Maguire claims Hat-Trick on Mayo Stages Rally 2012
Niall Maguire rolled back the years to claim victory on the McWilliam Park Hotel and Fleet Transport Magazine Mayo Stages Rally on Sunday. With co-driver Enda Sherry, the Monaghan man had to overcome a tough battle with team-mates and Subaru WRC rivals Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally, before a puncture for Barrett on the penultimate stage proved decisive in deciding the outcome. It was Maguire’s third victory on Mayo soil and puts him into the lead of this year’s Dunlop National Rally Championship after two rounds, while Barrett had to be satisfied with second place after winning this event last year.
Early morning drizzle had left the roads in very slippery conditions for the opening loop of stages, catching out many competitors. Among them were the number two seeds Thomas Fitzmaurice who lost two minutes with a spin in their Subaru WRC, dropping them to 85th place. Thereafter it was a case of damage limitation and the Kerry crew were ultimately very happy to finish in fifth place overall.
Brian O’Mahony and his local co-driver John Higgins from Kiltimagh were held up by the Fitzmaurice incident on stage one in their Duggan’s Sales & Recovery Claremorris sponsored Subaru WRC, but worse was to follow on the second loop of stages when smoke followed by fire enveloped the cabin. Luckily there was no permanent damage, but the Cork / Mayo pairing were disappointed to have to retire early on an event in which they had high hopes of victory.
Barrett had established a fifteen second advantage over the hard charging Donagh Kelly / Kevin Flanagan in a Group N Mitsubishi Evo as the competitors returned to first service with Maguire and O’Mahony close behind, but as the roads started to dry it was Maguire who started to push the pace, beating his team-mate on each of the following three tests to arrive back into second service tied on time with the Maynooth driver.
A close finish looked inevitable after Barrett struck back on stage seven, regaining the lead by two seconds. His chances of a repeat Mayo win were struck a major blow on the following test though, when the Subaru got a puncture, putting Maguire back in front by five seconds with one stage remaining. The Monaghan man was duly fastest again on the final stage, to claim a popular win back at rally HQ, the McWiliam Park Hotel.
Third place went to Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan who were the highest placed Group N competitors in their Mitsubishi Evo. Indeed the Donegal crew had been in contention for overall honours for much of the day until drying roads handed the advantage back to the World Rally Cars.
Tipperary’s Roy White and James O’Brien were happy with their run to fourth in their Rover MG ZR, Roy very happy with the car after suffering problems on the opening National Championship round in Birr. Behind Thomas Fitzmaurice in fifth were the Dunlop Championship Group N winners, Donegal brothers Trevor and Kenny Bustard in their Mitsubishi.
Seamus Leonard and John McCafferty were initially showing atop the leaderboard but a two minute penalty ultimately kept them down in seventh place, Seamus just happy to post decent stage times. On a day that proved challenging for rear wheel drive cars Camillus Bradley and Crawford Henderson from Co. Derry once again proved Masters of Mayo, winning the Dunlop Championship Mark 2 prize for top Escort crew. Two other Escort crews rounded out the top ten, Paul Barrett and Peter Ward from Tyrone ahead of Cavan’s Jonathan Pringle and Martin Byrne.
Once again Mayo & District Motorsport Club received many plaudits for runing a highly successful rally. Testing stages and flawless organisation meant the event ran without hardly a hitch, while the good weather attracted large crowds to see the action at the Ceremonial Start on Saturday as well as on the rally stages. For the hard worked organisers at the rally finish it was a case of looking forward to a well deserved rest but roll on 2013.
***FULL RESULTS***
A huge thank you to all who helped make this year’s Mayo Stages Rally a great success. Well done to everyone involved…
Photo shows Leah Horan, Muire Gan Small, NS Claremorris a winner in the Mayo Stages Rally 2012, Safety Poster Competition gets a cockpit view with Rally driver Kevin Barrett, pictured in his no 1 Subaru WRC (Class 8) at the Ceremonial Start of the McWilliam Park Hotel Fleet Transport Mayo Stages Rally 2012 in Claremorris.
Photo: © Michael Donnelly Photography
How Local Competitors Fared on the Mayo Stages Rally
Photos by James Burke
Top placed local finishers on the 2012 McWilliam Park Hotel and Fleet Transport Magazine Mayo Stages Rally were the brothers Loughney, Colin from Hollymount and Michael from Killala finishing 29 overall in their Ford Escort Mark 2, and taking second in class 12 in the process.
(Pictured are-Colin & Michael Loughney, top local finishers on Mayo Stages Rally, with Coin’s children Eoghan, Ciara and David)
Sean McHugh and Paul McLaughlin were the next best placed locals. After surviving pre-event brake problems and a major moment on stage three, the Bekan / Claremorris duo were delighted to come home safely in 37 place and 5 in class 14, Sean thanking his experienced navigator and his service crew for getting him to his first finish in nearly two years.
Headford / Ballinrobe combination Justin Ryan and Andy Walsh were slightly disappointed at the finish, but only because they had narrowly failed to claim an award for third in the very competitive class 2. This was directly as a result of a rival being awarded a faster scratch time on the penultimate stage because of a stage stoppage. Other than they were very happy to be setting competitive times on their home rally.
