Sebastien Loeb Tames the Hills Of Donegal

Daniel Elena and Sebastien Loeb
celebrate their first rally victory in Ireland. Photo Neil McDaid

By Neil McDaid

Letterkenny, Ireland, June 17, 2007. Three time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb takes the overall victory in the 36th running of the Donegal International Rally.
In 2006, the Donegal Motor Club built a frenzy of sorts when they lured WRC Champion Colin McRae out of semi-retirement to compete in a Metro 6R4. With the additional attraction of the WRC Mitsubishi Works cars on the start line the event was a great success. After the event many thought the club would be hard pressed to top the success of the 2006 rally. Roll on to 2007. With Ireland securing its first-ever round of the World Rally Championship in Sligo this coming November, top WRC teams began scrambling to get some experience on the Irish roads.
With two time WRC Champion Marcus Gronholm, who is also the most successful Finnish driver in the history of the WRC, showing up at the Galway Rally in February rumors and speculations were running wild as to who might show up in the hills of Donegal in June. Just two weeks before the start of the rally the Donegal Motor Club announced that they had confirmation from Citron WRC team boss Guy Frequelin that he would enter their 07 WRC Citron C4 in the event and it would be piloted by ace driver Sebastien Loeb. With British Rally Champion Mark Higgins, along with 30 WRC cars among the 200 cars entered, rally fans flocking to Donegal were in for a great weekend of action on some of the most unique tarmac stages in the world.

The rally would get underway Friday with the first stage taking place just outside of Letterkenny. In the many years I have attended this rally, I cannot recall ever seeing such a large crowd on the Friday stages. Obviously, they were all there to get an early peek at Loeb.
SS1, Breenagh, would see Mark Higgins, along with local co-driver Rory Kennedy, master the wet conditions setting the fastest time for the stage. Seventeen year old Norwegian driver Andreas Mikkelsen, known on the Irish Tarmac Championship as “The Special One,” would slot his WRC Ford Focus into second. Amazingly, the Norwegian teenager was just four seconds off the pace of Higgins, while also edging out Eugene Donnelly who had to settle for third.
Northern Ireland driver Andrew Nesbitt, who has won the Donegal a record five times and is the defending champion, would not make it through SS2, Cark Mountain. His McKinstry Motorsports Subaru S10 would stop with suspected electrical problems after cresting a few big jumps. Too bad, as we were now left wondering how the master of the Donegal Rally would have faired again the boss, Loeb. Higgins would maintain the pace through the first three stages of day one.

The Citron service crew would look to improve the set-up on Loeb's C4 @ the first service in Letterkenny on Friday. Photo Neil McDaid

Heading into the first service of the rally in Letterkenny, the early leader board would show Higgins, Loeb and then Eugene Donnelly in third.
Team Citron and Loeb made it perfectly clear in several TV interviews that their goal for the rally was to gain experience for Rally Ireland; it was not a priority to win the event.
Neither Loeb nor Team Citron had ever competed in Ireland and were in need of some experience on the very unique tarmac stages.
They would quickly realize that the Irish stages were, in Sebastien’s own words, “fast, narrow and bumpy, with this very special type of tarmac.” In their four hot runs on the shake down stage on Thursday they determined that they did not have a suspension set up to deal with the bumpy Irish stages. It was obvious by Loeb’s pace on the first few stages on Friday that they were not totally confident with how the car was handling.
During the first service, Loeb’s C4 would get yet another new set of suspension in an ongoing effort by the service crew to find the correct set-up for the conditions at hand. The Citron mechanics would also slip in a new gearbox in record time.

The teams would go out and repeat the first three stages of the day. Conditions would continue to worsen as the day rolled on. Heavy down pours began to leave large puddles on the stages. Nonetheless Higgins would continue to set the pace over SS4-5. Loeb would eventually show form by taking his first stage win on SS6, Mongorry, bettering Higgins by just two seconds.
By the end of day one Mark Higgins, who is currently the points leader in the 07 Irish Tarmac Championship, would be delighted to have a 37-second lead over Loeb, not to mention setting faster stage times over the World Champion. Continuing a great drive, Andreas Mikkelsen would sit comfortably in third.

