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Jonny Jumps for Joy at Bishopscourt

Carryduff driver Jonny Greer continued his great start to the NI Rally Championship with a dominant win on the second round last month. The Race & Rally Stages was organised by Ballynahinch and District Motor Club and took place within the confines of Bishopscourt Racing Circuit in Co.Down on Saturday 12th March. Current champion Greer and his Sligo co-driver Darragh Mullen were in their Citroen C3 Rally2, the same car in which they won round one at Kirkistown. The number one seeds were fastest on all six stages. In the photo below (taken by Graham Ballham-Curry) the Citroen is seen flying over the famous Bishopscourt jump.

Second were Aaron McLaughlin and Darren Curran in their Ford Fiesta WRC. The Donegal crew finished 31.1 seconds in arrears. Derek McGarrity and Graham Henderson were 8.3 seconds behind McLaughlin in third with the Skoda Fabia R5+.

There was a rally-long battle for the two-wheel-drive category. Kirkistown winners James and Heather Kennedy led early on but with a down-on-power engine their Escort Mk.2 was overhauled on SS5 by the Toyota MR2 of Robert Erwin/Andrew Wilson who went on to win the class and finish 10th overall.

Of the 72 starters, 18 of them were in the top class for R5/WRC/Rally2 cars. There were 62 finishers. Stage mileage totalled 38.80 (SS1/2 5.40) (SS3/4 6.60) (SS5/6 7.40)

We were out in force yet again to assist with timekeeping and stage marshalling. Three of us were on the start line for all stages while at least five more marshalled key points on the tests. There were no problems all day and all six stages ran to schedule. We were finished by 5pm.

It was good to see a surprise visitor at Bishopscourt. Our Canadian BMMC member and former NI Chairman, Colin Rossborough, was on a visit back home to see his family. He turned up for a chat with us and stayed on to spectate.

Although it was cold, the day remained dry and sunny. We were lucky, heavy rain overnight had made the morning stages wet and slippery. By the afternoon things had dried up considerably.

LOOKING BACK

Marshalling memories

40 YEARS AGO......1982

A brand new monthly motorsport magazine “Carsport” was launched here in Northern Ireland in April 1982. The British Motor Racing Marshals Club NI Branch (as we were known then) featured in one of the articles. A photograph of club members and our first little Vauxhall Viva-based rescue unit plus the 500 MRCI’s unit was taken by Harold Moffett from the top of the control tower at Kirkistown during our annual training day. We were a branch of the Midland Region in 1982. Press officer Neil Boulton said “Motorsport in Northern Ireland needs marshals, and the more trained marshals there are at an event the safer that event will be”.

National Chairman at the time John Felix was there and he posed for a picture with our local BMRMC branch officials. One name missing in this photo is that of Jim Hall (extreme right) who was NI Chairman. See how many names you can remember from the main photograph.

Also featured in the first Carsport was the John Lyons story by Sammy Hamill. There was a preview of the 1982 UAC Circuit of Ireland International Rally. leading the 100 strong entry list were Jimmy McRae, Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola, Henri Toivonen and Per Eklund. The five-day-62-stage-rally was to start on Good Friday 9th April in Belfast’s Ormeau Park with a spectator stage. An overnight halt on Saturday in Killarney was to be followed by the Sunday Run. The survivors would leave Killarney on Monday morning for the run north, finishing back in Belfast on Easter Tuesday. We had been asked to supply marshals for the scrutineering at Maysfield Leisure Centre on the Thursday and timekeepers on the Ormeau Park stage.

Nowadays Carsport is only published once a year. The Carsport Yearbook appears each December.

30 YEARS AGO ......1992

The UAC Circuit of Ireland was due to start in Newcastle on Saturday 18th April. The rally would consist of 39 stages containing 400 stage miles. Southern HQ was to be in Waterford for two nights before the surviving competitors headed back northwards via. Galway to a finish on Easter Tuesday afternoon in Newcastle. Lorraine Irwin and co-driver Elaine Lynn estimated it would cost £2,618 including accommodation to run their Famac sponsored Gp.N Sunbeam 1600cc on the event.

With no overall sponsor, disappointingly only 61 competitors were on the 1992 entry list. Top seeds were Kenny McKinstry in his Subaru Legacy, Austin McHale (Toyota Celica) and Bertie Fisher (Legacy).

20 YEARS AGO......2002

The Buy & Sell UAC Circuit of Ireland Rally was based in Enniskillen with Rally HQ at the Manor House Hotel, Killadeas. Starting on Saturday 30th March and finishing on Easter Monday 1st April, a new format saw 125 competitors in the main event return to the host town each night. A additional 70 Easter Stages Northern Ireland Championship cars joined in on the Monday. There were 27 stages over three days in Counties Fermanagh, Leitrim, Donegal and Tyrone. Spectator stages on the first day attracted a huge crowd of 10,000 to St. Angelo Airfield.

As Chief Timekeeper I had 40 timekeepers with 13 of them BMMC/BRMC members. We were kept very busy as all stages were run at 30 second intervals.

Andrew Nesbitt and James O’Brien won in their (new-to-them) Subaru Impreza P2000 WRC. O’Brien told me afterwards that it had been the toughest rally they had ever competed on! “All the stages were narrow and bumpy, a challenge for any crew”. Derek McGarrity and Chris Patterson were second and Eamonn Boland/Anthony Nestor third, both crews were also in Impreza WRC’s.