Belmullet’s Ciaran Kennedy and his Killala co-driver Patrick O’Hora came home safely in 58 place in their class 2 Honda Civic, two time penalties pushing them down the running order. They finished just one place ahead of the similar car of Tony Langdon and David Loughney from Ballina, who in turn were ahead of another class 2 Civic, this one piloted by Knock’s David and Simon McGuinness.
Mayo Motorsport Club Young Autocross Driver Champion Alan Moran had a successful stage rallying debut, bringing his Opel Astra home safely in 62 place and 7 in class 9. He reported a few minor moments but really enjoyed his day, thanking his sponsors MD Roofing, Moran Nurseries and Deasy’s Garage for their support, as well as James McGreal for preparing his rally car.
As photos below show,the Mayo & District Club Awards went to:
1st -Sean McHugh & Paul McLaughlin,
2nd- Justin Ryan & Andy Walsh and
3rd -Ciaran Kennedy & Pat O Hora (Missing from pics below)
The testing stages saw a lot of competitors fall by the wayside throughout the day, among them a number of local club entrants. They included Mervyn Deane and Trevor Burke from Williamstown, who had reiterated their high seeding with a top fifteen time on the opening test, but then retired on stage two after putting their car off the road.
Number three seeded co-driver John Higgins retired after special stage three following an in-car fire in Brian O’Mahony’s Subaru WRC that was sponsored by Duggan’s Sales & Recovery Claremorris. Derek Bolton from Ballaghadereen and Sean Hassett from Headford saw the engine of the Subaru Impreza let go on stage two, a stage that also saw the demise of Adrian and Aidan Fahy with wheel bearing problems in their Escort.
John Duffy from Crossmolina with co-driver John Egan made it one stage further to the third test before a broken driveshaft brought their day to an early halt, John praising the rally officials for a very well organized rally. Knock’s Niall Morley and Cormac Rally reported a bad day, hitting a bale on stage three, and losing time in the same stage trying to restart their car after a spin, before eventually retiring with a blown engine on the following test. Also having a short day’s rallying were Killala’s Gavin and Raymond Carroll who crashed out of the opening stage…..photos below (with a difference) by http://www.facebook.com/rallythroughalens
Reflecting On A Job Well Done
Cathal Doyle
Afterwards, the overwhelming sense was of relief. Satisfaction at a job well done, delight at seeing the large crowds on the rally stages and hearing the positive feedback from the competitors, but above all relief that the event had passed off safely, that the months of hard work preparing for the 2012 McWilliam Park Hotel and Fleet Transport Magazine Mayo Stages Rally had all been worthwhile.
Clerk of the Course Padraic Roche was entitled to enjoy the platitudes coming his way after what was another hugely succesful event for Mayo & District Motorsport Club. The Killala man has racked up thousands of miles since last November, not just travelling between his home and Claremorris, but also covering every inch of the rally route, trying to ensure every possible scenario of what possibly could go wrong was prepared for. He was not alone, his team of Deputy CoC David Jordan, Assistant CoC Liam Healy and the Stage Commanders and Deputy Stage Commanders have all become famiilar faces to residents of the rally route over the past months.
“At times you wonder if it will ever all come together” reflected Padraic at the rally finish on the trials of organising an event of this magnitude. “Thankfully I had a great team supporting me and any problems that did arise were quickly addressed. I’m delighted that this week-end has gone so well, and a huge thank you has to go to the people of Claremorris and all along the rally route who have been so accommodating and made it possible for us to run this event. We’re also so appreciative of the support of our title sponsors The McWilliam Park Hotel and Fleet Transport Magazine, and all our other sponsors, as well as the Claremorris Chamber of Commerce and local businesses. I think the crowds here and the huge buzz around the town both today and yesterday for the Ceremonial Start are a reflection on what it means to have the rally in this area.”
That sense of a special occasion was reiterated by many people over the rally weekend. At the Ceremonial Start on Saturday evening where a large crowd was in attendance, dignitaries including John O’Mahony TD, Dara Calleary TD, the Chairman of Claremorris Chamber of Commerce Eugene Waldron, and local councillors all noted the importance of having such a major sporting event in Claremorris in what is otherwise a quiet time of year for businesses.
At the rally finish Seamus Gallagher of The McWilliam Park Hotel said that having the rally in the area had been a real boost to Claremoris in the past three years. “We’re delighted with the support from everybody, both participants and the Mayo Rally Club, and I’d like to congratulate each and every one of them for the work they put into this outstanding rally.”
Event Secretary Kathleen Kennedy singled out The McWilliam Park Hotel for special praise. “As a rally headquarters we could hardly wish for a better venue. It is ideally located just off the N17, and with the service park and Parc Feirme adjacent to the hotel, combined with the excellent facilities, it is no wonder it is so popular with everyone involved with the rally. I’d like to extend a personal thanks to Lesley Joyce and Fergal Ryan from the hotel for their unstinting support for the past three years.”
Event sponsor Jarlath Sweeney of Claremorris based Fleet Transport Magazine was another to reflect on a job well done. “I am delighted to be associated with such a successful event and congratulations to Niall Maguire who we are very familiar with through our magzine and his international road transport business.”