A massive drive from Seamus Leonard secures the GPN victory and 6th overall. Photo Neil McDaid

With a guarded promise from RTE of clearing skies day two would take teams, and the ever increasing throng of spectators, up onto the Fanad Peninsula. Early drama would come courtesy of Andreas Mikkelsen on SS7, Fanad Head. Reports were coming over the rally radio that there was a car off and no sign of the crew. Eventually, Mikkelsen and co-driver Ola Floene would clamber up to the road side and display the OK board. Their Ford Focus WRC was lodged deep in the Fanad scenery and sustained enough damage that it could not continue.

Reportedly, Loeb’s engineers had come up with a suspension set-up during the day Friday that was already fitted in Loeb’s car. And so it would be the beginning of some blistering times from the reigning WRC Champion; he was fastest by 15 seconds over Fanad Head.
There were several stages on the Donegal that everyone expected Loeb to excel on. The second stage on Saturday, SS 8 Knockalla, was definitely one of them. Spectators in small RVs had begun to claim prime viewing spots on the mountain some 24 hrs before the stage was due to run. Although the road up over Knockalla is two lanes wide with smooth fast tar, the first seven miles of the stage can be an extremely fast, hair raising adrenaline rush to say the least. Competitors would start by charging up through the mountain’s hairpin turns from the Portsalon side. Then they would go down a long, twisty high speed decent with several deadly drop offs that were just waiting for the slightest mistake by the drivers.

Coming out of Friday with the overall lead, Mark Higgins was now running first on the road on the early Saturday stages. He would attack hard over Knockalla, committing fully to the notes he was receiving from navigator Rory Kennedy. Higgins would push his Pirelli sponsored Subaru a little too hard over the big jump at Oughterlin Chapel sending the car high in the air and taking a hard hit on the landing. The impact damaged a front rim that eventually caused a flat. By the time Loeb completed the stage and stopped the clocks on SS8, the forty-second lead that Higgins had the night before had now diminished to just two seconds. Loeb was definitely finding his form.

Eugene Donnelly struggles on Friday to stay on the pace. Photo Neil McDaid

It had been a disappointing first day for Ireland’s reigning Tarmac Champion and two-time winner of the Donegal, Eugene Donnelly. The Derry man struggled Friday with neck pain from an old injury and some mechanical issues with the gear box. He just about managed to stay within the top five. Feeling somewhat better Saturday, Eugene would start clawing back some time on Kevin Lynch who had moved his WRC Ford Focus into third with the early departure of Mikkelsen in Fanad.
By the second service in Milford, which was close to the mid point in the rally, Loeb had taken command of the overall lead by 10 seconds over Mark Higgins. Kevin Lynch was holding off Donnelly for third by the narrowest margin while Donegal driver Paul Harris was having a great run in his hired WRC Corolla in fifth.
The Group N battle was firmly in the hands of Seamus Leonard [Omagh] in his newly prepared Mitsubishi. Colm Murphy, who had been running second to Leonard throughout the stages, rolled his Subaru STI on Knockalla. This moved Gary Jennings to second; Stuart Darcy would make it a 1-2-3 for Mitsubishi. The national rally, which really should have been called the MK11 Rally, would see a great battle between English driver Phil Collins and local driver Brian Brogan. Unfortunately, Brogan would have a big off a few stages later ending his charge.
Through the remaining six stages of day two, Loeb would continue to gain confidence on the narrow Donegal roads. He opened up a forty second lead over Higgins by the end of the day.
Day three. With three stages being run twice to make up the final six stages of the rally, one needs to plan on either Glen Village or Atlantic Drive. With thousands of cars following the action traveling on the roads between stages was nearly impossible, so Glen it was. Although we could have witnessed Loeb and the others at a higher rate of speed tearing over Atlantic Drive, the atmosphere in Glen is hard to pass up. Maybe it’s because it is the last resemblance of the great, town stages that used to a big part of the Donegal Rally. For this one day in the year thousands descend on this sleepy little village with about 8-10 houses, and one pub, for the infamous High Glen Stage.

Wall to wall rally fans lines the streets of Glen village Sunday. Photo Neil McDaid

SS17-20 would pass through Glen and on both occasions Loeb would be untouchable. On his second run through Glen he was 10 seconds faster over his nearest rival. Eugene Donnelly would find his form on SS19, Atlantic Drive, matching times with Loeb. Donnelly was elated, as he is himself a big Loeb fan.
Kevin Lynch’s rally would come a sunder on the penultimate stage SS21 Port Lake. Lynch would hit a rock, puncture a wheel and damage his steering rack ending his rally. Donnelly suffered a loss of power on Port Lake, but managed to nurse the Subaru back to service.
Loeb came to Donegal with a focus on testing for Rally Ireland, he left satisfied that his Citron team had learned a lot about the challenges they will face in November. As Loeb pulled his Citron on to the finish ramp in Letterkenny to claim victory you could clearly see he was in awe at the reception he received from the enthusiastic Irish rally fans that lined his way.

