Robert's Rally Buzz - October 2024

Back-to-back Lakeland Wins For The O’Brien’s

Brothers Patrick and Stephen O’Brien and their Skoda Fabia R5 won the Lakeland Stages Rally in County Fermanagh for the second year in succession last month. The Tyrone born crew assumed the led on stage four when early leader Naill McGonigle retired his Ford Fiesta Rally2. On the penultimate stage, Cathan McCourt closed to just 7 tenths of a second behind the O’Brien’s but then he punctured his Fiesta Rally2 on the final 16-mile Ballintempo stage and had to retire. 

Perhaps the “Drive of the Rally” award should have gone to second placed Eamonn Kelly/Conor Mohan. The Donegal/Monaghan crew finished 1 minute 47.5 seconds back, but they were in a Ford Fiesta Rally3 car! Kelly (son of Donagh) with support from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy is competing in the Junior World Rally Championship this year and will surely be one-to-watch in the future. Never lower than seventh on the Lakeland, they benefited when others in much faster cars hit trouble and the youngsters were able to secure a fantastic result!

Derek Mackarel from Clones and co-driver Eamonn Creedon from Macroom finished third on the Lakeland. As a result the Ford Fiesta R5 crew claimed top points in the Irish Forest Rally Championship. Mackarel also leads the NI Forest Challenge drivers points table.

In fourth place were David Condell and Michael Coady in a Fiesta R5. They are now second in the Irish Forest Championship. Martin Cairns/Peter Ward were fifth in their Fiesta Rally2 while sixth was enough for second-place points in the NI Forest Challenge for Paul Britton at the half way point.

Shane McGirr and Denver Rafferty were the best 2WD crew and third of the Irish Forest Championship registered runners, they finished seventh overall in the amazing Lada Riva! It was good to see Emma McKinstry out in one of the latest Fiesta Rally2’s for the first time. She and her husband Kenny Hull finished 14th from a seeding position of 27 in the new family hire-car.

The 2024 Trailer parts & spares.com Lakeland Stages Rally consisted of six gravel stages, SS1/4 Conagher (2.39 Miles) SS2/5 Big Dog (2.45 Miles) and SS3/6 Ballintempo (16.02 Miles) The Enniskillen MC promoted event was round 2 of the McGrady Insurance NI Forest Rally Challenge and round 4 of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship. There were 89 starters (18 top class Rally2/R5’s) and 58 finishers. For once the weather couldn’t have been better, although the temperatures of 26/27 degrees centigrade would mean hot and dusty conditions for all the competitors.

I was on start radio for SS1/4 and had the BMMC rescue crew for company. Thanks to Rory we had a barbecue at the lunch break. This Conagher stage had not been used for years, in fact I had a map with 1993 written on it, although I think I have been there since then! The trip from home took 2 hours and was 112 miles long. Luckily I knew exactly were to go from my previous experience. Both stages ran to schedule and but for a 40-minute halt, while a blockage was cleared on the second pass, everything went smoothly. We were finished by 16.45.

O’Brien’s Prevail In Huge Bushwhacker Battle

Lakeland Stages winners, the O’Brien brothers had a great September in the Northern Ireland woods. Two weeks after the Enniskillen event, driver Patrick (who now lives in Perth, Western Australia) and his Omagh-based sibling co-driver Stephen, went on to win the famous Bushwhacker Rally (otherwise known as the Tyrone Grand Prix) for the fourth time in a row. Not bad for a crew who hadn’t competed on any rally stages since these two events in 2023! The win this time did not come easy for the Skoda Fabia R5 pairing.

Right from the start there was a fierce battle with Cathan McCourt and Brian Hoy who led until stage three. O’Brien then went ahead briefly until McCourt charged back in front on SS4 and SS5. Going into the sixth and final stage Lough Bradan 2, McCourt and Hoy in a Fiesta Rally2 were 1.4 second ahead of the Skoda crew, but the O’Brien’s completed the test fastest and consequently they won the Omagh Motor Club flagship event by the smallest of margins, just seven tenths of a second! Cathan McCourt described the pace on the ultra-fast stages as “mental”. In third place all day long were Vivian Hamill/Andrew Grennan in their VW Polo R5. Such was the pace of the leading two, that they were 36.8 seconds behind McCourt.

Seventh place on the Bushwhacker in his Fiesta R5 was enough to give Derek Mackerel both the 2024 McGrady Insurance NI Forest Rally Challenge and the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship driver’s titles. Shane McGirr and Denver Rafferty were the best 2WD finishers in 14th place, they also won the 2WD section of the Irish Forest Rally Championship in the fabulous Lada Riva, which once again outperformed the usual pack of Ford Escort Mk2’s.

