frank Wray both in Subaru WRCs. McVeigh is joint leader of class 8 and with none of his championship rivals competing this weekend it will be a good chance for him to extend his lead.  Frank Wray hasn't entered any of the championship rounds so far but should be right up there challenging for the win on Sunday.

Trevor Bustard could take the lead in Group N with a good result

In Group N Sam Moffett is reverting back to his Evo 9 for the weekend. The Monaghan driver has said in the past that reverting back to a Group N car from faster machinery is a challenging task so can he get to grips with his Evo 9 form the get go? He will certainly have some competition to contend with. With Josh in the Fiesta the battle for Group N focuses in on three men in terms of the championship. Trevor Bustard, Pat Kirk and William Mavitty are all separated by 4 points in the championship table. Bustard took the honours at the last round in Cavan and will be on a real push to take the championship lead in Sligo. Pat Kirk is seeded at number 6, the Tyrone man was in contention for the win in Group N at the Donegal International until gearbox trouble forced him into retirement. He finished second in Cavan so will be looking to turn things around this weekend. Fermanagh's William Mavitty will be looking to claw back some points. Two thirds so far in the championship sees him just four points behind the Group N lead in the championship so a good finish in Sligo could make it very interesting going into the Donegal Harvest Rally. Other mentions in Group N this weekend include Paul Kiely. The former Clerk of the Course for the Sligo Rally will be hoping for a good run on his home event. Martin Doherty and Sean Gallagher will be also one's to watch this weekend.

Brian Brogan will be well in contention for modified honours

Brian Brogan and Jack Maguire look set to have a good scrap in class 14 for the top modified honours. Brogan has scored 14 points from the first two rounds of the championship but missed round 3 in Cavan while Jack Maguire has been improving throughout the season. 8th in Mayo was followed by 5th in Monaghan and then 3rd in Cavan so could he take the top spot this weekend in class 14? With Brogan not competing in Cavan it means he is two points behind Maguire in the championship so it is all to play for this weekend. David Quinn and Sean McHugh will both be competing in BMWs and will be looking to make a real push for top modified honours. For this weekend class 13 has been sub divided into class 13R and class 13F to separate rear wheel and front wheel drive entries. There are 8 entries in 13R including Dominic McLoughlin making a return to the stages in his Peugeot 205.

So with that its on to the rally. The cars will depart from the start ramp at 9.15 a.m. on Sunday ready to attack the 9 stages. I'll have a report and podcast with reaction from the winners as well as updates throughout the day so make sure and check my facebook and twitter pages for up to date information.

Matthew McMahon



https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maximum-Power-Rallying/252239664899732

https://twitter.com/maxpowerrally

Hunter Takes ALMC Victory

                                     PODCAST AT THE BOTTOM OF THE REPORT



It was a question of who could survive mother nature in Meath as the weather played it's part in an exciting ALMC Stages Rally. The day started dry but the rain wasn't long throwing a spanner in the works midway through the first loop as competitors struggled to cope with the changing weather conditions throughout the rest of the event.

First blood went to Hugh Hunter, the Welsh driver led after the first stage by seven seconds from Stephen Simpson and Gary Jennings who had set a time exactly the same to the nearest tenth of a second. However on stage 3 Jennings took the lead by 5 seconds setting up a nice fight going into the second loop. Stephen Simpson held third but his rally ended after hitting a bale on stage 4. On stage 6 an oil pressure problem ended Gary Jennings' rally. The event leader pulled off the stage and into retirement with two miles to go handing the lead back to Hugh Hunter. The Welsh man held first place until the end winning the event by 54 seconds. John Stone inherited second place but on the last stage he slipped to fourth. The battle of the afternoon was definitely between Damian Cole and Mick O'Brien. The pair were neck and neck for most of the day and at the finish line their times were inseparable to the nearest tenth of a second! It was Cole than won the battle as he had set the faster time on the final stage and took 2nd place overall. Mick O'Brien was still happy with taking 3rd.

Hugh Hunter and Andy Marchbank win by 54 seconds

In the modified section it was Frank Kelly that took the honours in class 14 beating Keith Robathan by just over a minute and a half. We were denied a close battle for the top spot after Adrian Hetherington unfortunately crashed out on stage 2. After that Kelly was in control till the end.

