Adrian Deane presented with his Club Frank Harrington Championship runner up Award for 2015 by Autocross COC Stephen McGing
Waterford’s Keith Power in a WRC Corolla may have been the quickest on each of his 4 timed runs at Carlow CC’s Christmas Rally sprint in Mondello Park on the last Sunday of 2015, but it was the Mayo crews that were smiling the widest leaving Ireland’s International Motor racing circuit.
With more than 100 drivers in action on a cold frosty morning, it was Sean McHugh in his BMW M3 that took the Mayo bragging rights with a 5th place in class; despite finding it extremely difficult to get traction anytime he extended his right foot on the slippy circuit.
Noel Murphy shook off any effects of Christmas indulgence in his Honda Civic, rumours that circulated around the paddock as the sun rose, suggesting Santa had brought a few more ponies to the civic seemed to prove correct as Noel, giving Martina Murphy her first outing in the navi seat, using his Mondello experience from his Junior Rallycross days, powered his Honda to 4 clean and quick runs around the track. Ronan Murphy who was double driving Noel’s civic had Andy Walsh along side, the pair using and sometimes exceeding every inch of the circuit reported afterwards the best day’s action and craic that could be had in a rally car.
Membership Form 2016
Contact – Kathleen Kennedy (087) 2442190
Members of Mayo & District Motorsport Club gathered at Hotel Ballina on Sunday Dec 6th for the Annual General Meeting of the Club.
Secretary John Duffy provided a summary of the events run by the club during 2015 and concluded by announcing that he was stepping down as Secretary after more than 30 years in this role. Chairman Matthew Murphy thanked John for his trojan work and commitment during this time. Joint treasurer Sinead Mc Hale presented an in depth report on the financial performance of the club and thanked her fellow treasurer Liam Healy for his substantial input. Club Chairman, Matthew Murphy, in an extensive report, thanked all who assisted the club throughout the year. He also reflected on the sad and untimely death of club member Margaret McGreal earlier in the year. PRO Andy Walsh reported that 2015 had been another successful year for the club and its members. There was continued success on the national scene where the highlights included 18 year old Oisin Coffey from Ballyhaunis winning the overall National Loose Surface Autocross Junior Championship. 16 year old Jason Murphy from Shrule finished runner up in the National AutoGrass Championship and Foxford’s Alan Moran finished runner up in the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Junior Championship. Alan was also crowned 2015 Mayo Young Driver Champion. While Aaron MacHale and Paul McGee were crowned 2015 Group N Irish Tarmac Champions.
Other members to receive awards on the day included Peter McManamon from Achill who won Club Person of the Year, The Ward family from Ballinrobe, Steve and his two son’s Conor and Calum won Club Marshals of the Year, while James McGreal from Foxford won the Club Frank Harrington award. Congratulations were also extended to Ian Barrett from Maynooth who won the overall Frank Harrington Challenge award.
Chairman Matthew Murphy reminded the meeting that the work involved in running the club events is increasing. More volunteers are required and he appealed to the members to give this serious consideration. He concluded by wishing all club members continued success and safe motoring in 2016.
The officers elected for 2016 are as follows:
President: Tom Walsh
Patron: Willie Durcan
Chairman: Matthew Murphy
Vice-Chairman: Derek Bolton
Club Secretary: Kathleen Kennedy
Asst Secretary: Paul McLaughin
Treasurer: Sinead McHale
Assistant Treasurer: John Duffy
PRO: Andy Walsh
Asst PRO: Lorraine Munnelly
Road Safety Officer: Maggie Bonner
Club Equipment Officer: Brian O’ Donnell
Area Reps: – South: Seamus Coffey
– North: James McGreal
– East: Brian O’ Donnell
– West: David Jordan
Child Protection Officers: Sinead Mc Hale, Kathleen Kennedy & Ronan Murphy
Mayo & District Motorsport Club AGM takes place this Sunday (Dec 6TH) at 3pm in Hotel Ballina.
Members only please, could all members please attend.
Followed by refreshments.
Congrats to David Healy & Stephen McGing on overall 2nd in Class 1 – Well done lads on first season competing
Congrats to Alan Moran, John Burke & Ed Muldoon on collection awards and Trevor on his COC award
Across the Irish sea at Rally GB held in Wales, the final round of the World Rally Championships, Mayo members Pauric Duffy & Kevin Glynn in the Killian Duffy managed P1 Rally Rentals Ford Fiesta, finished the three day event in 52nd place overall, this was after the Fiesta left the road during Saturday’s wet and extremely difficult gravel stages and ended up on its roof but the hard working service team led by Philip Case got the car repaired overnight and back out in action under Rally 2 on Sunday morning, where the boys recorded a good result in the difficult conditions.