The 2024 McKelvey Asbestos Bushwhacker Rally consisted of six West Tyrone gravel stages. SS1/4 Killeter was 8.7 miles long while SS2/5 Carrickaholten ran at 4.62 miles with SS3/6 Lough Bradan at 7.32 miles. The rally was round 3 of the NI Forest Rally Challenge and the fifth and penultimate round of the Irish Forest Rally Championship. There were 99 starters (20 in Rally2/R5 cars) and 72 finishers on what was a tough and challenging event.

Thankfully the weather in County Tyrone was kind to us all, dry but cloudy. Victor and myself covered radio at the start of SS1/4 and we had Rory, Chris and Duncan on the BMMC rescue unit for company. Both of our stages ran smoothly and to schedule. John and Anna Hughes were timing and covering radio on SS3/6. I covered a round trip of 223 miles on the day. It was great to wish Pat McAleer a happy 94th birthday as the father of Declan, Dessie and Ronnie toured the stages to make sure his sons were working hard to keep the rally running and of course on time!

Before the success of Patrick and Stephen O’Brien this year, the only other driver to win the Bushwhacker Rally four years in succession was the late Ronnie McCartney. The Omagh born driver won the first four events from 1975-79 but, unlike Patrick O’Brien, not all were with the same co-driver. Robbie McGurk holds the record of eight victories on the event. McGurk, also an Omagh man, won five-in-a-row back in the late 90’s early 2000’s, again with different co-drivers.

O’Donovan Is Euro Rallycross Champion

Patrick O’Donovan has become the first British driver in 32 years to win the prestigious FIA European Rallycross Championship. The 20-year-old-two-time British Rallycross Champion and son of well known Rally/Rallycross competitor, Irish-born Ollie, dominated the four-event series in his Peugeot 208 with three wins and a third place at the season finale in Portugal. Will Gollop was the last British winner of the European Championship back in 1992 with his MG Metro 6R4. I tipped Patrick, who also leads the 2024 British Rallycross Championship with four rounds remaining, for success some years ago. Question is, will O’Donovan now move up to the World Rallycross Championship? Someone needs to put six-time winner Johan Kristoffersson under pressure! The Swede has dominated the World series for too long, he is odds on to make it seven titles this year!

2025 NI Championship News

The five-round 2025 Northern Ireland (Sealed Surface) Rally Championship will not start until the Bishopscourt Stages on Sat. 8th March. Due to extensive work taking place at the Co.Down race circuit in February, the Kirkistown Stages Rally will not take place next year. Instead, organisers North Armagh MC will run their Loughgall Stages Rally as round four of the Championship on 5th July.

Other NI Championship dates are; Tour of the Sperrins 5th April, Maiden City Stages 24th May and the Down Rally 19th July. Apart from Bishopscourt (race circuit) and Loughgall (which is due to use the local Country Park plus closed-road tests) the other three events will be held on closed public roads. There are plans to extend the NI Rally Championship in 2026.

Looking Back

Marshalling Memories

40 Years Ago…..1984

Newry and District MC organised the first ever Mourne Rally. The 22 stage mile event used tarmac roads in Slieve Gullion and Camlough Forest Parks. We were timing SS1/4 the “Wee” Gullion stage and then we moved on to cover SS7, the final “spectator stage” in the grounds of a Monastery!. Winners were George Robinson and Dermot Carey in a Vauxhall Chevette HSR while Davy Greer and Mark Crowe were second in their Ford Escort Mk.2. Denis Biggerstaff had a huge barrel roll at the end of stage five in his Mini, the second run over “Big” Gullion, and was lucky to escape with only minor burns.

30 Years Ago…….1994

John Haffey in his MG Metro 6R4 won a depleted entry opening round of Larne MC’s Rallycross Championship at Nutts Corner. Second was David Fraser in an Escort. Numbers wise, the rally car drivers saved the day as they competed for places in two finals. Willie Singleton won the A final in his ex-Biasion Sierra Cosworth while John Williamson was victorious in the B final in his Opel Manta. The event was held on a Sunday for the first time. We were marshalling.

Rally Diary

Sat.19th October
Dogleap Rally

Organised by the Maiden City Motor Club this gravel event is the fourth and final round of the 2024 McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge. We are scheduled to cover radio points, rescue and other official rolls for the organisers. The format of the event, based at the Shackleton Complex in Ballykelly, will consist of two stages run three times in the Limavady area. SS1/3/6 Cam 7.79 miles long and SS2/4/5 Springwell 5.32 miles. It has been years since these stages have been used on the Dogleap. Maiden City have returned to the forests this year as the Club celebrates its 50th anniversary.