Mayo & District Motorsport Club organised a very successful event for local schoolchildren at Bohola National School which is located close to two of the stages on this year’s event. Presented by rally driver Toni Kelly from Donegal, who is also a Road Safety Authority (RSA) ambassador, together with members of Mayo & District Motorsport Club, Mayo County Council’s Road Safety Officer Noel Gibbons, and An Garda Siochana, the initiative provided the school children with a special opportunity to learn first hand about the safety measures that are in place to run a rally, as well as a demonstration of safety equipment on board a current rally car. The presentation was very well received with lots of questions and much excitement about the forthcoming rally.
The Build-Up to a Rally – The Inside Story
A clubman’s Point of View by Justin Ryan
Weeks and months leading up to a rally isn’t all fun and games for competitors. Unfortunately, we as drivers don’t just show up on a Sunday step into the car and drive it hard as we can; if only it was that easy!
The build up to a rally typically starts about 6 weeks beforehand, when you send an entry form away in the post to the motor club along with the expensive entry fee that you have scraped together. Then the work really begins as you start to get the car ready for the event. This could involve anything from putting in a new engine or gearbox to setting up the suspension. Depending on what happened during your last rally, new parts may need to be bought or sometimes new body panels! Safety is something that is paramount in our sport and it is improving every year. The downside is that making the car safer usually costs the competitor money, as new regulations come out every year from Motorsport Ireland.
It could mean you need to add something like an extra bar into the roll cage or buy a new type of harness. All these things cost money and time on the lead up to an event.
In between getting the car ready, you try to round up a couple of sponsors, make sure you have a service crew to help you on the day and double check you have your suit, helmet, balaclava etc. All the while you are in constant contact with your navigator discussing everything about the upcoming event.
The week of the rally brings more headaches and stress. Along with going about your daily routine of work or college you are constantly thinking of the weekend ahead, often making a list and double checking everything on it. It’s an early start on the Saturday morning as you meet your navigator at rally headquarters and set off to do reconnaissance (or recce as we normally call it). This is where you get to see the stages that you will be rallying on the next day for the first time, as you drive them at low speed in your road car. This is possibly the most tiresome part of the weekend as you are allowed to make 3 passes through the stages to make your pacenotes, which takes huge concentration from both driver and navigator. Normally, you are exhausted after making “notes” but you have face scrutiny next, where all the cars are checked by officials to ensure they are safe enough to rally. This is another stressful time, as you anxiously await the verdict of the scrutineers. Although most of the time you know the car is ready and safe, something in the back of your mind always asks “Did I forget something?” The relief of getting the thumbs up is quickly followed by a fast meal, quick chat and straight to bed just as the nerves begin to kick in. A restless night’s sleep later and you find yourself back at rally HQ for driver’s safety briefing and then to parc ferme where your car was guarded safely with the 150 others for the night. But then finally, all the late nights, stress, worrying, phone calls, texts, nerves and anxiousness is all worth it a few minutes later when you’re suited up on the start line ready to tear down that first stage, as your navigator calls 5….4….3….2….1….GO!!
Update No.3:
Rally Countdown … all go from Friday evening
With competitors arriving from Friday afternoon on, the first task for the drivers and co-drivers after signing-on to the event is on Saturday morning March 10, when they drive the rally stages in their road cars making pacenotes to use the following day. Later in the day, the rally cars will be presented for scrutineering where they have to pass stringent road and rally safety requirements before being allowed to take part in the rally. After that the cars are locked away securely in Parc Feirme ahead of the start of the rally.
Ceremonial Start
For the public, the rally gets underway in earnest on Saturday when the leading competitors as well as all the local drivers gather in Claremorris town centre for the Ceremonial Start. Now in its third year, this is a great opportunity to see the rally cars and stars up close, and is especially suitable for families with small children. The town centre will be closed to traffic from 6pm with diversions in place. The rally cars will start arriving from 7pm with the cars passing over the starting ramp where the drivers will be interviewed at 9pm.
When the flag drops….
The serious competition starts on Sunday morning, with the leading cars leaving Parc Feirme at 8.50 am to tackle the nine challenging special stages. The first stage Craggagh Hill between Balla and Kiltimagh runs for the first time at 9.30 am. Stage two, Thorn Hill in the Bohola area gets underway at 10 am, and stage three, Eden, which is near Knock runs at 10.45 am. The cars then return to service adjacent to the McWilliam Park Hotel before tacking the loop of three stages two more times. The leading cars are due back at the rally finish in Claremorris shortly after 5 pm. Full details of maps and times will be available in the rally programmes which will be on sale in shops and garages around the area from Friday evening. Online users can follow Mayo & District Motorsport Club’s Twitter () and Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/mayostagesrally) accounts which will be continually updated during the week-end with all the latest news, times and competitor quotes, or can check into the club website ( www.mayomotorsportclub.com).
Marshals Needed
A small army of people is needed to run an event like the Mayo Stages Rally, and Mayo & District Motorsport Club is looking for people who would like to assist by marshaling on the day. Anyone interested should contact either David Doherty on 087 232 3113 or Garret Hannigan on 087 055 9207.
