ALSO INSIDE... • MICHAEL O’CARROLL • DECLAN BOYLE INTERVIEW• COLIN TURKINGTON • F1 SEASON REVIEW • DAMON HILL INTERVIEW• THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TONY POND • WRC SEASON REVIEW• LOEB AT PIKES PEAK • ROTHMANS PORSCHE 911

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MEEKE LANDS FULL WORKS CITROËN DRIVE HISTORIC RALLYING CIRCUIT BACK IN EUROPEAN SERIES

JENNINGS TAKES 2013 TARMAC TITLE

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13: MEEKE’S WORK DRIVE:Kris Meeke to drive for Citroen in the 2014 WRC.

17: PROJECT PP13: Kevin Jones reports from the Pikes Peak Hillclimb where Sebastien Loeb smashed the record.

27: EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP: The Circuit of Ireland is back in the ERC for 2014.

45: ON THE BOYLE: Art McCarrick talks to the new National Rally Champion Declan Boyle.

51: FAREWELL RPM: Michael O’Carroll looks back at the golden years of RPM.

59: CIRCUIT WINNING CHEVETTE: We feature Andy Johnson’s ex Airikkala Vauxhall Chevette HS.

62: LIFE AND TIMES OF TONY POND: We talk to the people who were there.

71: ROTHMANS RALLYING: John Mulholland rebuilds a Rothmans Porsche 911 SC RS.

78: AUDI’S TIME MACHINE: Angus Frazer goes rallying with Harold Demuth in a quattro Sport.

91: FORMULA ONE REVIEW: Maurice Hamilton looks back at Sebastien Vettel’s 2013 masterclass..

96: OVER THE HILL: Former World Champion Damon Hill looks back at his glory days.

124: HOT RODS: It’s been a terrific first year for the new track at Tullyroan.

CONTENTS YEARBOOK 2014

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PublishersJames & Gladys Greer

DesigNGreer Publications Design Tel: 028 9078 3200

FrONT COVer PhOTORoy Dempster

ADVerTisiNg & eDiTOriAl5b Edgewater Business Park,Belfast Harbour Estate, Belfast BT3 9JQT: 028 9078 3200 F: 028 9078 3210From Republic of Ireland prefix 048E: patburns@greerpublications.com

W: www.carsportmagazine.com

COlumNiSTSSammy Hamill, Maurice Hamilton, Jim McCauley, Richard Young

CORRESpONdENTSJohn Belshaw, Billy McCullins, Graham Curry

phOTOgRAphERSEsler Crawford, Roy Dempster, Trevor Foster, Graham Chambers,Graham Curry, Fergal Kelly, Patrick Regan, William Neill, Billy McCullins, Ger Leahy, Robert Chambers, Guy Foster, Andy Crawford, Mike de Fortunati

This magazine is Copyright © GREER PUBLICATIONS 2014. No part of it may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the publisher.

ThE TEAm

EdiTORPatrick Burnspatburns@greerpublications.com

ART EdiTORStuart Graystuartgray@greerpublications.com

mANAgERGladys Greergladysgreer@greerpublications.com

Rallying is nothing if not unpredictable. After crashing out of Rally Finland and Rally Australia it looked like Kris Meeke’s career was on shaky ground. Instead the Citroen team looked at the positives, the fact that Kris had very little testing time yet was the only Citroen driver able to rattle

the seemingly unstoppable Sebastien Ogier and his VW Polo WRC.Finally, after many years of trying, Kris has landed a full works drive with Citroen. He and Paul Nagle

will compete in all 14 rounds of the 2014 World Rally Championship in a works Citroen DS3 WRC, the first time in ten years anyone from the UK and Ireland has had a full works seat. 2014 is going to be very interesting!

Pat Burns

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Year in Pics 2013

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41. The new VW Polo WRC car and Sebastien ogier showed the opposition a clean pair of heels in 2013.

2. The Stig was a popular attraction at the Banbridge Motor and Sport Car Show.

3. Declan McKeown and Paul Mulholland in their BMW M3.

4. The marshalls who ran another very successful Lurgan Park Rally.

5. James O’Brien and Liz Patterson earlier in 2013. Liz required hospitilisation after she was attacked by a dog a few months ago. We wish her a speedy recovery.

6. Changing a shaft on Guy Foster’s Mini in Galway. Clockwise: Eamon Byrne, David Thompson, Todd Falvey, Mark King, Guy Foster, Daniel Byrne, John Lyons and Stephen Ferguson.

7. Conor Harvey full of the rack and the full of the road in Donegal.

PHOTOS: ESLER CRAWFORD, TREVOR FOSTER, ROY DEMPSTER, WILLIAM NEILL, FERGAL KELLY AND PATRICK REGAN

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8. Markku Allen came out of retirement and wasre-united with a Lancia 037 again.

9. Camillus Bradley shows how it’s done!

10. Eddie Irvine was spotted out spectating at the Cultra hillclmb.

11. Frank Kelly and Peter Dunlop get ready for Lurgan Park in their Mark Two bath!

12. James Deane clinched the National Drift Championship in his Falken Nissan.

13. Neil Harron gets cleared for take off at the Lakeland Stages.

14. Adrian Hetherington swapped seats for one rally this year and tried co-driving.

15. Peter Donnelly scored the closet ever victory in Indy Light.

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16. Robert and Olivia Coulter through the picturesque Loughall Rally stage.

17. Maurice Gass (right) returned to rallying in 2013 at the May Day rally. He is pictured with engineer Jonny Crozier.

18. Former WRC Champion Petter Solberg switched to rallycross in 2013 in a DS3 with parts supplied by Galway Carbon.

19. Pat Kirk comes to grief on the Sligo Stages.

20. Derek McGeehan on a very wet Tour of the Sperrins in his Mini WRC.

21. Rallycross enjoyed a revival in 2013, Ben Dempster caught these cars in action.

22. Ruari Maguire comes to grief on the Spring Rally.

23. Alan Carmichael competed on a number of events in 2013 in a Derek McGeehan (right) run Mini WRC.

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24. Ferrari opened a new dealership in Belfast. Pictured at the opening were: Matteo Torre, regional manager of Ferrari, Colin McNab, operations director, Richard Stinson, Hurst Specialist Cars and Peter Denton of Maserati.

25. Jonny Greer and Mark Donnelly in the BRC service area on the Ulster Rally.

26. Sam Moffett made a successful WRC debut on the Monaghan Stages, complete with L plates on his S14 Impreza.

27. Modern Tyre Services manager Stephen Shaw celebrated his 40th birthday in June and co-drove for Rory Byrne in the new Modern Evo X on the Mourne Stages.

28. These ladies brightened up the finish ramp at the Rally of the Lakes.

29. Paul Barrett and Declan Tumilty have a bit of a moment on the Mourne Stages.

30. Rally School Ireland in Monaghan made a world record attempt to assemble the greatest number of rally cars together in one place.

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With nine-time WRC title winner Sébastien Loeb bowing out there was

always going to be a new World Rally Champion in 2013 – that was guaranteed – and for that reason alone the season was a fascinating prospect.

Could Mikko Hirvonen step up and lead at Citroën and go one better than the vice-champions spots he took in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012?

How would M-Sport get on without works Ford backing and with three young guns, led by Mads Østberg?

And, the biggest question of all: How would Volkswagen perform in its first year?

And just how competitive would Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala be with the new Polo R WRC?

Rallye Monte Carlo provided an early indication and the conditions on the season opener were some of the most difficult and tricky seen for years.

Loeb may have taken the spoils for Citroën, on one of four ‘goodbye’ appearances, but Ogier was still a very strong second. Not bad at all for event one with the Polo R WRC and Ogier’s first competitive outing in a World

Rally Car for over twelve months – remember he spent all of 2012 in the Škoda Fabia S2000 as VW geared up for its arrival in the WRC.

Ogier won two stages as well, including the very first one of the season – it would turn out to be an ominous sign of what was to come.

He and Volkswagen didn’t have

long to wait to win either, with victory number one coming on the very next event in Sweden.

The Frenchman put in a commanding performance on the snow, taking the lead in SS2 and winning five of the first day’s six ‘proper’ tests. He eventually triumphed by over 40 seconds, becoming only the second non-Scandinavian to have won there.

The result was all the sweeter as Loeb was second, 41.8 seconds back, left ruing a poor run in qualifying that left him out of position early on and some ill-conceived set-up changes, which meant he was never able to challenge to repeat his win from 2004.

Mexico followed – the first WRC event without Loeb since

Ogier picks up batonas VW does the double

BY ROB WILKINS PHOTOS: ROY DEMPSTER / PATRICK REGAN

2013 was a poor year for Citroën, they appeared to suffer from Sébastien Loeb’s retirement.

