Paul Fitzgerald is pictured above with Kaye Shanahan en route to their big result in the Carrick Forest Rally.
Local driver Shay Power steered his Escort to fourth ahead of Ed Colton in the Peugeot 306. Fitzgerald and McGirr are now the joint leaders of the 2WD section of the Valvoline Forest Rally Championship. Mick Cuddihy is one point in arrears in third with Shay Power and James Coleman making the top five with 31 and 29 points respectively.
Officially known as the Wm. Loughman Memorial Rally, the Carrick event was based as usual in the town ofCarrick-on-Suir. It constituted Round Two of the Valvoline Forest Rally Championship and was held on Saturday 5th march. The rally moved from its traditional Sunday format to a 'Saturday Single Day Event'. Scrutiny took place on Saturday morning, with the competitive activity commencing in the afternoon. Three stages were completed in daylight with the same stages repeated under the cover of darkness.
Alastair Fisher and local driver Craig Breen were visitors to the rally and both of them wanted to put miles on their Ford Fiesta R2s ahead of their exploits in the WRC Academy series. A fierce battle was anticipated, but it failed to materialise as Fisher retired with a burst sump on Stage 2. However, the Fermanagh man was three seconds quicker than Breen on the first test. Breen was class fastest on ther emainder of the stages and he went on to finish fifth overall and first on Class 3. Other non registered drivers included Simon Reid who won the Junior sna dPascal O'Shea who finished second in Class 2.
TOP 5 in 2WD Valvoline Forest Rally Championship
1. Paul Fitzgerald/Kaye Shanahan, Ford Escort Mk2 37:36
2. Mick Cuddihy/James Dunphy, Toyota Starlet, 38:19
3. Shane McGirr/Pierce Doheny Jnr, 38:34
4. Shaw Power/Johnny Rafter, Ford Escort Mk2 39:33
5. Ed Colton/Claire O'Mahoney, Peugeot 306 42:22
CLASS 1
A veritable war zone on round one with four starters and no finisher. On this occasion, a fine battle ensued in the early stages between Emmet Cronin, Tristan Horan, Andrew Fanning and Joe Shinnors Jnr. Shinnors was in great form in his Nova, just a second off Cronin’s fastest on stage but he retired on SS2 with engine maladies. Fanning was well in the mix until gearbox maladies forced him to withdraw at first service. By now Cronin had a one minute lead in his powerful Escort but a puncture on stage 5 cost the Corkman two minutes and the lead. Tristan Horan went on to win the class by a half minute in the Ford Ka. Cronin and Horan are now joint leaders 11 points with Andrew Fanning on 2.
Tristan Horan/Ronan Shanahan, Ford Ka 42:36
Emmet Cronin/Richie Long, Escort Mk2 43.10
CLASS 2
Liam Kelleher came within five seconds of beating Mick Nevin on round one. And in Carrick the Banteer man was fastest on every stage, with a one minute lead at service and a margin of three minutes at the finish. Nevin had his problems and he admits that he was lucky to finish when his alternator went sick in the dark-the Tullamore man dropped 2 minutes on the last two stages. In the Championship Nevin and Kelleher are joint leaders on 21 points with Anthony Bulman third on 9.
Liam Kelleher/Patrick Meade, Escort Mk2 41:24
Mick Nevin/Michael Garrahy, Escort Mk2 44:37
CLASS 3
Shane Mc Girr was the Class winner (and 2nd 2WD) on round 1 and he looked like continuing in that vein in Carrick when he posted fastest time on stage one. However the Starlet punctured on Stage 2 costing the Tyrone drivertime and Paul Fitzerald’s Escort into the lead. The Ballyhea man was fastest on three stages and despite intercom problems on stage 3 he won the class by 43 seconds. Mick Cuddihy was also fastest on three stages including his favourite Anner, but a puncture on the first test cost the Starlet driver almost a minute. Mc Girr’s finished in third place Despite another puncture on stage 5 and a dud map light, Mc Girr finished third, a result that puts him into joint leadership of the class with Cuddihy on 20, with Fitzgerald third on 19.
Paul Fitzgerald/Kaye Shanahan, Escort Mk2 37:36
Mick Cuddihy/James Dunphy, Starlet 38:19
Shane Mc Girr/Pierce Doheny Jnr, Starlet 38:34
Class 4
This class was very much a Benskin family benefit on round 1, with Ray Jnr ahead of Ray Snr and Sean in third place. In Carrick however the family did not have it all their own way as Alan Commins was the class winner. The Piltown man was fastest on four stages and he had his Escort up to 10th at service and he had a winning margin of a minute. Sean Benskin had a trouble free run to second but the Ray’s had puncture problems-junior lost ten minutes on stage 2 and senior six minutes on the penultimate test. In the championship the three Benskins are joint leaders on 19 points with Commins fourth on 12
Alan Commins/James Commins. Escort Mk2 42:29
Sean Benskin/Joe Fitzgibbon, Escort Mk2 43:03
Ray Benskin/ Peader Walsh, Escort Mk 2 48:14
Ray Benskin Jnr/Ollie Kierce, Escort Mk2 52:49
Class 5
Shay Power was fastest on the first stage and the Carrickman went on to win the class, despite losing two minutes with a puncture on stage two. James Coleman was fastest on stage 2 and with good times on one and three the Piltown man was up to eighth overall at service and a class lead of two minutes. However the Chairman of the Rallies Committee suffered a puncture on stage 4 costing over six minutes, and relegating him to third. Ed Colton steered his 306 into a big Mark2 sandwich, the Meathman was thrilled with the his rally especially the drive in the dark. In the championship Coleman and Power are joint leaders on 19 with Colton third on 17.
Shay Power/Johny Rafter,EscortMk2 39:33
Ed Colton/Claire O’Mahoney, Peugeot306 42:22
James Coleman/Michael A Haley, Escort Mk2 44:31
Class 9 (Juniors)
Douglas Stewart was fastest in this class, winning five stages in the 206, the Dub lead from start to finish. Michael Ryan was the runner up for most of the event and the Tipp man had a sixteen second margin over Derek Butler after SS4. However Butler put his night nav experience to good use and the Mallow driver shaved 23 seconds from Ryan on the last two stages to finish second in the Civic. Butler-who is sixth in the 2WD class- now leads the Juniors with 21 ahead of Stewart 20 and Ryan on 10.
Drivers who finish first and second in the Junior class Valvoline Forest Rally Championship will be eligible for the Billy Coleman award. Last year the Billy Coleman award was won by Robert Barrable and he is now competing in this years BRC in a Skoda Fabia S2000.
Douglas Stewart/Billy Ryan, Peugeot 206 40:58
Derek Butler/Diarmuid O’Shea, Honda Civic 41:40
Michael Ryan/Kieran Carroll, Peugeot 206 41:47