Loeb would go on to say that he loved taking part in the rally. “We didn’t have the pressure of the world championships and the Irish have a strong rally culture. There was a massive crowd. It’s not like some of the rallies, during some trips between stages, you’re stopped at the lights, with people in the car next to you looking down at you and the car as if to say who’s the idiot in the car covered in stickers. No, here the public really are connoisseurs. The atmosphere is very similar to Le Mans. There were spectators camped everywhere in all imaginable spots. Some were even camping in the town centre. We could smell the barbeques, hear the modified cars and see fountains of beer! It was such a party! I’m sure we’ll see the same atmosphere in November.”
As a added bonus for future winners of the Donegal rally, their names will now be added to the Jim Callaghan Memorial Trophy alongside that of Sebastien Loeb who, quite possibly, could become the greatest rally driver of all time. Two minutes a drift of Loeb, Mark Higgins and Rory Kennedy would happily claim second, which secured them maximum Irish Tarmac Championship points. Eugene Donnelly, just happy to be there, claimed third with the departure of Kevin Lynch. Seamus Leonard had a great drive setting the fastest time on every stage to claim the Group N victory.
After starting the rally for the past 23 years and not finishing the event one time, Phil Collins not only finished the rally but also claimed top honors in his MK11 Escort in the national rally. Of the 16 cars competing in the Historic Class, Richard Hall would take his beautiful Ford Escort home in first.
Based on the interest in this year’s Donegal Rally, with only one WRC star in attendance, one can only imagine the amount of spectators that will line the ditches during Rally Ireland in November.

Duddys Homecoming Fight Dublin Ireland July 14th.

The Italian Alessio Furlan is talking the talk ahead of his middleweight clash with John Duddy on the next Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the National Stadium, Dublin on July 14th.
After 20 fights Stateside Duddy returns home for his first pro fight on Irish soil as he looks to press his claims for a shot at the European title.
Standing in the opposite corner will be Furlan a tough, seasoned pro who recently lasted into the 12th and final round with current European Champion, Sebastian Sylvester. The man known as "Il Guerriero" (The Warrior) believes he can spoil Duddy's homecoming and upset his perfect record.
Speaking from his training camp in Italy the 30-year-old said, "I have great respect for John Duddy but I will come with my own tactical plan to beat him. He is tough and not afraid of anyone so he's just like me in that respect. I will be out to spoil his homecoming but I'll buy Duddy a pint of Guinness afterwards to apologise for beating him!
The former Italian and IBF Mediterranean Champion believes he has seen some weakness in Duddy's style that he intends to exploit. "I've seen Duddy's fight with Yory Boy Campas and it was a real war. Those are the kind of fights that I love to be involved in.
"I don't think Duddy is an especially big puncher, but he does wear his opponents down with an impressive work-rate. He has some boxing skills but he's mainly a fighter and I see some flaws in his defence. I'm not underestimating him because he's definitely a tough fighter."
Duddy expects to have a huge travelling contingent from Derry at the National Stadium not to mention boxing fans who followed his amateur feats down through the years at that same venue. Furlan though is not worried at the thoughts of entering the lions den.
"I love fighting in front of big, passionate crowds and I'm sure that's what will await me in Dublin. I travelled to Germany to take on the current European Champion Sebastian Sylvester and I loved every minute of that trip. I sure as hell plan on enjoying my trip to Dublin too."
Furlan has a record of 19 wins, 8 losses and 5 draws from his 32 professional outings and has vast experience having campaigned in eight title fights.
Another undefeated Derryman on the card up against an experienced foe is Paul McCloskey. The Dungiven light welterweight will have his first 10 round contest on the card when he meets former European title challenger Laszlo Komjathi. The Hungarian is hugely experienced and represents the first big test of McCloskey's career.
Komjathi is one of the few men to have taken red hot prospect Amir Khan the distance and in his last fight Komjathi gave the Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik a tough night before losing on points. In Kotelnik's previous outing he had drawn with Souleymane M'baye for the WBA light welterweight title so it shows just how risky an assignment this is for McCloskey.
Manager and trainer John Breen is convinced that McCloskey will pass his upcoming test with flying colours. "Paul fights to the level of his opponents so I expect to see the best of him at the National Stadium. I've said right from day one that Paul can go all the way in the sport and I think he'll start proving that against Komjathi."
In recent weeks McCloskey has been in Scotland sparring with Willie Limond ahead of his Commonwealth title defence against Amir Khan. The unbeaten light welterweight is also expected to spar with Alex Arthur over the coming weeks as the Edinburgh man prepares for his WBO world title shot.
Another of the Breen Team set for a stiff test at the National Stadium is Stephen Haughian. The unbeaten Lurgan man tackles Manchester based Irishman Gary O' Connor in an 8 round light welterweight battle.
Breen's interest doesn't end there however with his super featherweight hope Kevin O'Hara also set for action. The Belfast man clashes with the teak tough Pole Dariusz Snarski over 8 rounds.
Dublin fight fans will be looking forward to seeing unbeaten super featherweight Patrick Hyland back in action so quickly, following on from his impressive first round stoppage win at the Point on the Bernard Dunne undercard last weekend.
Another unbeaten prospect in action is Huddersfield based Irishman Eugene Heagney. He takes on Belfast's Colin Moffett over 8 rounds.
Rounding out the action packed card is unbeaten Mayo heavyweight Declan Timlin. The Sean Mannion trained prospect will look to take his unbeaten record to 4 and 0.
Tickets for the event priced from €50 are currently on sale from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.

