Next Monday (bank holiday) 30th October, Mayo & District Motorsport Club’s second annual Margaret McGreal Fuel Economy Drive takes place in aid of Cancer Care West. This is a road event with a difference. Far removed from the annual Mayo stages rally which takes place every March, the Margaret McGreal Fuel Economy Drive is a family friendly road team event which takes place over approximately 240km of the scenic Wild Atlantic Way. In March 2015 Mayo & District Motorsport club lost one of their dearest members when Margaret McGreal sadly passed away and her club mates held the inaugural ‘Fuel Economy Drive’ in her memory in August 2016.
The objective of the event is to drive a set route in ordinary passenger cars under normal driving conditions. The event is open to all road worthy vehicles from pre-war cars to present day petrol or diesel models and motorbikes. Each competing vehicle starts with a full tank of fuel and on completion of the route they must refuel at a nominated filling station to calculate the fuel economy. Teams are required to check in at various check points along the route. Points will be added for fuel economy, early/late check in at check points, driving the wrong direction or missing a check point. At the end of the event the team with the least points are the winners. This is a fun event for all the family while at the same time raising funds for a worthy charity. The route was so popular last year the
organisers are running the same again and it takes competitors from the Great National Hotel Ballina through Killala, Ballycastle, Belmullet, Blacksod and back to Ballina. There will be a break in The Western Strands Hotel Belmullet for refreshments during the event. The day will finish with prize giving and an evening of entertainment for all in the Great National Hotel Ballina.
Entry forms will be available at registration which takes place from 9am on Bank holiday Monday 30th October in the Great National Hotel Ballina. The first car will leave at 10.45am and at 1 minute intervals thereafter. The cost is €50 per car, €30 per motorbike. This year the club are trying to encourage members of the motor industry to take part and support the event. This can be an opportunity for them to showcase their most fuel efficient vehicle or alternatively show off their most eye catching/desirable car.
You can contact the event secretary Rachel Rogers – 086 3670903 or by email mmcgecorun@gmail.com. All are welcome.
A great weekend for Mayo & District club members competing at a number of motorsport events.
At the Donegal Harvest Rally on Saturday, Foxfords James McGreal and navigator Chris Mitchell competing in a Mitsubishi Evo 6 dominated for most of the event and took 1st place in class 15. After running 2nd early in the day Brian Lavelle from Achill with navigator Darren Curran took 3rd place in class 11F in their Honda Civic.
Meanwhile further afield at the Hemicuda Rally in Belgium, Aidan Gannon from Tubbercurry who was navigating for Anthony O’Brien came 5th overall and 1st in the FIRC (Flanders International Rally Challenge).
Crossmolina’s Lorcan Moore navigating for John Reddington came 1st overall in the FIRC Championship 2wd and became the first Irish crew to ever win a Belgian Championship outright.
Congratulations and well done to all.
Results:
2nd September Lakeland Stages Rally.
Round 6 of the Valvoline Irish Forestry Championship took place in Enniskillen (Lakeland Stages Rally) Lorcan Moore navigating for Ashley Dickson in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 came 22nd Karl Egan navigating for Colin Price came 51st in a Honda Civic.
16th September Manx Rally
Jared Gill navigating for Nary Cunningham came 1st in category 1 historic and 38th overall.
17th September – Clare Stages Rally
Aidan Gannon navigating for Anthony O’Brien came 1st in class 20 and 4th overall; Crystal Culkeen navigating for Mike White came 3rd in class and 37th overall
Midlands Auto cross results – Lorcan Moore came 1st in class 2 in his Citroen Saxo; Steven Cafferty was best newcomer in his Nissan Micra.
30th Sept/1st Oct – Cork 20 International Rally
Well done to Justin Ryan & Tommy Moynihan who came 2nd in class & 3rd overall in the Juniors at the Cork 20 International Rally this weekend. Justin finished the year in 2nd place in the IRTC Junior Championship,
Well done to Pauric Duffy & Kevin Glynn who finished 2nd overall in the national category; Darragh Mullen navigating for Paul Rowley came 6th in the International category and 3rd in class; and Sean Hassett navigating for Ed Twomey also in the International category came 9th overall and 2nd in class.