Sébastien Ogier and the new VW Volvo WRC were the class of 2013.

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2006, when the Citroën ace missed the end of the season that year after he broke his arm in a mountain bike accident.

Ogier put in another great drive on the first event on gravel with the Polo R WRC and won 16 of the 23 stages – including the Power Stage. His only scare came on the second day when he had to stop and open a gate

in Otates 2.Hirvonen inherited second after

Østberg hit problems, but the Finn never looked like challenging for the victory and finished almost 3.5 minutes back.

The result allowed Ogier to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship – the gap going up from three points to 31-74 points versus 30, the writing was already

on the wall.Back to Europe and Ogier made

it a hat-trick on Rally de Portugal, leading throughout, bar for one stage.

Despite a scare on the Sunday morning – when a technical problem cost him around 30 seconds – and despite suffering the effects of a virus, which forced him to skip the Fafe Rally

Sprint the weekend before, he was again unstoppable.

Hirvonen was second, but not happy and no match for Ogier. Mikko was also outclassed early on by his team-mate, Dani Sordo.

Argentina saw Loeb back for his penultimate run in the World Rally Championship and he ended Ogier’s winning streak, in the process securing his eighth win on the trot on the South American event.

Séb Jr though, was still ‘best of the rest’. He won five of the first six stages, but a mistake in SS7 on the Friday cost him 40 seconds and the lead. A puncture on the afternoon loop then sealed his fate, but with Latvala third, Volkswagen overtook Citroën in the Manufacturers’.

Hirvonen was only sixth and dropped to third in the Drivers’ Championship behind Loeb – despite having done two more events.

Greece was Latvala’s turn to win, his first with the Volkswagen Polo R WRC – 1 minute 50 seconds up on Sordo. The victory moved the Finn up to second in the Drivers’ Championship as Ogier’s main threat – albeit 52 points back.

Thierry Neuville completed the

Evgeniy Novikov had an incident filled Rally Finland and blocked Kris Meeke after this accdent.

Thierry Neuville will drive for

Hyundai in 2014.

Mikko Hirvonen had two disappointing seasons at Citroën and will return to Ford.

The jump in Finland seems to be getting higher every year.

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podium, his second in succession, while Ogier was only tenth due to a fuel pressure problem, which put him out in the first test.

Sardinia marked the half way point and after the disappointment on the Acropolis, Ogier returned to the top step, leading from start-to-finish and winning seven of the 16 stages. He was never challenged.

Neuville was second with Latvala recovering to third after losing almost two minutes in SS1 when he had a puncture.

Going into the summer break, Ogier’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship stood at 64 points, while Volkswagen had a 46 point cushion in the Manufacturers’.

The second half of the season commenced in Finland, with Ogier securing his fifth win of the

year and his first on the ‘Finnish Grand Prix’. Neuville was second, beating Østberg to silver and in the process lifting himself up to joint second in the Drivers’ Championship. Latvala finished only 17th after a mistake in SS2.

Such was Ogier’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship he now had an outside chance of securing the title on the next event in Germany, although it wasn’t to be. Indeed Rallye Deutschland was the scene of his only really significant error of 2013 and after going off on Friday morning, he eventually finished down in 17th.

Sordo duly took advantage to notch up his first victory in the WRC, a popular result, although Neuville certainly made him work for it. The Belgian was second and as a result took P2 outright in the Drivers’ classification – Ogier’s

lead cut from 90 points to 75.Neuville by now was fast

becoming hot property and would be courted by his then current team, M-Sport as well as Citroën and Hyundai for 2014, before eventually signing a multi-year deal with the latter, which will see him pilot the all-new Hyundai i20 WRC next season.

Returning to 2013 though, after Germany, the sport decamped to the other side of the world for Rally Australia and Ogier was the victor. He won 19 of the 22 stages – including the Power Stage. It wasn’t quite enough however, to clinch the title, although it looked good until the very final test, when Neuville took second, moving ahead of Hirvonen after the Finn picked up a puncture. Mikko finished third. Ogier was one point shy of the

big prize. On to France, and Ogier’s

crowning at ‘home’ was a formality, and he achieved it on SS1, which counted as the Power Stage. While he was then off the pace on the Friday and admitted he was struggling to concentrate after claiming the title, he fought back to seal it with victory.

Loeb’s return – his final WRC event – ended inauspiciously, when he crashed out on the last day, caught out by the very slippery and muddy conditions. That was just a sideshow though, the real story, was Ogier’s success.

“I am absolutely overjoyed!” Ogier said after being crowned. “I could give everyone in the world a big hug. The feeling is impossible to describe. To have won the World Championship title in France is an absolute

Eamon Boland was an occasional WRC competitor in his N14 Impreza.

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“I never was as happy about a second place as I was today. To reach the podium in our debut with the Polo R WRC is just great.”(Monte Carlo, January 20 2013)

“It is simply incredible to claim the first victory for Volkswagen and the team at only our second rally. This is probably the greatest moment of my career.”(Sweden, February 10 2013)

“The Polo R WRC was perfect for every single minute of the Rally Mexico. This victory at our debut on gravel is very special and will always have a special place in my heart.”(Mexico, March 10 2013)

“What a rollercoaster ride! I am overjoyed with the win. First the illness, then the brutal stages, which really push a rally car to the very limit. When we had the problem with the power transmission on Sunday morning’s opening stage, I thought: ‘That’s it Séb. The rally is over.’ Fortunately we made it to the service...”(Portugal, April 14 2013)

“It was an incredibly challenging and difficult rally and my own performance wasn’t entirely flawless. It’s a shame that I couldn’t keep fighting it out against Sébastien Loeb right to the end.”(Argentina, May 4 2013)

“It’s frustrating to feel that both you and the car have what it takes for a podium finish, but a minor technical glitch with the power supply to the fuel pump thwarted us in the very first Special Stage.”(Greece, June 2 2013)

“It feels fantastic to be back on top of the podium again! I was really beginning to miss that feeling after the last two rallies. I’m simply delighted – the team did a fantastic job and the Polo ran like a dream all weekend.”(Sardinia, June 22 2013)

“It is impossible to describe how I feel! This win here in Finland is a dream come true for me.”(Finland, August 3 2013)

“That is not how we hoped the weekend would pan out, but we were still able to make the best of it. The win in the Power Stage at the end was a nice success. I’m sorry for the team that we were not able to win our home rally.”(Germany, August 25 2013)

“What a crazy end to the rally! Of course I’m pleased to have won here, but it’s pretty disappointing to be on course to win the World Championship title the whole time and then lose it again in the last kilometre. Apart from that, it was a fantastic rally for us Down Under.”(Australia, September 15 2013)

“That is definitely the most amazing rally weekend of my career: first the World Championship title and now victory at my home rally – absolutely fantastic!”(France, October 6 2013)

dream come true.“As a little boy, I used to marvel

at the cars and top drivers at the Rally Monte Carlo with my father in my home town of Gap – and now Julien [Ingrassia – co-driver] and I are World Rally Champions. It is crazy.

“It is fantastic what we have achieved.”

Volkswagen soon took the Manufacturers’ as well, doing it at the next event in Spain with Ogier and Latvala securing the squad’s first 1-2. It all made Wales Rally GB, the season finale, rather academic.

“Winning all three World Championship titles in one season is simply unbelievable,” commented Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director. “Given that this is the first season we have competed in the World Rally Championship with the Polo R WRC, it is an even greater achievement.”

“Rally France was the emotional high point of the season, no question. Sébastien

and Julien in particular will most likely never forget this rally, in the sporting sense, they have fulfilled their biggest dreams,” he continued. “However, winning the manufacturers’ crown is the pinnacle goal for us.

“For a car-maker, it is the most important, as it shows that it isn’t just one driver who has that extra class, but the product itself and the whole team.”

Ogier and Volkswagen definitely made their mark then in 2013 and it is clear they will be tough to beat in 2014. The real fear now though is that one period of dominance is about to be replaced by another, with the Loeb-Citroën era superseded by Ogier-Volkswagen. Only time will tell if that is the case, but for now Ogier has definitely picked up the baton. Congratulations to him, Ingrassia and Volkswagen, the new World Rally Champions.

Ogier: The road to the title in his words

Ogier ended off the season with victory on Rally GB.

Robert Kubica’s Rally GB ended quickly... and badly.

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Meeke lands full works Citroen drive

From crashing on his World championship debut for Citroen to getting excluded

on his first venture into European rallycross; from seemingly blowing his chances in Australia of a full WRC drive next season to being entrusted with Sebastien Loeb’s Pike’s Peak record-breaking Peugeot for a Top Gear feature, Kris Meeke was back making headlines in 2013.