Frank Kelly and Jackie Elliot Win the Modified Section

  In Group N Merion Evans sadly crashed out of the lead on stage 8 after landing awkwardly over a jump. The UK driver was enjoying a good run and was leading the class by almost three minutes until his accident. That left Shane O'Rourke to take the win by well over two minutes from Joe Gallagher.

In the juniors it was Paul Jordan Hone who set the early pace leading by over 40 seconds but his rally ended after just two stages. Brian Brady took the lead on stage three and held it to the end winning the class by 28 seconds from Tom Holton. In the historics it was Christopher Lloyd who was the sole survivor after the retirement of Malcolm Pedlow on stage 2.




                                                  ALMC Rally Podcast

Ulster Rally Is A Go

This week saw the launch of one of the most popular events of the year, the Ulster Rally. An event which is well supported in terms of championships and entries a like and this year looks set to be one of the most exciting Ulster Rallys yet. Big names such as Gary Jennings, Stephen Wright and current British Rally Championship leader Daniel McKenna were on hand to launch the event in the grounds of the Castle Coole Estate in Fermanagh.

The event could play a pivotal role in a number of championships this year. In the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, Declan and Brian Boyle will head to Enniskillen on the back of a fantastic home win in the Donegal International Rally and a win in Ulster will surely wrap up the championship for them. But the Boyle brothers didn't have much luck last year only managing to complete one stage before retirement so will they fair better this time? Sam Moffett and James O'Reilly have had a great year so far with victory in Killarney and taking second after a tough battle in Donegal, they are currently second in the championship. A victory in Ulster and a retirement for the Boyle's might just see them head for Cork with a chance at the title. Last year's winner Gary Jennings will no doubt be eager to make it two in a row and although he currently is fourth in the championship he could well play a role in how this championship concludes.

Another man looking for a strong Ulster performance is Monaghan man Daniel McKenna. After victory in the Scottish Rally McKenna is leading the British Rally Championship by 20 points. His chief rival Osian Pryce failed to finish with gearbox problems and comes into round 4 of the championship needing a good result. Pryce won the Rally NI section of the event last year so he will travel to Fermanagh with confidence in that regard however the stages are 70% different to last year. McKenna will attack his home round of the BRC with the knowledge that his car is 100% where he wants it to be in terms of performance which certainly will help his confidence when attacking the stages. So this I think will be the battle of the rally. Ulster could prove all the more important in terms of the championship as there are rumours circulating that Rally Dorset may not take place. After the announcement that the BRC will not be run in 2015 the Southern Car Club, who organise and run the event, released a  statement earlier in the week blasting the MSA for the decision which has all but put an end to a potential deal to bring important sponsorship to the event, which could lead to it being axed. Nothing of course has been made official in terms of the cancellation of Rally Dorset and it would be a tremendous shame to lose the event formally known as Rallye Sunseeker. In the event that the rally is canceled however it would make the Ulster Rally the penultimate round of the championship and thus the result could be all the more important.

Stephen and Suzanne Wright will also be tackling the event. The Monaghan pair have been impressing in the Belgian Championship this year and finished in the top 10 in the R2 category at the Ypres Rally. The crew will come to Fermanagh looking to challenge Irish and British R2 contingent. Wright took second in Group N here last year and although he's in a different car he knows the stages so will definitely be one to watch.

As the entries are set to open there will be many more crews to keep an eye on including Billy Coleman Award Nominees Kevin Eves and Josh Moffett as well as many more familiar faces. The event is just 6 weeks away so put it in your diary and get ready!

Donegal and Beyond

It appears the rivalry between Monaghan and Donegal isn't just confined to football as the world of rallying was treated to a thrilling fight between Declan Boyle and Sam Moffett. The pair were the only real challengers for the win all weekend and in the end it went to Letterkenny's Declan and Brian Boyle. Other drivers Donagh Kelly and Darren Gass unfortunately didn't make it to the end.

Donegal International Winners Declan and Brian Boyle

My pre-event tip to win Gary Jennings wasn't able to match the pace of the leaders but managed to take a very respectable 3rd place while Derek McGarrity had to settle for 4th but the rivalry between Moffett and Boyle over the wekend made the action very exciting. The Monaghan man took the lead on a number of occasions and certainly didn't make it easy for the Boyles.  With the intense competition between all competitors we witnesses something on Sunday that would seem completely alien in many other sports. Declan Boyle's car refused to start at the entry to Atlantic Drive and it looked like his bid to win his first Donegal International could be over. But in an act of compassion his competitors came to his aid and managed to restart the car. There's something about this sport that puts it above any other in my eyes and things like this that make it so.