Top Quality Entry Field
A near capacity entry list promises an intriguing battle for victory on the Mayo Stages, with two Mayo & District Motorsport Club members among those with a genuine chance of tasting victory champagne. Leading the field away are last year’s winners Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally. The Maynooth / Limerick duo will need to repeat the serious pace that brought them victory last year to once again top the podium. At two are the winners of the opening round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship a fortnight ago, Thomas Fitzmaurice and Fionn Foley from Kerry, while at three, Brian O’Mahony from Cork will be hoping the local knowledge of his co-driver John Higgins from Kiltimagh will be enough to put them atop the winner’s circle on Sunday evening. Championship regulars Niall Maguire and Enda Sherry from Monaghan are followed by Omagh’s Seamus Leonard and John McCafferty. With all the top five seeds in Subaru World Rally Cars, local club member Aaron McHale with co-driver Brian Daniels will be hoping his Ford Focus WRC will be up to the challenge of repeating the Kilcullen man’s victory here a few years ago.
Away from the World Rally Cars, a serious battle is in prospect between competitors in the ever-popular Escort Mark 2’s, for whom a special competition has been established this year as part of the Dunlop National Rally Championship. Drivers like Daniel McKenna, Frank Kelly and Declan Boyle will be pushing the World Rally Cars for pace, particularly if conditions are dry, with a plethora of others hot on their heels. An interesting battle is in prospect in Group N also, with young guns Shane Maguire and Josh Moffett among the favourites in this category.
Locals Line Up For Battle
Perhaps inevitably the current difficult economic environment has meant fewer local competitors taking part on the Mayo Stages Rally compared to recent years, but nonetheless a sizeable number are all set for the challenge of tackling their local rally. Aside from John Higgins and Aaron MacHale, the top seeded Mayo & District Motorsport Club members are Andrew Mullen and Elaine Doherty from Ballisodare in car 21, who are also the title sponsors of the Border Rally Championship through their company Sligo Pallets. At 28 is Mervyn Deane from Williamstown who faces a tough challenge against the top competitors in class 13 in his Escort. At 46 are Colin and Michael Loughney in a class 12 Escort, the brothers having set some impressive times on this event last year. Ballaghadereen’s Derek Bolton has Sean Hassett from Headford co-driving in car 68, a Subaru Impreza. Club chairman Sean McHugh from Bekan starts at 73 in his class 14 BMW M3 Compact, while Ballinrobe father and son team Adrian and Aidan Fahy are at 77 in their class 13 Escort.
Belmullet’s Ciaran Kennedy and co-driver Patrick O’Hora make their return to rallying in car 83, a class 2 Honda Civic, while the class 7 Honda Integra of Crossmolina’s John Duffy with John Egan co-driving is at 86. In car 91, Justin Ryan from Headford and Andy Walsh from Ballinrobe will be hoping to repeat their recent fine form on the Galway International Rally in their class 2 Honda Civic.
Barry Cuffe from Belcarra and Marcus Molloy from Crossmolina start at 93 in their class 13 Escort just one place ahead of the class 12 version of Niall Morley and Cormac Lyons from Knock. Ballina’s Derek McCarthy co-drives the Ford Puma of car 99, Eamonn McCafferty, with another Ballina crew at 100, the class 2 Honda Civic pairing of Tony Langdon and David Loughney. Just behind them at number 101 is the similar car of Knock’s David and Simon McGuinness.
At 109, Mayo Young Driver Autocross Champion Alan Moran from Foxford makes his stage rallying debut in his class 9 Opel Kadett, while competing in the same class are Killala’s Gavin and Raymond Carroll in a Vauxhall Nova in number 113.
Update No.2:
Additional Title Sponsor For Mayo Stages Rally
Mayo & District Motorsport Club is pleased to announce that Fleet Transport Magazine has become joint title sponsor of the 2012 Mayo Stages Rally alongside The McWilliam Park Hotel. Based in Claremorris, Fleet Publications, established in 2003, is Ireland’s leading publisher of magazine titles for the fleet and commercial vehicle markets. As well as Fleet Transport, other titles produced by Fleet Publications include Fleet Car, Fleet Van & Utility, Fleet Bus & Coach, Fleet Trailer & Bodybuilder, Fleet Maritime, Green Fleet Management, and for the mobile leisure sector, Caravan Cruise Ireland magazine.
Group Editor of Fleet Publications Jarlath Sweeney said “Fleet Transport Magazine is delighted to become a title sponsor of the 2012 Mayo Stages Rally. For the third year the rally is based in our hometown of Claremorris, and has proved to be a huge success in the past two years, bringing much benefit to the town and surrounding area. Fleet Publications is a committed supporter of motorsport both in Ireland and overseas, and we are happy to be able to support Clerk of the Course Padraic Roche and his team to ensure the 2012 running of the Mayo Stages Rally is another major triumph.”
In addition to the title sponsors, a host of local businesses have come on board to support the 2012 McWilliam Park Hotel and Fleet Transport Magazine Mayo Stages Rally. These include Supermacs Claremorris, MW Design, Print & Signs Claremorris, Hillside Service Station Claremorris, EPS Ballyhaunis, Morans Family Butchers Belcarra, Claremorris Credit Union, Hastings Insurance Brokers Westport, Claremorris and other offices, Kevin Kennedy Motors Belmullet and Ballina, and KPS Colour Print Knock.
Update No.1:
Gearing Up for McWilliam Park Hotel Mayo Stages Rally 2012
Preparations for the 2012 Mayo Stages Rally which takes place on March 11th are well underway, two months ahead of the popular West of Ireland event.