But none came bigger than the announcement that he had landed his dream drive with Abu Dhabi Citroen Racing in the 2014 World championship, teaming up again with his 2009 Intercontinental Challenge-winning co-driver Paul Nagle in a re-shaped line-up which includes Norwegian Mads Ostberg and Khalid Al Qassimi.

For the past couple of years, ever since the demise of the Prodrive Mini project, Meeke has been keeping a fairly low profile. Perhaps deliberately so. But that all changed in the past few months with the Dungannon man back in the media focus and,

more importantly, back on the World championship radar .

When the announcement came it caught many on the hop, Citroen having flagged up a presentation of the WRC and World Touring Car Championship teams at their Versailles headquarters on December 16, but then quietly slipping out a press release a week in advance. But with the Monte Carlo Rally just a month away and rival teams already well into their test programmes, Citroen had little choice. Their two new drivers were already enroute to the south of France to begin their own preparations and the cat would have been out of the bag.

As the pre-announcement speculation swirled around, Meeke stayed tight-lipped, declining all inquiries even though he was well aware a big shake-up was coming at Citroen in the wake of their worst season in more than a decade. Three wins, two from the departing Sebastien Loeb and one from Dani Sordo of all people, was

all they had to show at the end of a year in which everything was overshadowed by the dominance of Sebastien Ogier and Volkswagen.

But fair play to Citroen, with a World Touring Car Championship programme looming, they remained committed to rallying and adopted a “new broom” approach, team principal Yves Matton and the French company hierarchy sweeping out the old guard and gambling on a relatively untried duo.

Matton has a long connection with Meeke, stretching back to the World junior championship in 2005/2006 through to his selection as the main test and development driver for the Citroen/Peugeot group at the beginning of the year. It was Matton who played a significant role in giving Meeke the opportunity to stand in for Khalid Al Qassimi in Rally Finland and again as Sordo’s replacement in Australia.

On the surface it would appear that Meeke failed those two

tests, crashing out of both rallies, but dig deeper and it emerges that he impressed the Citroen hierarchy with his commitment, his competitive spirit, his “go for it” attitude and his ability to set competitive top five times even though he had spent little time in the DS3 WRC or driven in the World championship for the best part of 18 months.

Citroen had grown tired of the less than impressive performances of Mikko Hirvonen and Sordo; of their seeming acceptance that VW’s Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala couldn’t be beaten; of their lack of conviction and commitment. The duo appeared to be marking time although, when it came to contract negotiations towards the end of the season, Sordo did show that the DS3 wasn’t so bad when he finally won – after more than 100 WRC starts – in Germany.

There was never much doubt that Hirvonen would depart, back to Ford, after two disappointing seasons in which he won just once, but to those

Kris Meeke in action in Finland. He will compete in all 14 rounds of 2014

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outside the Citroen bubble it looked like Sordo could remain on a limited programme until it was surprisingly revealed that the Spaniard was on his way to join Thierry Neuville and Juho Hanninen at Hyundai. Odd to say the least!

One driver Citroen initially wanted was Robert Kubica who had won the WRC2 category in their RRC version of the DS3. The former Renault F1 star and Canadian Grand Prix winner is one of the most charismatic figures to arrive on the rally scene and both Citroen and M-Sport Ford appeared anxious to bring him on board.

Even so it was something of a surprise when he was chosen ahead of Meeke to replace Al Qassimi for Wales Rally GB.

Meeke, however, was philosophical. “You can’t expect to be rewarded if you don’t do the job you were asked to do, no matter how hard you tried,” he said.He had been told he would drive alongside Hirvonen in Wales if he finished in the top five in Australia but despite an encouraging start in which he was fastest in qualifying and ran as high as third – ahead of Hirvonen – he crashed out.

It followed on from a similar incident on his Citroen debut in Finland where he crashed out of fifth place within sight of the finish.

In the aftermath of the Australian accident an unhappy Matton indicated he would not make a quick decision – “if I do it would not be good for Kris,” he said. It still did not turn out well for Kris with Kubica getting the drive.

“Of course I was disappointed. I would love to have had the chance to drive in front of the British fans in Wales,” he said.

“But I didn’t do the specific job I was asked to do in Finland and especially Australia and can’t expect to be rewarded for failing to deliver. But it wasn’t all bad. “Despite having been away from the World championship for more than 18 months I was able to step straight into a WRC car and set competitive times. It’s very easy to look back at the two events I’ve done this year and the immediate thing that stands out is that I went off the road on both occasions. But you don’t judge a book by the cover. There was a hell of a lot more positives than negatives. Yes the negatives were big and the end result was missing but everything else was there.

“To never having sat in the car and go and do what Chris [Patterson} and I did in Finland and to turn up in Australia having not driven the car since Finland and go and win the qualifying stage and be lying second overall after the first loop of stages, I don’t think anyone can deny there is potential there.

“There are little things that need sorting but a lot of that gets sorted out when you can put a strategic plan in place, when you know you have events ahead. You can plan and you’re more free in the mind. When it’s a one-off event every corner is your last corner. But that’s the situation we were in.

“Yes, I made mistakes, which I bitterly regret, but there were a lot of positives to take away from those two rallies.”

Citroen saw the positives too – why else would they have sent him to Wales to do the Rally GB recce, just as he had done in Spain a few weeks earlier?

The Kubica experiment didn’t pay off – or were Citroen just testing him? - with the Pole never adapting to the wet, slippery, foggy Welsh stages and crashing twice. Then, intriguingly, it was rumoured that M-Sport had contacted the FIA seeking dispensation to modify their WRC Ford Fiesta to accommodate a paddle gearshift – just as Citroen had done with the RRC DS3 Kubica, who still has restricted use of his right arm following his 2010 accident, used in WRC2 and European rallies.

It all fuelled intense speculation what the final make-up of the major teams would be for 2014 ahead of the announcement of the Monte Carlo Rally entry list due out on December 20.The new champions Volkswagen had a settled line-up of Ogier, Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen while it was already known that Neuville would head up the Hyundai team with Hanninen and probably Sordo alternating in the second car.

Macolm Wilson was giving little away about his M-Sport Ford line-up although Qatari driver/sponsor Nasser Al-Attiyah made it known he would be competing in only five rounds, possibly sharing his car with rising Welsh star Elfyn Evans. The main Ford players looked likely to be the returning Hirvonen and Kubica who it was claimed wanted a full championship programme and was unhappy with what Citroen had to offer.

Through it all, though, Meeke was quietly guarding a secret he

had known for the best part of two months. He had been offered the Citroen drive as far back as October and had already said ‘YES’.

“I knew from Rally France onwards but obviously I couldn’t say anything,” he told me. “It is an incredible opportunity for me, one that I have been dreaming about for a very long time. “I’ve always been close to Citroen and I’m really lucky to have been able to work with a team that has so much experience and won so many titles.

“But this is a big step up. I have only competed in 10 world championship rallies in a WRC car so although I believe I’ve got

potential, I still need to get more experience under my belt.

“The Citroen DS3 WRC is a terrific car and I’m going to be able to use the team’s knowledge to help me improve. But I will have to be patient in the first half of the season and learn all about the rallies that I haven’t done before.

“I hope people don’t judge me on the first three rallies of the season but will wait until the last three after I’ve had time to find my feet. I’m under no illusions. I know it is going to be a difficult season but I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity and I have to make the most of it.”

Just before jetting off to Rally Finland, Kris managed to find the time to marry Danielle

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2013 stands every chance of being another milestone year for Peugeot, but a few

months before it started sanction from the board of Peugeot was given for the secret project ‘PP13’ to proceed with the hope of repeating an historic moment. With previous success at the International Pikes Peak hill-climb – America’s second oldest motor sport event – in 1988 (Ari Vatanen) and 1989 (Robby Unser), it was felt wholly appropriate to campaign Peugeot’s latest best-selling small car – the 208, which, at the time had only just been launched.

The 208 was already a much lighter car than its road-going predecessor (the 207) and in competition guise with rally versions – R2 with front-wheel drive and R5 with four-wheel drive – a potentially competitive product, but for a uniquely-

unrestricted event like Pikes Peak – a very special approach was deemed necessary and with huge resources of experience drawn from Peugeot Sport’s involvement with rallying and Le Mans Series Prototype endurance racing (that saw it vanquish a win at Le Mans in 2009), the specification of ‘PP13’ was constructed.

