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Robert’s Rally Round-up
May 2015
IRELAND’S SPECIAL STAGES HIGHLIGHTED
Almost anywhere you travel in Ireland you are never more than a few miles from roads that at one
time or another have been used as Special Stages for the sport of tarmac rallying.
A brand new book has just been published which will guide you through the most famous of these
stages. Author Rodney McComb has spent a lifetime officiating in many events, mostly with the
Ulster Automobile Club and especially with the Circuit of Ireland Rally.
Entitled; Ireland Stage by Stage (The Rally Roads of Ireland) the soft-backed book includes lists of
over 700 Special Stages which have been used throughout Ireland. Rodney has also highlighted his
20 “Classic” stages which have developed with the facility of Road Closing Orders unique to Irish
motorsport and the Isle of Man. The Irish classics have been driven over for more than 50 years by
most of the world’s top rally drivers and teams. You may agree or disagree with Rodney’s selection.
McComb also pulls together a multitude of anecdotes and stories from those who drove; navigated,
marshalled (yours truly helped out here) and spectated across the whole of Ireland in this sport of
joy and danger.
All this amongst the most spectacular scenery Europe has to offer, generously illustrated by the
fabulous, mostly full-colour, photographs of the one and only Esler Crawford.
Priced at £16 “Ireland Stage by Stage” is a very interesting and enjoyable read and available from all
good bookshops, Amazon.co.uk, or from the publishers, Colour Point Books, Jubliee Road,
Newtownards, BT23 4YH Tel: 028 9182 0505 www,colourpointbooks.co.uk
LOOKING BACK
Marshalling memories
30 YEARS AGO........1985
John Lyons finished in 21st place, higher than any Group N cars on the Circuit of Ireland in his
completely “bog-standard” Honda Civic. No homologation papers were available so the little CRX
had to run with the larger Group B cars. Another remarkable achievement from the talented
Castlederg driver who had the potential to go on to bigger and better things, but sadly this would
not be the case.
British Midland airlines were revealed as the new sponsor of the Ulster Rally due to take place in
July. Back in ‘85 both the Circuit and the Ulster were rounds of the RAC Open Rally Championship.
20 YEARS AGO........1995
George Robinson won the Marshal Tyres Bishopscourt Stages Rally driving his Escort Cosworth.
Derek McGarrity, in a Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, would have won this the second round of the Maxol
NI Championship but a stage five puncture let Robinson through to claim victory by 9 seconds.
Dominic McNeill was third also in an Escort Cosworth.
10 YEARS AGO.......2005
Ireland’s hope of staging a round of the WRC stepped up a gear with news that the Irish Government
had put up £450,000 towards funding a new project, extra financial support would come from the
N.I. Office. 2007 was the target for Rally Ireland to achieve WRC status and to that end a 2-day event
was planned for October. Based in Sligo the rally would feature mixed surfaces, day one on Donegal
tarmac and the second day in the Fermanagh forests. I was apprehensive about the chances of Rally
Ireland making it to the World Championship but former co-driver Ronan Morgan was the driving
force behind the project and he was very optimistic about the outcome as he was well respected in
top FIA circles. Of course it turned out that Morgan was right and Rally Ireland did indeed become
part of the WRC...if only for just two years!
Rally Diary
SAT. 9TH MAY
THE TOUR OF THE SPERRINS
Magherafelt and district Motor Club’s fourth round of the MSA NI Championship is based in
Maghera. We will be helping out with Rescue and Radio cover plus marshalling and timing on this
tarmac road-closed event.
THUR.21ST-SUN.24TH MAY
RALLY PORTUGAL
Remember the old Simon and Garfunkel song “El Condor Pasa”? Well I don’t know if that particular
tune referred to the classic El Condor stage of Rally Argentina, but I bet Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle
were just glad to finish that final stage of the extremely tough event without hitting any “bridge over
troubled water” and claim a number of “firsts”.
First driver from Northern Ireland to win a round of the WRC. (Paddy Hopkirk’s Monte win was WAY
before the WRC began) First British driver since Colin McRae in 2002 to win a round of the WRC.
First all-Ireland crew to win a round of the WRC. First win for Citroen since Germany 2013. Well
done both of you, it’s been a long time coming! Citroen made it a one-two as Mads Osberg took
second and Elfyn Evans scored a best ever result taking third for M Sport Ford.
Portugal is the fifth round of the WRC, so can Kris build on that victory for Citroen or will normal
service be resumed and Ogier take the win ahead of his VW team mates Latvala and Mikkelsen.
SAT. 23RD MAY LOUGHGALL COUNTRY PARK RALLY
North Armagh MC are running this annual clubman event for 2-wheel-drive cars only. We are
covering radio points plus marshalling the tarmac stages in this spectator orientated venue in the
centre of Loughgall village. Keith White was the winner last year in his fabulous Mk.1 Escort.
THUR.4TH-SAT.6TH JUNE
SATA RALLY AZORES
Craig Breen may never have a better chance to win the European Rally Championship than this year.
Skoda will not take part in any more ERC events. The works team’s new Fabia R5 will only contest
the WRC2 series. Breen, who leads the Championship after the Circuit in his Peugeot 208 T16 with
78 points, has Polish driver Kajetan Kajetanowich (75 points) and Russian Alexey Lukyanuk (43
points) both in Fiesta R5’s as his main challengers. This event is held on the narrow gravel roads of
Sao Miguel, the largest island of the Portuguese archipelago. Other interesting entries include the
Moffett brothers Sam and Josh in their Fiesta RRC’s.
SAT. 6TH JUNE THE MOURNE RALLY
Newry and District MC’s annual Mourne Rally is a reserve event for this year’s NI Championship. No
details are available as I write; but the event is usually held over the tarmac forest drives of Slieve
Gullion and Camlough. We are normally asked for assistance.