Runners Up Sam Moffett and James O'Reilly

Looking ahead to the rest of the championship you have to favour Declan and Brian Boyle to bring the Irish Tarmac Championship back to Donegal again this year. The Subaru crew have a healthy lead in the championship now and surely a good result at the Ulster Rally will make it a comfortable trip to the Cork 20 later in the year.

An interesting announcement was made yesterday that could have an impact on Irish Rallying as a whole. The British Rally Championship will not go ahead in 2015 prompting the question where will the regular competitors of the BRC go. Could this be good news for the likes of the Irish Tarmac Championship. The ITC is an incredibly challenging and popular championship and has a rich history of high profile competitors entering it. Could this one year absence for the BRC result in certain teams or even manufacturers heading for the Emerald Isle? It will be certainly be interesting to see.

Donegal International Ready For the Off

Just a few days separate us from the start of the biggest rallying event on the calender in Ireland, the Donegal International Rally. Crews from across the country flock to the North West every year for one of the most daunting, challenging and entertaining events in the country and judging by this year's entry list it's set to be a cracker!

Last year's winner Sam Moffett will lead the field away from Letterkenny on Friday afternoon and the Monaghan man will be eager to make it two in a row this year. Moffett along with co-driver James O'Reilly have been enjoying a fantastic run of form over the year and the pair have claimed a number of victories including the previous round of the Clonikilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the Rally of the Lakes. That being said there is a lot of competition behind him all aiming for the same prize. Donegal natives Declan and Brian Boyle had a mixed year and will be looking for their first Donegal International win. After the disappointment of crashing out in Killarney the championship leaders will be hungry for success on home soil and cannot be discounted for victory. Seeded at number 3 is another previous winner of the event in Gary Jennings. Co-driven by the very experienced Rory Kennedy, Jennings hasn't managed a victory in the Tarmac Championship this year and with the win slipping from his hands with a crash on the final stage of the Circuit of Ireland he will be on a real push. Another driver to watch this weekend.is Donagh Kelly. The Focus driver is another man who has had an up and down year. Two podium finishes in Galway and the Circuit of Ireland were followed by a crash in Killarney. Donagh and co-driver Kevin Flanagan will be hungry for a result this weekend particularly since they are third in the championship just one and a half points behind Josh Moffett. Rounding out this list is the most experienced of the top 5 competitors but despite this he hasn't managed to claim victory in Donegal yet. Derek McGarrity is more than capable of winning but that top spot has eluded him in the North West. Will this be the year that all changes? The rest of the top ten is full of talent with the likes of Darren Gass, Seamus Leonard and John O'Donnell all in WRC machinery all with a point to prove. As for the win? Out of all the drivers mentioned there are only two previous winners among them but that's not to say the others aren't capable of taking their first victory. The form this year has been so erratic that it makes picking a winner incredibly difficult but if I had to pick one I'd put money on Gary Jennings. The 2012 winner will have a point to prove after previous results didn't go his way and with a previous victory under his belt he knows what the winning formula is here. But if this year has proven anything it's that this sport is incredibly unpredictable so Moffett, McGarrity, Kelly or any of the top 10 could be in line for victory.

In Group N Josh Moffett has to be considered the favourite. The younger brother of Sam has had a brilliant year so far and currently lies in 2nd overall in the Tarmac Rally Championship. He won't have it all his own way with the likes of Martin Doherty and Stephen Mc Cann more than capable of challenging.

The National Rally is just as mouth watering and as usual hosts an array of talented drivers. The favourite in my book has to be the 2012 winner Daniel McKenna. Co-driven by Arthur Kierans the Monaghan man has had quite the year so far winning the 2WD category of the European Rally Championship section of the Circuit of Ireland as well as a successful campaign so far in the British Rally Championship. He will be closely fought by last year's winner, Gary McPhillips. The two Escort drivers look to rekindle the battle they shared during this year's Monaghan Stages Rally in which the pair were neck and neck for most of the day. Donegal's Declan Gallagher is also in with a great chance of victory. The Glenties driver has had a great year so far and currently leads the Irish Tarmac National Championship and will be hungrier than ever for victory on home soil. Last week motorsport fans
got a fantastic surprise in the announcement that Motor Bike legend Michael Dunlop has entered the rally in a MK 2 Escort. All eyes will be on Dunlop, who has 11 Isle of Man TT race wins to his name, to see if he can impress in a car the way he impress on a bike. With the likes of Wesley Patterson, Frank Kelly and Manus Kelly to name a few also in the mix it will be a very intense battle for national honours this weekend and looks set to be a cracker.