With the Dunlop National Rally Championship returning to the Mayo roads after a year’s absence, and the rally also the opening round of the 2012 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship, the stage is set for many of Ireland’s top rally drivers and co-drivers to battle it out for honours in March.
It’s a mixture of old and new for 2012 as, for the third year in succession, the Mayo Stages Rally will be based in the south Mayo town of Claremorris. However competitors will face the challenge of three entirely new stages, each to run three times. Offering a total distance of approximately 123 stage kilometres and 137 road kilometres, they look set to provide a challenging test for competitors.
Once again the McWilliam Park Hotel returns as title sponsor and rally headquarters for the week-end. Just off the N17, but close to the town centre and with the service park adjacent to the hotel, this modern facility is ideally situated for easy access from all locations, and has proved to be a popular location with competitors and visitors to the rally in the past two years.
A new Clerk of the Course comes on board for 2012. Padraic Roche from Killala is an experienced rally official, having undertaken a number of roles in recent years, as well as a regular competitor. He will be ably supported by Deputy Clerk of the Course David Jordan, Assistant Clerk of the Course Liam Healy and Event Secretary Katheen Kennedy, as well as an experienced team of officials.
Successful Mayo Stages Rally Launch
The countdown to the 2012 McWilliam Park Hotel and Fleet Transport Magazine Mayo Stages Rally is firmly on, following a successful launch at the McWilliam Park Hotel, headquarters for the March 11th event. A large crowd was in attendance to hear information about this year’s rally from a selection of speakers, including Clerk of the Course Padraic Roche and Chairman of Mayo & District Motorsport Club Sean McHugh.
Scroll down for more photos…
Among those attending were Motorsport Ireland President Joe Corocan, Aaron MacHale and Robbie Lyttle on behalf of the Motorsport Ireland Road Safety campaign, and Andrew Mullen, sponsor of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship, of which the Mayo Stages is the opening round. Local representatives included the Claremorris Chamber of Commerce, county councillors and Noel Gibbons, Road Safety Officer with Mayo County Council.
Earlier in the day Mayo & District Motorsport Club organised a very successful event for local schoolchildren at Bohola National School which is located close to two of the stages on this year’s event. Presented by rally driver Toni Kelly from Donegal, who is also a Road Safety Authority (RSA) ambassador, together with members of Mayo & District Motorsport Club, Mayo County Council’s Road Safety Officer Noel Gibbons, and An Garda Siochana, the initiative provided the school children with a special opportunity to learn first hand about the safety measures that are in place to run a rally, as well as a demonstration of safety equipment on board a current rally car. The presentation was very well received with lots of questions and much excitement about the forthcoming rally.
Entry List Filling Up Quickly
Mayo & District Motorsport Club is reporting that a surge of competitors have entered the Mayo Stages Rally in recent days, with the entry list rapidly approaching capacity. Last year’s winner Kevin Barrett, Niall Maguire, Seamus Leonard and Thomas Fitzmaurice who won the opening round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship in Birr are just a few of the leading WRC entrants. A strong field looks to be the order of the day in the modified category also, with the likes of Camillus Bradley, Declan Boyle, Frank Kelly and Anthony Hand in the mix, while reigning Sligo Pallets Border Rally Champion Arthur Kierans will open his title defence in Mayo. Any competitors intending to enter the rally are advised to get their entries in without delay to avoid disappointment.
Click Here to view the full press release for Launch Night 2012
Competitor Info:
Download Seeded Entry List
Here
Download Claremorris Locations Map
Download Appendix 2 (Claremorris Area Map)
The Build-Up to a Rally – The Inside Story
A clubman’s Point of View by Justin Ryan
Weeks and months leading up to a rally isn’t all fun and games for competitors. Unfortunately, we as drivers don’t just show up on a Sunday step into the car and drive it hard as we can; if only it was that easy!
The build up to a rally typically starts about 6 weeks beforehand, when you send an entry form away in the post to the motor club along with the expensive entry fee that you have scraped together. Then the work really begins as you start to get the car ready for the event. This could involve anything from putting in a new engine or gearbox to setting up the suspension. Depending on what happened during your last rally, new parts may need to be bought or sometimes new body panels! Safety is something that is paramount in our sport and it is improving every year. The downside is that making the car safer usually costs the competitor money, as new regulations come out every year from Motorsport Ireland.
It could mean you need to add something like an extra bar into the roll cage or buy a new type of harness. All these things cost money and time on the lead up to an event.
In between getting the car ready, you try to round up a couple of sponsors, make sure you have a service crew to help you on the day and double check you have your suit, helmet, balaclava etc. All the while you are in constant contact with your navigator discussing everything about the upcoming event.