This weekend we have a number of members competing in the Donegal Harvest Rally is on Sunday (7th) Brian Lavelle and Darran Curran are out in their Honda Civic and James McGreal and Chris Mitchell are in action in their Mitsubishi Evo 6.
Lorcan Moore is navigating for John Reddington and Aidan Gannon is navigating for Anthony O’Brien in the Hemicuda Rally in Belgium. Best of luck to all.
Well done to Brian Lavelle & Darren Curran who came 1st in class and 35th o/a;
Jared Gill navigating for Ray Cunningham who won the historic category;
Sean McHugh & Kathleen Kennedy, 8th in class and 61st o/a;
Derek McCarthy navigating for Stephen Reynolds, 4th in class and 71st o/a;
James McGreal & Chris Mitchell, 5th in class & 81st o/a;
Keith Jacobs & Michael Carr 4th in the juniors.
Hard luck to Barry Cuffe & Stephen McGing who retired after an incident on stage 3.
Justin Ryan battled his way through torrential rain showers and muddy, slippery roads to take maximum championship points and second Junior place overall at the John Mulholland Motors Ulster Rally on Saturday.
The battle to become the Irish Tarmac Junior Champion for 2017 has become a two horse race as this, the penultimate round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding sponsored series has seen championship leader Jenna McCann have her lead slashed to just 3 points as Justin and his co-driver John Burke in their Honda Civic secured what was their best finish this year.
Sailing across the rain-soaked stages, Justin and John used all of their knowledge to set the fastest stage times of championship registered crews on three of the opening four stages. Despite easing off the pace, perhaps a little too much over the next two stages; letting Jenna come within 14 seconds in her Ford Fiesta, Justin never looked back and held the top championship spot throughout the remaining two timed stages to finish event runner up, behind non championship registered Jason Black in his Toyota Starlet.
Speaking after his day of action around Derry, Justin said “Hats off to Jason Black in his Starlet, his pace on the wet Tarmac was unbelievable. We couldn’t match it but we were focused on staying ahead of Jenna. We are going to need to drive hard on the final round in Cork on October 1st and it will be really fun to drive in a fight for the title. It’s going to be interesting, let the quickest driver win!”
Mayo & District Motorsport Club wish to announce that the Autocross scheduled for the 20th August has been cancelled.
Monthly Club meeting:
Belcarra Community Centre, Friday 4th of August 9pm. All welcome.
by Andy Walsh
The Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, the final round of the 2017 Michael O’Brien Plant Hire Junior 1000 Championship provided a fine finale to an excellent inaugural season on the gravel. It proved to be a dream day for Jason Murphy, not only winning the Mallow based event, but clinching the 2017 title.
“I am absolutely delighted to win the National J1000 championship. I can’t believe it, it means a lot to secure the title and be the first name into the history books! A massive thanks to Ray Fitzpatrick and the Forest Rally Committee team for putting such hard work into this J1000 series, and thanks to my uncle and navigator Matthew who undoubtedly helped me to get into this position today! Thanks to C-Sport who had the little 1 litre Peugeot 107 in excellent shape all year and to Philip Case for excellent suspension set up and Killian Duffy from Onthepacenote for excellent notes all season. Thanks also to my sponsors Westtyre for their support, the championship sponsors, TV crews, organisers and marshals for a great years rallying, and to my family and friends for all their help” said the new 17 year old champion.
Despite a winning margin of just over one minute and twenty seven seconds, (after 65 kilometres of loose surface forest stages) over second placed Aoife Gahan, daughter of Tom Gahan, famous in rally preparation circles, it took a while for the South Mayo driver to find his rhythm, trailing the lead by 12 seconds after the first stage, a sign of nerves perhaps. But showing his determination Jason clawed back 15 seconds on stage two to lead at the first service by just 3 seconds. Slight adjustments to the car by the Claregalway based C-Sport Rally preparation team, who look after the running of the Peugeot 107, seemed to give Jason new confidence as he increased his lead to almost a minute over the next two stages, arriving back at the last service halt of the day with a cushion and the knowledge that two more clean runs would round of his first season in the championship for 16-18 year olds with another event win.
With no dramas on the last loop Jason and Matthew arrived back at the finish ramp, capping a wonderful debut season again spraying champagne and the knowledge that the fabulous championship prize of a drive in an R2 car on a 2018 Irish Forest Rally is now a reality!