"The Homecoming" on PPV
"The Homecoming," featuring unbeaten middleweight sensation "Ireland's" John Duddy, will be broadcast live July 14 in the United States on cable pay-per-view starting at 5:00 PM/ET, 3:00 PM/PT from Dublin, Ireland. The event is being produced by RTE and distributed for pay-per-view by Integrated Sports and will be available via iN Demand and TVN for a suggested retail price of only $19.95. "The Homecoming" will also be available via Closed Circuit throughout the United States. A replay broadcast will be shown at 10:00 PM/ET on July 14.
For more information about John Duddy, Irish Ropes or "The Homecoming" PPV go to www.irishropes.com or www.Integratedsportsnet.com.

Donegal International Rally 2007

Pictures/Neil McDaid

Sebastien Loeb makes his first run on the Thursday shake down stage @Muckish Mountain as he gets ready to tackle the stages of the 2007 Donegal International Rally. Loeb commented that the roads were "very bumpy, but looked forward to the rally."

The rally gets underway tomorrow, Friday. 154 cars are listed to start in the main field, 15 Historic , 30 Juniors, and 6 cars running in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy Challange. The rally will run over three days on some of the best tarmac stages in the world.

Getting to grips with her new class 7 Honda Civic Type R, Letterkenny's own Miss Toni Kelly will be looking to better her great result in '06.
www.donegalinternationalrally.com

STPR 2007

Pinker puts Jack Daniels Back on the
Top Shelf
By Neil McDaid
Wellsboro, PA. June 2, 2007. Australian Andrew Pinker, along with his English co-driver Robbie Durant, powered their Jack Daniels sponsored Subaru STI to victory in round five of the 2007 Rally America Championship. This victory pushes Pinker to the top of the championship points standings and also qualifies him for a place in the second running of the rally at the ESPN X-Games in L.A. this August.
The Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally or, as it’s known to most, STPR is now in its 31st year. It is definitely one of the fastest gravel rallies run in the USA. With its many long straights, speeds can get up in access of 100mph. Throw in multiple tricky hairpin turns along the tree lined stages and the occasional thunder shower, it generally makes for a challenging, and at times, a treacherous rally. The surface varies between hard packed clay surfaces that can become very slick when wet to sections of small to medium stones that roll like marbles under the tires.

Although the rally did not officially start until Saturday, standing on the practice stage on Friday evening one would be hard pressed to tell it from an actual competitive stage. The pace was ballistic.
There is a slight crest at the end of the practice stage where there have been some hairy moments in the past. Ken Block, with co-driver Alex Gelsomino, had a narrow escape there in 2005, when they landed in the middle of a swamp after taking the jump at full tilt. They were lucky to land on their wheels not their roof.

Close call for Block and Gelsomino on the shake down stage, as they have a Monster of a wreck. [Photo/ Neil McDaid].