The Peugeot ‘208 T16 Pikes Peak’ car would utilise the suspension, hubs and brakes of the 908, built around a purpose-built tubular frame and propelled by a 3.2-litre V6 twin turbo petrol endurance engine with an output of 875bhp. When the carbon-fibre clad panels of the 208 silhouette car were completed with its iconic 908 rear wing it weighed just 875kgs – a perfect 1000bhp/tonne power-to-weight ratio.

Surprisingly, it was only after developing a communications

BY KEVIN JONES PHOTOS: RED BULL PHOTOFILES

PP13Peugeot’s secret project

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plan with sponsors Red Bull that the opportunity came for Peugeot to be offered the talents of nine-times world rally champion Sèbastien Loeb as its driver.

He tested the T16 in tracks and mountain courses in France, describing it as “a rocket” before it was flown off to Colorado for altitude testing.

The 30th June was the day that drew huge crowds to this auspicious event and long queues had formed the entire length of the five mile approach road in the very early hours. The teams and cars were already in situ. There is only one road in, only one route to the section of the 12.42miles (19.99km) climb over 156 turns, climbing 4,720 feet (1,440m) from the start at ‘Mile 7’ on Pikes Peak Highway, to the finish at 14,110 feet (4,300m) and so it took many hours for spectators and enthusiasts to get into position before the start, which saw motorbikes run first.

The anticipation for this event as a competitor is intense, as in the days beforehand, practice runs were only permitted over a section of a third of the course, thus only on the day itself would an overall run be possible. So just one chance to blow it or make a mark in the history books. And one mistake could hold severe consequences with big drops on the outside of bends, as had been the case the year before. Though recently the final stages have been covered by tarmac the course is still extremely

demanding on both the car and its driver. The engine was tuned to anticipate the restrictions of altitude and so too was the driver who was served with nostril oxygen to ensure best breathing capability.

Ordinarily, in preparation for a WRC rally stage, the driver and co-driver might get a few runs of the course but hill-climb cars are purpose-built single-seaters. So Sèbastien was able to do several runs in a road car with his co-driver before reversing the role as he deployed his memorised precise corner lines that would be necessary to optimise the time to the top at 14,000 feet!

So back to the day itself, and with recent turbulent weather – continuous lightning storms, high-pressure, rain storms, temperature changes, etc. – the greatest challenge would in fact be to get on track before the bad

weather landed. Many incidents and accidents with the preliminary motorcycles delayed the start time further, and so the tension rose to a climax as the Peugeot was placed on the start line.

Sébastien was completely calm and collected (on the outside, no doubt anxious and excited on the inside), so when it finally came to release the 208 into the hills, he did so with vigour and the rolling start saw him go through the start timing beam at over 100mph. The record to beat stood at 9:46.164, the ten minute threshold broken only the year before as a consequence of the last section being covered with tarmac. Sèbastien was committed, well-practised and prepared and with precise inputs perfectly on line and ‘on it’ with a once-a-lifetime chance. The car looked superbly placed, swift and bewilderingly quick with

the obvious aid of a tuned aero package holding it firmly down through the challenging 156 tight turns that have incline grades averaging seven per cent.

History was comprehensively made that day to gasps of disbelief and adulation from the many thousands of spectators that had gathered to witness this class act. Complemented by a live viewing worldwide public, everyone saw Sébastien achieve the astonishing time of 8:13.878! A full 93 seconds faster than anyone or anything else in the 100 years of the event and comfortably beating last year’s record by more than 15 per cent at an average speed of 87.471mph!

It was an astonishing physical and dynamic achievement of man and machine in complete harmony. The celebrations were excited and the relief of pressure was airborne given that the poorer weather conditions were quickly moving in – hail the king of the clouds, hail was falling at the top of the hill, literally. And so jubilant team members waited until the days competitors were all up and had then come down, so for Sébastien to be lauded by the crowds lining the course, it was a spectacular moment for all who were there to see. For those that were lucky enough to be there, it was a ‘bucket-list’ moment.

Sebastien Loeb’s record breaking run can be watched on Youtube via this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y20CLumT2Sg

Sébastien Loeb gets ready for his record breaking Pikes Peak run.

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A year of transition for BreenIn recent years as the end of season award ceremonies kick into gear we’ve grown accustomed to watching Craig Breen swap his race suit for a tuxedo and claim a host of awards. The situation is different this year however as 2013 has been a year of transition for the Irish driver.

A new position within the Peugeot Rally Academy, new co-drivers, new

events and the small matter of being the lead driver involved in developing the new Peugeot 208 T16. In essence we have witnessed a different kind of Craig Breen throughout the past twelve months.

In January the announcement was made that the twenty three year old had signed a deal with the French Lion (Peugeot). The deal outlined Breen’s new position as works driver in the newly formed Peugeot Rally Academy. The European Rally Championship (ERC) was to be his home in an eight round championship campaign. Sainteloc Racing would run the team with the focus for Craig being to gain knowledge of new events.

ERC RAlly liEpÃjA-VEntspils 1-3 FEBRuARyThe action began with a bang on the ultra-fast frost covered stages in the Baltic on Rally Liepãja-Ventspils. Breen was joined by Co. Cork’s Dave Moynihan as part of

the new team and together they set the pace by being fastest on all three of the Friday tests and it was easy to see Craig’s excitement with his comment on holding the overnight lead at the end of day one, “I just can’t believe it. This has been a dream for me [being a works driver] for such a long time.”

Reality came to the fore on day–two in the form of Jari Ketomaa (Fin) at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta Regional Rally Car (RRC). Breen battled bravely throughout but the pace of the new RRC could not be held back. On their maiden event for the Peugeot Rally Academy they claimed second overall, it was a great first step.

RAlly islAs CAnARiAs El CoRtE inglés 21-23 MARChAfter Craig’s encouraging result in Latvia the Sainteloc Team quickly announced that Craig would take part in ERC Rally Canaries round three of the season. Not listed on his original event schedule, the budget was quickly found

to include the tarmac event on the holiday Island. It’s inclusion meant it would be Breen’s second new destination of the year and there was also a change of co-driver as the familiar face of the experienced Paul Nagle returned to Craig’s side in the 207 cockpit.

Changeable weather conditions made tyre choice difficult for the opening day’s action. This in fact lead to Craig sustaining a ten second time penalty after checking in two seconds late at a control following a late tyre choice before SS1. Breen quickly put the distraction behind him and settled into his rhythm holding a solid third position behind rally leader Robert Kubica and second place Jan Kopecký. Kubica out for his first event of the ERC season had the upper-hand at the wheel of his Citroën DS3 Regional Rally Car. The battle between championship leader Kopecký and Craig was much closer with the Czech Republic driver pulling out an advantage over the closing day one stages. With a return to more familiar weather of sunshine and warm

conditions for day two the rally looked to be going the way of the Polish ex-F1 driver until Kubica crashed out on SS10. This elevated Kopecky into the lead and Breen to second position.

sAtA RAllyE AzoREs25-27 ApRilCraig completed a hat trick of ERC second place finishes on round four of the season on SATA Rallye Azores. Yet again for the third time in a row this was another new challenge for the Peugeot Rally Academy driver as he continued his knowledge gaining experience on the Portuguese Island.

Competing in the Azores always throws up a host of weather conditions and this year was no exception with the competing crews sampling all that the Atlantic Island climate could throw at them. In fact a deluge of rain the night before the event start resulted in significant route changes to the opening day’s stages.

Really wanting his maiden ERC win Craig was ready to fight to

BY TREVOR McGRATH

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the end but the erratic weather conditions did not abate.

Over the closing stages Craig wanted to push for the win, his quote after the final stage tells the story, “It’s all very well racking up these 2nd places, second is getting monotonous. I want to win.” But second was the best that he could achieve on this outing.

Tour de Corse 17-18 MayIt was back to more familiar surroundings next, Craig visited Corsica in 2012 and claiming sixth came away with a lot of admirers. After three second place finishes Breen wanted that maiden win and if he could gain victory on the ultra-fast stages on the Mediterranean Island it would raise his profile even more but he was up against it in terms of the opposition. Championship leader Jan Kopecký was looking for his fourth win of the season, then came the French armada in the form of Bryan Bouffier, Stephane Sarrazin and eternally youthful Francois Delecour. Topping off Craig’s challengers was the ex-F1 driver Robert Kubica.

Breen began in spectacular style with a hat trick of fastest stage times to build a lead of 26.4 seconds over Kubica. The script changed however on stage four when he hit a bank pulling the right-rear tyre off the rim dropping 1 minute 23 seconds and was down to fifth.

Undeterred the Peugeot driver banged in yet another fastest time on SS5 to overhaul Stephane Sarrazin taking fourth position in the process and with Kubica’s Citroën DS3 RRC being hit with electrical gremlins forcing his retirement Breen finished day one in third.