The event was won by Volkswagen’s World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier who secured his eighth victory of the season. The Frenchman beat Citroen’s Northern Irish driver Kris Meeke by 26 seconds. Norway’s Andreas Mikkelsen was third also in a Volkswagen.
“Victory here is the best way to finish the season but there is no point to celebrate anything today. We have other things on our mind. It has been a difficult weekend,” said Ogier, referring to Friday’s Paris attacks that killed 129 people.
Ogier’s team mate Jari-Matti Latvala won the final power stage, worth three bonus points, to finish second overall in the championship.
Closer to home at the Birr & District Motorclub Autocross in Ballycumber on Sunday, 18 year old Oisin Coffey from Ballyhaunis topped the Junior Class to secure the overall, 5 Star Catering National Loose Surface Autocross Junior title, A fabulous result on his first season competing. Speaking afterwards an emotional Oisin thanked all those that helped him during the year, especially John McGeehan and James McGreal, but his biggest thanks were for his dad Seamus who introduced him to the sport and has guided him well along the way. He also expressed thanks to his sponsors Aaron Machale of Xcav8 and Tom Murphy of Total Shaving Solutions.
Aforementioned dad Seamus, also had a good day in Ballycumber, securing 3rd in class 2 which propels him into 3rd place in the overall Class 2 championship standings on this, the final round.
Congrats to Pauric Duffy and Kevin Glynn along with P1 Rally Rentals Team Manager Killian Duffy on their first WRC event in the Fiesta. After an unlucky incident on day 1, they restarted the event under Rally 2 and went on to finish the 4 day event, a very respectable 55th overall
Pics credit – Rally Through A Lens
Athletes can differ a lot in their reactions to a loss; Some may be barely affected or may forget the loss almost immediately. Others will be virtually devastated and may be low-spirited for days. We know now, after the weekend, that Alan Moran from Foxford prefers to move on, forget the past and seize the first opportunity to get back on top of the podium.
On Saturday last Alan, his navigator John Burke and their hard working service crew led by James McGreal and Sean McHugh made the trip north to the seventh and final round of the 2015 Valvoline Motorsport Ireland National Forestry Championship, the Mid-Antrim Motor Club’s Glens of Antrim Rally.
Alan held a slim lead in the overall Junior Championship table, but when dropped scores came into play Patrick O’Brien, who lay second, could leapfrog the Mayo man provided that O’Brien brought his C2R2 over the finish line. With the championship winner receiving an automatic nomination for the prestigious Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award, there was no doubting just how important Saturday’s race in the Antrim forests was to these young hot-shots.
Unfortunately it wasn’t to be for the young Mayo man. O’Brien’s advantage in his newer, more powerful car meant despite a spirited drive by Alan, pushing his Peugeot 206 to the limit at times, it just wasn’t enough and he finished the event in second place in the junior category and dropped to second in the overall championship.
But fast forward a few hours and despite hanging his head, Alan made the trip to Sligo on Sunday to compete in Connacht Motorclub’s Autocross event, this time double driving James McGreal’s four wheel drive Mitsubishi Evo 4. While it started off a relaxed atmosphere with a number of other Mayo members in attendance on what was one of the last Autocross events of the 2015 calendar, Alan soon showed his class, he was the only competitor on the day to break under the 3 minute mark, doing so on his second of three runs and went on to take the overall victory, becoming the first Mayo & District Motorsport Club member in history to achieve the win over the border in Sligo!
Also in action last weekend was London based Westport man Ed Muldoon who rounded of a fine season of Forest Rallying with another solid finish in the aforementioned Glens of Antrim Rally, while James McGreal won Class 9 in Sligo piping Sean McHugh by less than a second relegating the Bekan man to second in class. Further down the order Westport’s Alan McGuire brought his Peugeot 205 home sixth in Class 3.
In the Banna Beach Resort Kerry Rally, Paul McLaughlin from Claremorris navigated Shane Maguire to a class win that awarded the Monaghan driver to clinch the overall Top Part West Coast Rally Championship.
