With the leaderboard dominated by Ulster drivers, it is a brave pundit that would bet against the championship heading northwards for the first time since Stephen Moore and Tony McHugh lifted the crown in 2007. This year's Valvoline championship is a seven round series and five rallies have been held so far hosted by: Donegal MC, Carrick-on-Suir MC, Munster MC (Moonraker), Cork MC and Tipperary MC (Mitchelstown). This popular championship has provided plenty of excitement and very competitive driving in all the classes. With a brace of events remaining, the Valvoline series is definitely on the home straight now but there is still a lot of racing to be done.
Monaghan’s Stephen Wright is the championship leader with 83 points, his Evo 6 scoring well on every rally. His season started on a great note, finishing second in Donegal and Wright followed with very consistent scores: a fifth, two sixths and an eighth place.
Just one point behind is Garry Jennings in a Subaru Group A. The Kesh man won Donegal, and Tipp. He collected maximum points in Carrick (second to the non-registered winner Craig Breen), finished second in Moonraker (after a roll!!!) and did not start Cork due to issues at scrutiny.
In third place is Colin Britton with 77 points. The Strabane driver in his Evo9 is having a great season todate with a second, two third and one fourth place. While he retired with transmission on the last round in Mitchelstown, Britton will be in the shake out of this series. Vincent McAree is next up just one point adrift of Britton. The Monaghan man had a bad start to the year with a mechanical retirement in the Evo9 in Donegal but Mc Aree recovered well and he has been well on the pace with two seconds, one third and a sixth place.
Fifth sixth and seventh places are taken up by Munster drivers. Ger Lucey has 63 points accumulated in his Evo8 thanks to one sixth and three sevenths. The Corkman retired on Carrick. Fellow county man and reigning Valvoline champion Owen Murphy is sixth with 61 points. Murphy had a terrible start to the defence of his title. Unable to contest Donegal (back pain), he retired on the final test in Carrick with sheared wheel nuts. However, Murphy bounced back with a fine win on the Moonraker and then followed with a win at home in Cork. This emotional victory was followed by a steady third in Mitchelstown. The 2010 champion Pat O’Connell is another driver to experience rotten luck on the early rounds. The Cashel man failed to score on the opening two events due to mechanical issues. On the next three rallies he scored a third and two fourths, but he could have been higher as the margins were miniscule. O’Connell has 59 points and is in seventh place.
When dropped scores and bonus points are taken into account, Jennings remains favourite to claim the 2012 Valvoline Forest Crown. Britton and McAree and possibly Wright will keep Jennings honest till the end. For the former champs Murphy and O’ Connell, the title is still mathematically possible, but in reality a very big ask. Much will depend on Saturday’s rally.
The Bushwhacker is based in Omagh with the rally HQ at the Silverbirch hotel. It starts at 9.00am Saturday September 22 there will be 10 special stages with a total distance of 56km, with service at Omagh market yard Dromquin Road, Omagh. The rally also counts as tenth and final round of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship.
Class Leaders:
Class 1: Andrew Fanning (Ford Ka)
Class 2: Pierce J Doheny (Opel Corsa)
Class 3: Adrian Mc Elhinney (Peugeot 206)
Class 4: Raymond Benskin Jnr (Ford Escort)
Class 5: Shay Power (Ford Escort)
Class 6: Stephen Wright (Evo6)
Class 7: Martin Cairns (Impreza WRC)
Class 8: Colin Britton (Evo9)
Class 9: (Juniors) Dean Raftery (Honda Civic)
Class10: Joe Mc Gonigle (C2R2)
Class11: (Historic) Tommy O’Connell (Escort)
2WD: Dean Raftery (Honda Civic)
More Details from 087 9299590 / +353 87 9299590 or Email: johnsquill@gmail.com
www.irishforestrally.com