Day two began with stage seven and a wrong tyre choice lead to a costly mistake when he hit a bridge pulling the rear bumper off. The incident didn’t affect the driveability of his Peugeot but he did drop back behind Sarrazin again to fourth.

There was however a silver lining after the finish when Craig was awarded the Colin McRae Flat Out Trophy for his efforts over the weekend. This was Breen’s second time to take the honour after earning the accolade in Sanremo 2012.

Geko ypres rally27-29 JuneThe trip to West Flanders, Belgium signified the start of the second half of Craig’s campaign. Paul Nagle was calling the notes for his fourth event but this was to

be the Killarney man’s last ERC outing of the year. For this event Craig did not have to tussle with championship leader Jan Kopecký but in his place Škoda rolled out local favourite ‘Fast’ Freddy Loix. The ex-WRC veteran was on home ground and had his sights set on winning Ypers for the eight time. Along with Loix, Breen had to contend with Byran Bouffier who was out again in a similar Peugeot 207 as Craig and putting in his first ERC appearance of the year Haddon Paddon in a Fiesta S2000.

Rally Ypers is difficult to adjust to on your first attempt but with the knowledge of Paul Nagle Craig made a good start. In fact he was the only driver to stay with the pace of Loix on day-one. A succession of second fastest times left him 21 seconds adrift of the Belgium driver after stage four. Breen was then hit with driveshaft failure on the road section before SS5, and with only rear wheel drive he completed that test and stage six but dropped to fourth behind Loix, Bouffier and Paddon.

The Sainteloc service crew repaired Craig’s 207 for day-two and Craig’s response to the mechanical bad luck was to bang in a series of fastest stage times. On a charge third position was recaptured while all the time the gap to Bouffier in 2nd was being closed. The battle for the second step on the podium went all the way to wire but was secured in the Frenchman’s favour on the final stage when Breen slid off into a ditch. With the help of some spectators the Irish crew managed to re-join and complete the stage. Craig did have luck on his side after losing a lot of time when trying to get out of the ditch as that final stage

was cancelled due to two other competing cars catching fire. So third at the end and Craig’s fourth podium from five events.

sibiu rally roMania25-27 July / baruM CzeCh rally zlin 30 auGusT -1 sepTeMberThe Peugeot Rally Academy did not have rounds seven and eight on their schedule. After Craig’s result in Ypres he effectively entered a ten week break with his next event coming in Poland. There was no holiday for championship leader Jan Kopecký and with wins on both Sibiu Rally Romania and his home event on the Barum Czech Rally Zlin he took a major step towards winning the title.

loTos rally poland13-15 sepTeMber Craig re-joined the ERC party on round nine in Poland. In the weeks leading up to the event it emerged that Paul Nagle would not accompany Craig as he was to compete in World Rally Australia with Andreas Mikkelsen. Mikkelsen’s usual co-driver Mikko Markkula had to withdraw from the event due to a back injury. In Nagle’s place Belgium’s Lara Vanneste was drafted in to sit with Craig and as it turned out she would stay for the remainder of the season.

The new pairing didn’t get off to an auspicious start on the gravel stages based around the host town of Mikołajki. Unseasonal rain made driving conditions very tough and the Irish/Belgium crew took some time to fine-tune their setup.

At the end of every stage Craig sounded downbeat with a negative comment, which is

totally out of place for the Irish driver. His final stage quote spells the way he was feeling throughout the weekend, “Disaster, but we made it to the finish. It’s definitely not the result we wanted. We made it to the finish, some points on the board.” Seventh by the end was Craig’s lowest points scoring finish of the season.

Craig Breen receives the Colin McRae Flat Out trophy in Corsica.

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Rally SanRemo10-12 octobeRA rejuvenated Breen took to the tarmac in Sanremo with a quest. The Peugeot Rally Academy driver wanted to put the Poland result behind him and after winning the Colin McRae Award on the Italian event in 2012 he saw an opportunity to reignite his early season form.

The ten stage rally was structured to take place within a twenty-six hour period with the highlight stage ‘Ronde’ scheduled for Friday night under the cover of darkness.

Craig had earmarked the stage as a possible place to lay down a marker to his rivals but this is not how it transpired.

Bouffier stormed through the opening stage and held a 5.7 second lead after SS2 but then hit a metal barrier on the third dropping a minute to lie eighth. All the time Breen and Vanneste made a more cautious start and held fourth +11.7 to new rally leader Paolo Andrecci.

With a regroup and service out of the way the focus then turned to Ronde (A). Early in the test Craig hit a bank, damaging the right rear suspension and

puncturing the tyre. The crew eventually had to stop and change the wheel but did make the end of the stage. On the short road section between section A and B of the stage Craig and Lara stopped and tried in vain to repair the ailing car but they were out.

Rallye InteRnatIonal du ValaIS 07-09 noVembeRSo, down to the final event of the season and Craig was hoping to end the year on a high. He required a rally win if he was to regain runner-up spot in the championship standings.

Breen and his teammate Jeremi Ancian tied on the event opener with fastest time. The first segment of drama took place on the road section between stages one and two, both Breen and Ancian were delayed by road works and began SS2 out of seeding order. On the test Breen did not let the distraction affect him and eked out a narrow lead. Penalties loomed for both crews but after reviewing the incident no punishment was introduced by the organisers. Craig drove through stage three completing day-one with what appeared to be a narrow lead over his

teammate. Then more drama as it emerged that both respective co-drivers in the Peugeot team checked into stage three early.

Vanneste, making a mistake of two minutes and Olivier Vitrani, Ancian’s co-driver going a step further checking in three minutes early. The penalty that applies in this instance correlates to the mistake made so Breen/Vanneste were hit with a two minute penalty and Ancian/Vitrani three minutes.

So instead of leading the rally on day two Breen found himself beginning the day 16th, over two minutes off the pace. Trying to put the episode behind Craig set about fighting back but the same luck that has plagued him since September was well in tow. Early in stage four the Irish driver hit a pole that line each stage in the Swiss mountains. The poles are place on the road side in the event of snow so road users can make out the tarmac surface. Upon hitting the offending obstacle Breen lost his powersteering making his Peugeot impossible to drive at 100%.

The highpoint of the loop and the rally came on stage fourteen

(Les Cols – 37.1km) the longest of the rally where he beat Lappi who finished second on the test by 29.4 seconds. The quote from the Peugeot driver said a lot about him and his love of the sport, “Difficult stage but I have to say beautiful. You start in Sanremo, go through Switzerland in the middle and finish in Germany.” We were down to the final loop and over the closing stages Breen gained one more to finish third and place to score his fifth podium of the year.

RatIng cRaIg’S campaIgnSo a year of transition for Craig has come to an end. For sure it has been a time of learning and gaining knowledge. We only need to look at Kopecký to see how much experience counts towards winning the championship. The thirty-one year old has been on the scene for the past eleven years in both WRC and IRC. He has been with Škoda over the past five years and has been runner-up over the last four years in the IRC. Experience is everything and Craig will continue on this same path next year, 2014 will be another year of new challenges for the Irish driver.

Craig in action on the San Remo Rally and (inset) Craig with CarSport’s European photographer Mike de Fortunati.

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It’s taken Robert Barrable just four years to rocket from rally rookie to FIA World

Rally Championship WRC-2 frontrunner – an extraordinary rise that has been fuelled by enormous skill, enthusiasm, commitment and, in 2013, an endless supply of Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers!

Having won the British and Irish Citroën C2 R2 titles, been presented with the prestigious Billy Coleman Award and enjoyed two successful seasons in an ex-works Škoda Fabia S2000, Robert made the giant leap into the WRC in 2013.

The craic is indeed mighty, you will, without question, find Robert with his loyal Barrable family supporters in the local Irish bar after an event, and he always has time for a friendly chat with fans. But make no mistake, the creation of the Tunnock’s World Rally Team has all the marketing focus of any top team in the WRC, and Robert’s ambitions to

succeed are as real as any aspiring Scandinavian rival.

Initial plans to buy an ex-Andreas Mikkelsen IRC-winning Fabia S2000 for 2013 were scrapped after Robert tested an M-Sport Fiesta R5 at Greystoke forest. But that meant he had to wait until July for the car to be homologated, and so the young Dublin driver made his WRC debut in Portugal in a hired Fiesta S2000.

Meanwhile, all other plans were set to action. A new Fiesta R5 was on order, Martin Wilkinson’s CA1 Sport team was going to run it, Seb Marshall was enrolled as team co-ordinator, Tunnock’s was the enthusiastic and soon-to-become the WRC’s most liked sponsor and Stuart Loudon – who Robert first met at 4am in a hotel resident’s bar after the 2010 Donegal Rally – was co-driving. The exciting new Tunnock’s World Rally Team was born.