So all eyes turn to the start ramp this Friday as the 42nd Donegal International Rally kicks off. It's very important to remember that the world of rallying was hit hard by the tragic accident during the Jim Clark Rally this year and with that in mind it is incredibly important people obey the marshals and consider their own safety while spectating. This rally has been hit by tragedy in the past and the last thing anybody wants is a repeat of that so stay safe and enjoy the premier event in Irish Rallying.

Maguire takes the honours in Cavan

It was victory number 6 in Cavan for Niall Maguire as the Ballinode man took the win by 1 minute and 47 seconds over Rodney Wilton and Conor McMahon. Maguire, whose co-driver Conor Foley also took his first ever out right victory, took the lead from the start and never looked back in the difficult conditions in Cavan. Trevor Bustard and John Mc Caffery too the final spot on the podium.

With Wilton holding second place overall all day he was not considered in the battle for Class 14. Michael Curran and Enda Gererty were setting the pace for most of the day but retired after stage 6. In the end it was Adrian Hetherington and Gary Nolan that took the honours by 36 seconds from Jack Maguire and Andy Hayes, Daniel Doherty and Michael Doherty were a further minute and a half behind in 3rd.

In Group N it was Stephen McCann and Paul Kelly who were the early pace setters but a collision with a bank on stage 4 would eventually lead to their retirement in the end it was Trevor Bustard and John Mc Caffery who took the class but with Bustard finishing 3rd overall he forfeited his class win and the spoils went to Pat Kirk and John McEilhinney with William Mavitty and Niall Byrne in 2nd. Neil and Gerard Tohill took 3rd.

In class 20 there was an incredibly close battle for the win between Michael Carbin/Emmett McCooey and David Leonard and Darragh Mullen. The two crews were never more than 20 seconds apart all day. Carbin held a slim lead of 11 seconds after the first loop but by the second service that gap had been whittled down to just 3 seconds. On stage 7 Leonard took the lead briefly by just one second but Carbin struck back on stage 8 regaining the lead by 3 seconds. He finished the final stage 14 seconds ahead earning a hard fought victory.

In class 13 it was Paddy Boyle and Mary Sherlock who took the spoils by 15 seconds from the class winner in Monaghan, Richard Moffett and Martin Connelly. Mark Wedlock and Adam Kinkade took 3rd. It was Russell Woods who took the Paddy Kiernan Memorial Award for his fastest time on stage 7.

Brian Armstrong and Mark Tierney took an impressive win in class 12. They were over two minutes ahead of  James Cassidy and Declan Smith. Arthur and Mac Kierans took 3rd spot.

It was a good win for Chris Snow and Sean Brady in their Honda Civic in Class 11F. The crew won the hotly contested class by over a minute from Darren O'Brien and John McCabe with Adrian Cannon and John McCrudden in 3rd.

It was an all Monaghan top 3 in class 11R with David Moffett and Fintan Sherry taking an impressive win from Martin McPhillips and Ciaran Tynan who were over two and a half minutes behind. Barry Treano
r and Colm Connolly took 3rd.

There was a very close battle in the juniors section with Martin Swinburne and Keith McCannon snatching the win on the final stage from Adrian Sweeney and Gary Lockhart. The Monaghan crew took the win by just 3 seconds. Adam Faulker and Brian Brady took 3rd. The sole entry in historics of Malcom Pedlow and Ivor Ferguson managed to get their BMW 2002 to the finish.

In class 6 Stephen Wright and Karl Atkinson dominated. The Billy Coleman Award Winner took the class win by over 11 minutes from Max McKillen and Tim McQuaid with Liam Branley and Nathan Burrows a further 3 minutes behind in 3rd.