This year the crew of Car #43 would not make it as far as the jump. A little over a mile into the practice stage they would slid wide and connect hard with a large tree, resulting in heavy damage to their open class Factory team Subaru. Alex would suffer a mild concussion; Ken was shaken but unharmed. Making every effort to preserve his slight lead in the Rally America Championship, Subaru USA Rally team opted to send to Vermont for the back up car . Because of Alex’s concussion, Block would also have to locate another co-driver to get back into the rally.
Step up veteran US Rally Champion Driver, and sometimes co-driver, and also multiple winner of STPR, John Buffum. With a great effort by the Subaru service crew that ran into the wee hours, Block and Buffum were ready to roll from the green in Wellsboro on Saturday morning.

Down from previous years, some 52 teams were scheduled to start the rally. Despite the lower entry the quality of equipment had improved greatly over prior years, STPR would also enjoy one of the largest number of spectators ever.
The action got going on SS1, “Asaph Run.” Andrew Pinker, behind the wheel of his black Subaru STI, would throw down the early marker. Running first on the road, he set the fastest time for the stage with Canadians Antoine L'Estage, in the Hyundai, in second and Andrew Comrie-Picard flying the Mitsubishi colors, at full of rack through the spactator area in third.

Seamus Burke, with Eddie Fries on the notes, would lead the attack for the Irish in their Evo 8, starting seventh on the road. Unfortunately for Burke, about half way through the first stage he would catch Otis Dimiters who had lost time due to a slight off. Battling the dust and stones from Dimiters, Seamus could only manage tenth quickest over the 9.8 mile stage. He would also suffer a severely cracked windscreen from the rocks.

Charlie Donnelly and Noel Gallagher would set fastest time for the Irish on SS1, posting a time good enough for ninth overall. Despite the great effort by the Subaru service team throughout the night, fuel problems would force the retirement of Ken Block and John Buffum on SS2.
Without question the most popular stage for spectators at STPR is the “Subaru Water Splash.” In the past this stage had been run as the first stage, but this year the organizers would change it to SS4. It gets its name from the dramatic flying finish in the middle of a small river which has been notorious over the years for ending the event early for some.
The large number of spectators in attendance at the Subaru Water Splash were not disappointed with the nonstop action. Antoine L'Estage would set the fastest time by some four seconds over Andrew Pinker. Seamus Burke would set the sixth fastest time but would have a few tense moments after crossing the water as he struggled to keep his partially drown Mitsubishi running.
With 4 of the 10 scheduled stages complete, teams would return to Wellsboro for the lunch

break and the longest service of the day.

Donnelly takes the victory in the Sherwood Forest rally, before it would all come to a suddent stop on SS9.[Photo/ NeilMcDaid]

In conjunction with the main Rally America national event, two regional rallies are also run on the same stages. Competitors can opt to enter one or all three events. Stages 1-4 would make up the Sherwood Forest Rally. Charlie Donnelly and Noel Gallagher would take the top honors. Taking second overall would be fellow Irish driver Paddy Brennan with Barry McCann. It would be the highlight for the Irish at STPR as trouble loomed ahead.
Under heavy skies, the competitors would make the long transit to SS5 and the beginning of the evening section of the rally.
SS5 “Twelve to Lebo 1” would be the first stage victory by the defending Rally America Champion, Travis Pastrana, who had struggled to get on the pace all day. Pastrana had just returned from Ireland where he took first place in the motorcycle technical freestyle competition in the Red Bull X-Fighters Tour, which was held in front of 35,000 at Slane Castle.
Ramana Lagemann would take his second stage of the day setting the fastest time on SS6 “Francis Lee 1.” Andrew Pinker would take second and the Donegal duo of Burke and Fries would find their pace to take third. Pastrana would capture fourth, after a close encounter with a

ditch.

"Don't cut".Travis cuts a little to much on ss6,

Paddy Brennan and Shane McCann would approach our location about 8 miles into SS6, with smoke billowing from the car from a suspected blown turbo. To avoid further damage, Paddy pulled his Subaru aside and retired from the event.
SS7 would be canceled due to spectators problems. At the final service of the day, with three stages remaining, Andrew Pinker had a firm hold on the overall lead with a 17 second advantage over Ramana Lagemann. Pastrana would hold third and Seamus Burke was holding down fourth.
Defending STPR Champion Matt Iorio would not come out of the last service. A mishap in fuel filling earlier in the day left Iorio battling gasoline fumes in the cockpit and ultimately forced them to retire with a damaged transmission.