But with just seven rallies in

2012 – including his first with Stuart on the Jim Clark Rally – Robert’s WRC debut was a nerve-wraking experience.

“You wouldn’t believe the things that were going through my mind before Rally Portugal started. Had we forgotten, something? Had we recced all the stages? Really weird stuff like that,” recalls Robert.

“Then Stuart and I had a chat on the road section out to the first stage and decided to just go through the event at our own speed and see what happened. The event was very long and the stages really challenging, but everything went well. So much so that we finished second in WRC-2!”

Naturally, that result is a highlight of 2013 for Robert, and so too is the relationship he’s built with his new co-driver. And the feeling’s mutual.

“I’ve nothing but praise for Rob in the way he goes about his rallying and we’ve developed a

really good relationship inside and outside the car,” says Stuart.

“I was extremely nervous when we did our first rally together, because I’d never co-driven in anything as quick as a Fabia Super 2000 before – but the Jim Clark Rally was very enjoyable and Rob made everything very easy for me.

“We have a lot of fun on rallies – even at World Championship level, we never forget how important it is to enjoy it. Rob is also a very mature driver and has an amazing ability to absorb good advice and act on it.”

And one man always available to offer Robert good advice is Juho Hänninen.

“I talk to Juho every week without fail,” says Robert. “He’s a driver I look up to and I’m really fortunate that he’s kind enough to give me as much advice as he can. And from a man of his experience, what Juho says I take as gospel.”

Robert had to wait five months for his next rally – but his patience

It’s a piece of cake for BarrableBY PAUL EVANS

Robert Barrable in the Tunnocks Tea Cakes Fiesta S2000.

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was rewarded when he became the first driver to start and finish a WRC stage in a Ford Fiesta R5 – on Rally Finland.

“To do Portugal in April and then nothing until Finland in August was perhaps the biggest eye-opener,” admits Robert. “Despite very little pre-event testing in the new car, we finished eighth and gained a huge amount of experience. When we go back to Finland next year, we’ll start off with a good set-up and pace, not just finish with it.”

Given his formative years in circuit racing and rallying down Irish lanes, Robert was eagerly awaiting the next two Tarmac rounds of the WRC – although Germany and France didn’t go according to plan.

Rally Germany started well, with fifth fastest on shakedown and third quickest (behind Robert Kubica and Sepp Wiegand) on initial split times through SS1. But midway through the opening Blankenheim test, Robert cut

a corner, whacked a kerb and pushed the fan into the radiator. As if that wasn’t harsh enough punishment, the engine would need a rebuild.

Then on SS3 in Rally France, Robert clipped a concrete bollard, broke the car’s steering and ended up parked in a ditch. Kicked when he’s down with 25 minutes of penalties, Robert showed his true spirit by returning under Rally 2 rules and fought back from 70th to 26th overall and from 10th to 4th in WRC-2.

“I was really disappointed in Germany, because we were doing six rounds of the WRC-2 and couldn’t afford to drop a round. Then in France I made the tiniest mistake and had to superally. Two problems early on in two successive rallies wasn’t part of the plan.

“So going to Spain, we really needed a clean run and a good result. We didn’t know the roads, didn’t take risks and didn’t have the ultimate pace of the

frontrunners, but we did what we needed to do. We kept it clean, gained the maximum amount of experience and finished third in WRC-2. We were pleased with that result.”

Having made a great impression in the IRC with 10th on the 2010 Ypres Rally and 5th on the 2011 Barum Czech Rally Zlín – both undoubtedly tough flat-out events – Robert freely admits the move up to the WRC was still a big one.

“I knew the WRC was going to be difficult, but one thing that’s come as a surprise is the sheer durability of the events. If you do a pre-event test, a European round of the WRC can be up to ten days away from home, and the absolute minimum amount of time away is a week. Even Wales Rally GB was leave on Sunday and back home the following Monday, so it’s a fair commitment on time.

“It’s a different mind-set when the event starts too. If you do a national rally at home, you can

normally pace yourself over the first loop of stages and you’d still be there or there abouts, but in the WRC you can’t afford to do that. We’ve had to pace ourselves a bit over the first loop of stages because they’ve all been completely new to us and we’ve been hammered on the times, but then we’ve been massively quicker the second time through the stages. It’s a learning curve – a matter of building up our experience so if we return next year, we’ll be an awful lot quicker straight away.

“And to return is our aim. Having learnt so much in our debut year, it would be great to return to the WRC and be in a position to start at the pace we finished each event.

“I’d like to do seven rounds of the WRC-2 in 2014, which would give us a fair crack at the title. With Stuart beside me and the same car and team, I’d like to think we’d be a force to be reckoned with next season.”

Robert Barrable flying high in Finland.

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Raymond Moore is the man behind Keith Cronin’s Citroen Top Driver WRC3 assault... we catch up with the Citroen rally specialist...

Ray of Light on the rally scene...BY PAT BURNS PHOTOS: ROY DemPSTeR / PATRick RegAN

The man behind Keith Cronin’s assault on the World Rally Championship

based WRC Citroen Top Driver is Charles Hurst Parts Manager Raymond Moore.

Raymond is well known throughout Ireland and the UK as the man behind the successful influx of firstly Citroen C2R2 rally cars and more recently DS3s. He

was also instrumental in arranging for the Pirelli Star Driver UK drive to be in a DS3 as well as working with David Greer Motorsport (DGM) to supply cars for Sky Televisions ‘League of Their Own’ rally programme which saw cricket ace Freddie Flintoff crash one of the DGM cars into the trees with Kris Meeke in the co-drivers seat.

When the Citroen Star Driver Championship was announced at the start of 2013 Raymond was determined to get involved and approached a number of Ireland’s top rally drivers. As the championship was run over six European rounds of the World Rally Championship, a considerable budget was required and as usual, getting the budget

together was the biggest problem for Irish drivers. After a series of meetings with several possible competitors, Keith Cronin decided to start the championship on a round per round basis and Keith and co-driver Marshall Clarke lined up for the start line in the first round of the series in Portugal behind some very stiff opposition, including Monte

keith cronin in action in Finland. Raymond moore was instrumental in setting up the drive

Raymond moore & mikko HirvonenCongratulations to

Raymond Moorewho was presented with a special award in recognition

of his development of young drivers at the SPARKS champions of Motorsport Dinner.

Tel: 028 9081 5400Email: info@dgmsport.comWeb: www.dgmsport.com

Raymond moore received a special award at the Sparks Dinner in recognition of his work in helping young drivers progress in motorsport. Pictured are Damon Hill, Nigel Harra of event sponsors BDO, Raymond moore and Pamela Ballentine.

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Carlo Rally winner Brian Bouffier, French aces Quentin Gilbert and Sebastien Chardonnet as well as Alastair Fisher in a Sainteloc car.

Raymond Moore drafted WRC experts Kris Meeke and Chris Patterson into the team for Portugal so they could pass on their considerable experience onto Cronin and Clarke and during a pre event test session, Kris Meeke described Cronin as the best driving talent he had ever seen to come out of the UK and Ireland.

In Portugal, Cronin and Fisher were the class of the field, leaving the others in their dust until a stage on the second day which included a deep river crossing. Cronin was running first DS3 on the road and hit the water too fast, his DS3 inhaled some water up the air intake system and expired. Next up was Alastair Fisher and the exact same thing happened to him. Robert Kubica was following them and spotted the two stranded DS3s and drove through the river at a trickle, as did eventual winner Bouffier. Luck was on the Frenchmans side as his gearbox broke on the road section between the end of the final stage and the last control, but he managed to get the gearbox jammed in reverse and with the aid of a following Kubica reversed the car back to the finish.

“We reckoned Bouffier was always the man to fear,” says Raymond. “He is very experienced, has a great mechanical knowledge and never gives up.”

The next round was Rally Sardinia and the heat was virtually unbearable for the Irish crews and it became a matter of survival.

After that was Rally Finland, described as a ‘fairytale’ by Moore. “Everyone loved the event, especially Keith, who had never rallied in Finland before and had only been there once as a spectator. Keith drove superbly to take the top award in Finland.

Rally Germany clashed with the Ulster which left the DGM short staffed as they had a number of cars to run on the Enniskillen based event. Alastair Fisher decided to withdraw from the Citroen Top Driver series and compete at home, while Bouffier had also pulled the plug. The championship was now looking like a two horse race between Cronin and Chardonnet but Rally Germany was far from being a fairytale.