Eugene Donnelly won the Easter Stages in his Toyota Celica by just 4 seconds from James Gillen’s Ford Escort Cosworth. Denis Biggerstaff was third in his Metro 6R4. Sadly Frank Meagher was killed in a testing accident near his Tipperary home just before Easter 2002. Then Sean O’Neill a well known co-driver from Draperstown died on the Monaghan Stages event.

10 YEARS AGO......2012

Derek McGarrity won round two of the Carryduff Forklift NI Championship at Bishopscourt on St.Patrick’s Day. McGarrity and co-driver James McKee were fastest on all six stages in their MINI John Cooper Works WRC. In the end they were almost one minute ahead of second placed Kieron Graffin’s Subaru Impreza WRC. Third was Derek McGeehan in his MINI WRC.

We were assisting Margaret Kelly with the timekeeping as usual and were kept busy on the starts and finishes. Thanks to all BMMC/BRMC members who gave up their time to help out once again. 2012 was the 20th anniversary of the formation of the organisers, Ballynahinch and District Motor Club and a special event on 13th July was being planned to celebrate 20 years of rallying at Bishopscourt. I had worked on all but one of the BADMC events held at the Co.Down venue.

The Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally at Easter was to be the third round of the Eurosport TV funded Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Starting from Belfast’s City Hall at 4pm on Good Friday 6th April the 15-stage event would finish outside the Armagh City Hotel on Saturday evening at 7pm. For the first time ever all stages would be in Northern Ireland. Stage one will be the Titanic Super Special due to take place on waste ground in the shadow of the dockland cranes, “Samson” and “Goliath” and the new multi-million pound Titanic Belfast. On Saturday a second crowd puller, the Lisburn Power Stage (first used last year) would take place at 4pm.

As well as welcoming the IRC for the first time, the Circuit was also a round of the Irish Tarmac Championship and the NI Rally Championship. A total of 111 cars were on the International and National entry lists. Top seeds were the works Skoda Fabia S2000’s of Andreas Mikkelsen, Jan Kopecky and Juho Hanninen. Craig Breen was to start at number four in his Peugeot 207 S2000.

I was acting as Chief Timekeeper and would be counting on the support of BMMC/BRMC members as usual. The club also were covering stage marshalling, rescue and radio points over the two days.

RALLY DIARY

SUNDAY 10th APRI
BMMC (NI) MARSHALS TRAINING DAY

The first face-to-face BMMC (NI) Training Day since March 2019. This theory-only event will be held at a new venue; Transport Training Services NI, 15 Dundrod Rd. Nutts Corner, Crumlin. 9am for 9.30 start. I find that no matter how qualified you may think you may be, you always learn something new each training day. Sign-on remotely via. rallyscore.net

FRI. 15th—SAT. 16th APRIL
CIRCUIT OF IRELAND RALLY

Round 3 of the Irish Tarmac Championship. Based on Woodside Road in Ballymena with HQ and service at the Livestock Market. A very compact event. Just 11 stages in the County Antrim hills and glens. Sponsored by Wastewater Solutions.

Day One: Good Friday sees two closed-road stages run three times: SS 1/3/5 Orra Lodge is 10.10 miles long. SS 2/4/6 Lisles Hill 9.33 miles.

Day Two: Saturday will have five more stages: SS 7/9/11 Cairncastle is the longest test at 14.05 miles, and very fast. The stage is using part of Lisles Hill but in reverse. Then SS 8/10 Glendun at 9.70 miles is a slightly shorter version of the classic but very bumpy Orra Lodge stage, but run in the opposite direction to Fridays test.

A big entry is expected, no less than 160 started in West Cork last month. Josh Moffett is the driver on form. The Monaghan man has won the first two rounds of the 2022 ITRC in his Hyundai i20 R5.

We are out in force covering rescue, recovery, radio, timing and stage marshalling. Sign-on remotely via. rallyscore.net.

MON. 18th APRIL
EASTER MONDAY TARGA RALLY

Cookstown Motor Club are the organisers of this event. The first car leaves the sponsors MCs Hot Food Cafe on Sandholes Rd. Cookstown at 10am. Marshals and timekeepers required. Sign-on remotely via. rallyscore.net or contact Bob McKeown of Cookstown MC if you require more information.

SAT. 30th APRIL
SPRINGFLING TARGA RALLY

Dungannon Motor Club are the organisers of this EuroParts Motor Factors & Homehardware sponsored lanes-type event. Starts at 10am. Contact DMC if interested. Sign-on will done remotely via. rallyscore.net

MON. 2nd MAY
MAY DAY STAGES RALLY

Enniskillen Motor Club are running this Inter Club event at St.Angelo Airport. Sponsored by Jennings Fuels & Lubricants. Last time EMC organised this popular single venue rally back in 2019, there were over 100 entries. We have been asked to provide radio crews and rescue as well as stage marshals. Sign-on will be remotely via. rallyscore.net. An early start is the norm. The first car should start around 09.30.

SAT. 21st MAY
MAIDEN CITY STAGES RALLY

Round 3 of the NI Rally Championship. Based In Strabane Co.Tyrone. Sponsored by Eakin Bros. Due to feature two closed-road stages run three times. We will cover rescue, radio and other marshalling duties. Sign-on will be remotely via. rallyscore.net. More on this event next month.