Lagemann, holds down second, to seal his spot in the X-GAMES [Photo/ NeilMcDaid]

SS8, “Twelve to Lebo 2” would see Lagemann putting pressure on Pinker setting the fastest time by a mere 2 seconds.

SS9 “ Francis Lee 1” would prove to be a disaster for the remaining Irish drivers in the hunt. Two miles into the 10 mile stage, Seamus Burke would clip something on the road and puncture a front wheel. Rather than loosing the three minutes it would take to change the wheel, Burke would drive the remain 8 miles on the rim. By the end of the stage the flapping tire shred and the disintegrating rim tore the front fender [wing] to pieces. Burke would be 2:38 off the pace of Andrew Pinker, who set the fastest time for the stage.

For Charlie Donnelly and Noel Gallagher their rally would come to a sudden and spectacular end on stage 9. “We slid wide just before we wrecked,” said Donnelly. “I think we must have damaged a rear control arm. The car just became uncontrollable and we went off. I think we rolled three times; we were lucky to walk away.”

Charlie had a bit of a stiff neck but apart from a bit of bruised pride, he and Noel were just glad to be walking around. For the car, that might be a different story as it sustained heavy damage.
There are two major rally championships in the USA; Rally America and the United States Rally Championship. Charlie set out in ‘07 to focus on the United States Rally Championship and, up until this point, things were going according to plan. He is still currently well ahead in the points. This was his first and only planned rally in the Rally America series. Hopefully the car is repairable and Charlie can get back on track for the championship.

The final stage of the rally was also canceled due to continued spectators issues. In the end it would be all Andrew Pinker, collecting his second outright victory of the year, which moved him to the top in the Rally America Championship. Ramana Lagemann was second and Travis Pastrana third overall. Seamus Burke and Eddie Fries would have to settle for fifth overall after the puncture on SS9. They were also the only surviving Irish team left in the event.

Seamus Burke and Eddie Fries approch the water crossing on SS4[Photo/ Neil McDaid ]

After STPR, the nine drivers expected to secure an X-Games invitation are: Travis Pastrana, Ken Block, Colin McRae -- the three medalists from last year's race -- and Tanner Foust, Andrew Pinker, Matt Iorio, Paul Choiniere, Ramana Lagemann and Andrew Comrie-Picard. All but Pinker competed at last summer's X-Games.Round six of the Rally America series moves to the northeast in July for the New England Forest Rally, formally known as The Maine Rally. One more top finishing driver is expected to earn a last-chance invitation which will be decided in Maine. Can Seamus Burke step up and grab a place in the X-Games to represent the Irish? Rally America also plans to extend two more special invitations but there are no indications yet as to who those final drivers might be.

Between now and Maine we are off to the Donegal International Rally. The organizers are expecting to see the largest turnout in the rally’s history. There’s not a bed or a shed available for miles. All this is due to the entry of WRC Champion Sebastian Loeb, who will come to Donegal to test for Ireland’s first WRC event. Look for a full report in the coming weeks.

David Coultard makes a flying visit to Donegal

Picture shows the Reid Motorsport Subaru S12 Rally Car on Atlantic Drive Rally stage at Downings, Co. Donegal with, from left:
Danny Gormley, Clerk of the Course Shell Donegal International Rally.David Coulthard, Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Grand Prix driver.Damian Crawford, Chairman Donegal Motor Club.Liam Reid, Managing Director, Reid Transport Ltd Ballymena.Eugene Donnelly, Irish Tarmac Rally Champion 2006.

FLYING SCOT MAKES FLYING VISIT TO FAMOUS DRIVE

Thursday, 07 June 2007
F1 superstar driver David Coulthard, lead driver in the Red Bull Racing Formula One racing team, paid a flying visit to Donegal last weekend. The multiple Grand Prix winner stopped off en route to the Canadian Grand Prix to meet with the Reid Motorsport Rally team and multiple Donegal Rally winner Eugene Donnelly.



Coulthard was also keen to view the famous Atlantic Drive rally stage, which skirts the northern coast of Donegal in a spectacular series of natural twists and turns that have tested the worlds best rally drivers for over 30 years.Having heard so much about it, he was suitably impressed.

As one onlooker put it “He should be – if you go off the road here the next stop IS Canada”. The Shell Donegal Rally will once again use “the Drive” as its finale on Sunday 17th June, where setting fastest time is a special prize between the competitors.Coulthard also met the Donegal Rally organisers, who briefed him on the event and congratulated him on his strong GP drives this season.