In testing the day before the rally Keith hit a telegraph pole bending the rear beam and the spare was quickly fitted by stand-

in French engineer Matthew Thevenot, who used to look after Sebastien Loeb’s Saxo and Xsara rally cars. Raymond Moore was back at base for this event and once he heard the spare beam had been fitted he immediately air freighted another beam to Germany... On the first day of the rally Keith hit a big bump which bent the replacement beam so the second spare was fitted. Later in the rally Keith hit a tank busting hinkelstein, damaging the rear beam only this time they had run out of spares. Engineer Thevenot was able to straighten and re-shim the beam as best he could and Cronin drove the car accordingly to the finish of the event, prompting Thevenot to tell Raymond Moore how much he had enjoyed working with the Irish crew.

The penultimate round of the series was in Chardonnet’s back garden in France and not too surprisingly the French duo of Chardonnet and Gilbert were the pace setters, with Gilbert winning that round, Chardonnet second and Cronin a very impressive third. “There was a large entry of DS3s in France and for Keith to get on the podium was a tremendous achievement,” says Raymond.

Keith himself appreciates the amount of work that Raymond has invested in furthering his career. Speaking just before Rally GB, Keith commented, “Raymond was very influential in getting me to compete in the Citroen Top Driver, he put the plans in place to get me out there. Throughout the year, he has been very helpful, and if I’m having any problems, I know I can give him a ring and he will sort it. Nothing ever seems to be a problem for Raymond!

“Overall, he has been a huge help to me this year, and a great guy to work with.”

It all came down to Rally GB, a winner takes all decider between Cronin and Chardonnet.

At the first control, Chardonnet’s co-driver Thibault de la Haye didn’t have his time cards and for a while it looked like the team might be excluded from the rally but luckily for the Frenchman his cards were brought to him by a chase car. Luck certainly wasn’t with Cronin however as he got a puncture early on and while trying to make up for lost time went off the road and hit a tree. The accident broke the sumpguard and gearbox casing and saw co-driver Marshall Clarke airlifted to hospital as a precaution.

Raymond met with the medical

Podium for DGM team in Finland: Clockwise from front left: Marshall Clarke, Kevin Duffin, Davy Greer, Eamon McCafferty, Marcus Dickson, Robert Chambers, Keith Cronin

team at Rally HQ and was told that Marshall had been airlifted to Stoke on Trent Hospital as he had collapsed after the accident with low blood pressure. Raymond was stuck in Conwy but immediately hired a car and drove straight to the hospital where thankfully Marshall was making a full recovery but had had his racesuit cut off him. Marshall was given the all clear and asked Raymond to go and get him something to wear. Raymond headed off to the nearest Tesco and nearly bought him a Superman onesie! Eventually, dressed in a Tesco track suit Marshall returned to the service area. Under SupeRally rules teams are allowed three hours to repair the car and the scrutineers had told the DGM team that they were to start work at 10-25pm under their supervision.

In the accident, the DS3 had stepped sideways on Keith and he thought he was managing the slide alright but the back of the car suddenly gripped, shooting the car straight into the

trees. The car hit the tree dead centre meaning that the chassis legs were undamaged so the DGM mechanics had to replace radiators, intercoolers, turbo and the gearbox which had split open in the force of the accident. The team got the job completed with ten minutes to spare and started the car up only to discover it was leaking fluid from a reservoir so this was repaired with three minutes to spare. The car was fired up again and then they discovered they had no gears due to hydraulic failure. The system was bled and driven to the out control with 24 seconds to spare.

Cronin and Clarke drove well on the final day in the hopes of Chardonnet hitting trouble but this wasn’t to be. While the team might not have won this year’s Citroen Top Driver title, Keith Cronin has finished second in the WRC3 championship and Charles Hurst Citroen are the WRC3 Teams Champions. Plans are already underway for an assault on the 2014 WRC2 Championship in a Citroen R5 DS3 with Raymond Moore masterminding the offensive...

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For more details and a competitive quotation for your Motorsport Insurance contact Stephen or Ian Dickson on 028 8225 1241

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Only Bobby Willis knows how much work, how much lobbying, how

much persuading went on behind the scenes between his decision to pull the Circuit of Ireland out of the European championship some 12 months ago and the announcement – albeit slightly prematurely – that it would be part of the 2014 series.

When he made the call to pull the Circuit out of the proposed 2013 calendar last November he gambled that by making an early decision, tough though it was, it would sit better with the promoters, Eurosport Events, than having to cancel in January or February because of a shortfall in funding.

It seems he was right. They have welcomed the Circuit for 2014 and hailed it as one of their ‘flagship’ events alongside the Acropolis Rally, Cyprus Rally and the Tour de Corse.

But the past 12 months have seen Willis flying around Europe, bending ears, lobbying Stormont and persuading government officials that the Circuit of Ireland, like the Giro d’Italia cycle race, can do much to promote Northern Ireland around the world as a place, not just to stage big sporting events but to do

business as well.I have to say no one but the

persistent Willis could have done it. As someone who is frequently on the end of his phone calls, asking for this or that, I know how difficult it is to say no to him. He’s a wee terrier who won’t give up his bone.

He can be impatient too. The announcement of the Circuit’s inclusion had been carefully choreographed to coincide with release of the ERC calendar by the FIA at their November meeting in Geneva.

Willis had put all the pieces in place to release the news in accordance with the 6pm embargo, including making the announcement at Stormont in the company of Minister Arlene Foster.

But 6.00pm came and passed and not a word from Geneva. Indeed, it was a further two weeks before confirmation came from the FIA.

Had Willis and his team jumped the gun? He says no.

“It had all been cleared by the European championship organisers and we stuck rigidly to the embargo we had been given,” he explained. “It was a bit of a surprise when there was no official announcement from

the FIA but it seems they stalled until one or two other rallies – not the Circuit – confirmed they were ready to come on board.

“I gather a few of the other rallies were not too happy we stole the limelight by getting our announcement in first but we did everything in good faith and abided by the conditions that had been set out for us.”

Richard Rodgers, who heads up the ERC media operation for promoters Eurosport Events, admits there was a glitch in the timing.

“It transpires that at the last minute there were still some loose ends to be tied up with some other events and the FIA Commission wouldn’t sign off on the whole 2014 calendar until everything had been tied down,” he said.

“By the time this was realised it was too late to stop Bobby Willis making the Circuit of Ireland announcement. It was just one of those things.”

It did nothing to dilute Willis’ delight at securing ERC status for the Circuit and he says route details will be outlined early in the New Year and hints it will include some of Northern Ireland’s top tourism landmarks in counties Down and Antrim as well as

locations in Belfast. “The management team as

well as our 700-plus volunteers are extremely proud to be part of a new look ERC programme,” said Willis. “The Circuit of Ireland has always attracted high profile competitors and our inclusion in the 2014 ERC programme will help draw some of the best in the sport to Northern Ireland.

“Alongside the Giro d’Italia cycle race, the rally is set to be an important economic driver for Northern Ireland in 2014 with estimates suggesting it will generate well over £1m for the local economy as well as attracting many first time visitors to the region.”

Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster said: “It is a wonderful coup for the Circuit of Ireland to be selected as a leg of the 2014 European Rally Championship. There is huge interest in this new series and the event will help raise the profile of Northern Ireland to TV audiences across Europe. Tourism Ireland will also be pulling out all the stops to capitalise on the opportunities that the rally will create.“

In hindsight the decision to wait a year may have been an excellent one, not just

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster lifts the lid on next year’s European Rally Championship calendar which for the first time will include the Circuit of Ireland Rally. Also pictured is Bobby Willis, (left), Circuit of Ireland event director and Marty McCormack, former British Junior Rally Champion.

Circuit of Ireland back in the ERCBY SAMMY HAMILL

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because Easter was wiped out by a blizzard but because the first season of the re-vamped championship was always going to be a settling in period.

But the focus now turns to 2014 when major manufacturers like Ford, Citroën and Peugeot are all expected to be involved with their new breed of R5 cars; indeed Dungannon driver Kris Meeke is leading the test and development programme for the new Citroën and Peugeot cars which are expected to be ready for competition next March – just in time for the Circuit.

Peugeot are all but certain to field a pair of their new 208 T16s for Craig Breen, the 2012 World S2000 champion from Waterford, who heads up their Academy team, and young Dutchman Kevin Abbring, winner of the French Peugeot 208 Cup. Breen finished third in this year’s series, which was won by Škoda’s Jan Kopecký, and says he “can’t wait” to appear in front of his home fans in a T16.