Other class wins include Brian Quigley and Seamus McTigue who took class 2, Timmy England and Breege Reilly were the sole finishers in class 3, Eammonn McCafferty and Michael Donallan were the sole finishers in class 5, Joseph McGonigle  and Ciaran Geaney took class 7, Gene Callan and Sean Bruton took class 9 and John Kelly and Niall Kelly took class 10.

The next round of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship takes us to Sligo for the Connacht  Sligo Stages Rally, the penultimate round of the championship. Hope to see you there!!

2014 Cavan Stages Rally Preview

As another weekend looms we prepare for round 3 of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship. The Cavan Stages Rally offers another demanding challenge for crews as over 100 entries are ready to tackle the nine stages. Looking down through the entry list there's plenty to get excited about as the Border Rally Championship has succeeded yet again to attract a high quality entry.

At the head of the field we have the 2004 champion Niall Maguire who is returning after injury put him out of his home rally in Monaghan. He will be followed by Paddy Mc Veigh who will be hoping for better luck this time out after retiring from round 2. Pat Mc Daid, seeded at Number 53. rounds out class 8 and will be on a real charge against the Subaru's ahead of him. There's an impressive line up in Group N which include Aaron McHale, Shane Maguire and Trevor Bustard. All the ingredients for a great battle!

Rodney Wilton leads away the Class 14 contingent and will be looking for a repeat of his class win in Monaghan. He won't have it all his own way and will have to contend with the likes of Adrian Hetherington, Jack Maguire and Tom Flannery to name just some of the entries in class 14 setting it up for a thrilling battle all day. Class 13 is certainly no less enticing. Richard Moffett will be looking to pick up where he left off in Monaghan with another class win. He'll be challenged by the likes of Russell Woods, Paddy Boyle, Chris Armstrong and Gary Kiernan to name only a handful of the 13 crews contesting the class.

Double Border Rally Champion Arthur leads away another strong entry in class 12. The Smithboro man is having a busy year co driving for Daniel McKenna in the British Rally Championship but he proved he still has what it takes in the drivers seat by talking the class win in Monaghan by 53 seconds. Martin Toner and Brian Armstrong have been very closely matched over the first two rounds and it will be fascinating to see who emerges ahead at the finish ramp Sunday evening. Class 11R should see a good battle between David Moffett and Kevin Bradley, both have a class win under the belt this year.

Plenty of entries in the rest of the field promise an exciting days rallying. Please remember to obey the marshals at all times. We had a tragic reminder how dangerous this sport can be two years ago in Cavan so lets have a safe and enjoyable day, best of luck to all competing, I'll see you on the stages!!

Moffett Makes It a Double In Monaghan

Yet again it was a local win in Monaghan as Sam Moffett took victory in his home event for the second year running. The Clontibret man co - driven by James O'Reilly took the lead from the start and never looked back winning by just over two minutes! Peadar Hurson finished an excellent 2nd in the Escort WRC proving that "90's" World Rally Car machinery can still put it up to it's modern day counterparts. Paddy McVeigh's rally came to an end on stage 4 when the car got beached on a bank and with no spectators or marshals to help he was unable to continue although thankfully the car hasn't sustained much damage. Kevin Barrett came home 4th to take the class 8 win. Sam's brother Josh took Group N honours by over 3 minutes while Richard and David Moffett won classes 13 and 11F also making it a good day for Moffetts.

While Sam's win never really looked in doubt it was the battle in the modified section that really grabbed people's attention. Daniel McKenna and Gary McPhillips had a very close scrap for the Modified honours all day. After the first loop of three it was McKenna that led McPhillips by over six seconds with Rodney Wilton the best of the rest in third, fifty seconds behind. That was all changed at the second service stop however as McPhillips had taken the lead from the Scanbitz Escort, made more impressive considering Gary had a puncture on stage 4. Daniel was complaining of vibrations in his car. The battle was unfortunately cut short as McPhillips was forced to retire on stage 8 with gearbox problems handing the win to Daniel McKenna. With the Scotshouse man also finishing third overall it means he forfeited his class 14 win which was inherited by Rodney Wilton. Rodney has had a bad run of luck the last two years in Monaghan with an accident and driveshaft failure forcing his retirement so it's nice to see a change of fortune for the Cavan man.