Eugene Donnelly and Liam Reid gave him a rundown on the technology of the rally car, and in no time at all the two drivers were under the bonnet - pointing, asking, explaining – just like two drivers anywhere looking over a new car.

Except these are more than just two drivers. One a multiple Grand Prix winner; the other a multiple International Rally winner. Revered in their respective fields and linked in the common quest to be the fastest. And drawn together on the Atlantic drive in the run up to the Donegal Rally. With triple World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb heading the entry for the start on June 15th next, it’s already a month to remember in Donegal.

Source Donegal Motor Club www.donegalinternationalrally.com

Competitors ready for Mourne Mountain rally action! [Ire]

Des O'Loan (right) from Newry and Mourne District Motor Club shakes hands with Rory Byrne, Director Modern Tyre Service. Modern Tyres promotional girl, Niamh Kerr, pictured left. picture:Stephen Shaw

The Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally kicks into action on Saturday 9 June with some of Northern Ireland's leading competitors ready to take their high-powered rally cars to the Newry start line!

The event marks the fifth round of the Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship and current championship leader, Glenn Allen, is among the hot favourites in his Toyota Corolla WRC. In search of his maiden championship title, the Cookstown man has been on great form of late, with three maximum scores on the trot.

Aiming to bring his victorious run to a screeching halt, Enniskillen's Raymond Johnston has also entered the event in his Subaru Impreza WRC. The former karting exponent is still in the hunt for his first rally win this year, as it was Stephen Moore who won the opening round at Kirkistown. Moore is also back in action with his Ford Focus WRC, and he needs to start making inroads on Allen's championship lead.

Sean Devine also returns to the series after his final stage mishap during the KBB Tour of the Sperrins. The Strabane man lost control of his Subaru after a jump and plunged into the undergrowth, putting a halt to his bid for a top three position.

Devine's absence from rounds two and three of the championship have given him an almost impossible task to regain lost ground, as he lies almost 50 points behind the leader. Still, while he may be an outside bet for the championship, he is one of the favourites for the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally.

Although not registered for the series, Armagh man Maurice Gass is also making a welcome return to rallying with a Group A Subaru Impreza at his disposal. It is his local event and while he hasn't contested the event for a few years, he will be aiming to show the N.I. regulars the quickest way home!

Almost 20 Sunoco Fuels Production category crews have entered the rally in what will probably be one of the closest fought battles. Last year's winner, Michael Curran, is absent from the start list on this occasion, paving the way for a new face to top the Group N podium.

Comber's Neil McCance must be one of the favourites, after taking class victory at last month's Manx National and Tour of the Sperrins rallies. He had a difficult start to the year with retirement at the opening round thwarting his progress. Now he is just one point in arrears of category leader, Ian Cochrane, and looks set to take control as Cochrane is missing from the start list.

Eoin McErlean is another competitor who will be vying for a solid result. He finished second at round one but has endured a torrid time since February. Trevor Ferguson, who is currently fourth in series standings, is also back in action with his Subaru Impreza while Enda McNulty joins the action with his Evo.

The battle for Superdrive two-wheel-drive category honours will also be a hotly contested affair. This is always a popular event for the local Armstrong family and no less than four cars will be adorned with the Armstrong name. Former winner, Norman Armstrong, is regarded as one of the favourites but his family members could well throw the cat among the pigeons. Stephen, his son, could spring a surprise while his nephew Brian is the current Border Rally Champion. Brian's brother, William, has also entered in an Escort.

Gary McPhillips also intends to uphold Mark 2 Escort honours while Denis Patterson's nimble Darrian could also spring a surprise. Declan McKeown also brings his beautiful BMW M3 to the event while William Smith is back behind the wheel with his Mini.

Scrutineering takes place at Modern Tyre Service in Newry on Friday evening. Competitors will leave the premises on Saturday morning before starting from the Town Hall. They will face 12 stages, with some familiar classics including Slieve Gullion and Camlough Mountain. Service will be in Carnbane Industrial Estate with cars finishing at the Sheepbridge Inn on Saturday evening.

Armagh Lions Club Festival of Motorsport hailed a huge success!

Money raised for Marie Curie Cancer Care last weekend is still being calculated after hundreds of spectators flocked to Loughgall Country Park for the inaugural Armagh Lions Club Festival of Motorsport!