The week of the rally brings more headaches and stress. Along with going about your daily routine of work or college you are constantly thinking of the weekend ahead, often making a list and double checking everything on it. It’s an early start on the Saturday morning as you meet your navigator at rally headquarters and set off to do reconnaissance (or recce as we normally call it). This is where you get to see the stages that you will be rallying on the next day for the first time, as you drive them at low speed in your road car. This is possibly the most tiresome part of the weekend as you are allowed to make 3 passes through the stages to make your pacenotes, which takes huge concentration from both driver and navigator. Normally, you are exhausted after making “notes” but you have face scrutiny next, where all the cars are checked by officials to ensure they are safe enough to rally. This is another stressful time, as you anxiously await the verdict of the scrutineers. Although most of the time you know the car is ready and safe, something in the back of your mind always asks “Did I forget something?” The relief of getting the thumbs up is quickly followed by a fast meal, quick chat and straight to bed just as the nerves begin to kick in. A restless night’s sleep later and you find yourself back at rally HQ for driver’s safety briefing and then to parc ferme where your car was guarded safely with the 150 others for the night. But then finally, all the late nights, stress, worrying, phone calls, texts, nerves and anxiousness is all worth it a few minutes later when you’re suited up on the start line ready to tear down that first stage, as your navigator calls 5….4….3….2….1….GO!!
Mayo and District Motorsport Club held 4 autocross events this year: May 13th, June 10th, July 29th and September 23rd.
September 23rd 2012- Results
July 29th 2012– Results
June 10th 2012- Results
May 13th 2012– Results
Harrington Challenge Points after Round 4: FINAL RESULTS- Click here
Sept 23rd Report: Deane is Mayo Autocross Champion
Derek Deane from Williamstown is the 2012 Mayo Loose Surface Autocross Champion after claiming the Frank Harrington Challenge title with victory on Mayo & District Motorsport Club’s recent Autocross event, the final round of the season.
Driving his JB Buggy, Deane faced last year’s champion Peter McCullagh from Maynooth in a shoot-out for the title, the two drivers having fought it out tooth and nail over the previous three rounds. Both drivers struggled early on, Dean stopping on the stage on his first run with driveshaft problems, and McCullagh penalized for hitting two chicanes in his Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Mayo Autocross Clerk of the Course Pat Mc Guinness with The Harrington Challenge Winners. From left: Peter mc Cullagh (2nd), Derek Deane (1st) and James Lannon (3rd).
His car restored to health, Deane took the lead after a strong second run, and despite McCullagh’s best efforts, went faster again on the final test to win the event by two and a half seconds. The result left the two rivals tied on equal championship points with two wins apiece, Deane claiming the title thanks to his victory on the final round.
In the Young Driver category, Alan Moran from Foxford retained the title he won last year, finishing ahead of nearest challenger Stephen Doherty. The two rivals double drive the same Opel Astra, but had a fraught final round, with steering and driveshaft problems, as a result each driver only getting one run on the day.
July 29th Report: Deane Dominates On Mayo July Autocross
Results
Derek Deane returned to winning ways on Sunday, taking victory on Mayo & District Motorsport Club’s third Loose Surface Autocross event of the year. Despite having to curtail his final run because of overheating problems, the Williamstown driver was the class of the field, piloting his familiar JB Buggy to victory by just over a second from the similar car of Ian Barrett from Maynooth.
Heavy rain showers interspersed with sunny spells made conditions difficult for competitors and officials alike at Mayo & District Motorsport Club’s regular autocross venue at Harrington’s Quarry near Swinford. With drivers trying to second-guess when the next shower might arrive before committing to their run, it was reigning Mayo Autocross champion and winner of the previous two events Peter McCullagh who was fastest out of the blocks on the opening test. The Maynooth driver set a benchmark time of 4:23.98, three and a half seconds faster than his nearest challengers in his Mitsubishi Evo 9. Derek Deane was second, while hot on his heels was his brother Mervyn, double-driving the same car. Ian Barrett was fourth at this stage, ahead of son and father pairing Martin and Michael Tynan from Clones in their shared Evo 5.
Run 2, and Derek Deane responded in a most emphatic manner to the challenge laid down by Peter McCullagh, taking almost eleven seconds off his previous time to storm to the top of the leaderboard. With McCullagh shaving only a tenth of a second from his opening run, it allowed Ian Barrett to also move ahead, the Maynooth man also improving his previous benchmark by eleven seconds. Martin Tynan moved ahead of Mervyn Deane into fourth after the latter was penalized for hitting a chicane, with Micheal Tynan ahead of the impressive Stephen Dixon from Tyrone, who was pedaling his little class 2 Vauxhall Corsa with indecent haste in the slippery conditions.
Having opened up a lead of over five and a half seconds, all eyes were on the leading trio to see if Derek Deane could be overtaken on the final run. First up was McCullagh, but mechanical troubles brought his run to a premature halt, ending his hopes of adding to his three successive victories on Mayo Autocross events. Ian Barrett was next up, but despite taking four and a half seconds from his previous best, stopping the clocks on 4:17.96 wasn’t quite enough. It meant that Derek Deane’s second run time of 4:16.72 was sufficient to claim the overall win, a fact he was without doubt highly relieved about when an overheating engine forced the early curtailment of his final effort.
Behind the top three of Derek Deane, Barrett and McCullagh, Martin Tynan retained his fourth place from run 2, with Mervyn Deane and Michael Tynan also holding station in fifth and sixth. Another Buggy driver, Gerard Doherty from Banbridge, claimed seventh on his final run ahead of what must rate as the drive of the day by Stephen Dixon. The top ten was rounded out by the class 4 Escort of Williamstown’s Walter Burke, and the Buggy of Joe McHale from Maynooth.