Class Wins

In Class 1 Francie McKenna and Sean Craig were the sole starter and brought the car home 74th overall. In class 2 there was a good battle between David Keller and Brian Quigley in their Honda Civics. Keller led from the start with Quigley briefly taking the lead on Stage 3 but it was David that took the win in the end by sixteen seconds. Class 3 spoils went to Mark Ewing and John Egan as they were the sole survivors in the class. In Class 6 Darragh Kelly and Keith Gorrell took the lead after stage 2 and never looked back winning the class by over a minute. Roger Kennedy and Wendy Blackledge were the sole class 7 starters and got their Peugeot 306 to the finish. In class 9 Gene McDonald and Kevin Reilly took the win by over 5 minutes in their Ford Escort. Cathal Sheridan and Evin Hughes took advantage of  the rate of attrition in class 10 to take the win in their Opel Corsa. In class 11F early leaders Kevin and Gavin Gallagher retired their Rover 25 on the second loop to hand victory to Adrian Cannon and Paddy McCrudden in their Honda Civic. Justin Smyth and Sharon Clarke lead class 12 for most of the day in their Escort until their retirement after stage 6 leaving Daniel McKenna's British Rally Championship co-driver, Arthur Kierans to take the class navigated by his soon Mac. A good battle between Colin Flannigan and Patrick Bride's Evo 7 and David Smith and Jason McKenna's Evo 8 for class 15 spoils was cut short when both retired after the second loop handing the class win to Derek Bolton and Trevor O'Connell in their Subaru V4 STI. In the juniors Shane Forde and Brian McLoughlin took the lead on stage 2 and never looked back winning by over three minutes. Peadar Hurson's second overall meant that David Leonard and Darragh Mullen took Class 20 in their Lancer.

A great day was had by everyone yesterday. Thanks to Monaghan Motor for running a great event and for the weather for staying dry! Next event I'l make it two will be Cavan so see you all there!

Monaghan Rally set to be a cracker!!

If the Circuit of Ireland Rally last weekend proved anything it's that Ireland is certainly not short of rallying talent. To see some of the young guns from around the country put it up to their European counter parts was fascinating and resulted in some very impressive drives. The European Rally Championship leader going into the event, Craig Breen kept the eventual winner Esapekka Lappi honest right up until his retirement. Smashing two rear windows and loosing a rear bumper in a high speed moment he certainly can't be accused of not trying. Robert Barrable had a fantastic run to 3rd overall representing Ireland on the podium.


The Combilift boys in Sam and Josh Moffett were very impressive with Josh taking the Group N win. Sam unfortunately retired on day two but set a blistering pace considering the car is new to him. But the man who really impressed me was Daniel McKenna. In an event that was only supposed to be a practice session for is BRC campaign Daniel took the lead of the 2wd category from the start and held it right until the finish. Certainly a good omen for his BRC campaign. The National section was no less dramatic!! Gary Jennings, leading going into the final stage crashed out in dramatic fashion handing the win to Declan Boyle who continues his great run in his Subaru WRC.


So after this dust has settled in Northern Ireland the rallying fraternity moves to Monaghan for round 2 of the Border Rally Championship and the entry list does a lot to wet a rally fan's appetite. With rallying favourites from long ago and from today entering it is sure to be a fascinating day's rallying. Fresh off the Circuit and after his win in Monaghan last year Sam Moffett is seeded at Number 1 and will have his work cut out to defend his win with the likes of Niall Maguire, Paddy McVeigh, Kevin Barrett and Peadar Hurson behind him. The 2wd section is no less mouth watering. Daniel McKenna leads, Gary McPhillips, Rodney Wilton, Manus Kelly in Class 14 and a returning Dessie Kennan in Class 13. McKenna won a dramatic Monaghan Rally in 2012 but failed to finish it last year after and off and is using the event to test out Pirelli's new tyre selection. Gary McPhillips and Rodney Wilton failed to finish the rally last year so they will be keen to put that right this year. Dessie Kennan who is a previous winner of the rally will want to prove that he still has what it takes to compete at the front. Group N is also an exciting prospect  with Josh Moffett heading up a fantastic line up including Trevor Bustard and local man Shane Maguire

 I'll be marshaling this weekend and all I'll say is it's been too long. It looks set to be a fantastic weekend so lets keep the race in it's place and have a safe and enjoyable weekend! Heres is footage from last year's rally. Enjoy! :