The all family affair was a huge hit with spectators as Armagh Lions Club and North Armagh Motorcycle & Car Club Ltd (NAMCC Ltd) pulled out all the stops to create a truly successful event.

The Historic Rally Car Challenge marked the highlight of the proceedings and amidst stiff opposition which included former Irish, British and World champions, it was the local crew of Seamus O'Connell and Gabriel Campbell who emerged victorious. They swapped seconds with John Keatley and Maurice Beckett throughout all four stages, but it was Keatley who held the advantage going into the final test.

O'Connell lost time with a spin at the end of stage three, and he was determined not to let victory slip from his grasp. In a win or bust effort through the final 2.75 mile stage, he emerged clear of Keatley by an impressive 8.6 seconds!

"I'm amazed we managed to beat all of the former World, British and Irish champions!" O'Connell said after the finish. "We just had a small spin towards the end of the third stage, I think I lost about six seconds but we got away with it. It was definitely a great event - I would go back next week!"

With Keatley forced to settle for second position, Stephen and Jaye Nevin arrived home in third ahead of Cahal Curley and Elkin Robinson. The former Circuit of Ireland winner was reunited with a magnificent Porsche 911, and the crew also topped class C3.

Fifth overall, Raymond and Chris Nelson also grabbed class C2 spoils in their Mark 1 Escort, while Glenn Williamson and Mervyn Hawthorne just pipped Alan Jardine and Jonathan MacDonald to sixth position on the final stage. Jardine was rueing a costly problem at the start of stage one but was safe in the knowledge that he had finished ahead of many leading lights of the past.

Those leading lights included Roy Cathcart and Harold Montgomery, who were eighth in their Escort RS1800. Billy Coleman, a former Irish Tarmac Champion and British Rally Champion, finished ninth with navigator Colm Quinn, while 1979 World Rally Champion, Sweden's Björn Waldegård, completed the top ten with Kevin Toner calling the notes.

The slippery conditions took their toll on competitors and not everyone safely reached the finish line. While Drexel Gillespie and Bill Blair had a small incident during the familiarisation run, Philip McDowell and Mark Stirling rolled out of the event near the end of the opening stage. They were caught out at a tightening right-hand corner, sending their Mark 1 Escort off the road and onto its roof.

Former British Rally Champion, Russell Brookes, lost time when he understeered into a metal post with his borrowed Talbot Sunbeam. He still arrived home to record 13th overall but former Circuit of Ireland winner, Tony Fall, was not so lucky. Navigated by Raymond Donnelly, the crew lost an argument with a tree in their borrowed Mini Cooper S during the final stage, spelling an abrupt end to their day.

Competitors in the Apple Blossom Autotest also displayed some spectacular precision driving and on this occasion it was Ken Irwin who took the spoils. 'Speedy', as he is also known, is a former British, Northern Ireland and Irish champion, and he mustered together all of his experience to emerge victorious from five times N.I. Champion, Robert Dickson, while Stephen Ferguson was third.

The static car displays were also a huge hit with spectators, and included a variety of vehicles, both old and new. Combined with the Red Bull display team, spectators enjoyed a wide range of entertainment throughout the day.

With the inaugural Festival of Motorsport hailed a resounding success, Armagh Lions Club and NAMCC Ltd are now looking forward to making the festival even bigger and better next year. With sponsorship from The Donnelly Group, the future of the event is secure, and charities will continue to benefit in the coming years.

Historic Rally Car Challenge top ten results

1 Seamus O'Connell/Gabriel Campbell (Escort MkII) 14m 14.2s

2 John Keatley/Maurice Beckett (Escort RS1800) 14m 22.8s

3 Stephen Nevin/Jaye Nevin (Escort) 14m 36.4s4

Cahal Curley/Elkin Robinson (Porsche 911) 14m 43.3s

5 Raymond Nelson/Chris Nelson (Escort RS2000) 14m 45.8s

6 Glenn Williamson/Mervyn Hawthorne (Escort RS2000) 14m 48.7s

7 Alan Jardine/Jonathan MacDonald (Escort MkI) 14m 49.9s

8 Roy Cathcart/Harold Montgomery (Escort RS1800) 14m 53.6s

9 Billy Coleman/Colm Quinn (Escort RS1800) 14m 54.2s

10 Björn Waldegård/Kevin Toner (Escort RS1800) 14m 55.0s

Apple Blossom Autotest top three results

1 Ken Irwin2 Robert Dickson3 Stephen Ferguson

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