Category winners included Glen Irwin from Castlederg once again claiming class 1 in his Vauxhall Nova ahead of Nigel Mills from Trillick, with Foxford’s Alan Moran upholding local honours just 0.34 seconds further back in his Opel Kadett. Behind the dominant Stephen Dixon in class 2, the Honda Civic of Fermanagh’s Dominic Leonard was second, with Simon Hemphill from Castlederg third in his Vauxhall Nova.
Local competitors dominated class 3, with Matthew Murphy from Shrule overtaking the similar Toyota Corolla of Kilmaine’s Peter Conroy on the final run for the category win. Patsy Curran from Manorhamilton driving a Ford Escort was third.
Walter Burke was the class 4 winner, beating the Escort of Neil Harron from Enniskillen and the Focus of Ronan Campbell from Trillick. Peter McCullagh took the class 5 win ahead of Martin and Michael Tynan, with Ian Barrett, Mervyn Deane and Gerald Doherty taking the prizes in the class 6 Buggy category. The Mayo & District Motorsport Club award went to Noel Murphy, the young Shrule driver putting in another strong performance in his Honda Civic
Finally a mention for David Jordan from Westport. An experienced rally official, including a spell as Clerk of the Course for Mayo Autocross events, he got a different insight into the sport on Sunday, making his competitive motorsport debut behind the wheel of a class 2 Toyota Corolla. Steadily improving times on each of his three runs suggest he may be back for more….
June 10th Autocross : Results
June 10th Report: McCullagh wins again on Mayo Autocross
(Report by Cathal Doyle)
Peter McCullagh is rapidly gaining a reputation as Master of Mayo Autocross. On Sunday the Maynooth driver extended his winning streak on Mayo & District Motorsport Club’s challenging circuit to three, with a dominant performance in his Mitsubishi Evo 9. On current form it will take a determined effort from his rivals to prevent back-to-back Mayo Autocross titles heading back to Kildare.
After the cold and blustery conditions experienced on last month’s opening round of Mayo Motorsport Club’s four round series held at Harrington’s Quarry near Swinford, more clement weather was the order of the day as a healthy field gathered to battle for overall and class honours on round two. With the top three finishers from round one of McCullagh, Derek Deane and James Lannon all back in action, a close contest was eagerly anticipated.
Deane was fastest out of the blocks, the Mayo & District Motorsport Club member from Williamstown setting a time over two seconds faster than McCullagh on the opening run in the screaming JB Buggy. Lionel Piercy from Nenagh and Ian Barrett from Maynooth in another brace of Buggys were next up, with Boyle man James Lannon making a relatively slow start, six seconds off the pace.
Run two, and both Deane and McCullagh slashed significant lumps from their previous times, with Deane continuing to hold an advantage of under one second – although McCullagh was penalized for hitting a chicane on this run. Piercy maintained third, albeit over seven seconds off the pace, with Lannon now up to fourth.
All to play for then on the third and final run, and Peter McCullagh had the bit firmly between his teeth as he shaved a further six seconds off his previous best. Whether Derek Deane could match him became a matter of speculation as the JB Buggy ran into mechanical trouble, failing to set a time. This allowed James Lannon into second, with Deane’s time from his second run good enough to claim the final podium position ahead of the Mitsubishis of Martin Tynan from Clones and Gerard Farmer from Enniskillen, Lionel Piercy failed to improve on his final run, dropping him down to sixth in the overall standings.
With Derek Deane and James Lannon claiming category wins in classes 6 and 5 respectively, David Dennison from Omagh took class 4 in his Vauxhall Astra. A late entry from local competitor Niall Morley proved profitable, the Knock man putting in a fine drive to win class three in a triple-driven Ford Escort.
Ciaran McCullagh, the brother of the overall winner, put in another giant killing performance in his class 2 Vauxhall Nova to not only take the category award, but finish just outside the top ten overall.
Another familiar name topped class 1, Glen Irwin from Castlederg beating the local duo of Foxford’s Stephen Doherty and Alan Moran, with Doherty holding the advantage on this occasion. Also putting in a fine drive was Achill’s Joe Healy, who claimed the Mayo Motor Club Award in his class 2 Honda Civic.
Two events down, two wins for Peter McCullagh. Can anyone stop the Kildare man on the two remaining Mayo Autocross rounds of 2012?
May 13th Report: McCullagh Victorious on Mayo Autocross
Reigning Mayo Autocross champion Peter McCullagh carried on from where he finished 2011, with victory on Mayo & District Motorsport Club’s Loose Surface Autocross on Sunday. The Maynooth driver was the class of the field in his Mitsubishi Evo 9, recording a comfortable winning margin of over two seconds over his rivals after a fine final run over the challenging 4.6 kilometre circuit at Harrington’s Quarry, The Valley, Swinford.
Double winner in 2011, Williamstown driver Derek Deane upheld local club honours with second in his JB Buggy, while James Lannon from Boyle, another former winner, took the final podium place.
Mayo & District Motorsport Club attracted a strong field of forty four competitors for its opening autocross event of 2012, with some of the leading autocross and rally drivers in the country arriving to compete on what is increasingly regarded as one of the best autocross tracks anywhere. Among them was the first appearance of a state of the art World Rally Car in the hands of Tyrone’s Martin Cairns. He took a little time to acclimatize to the challenging Mayo track, but the potential of the Subaru WRC was plain for all to see.
Peter Mc Cullagh receiving his award for Fastest Drive of the Day from Clerk of the Course Pat Mc Guinness. Also included is John Prendergast scrutineer.
Dry but blustery weather made for challenging conditions, with many drivers reporting a lack of grip on the opening run of three. McCullagh set the early pace, with Deane and Lannon in close contention, these three the class of the field. On the second run though, Deane held the advantage with a second in hand over the rest. It pointed towards an exciting conclusion, but while his rivals struggled to better their times on the final run as the rain started to fall, McCullough managed to extract nearly four seconds from his previous best to reaffirm his dominance of recent Mayo Autocross events.
David Fallon from Galway was best of the rest in his Buggy, a collision with a chicane on his final run putting paid to his chances of challenging the leaders. Monaghan’s Martin Tynan took fifth in his Mitsubishi, with Gerard Farmer from Enniskillen next up in a similar car. Walter Burke from Williamstown was seventh and won class 4 in his Ford Escort, while regular Wexford visitor Joe Cullen was one place behind in his JB Buggy. Martin Cairns took ninth in the Subaru World Rally Car, with another JB Buggy, that of Ian Barrett from Maynooth, rounding out the top ten.
Ciaran McCullagh, brother of the winning driver, put in a fine performance in his Vauxhall Nova to win class 2 – and take eleventh overall in the process. Glen Irwin from Castlederg claimed class 1 honours, while Cavan’s Noel Lappin did the same in class 3.
Reigning Mayo Autocross Young Driver Champion Alan Moran from Foxford was once again raising eyebrows with his committed driving in his underpowered Opel Astra. In what must be a strong contender for the Drive of the Day, he finished twenty first overall, in the process beating no fewer than nine much more powerful and specialist four wheel drive and buggy machines.
Round two of Mayo & District Motorsport Club’s Loose Autocross season takes place on June 10, 2012.
Lots and lots more photos on our facebook page too!
May 13th Event Preview: Mayo Autocross goes from Strength to Strength
Always popular with competitors, once again, Mayo & District Motorsport Club will be running two championships as part of its Autocross season. The Frank Harrington Challenge trophy is awarded to the overall champion driver and all competitors are automatically eligible, with points awarded on overall finishing positions. Driver’s best three scores from the four events count towards final championship totals.
Additionally, the Young Driver Challenge will return in 2012. This competition is open to Mayo & District Motorsport Club members under the age of 30 on the first of January 2012, and has seen some highly competitive drivng from up and coming competitors over the years.
Held at the popular Harrington’s Quarry near Swinford, Mayo & District Motorsport Cub’s autocross track is recognised as one of the best venues in the country, regularly attracting entries from all corners of Ireland, as well as overseas.
McCullagh the Champion in 2011
Peter McCullagh from Maynooth was crowned the Mayo Loose Surface Autocross Champion for 2011. The Mitsubishi Evo 9 pilot claimed the Frank Harrington trophy for a very consistent season which saw him take victory on the opening and concluding rounds, with two second place finishes and a third ensuring a dominant championship win.
McCullagh didn’t have it all his own way though, as 2011 was the year buggies made their mark on Mayo Autocross. Although they had been allowed to compete prior to 2011, the elimination of a previously applied penalty of 1.25% brought them right into contention for overall honours, with victory going on three occasions to the high-revving machines. Indeed in round 4 just 6/100’s of a second separated the winning buggy of Derek Deane from the Mitsubishi of McCullagh.
The Williamstown driver upheld local club honours by claiming championship runner-up spot, using his newly acquired buggy to good effect by taking two wins, as well as second and fourth place finishes.
Another Mitsubishi Evo driver claimed third. James Lannon from Boyle was unable to repeat his victory on the last round of 2010 but was always in the hunt for podium places, a brace of thirds his best results.
Two second place finishes helped Lionel Piercy from Nenagh claim fourth spot. Fifth went to Williamstown’s Walter Burke, the Williamstown driver getting his best results in his familiar Ford Escort, but also appearing in a Subaru Impreza during the year. 2010 Frank Harrington champion James McGreal was sixth in 2011. The Foxford man was as committed and spectactular as ever but was unable to stem the advance of technology in his well used Subaru Impreza.
David Fallon from Galway and Joe McHale from Maynooth took seventh and eighth in the series in their respective buggies, while in ninth was the impressive Glen Irwin from Castlederg, pedalling his class 1 Vauxhall Nova with indecent haste throughout the year. Another club member, Matthew Murphy from Shrule rounded out the top ten in his class 3 Toyota Corolla.
Among the drivers to appear during the year was former British Rallycross champion Ollie O’Donovan, the London domiciled Limerick man bringing a touch of glamour to the Mayo Autocross paddock. He finished a very creditable fourth on the day in his buggy.
Alan Moran – Young Driver Champion of 2011
The Young Driver Championship went the way of Alan Moran, the Foxford man putting in some highly impressive stage times in his venerable Opel Kadett. He used his prize money to make his stage rallying debut on the Mayo Stages Rally and Midand Stages Rally earlier this year. His closest rival for the title was the man double-driving the Opel, fellow Foxford native Stephen Doherty, while former Junior Grass Autocross driver Noel Murphy, on his first year competing at senior level, was third.