Skoda, of course, won the 2011 Circuit with Juho Hanninen when it was part of the European championship’s predecessor, the Intercontinental Challenge, and they are expected to bring a two car team to the Circuit for Jan Kopecký and Esapekka Lappi. One of their new stars, 22-year-old Finn Esapekka Lappi, recently made history by winning the China Rally Longyou in Asia one weekend and the ERC Rally du

Valais in Switzerland the next.Ford’s M-Sport operation is

already the dominant player in the R5 market and several of their Fiestas are likely to be in the starting list, possibly one or two driven by Irish drivers. Citroën – and Peugeot – have been slower off the mark and will be keen to showcase their new cars.

One suggestion doing the rounds is that Kris Meeke, even if he secures a World Championship drive, could be called on to tackle the Circuit in the R5 Citroën he has done so much to develop as there are no WRC rounds scheduled around Easter. I know

he would jump at the chance and it would be a huge coup for the rally.

Other interesting names include Russian Vasily Gryazin who has revealed he is planning to take part on all 12 rounds in a Ford Fiesta S2000, while Frenchman Stephane Lefebvre says he is trying to raise the budget to compete in a Peugeot 208 T16, having shone in an R2 208 this year.

It is too early to contemplate which other Irish drivers will be in the starting line-up but it would be superb to see the likes of Keith Cronin, Alastair Fisher, Marty

McCormack, etc, taking on the Europeans. We can only hope.

One area Willis will have to address is the lack of connect between the ‘international’ part of the rally and the ‘national category which will follow behind.

The ERC rules restrict the entry to homologated vehicles below the current WRC cars – in other words, the new R5 class, Super 2000 and RRC cars as well as four-wheel-drive production cars and two-wheel-drive cars in the R3, R2 and R1 categories.

There is no place for the big WRC supercars of the past, like Subaru Imprezas and Ford Focuses, which dominate Irish rallying.

So unless they opt to change, drivers such as Tarmac champion Garry Jennings, Darren Gass, Derek McGarrity and even Daragh O’Riordan with his current WRC-spec Ford Fiesta, can only take part in the national division of the rally.

Jennings, who won the production category in his Group N Mitsubishi when the Circuit was part of the Intercontinental Challenge in 2012, has already expressed his reservations, saying he doesn’t want to be ‘shoved to the back’ and ‘forgotten’ as happened to many of the leading Tarmac championship drivers two years ago.

It is a difficult situation but a big effort must be made to make the rally more inclusive for the national competitors who, after

Škoda Motorsport driver Jan Kopecký says that becoming the 2013 FIA European Rally Champion is “a dream come true”, after he clinched the title with victory on Rally Croatia.

Kopecký and co-driver Pavel Dresler made a risk-free start in Croatia, before showing their class on the slippery asphalt roads along the Adriatic coast and moving into the lead in their factory Škoda Fabia S2000.

The 31-year old driver held onto the lead until the end of the 14 stage, 148 mile (239km) Porec-based event, to score his sixth ERC victory of the season and his eighth podium finish from eight starts.

With two rounds of this year’s series remaining, Kopecký becomes the first Czech driver to win the ERC title.

It’s been a fantastic season for Kopecký, with a highlight being his home win on the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. He also triumphed on the ERC rallies in Austria, on the Canary Islands, in the Azores, in Romania and

now in Croatia – winning on all surfaces, from snow and ice to gravel and asphalt.Jan Kopecký: “Winning the title is a dream come true for me. I would like to thank Škoda Motorsport and our fantastic team for the

amazing work they have done this season. We are European champions and also won Rally Croatia. It does not get any better than this.”Pavel Dresler: “It is the icing on the cake at the end of a fantastic season in the Škoda, and the highlight of my career.”Michal Hrabánek, Škoda Motorsport Team Principal, said: “With the ERC title for Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler, we have claimed another

major success for the Škoda Fabia Super 2000 project. Our entire team has worked hard all year to achieve this goal. This is a wonderful reward for everyone involved. We have once again proven the quality of the Fabia Super 2000 and the technical expertise of Škoda.”

Having secured the first international title of his rally career (having narrowly missed out by finishing IRC runner-up in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) Kopecký is now aiming to retain his Czech Rally Championship title.

Kopecký clinches 2013 ERC title

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Starting order for next year’s Circuit of Ireland will be determined by a qualifying stage.

Just when the World championship is preparing to drop qualifying stages – a not entirely popular decision – the European championship is planning to introduce them.

They will be restricted to FIA and ERC priority drivers who will complete two runs of free practice before tackling a qualifying stage which will be used to determine the starting order for leg one with the driver setting the fastest time choosing their starting position first at a start selection ceremony followed by the second fastest driver and so on until all FIA and ERC priority drivers have made their selection.

For the Circuit selected Irish drivers will also take part in the qualifying stage.

It is one of a number of new initiatives being introduced for 2014, including a Junior championship with the Circuit being one of seven to count. The winner will take part in selected rounds in 2015 in an R5 car.

ERC JunioR ChampionShipThe Junior Championship will be contested over seven events on a variety of surfaces with drivers counting their best four scores. Drivers must be 25 and under on 1 January

2014 to be able to take part and must use R2-specification cars. A control tyre supplier will provide tyres for sale and pump fuel only, provided by one supplier, will be allowed. ERC Junior championship entrants will be seeded together on events, starting behind the four-wheel-drive crews to help promotion and filming. A special entry fee of 1000 Euros will be set for ERC Junior competitors on each of the seven events. The winning driver will get the use of an R5 car for selected ERC events in 2015. The Junior championship rounds are:1. Rally Liepãja2. Circuit of Ireland Rally3. Rally Azores4. Geko Ypres Rally5. Barum Rally Zlín6. Rally du Valais7. Tour de Corse.Junior championship drivers contesting Rally Azores will receive free return boat travel for a service vehicle towing a rally car plus six free return airplane tickets. Journeys to start from Lisbon.

ERC manufaCtuRERS’ CupAs a direct response to the increased interest from manufacturers planning to contest

the 2014 championship, Eurosport Events has proposed to the FIA the creation of the ERC Manufacturers’ Cup. It will replace the Championship for Teams and will be run on all 12 rounds of the 2014 ERC with the two highest-placed cars from each make according to the final official classification scoring points towards an overall classification. There will also be separate Manufacturers’ Cups for Production and 2WD competitors. fuRthER CoSt-Cutting mEaSuRES foR 2014Following the ERC’s successful efforts to reduce costs by limiting the amount of tyres that can be used on each event to 20 (plus four for free practice and qualifying stage), the ERC’s proposals to restrict tyre use by competitors in two-wheel-drive machinery were accepted by the meeting of the FIA Rally Commission in Geneva. From the start of the 2014 season, ERC 2WD Championship competitors will be able to use a maximum of 16 tyres plus four for shakedown). In a further move to reduce expenditure, the Commission approved an ERC proposal to introduce pump fuel as standard for all drivers contesting rounds of the ERC provided by a single supplier.

Qualifying stage for Circuit of ireland

all, make the whole thing viable.Willis says he and his team, led

by clerk of the course Gordon Noble, acknowledge the vital role played by the national competitors and they are “working on it.”

Meanwhile, the ERC will begin early in the New Year with the Janner Rally in the snow of Austria and finish in the Mediterranean sun with the Tour de Corse in November.

Announcing the schedule, Eurosport Events director Francois Ribeiro said: “We have worked on this calendar for many months with the objective of creating a programme of events that offers a wide variety of surfaces and terrain spread over the balance of the season.

“We’ve also ensured a good mix of established and emerging rallies, plus hallmark events, such as the Acropolis, Circuit of Ireland, Tour de Corse and the Cyprus Rally.

“The Acropolis is a name synonymous with rallying and the organisers are planning a real big push for the event’s 60th anniversary celebrations. The Circuit of Ireland is the third oldest rally in the world and its forward-thinking organisers have exciting plans in place for 2014.”

We await news of those plans.

thE 2014 ERC RalliES1: Jännerrallye, Oberösterreich (Austria) 3-5 Jan. Based in Freistadt, near Linz, the event will make its third ERC appearance in succession in 2014. www.jaennerrallye.at

2: Rally Liepãja (Latvia) 31 Jan-2 Feb. ERC newcomer in 2013, the snow rally will now focus on stages around Liepãja having ventured north up the Baltic coast to Ventspils this year.www.lvrally.com

3: Sibiu Rally (Romania) 27 Feb-1 Mar. Previously held in the July heat, the gravel-based Sibiu Rally in Transylvania completes the three-event ERC Winter Challenge. www.raliulsibiului.com

4: Acropolis Rally (Greece) 28-30 Mar. Turning 60 in 2014 and back in the ERC after lengthy WRC stay with a mixed-surface route. Based in Loutraki beside the Gulf of Corinth. www.acropolisrally.gr

5: Circuit of Ireland Rally, 17-19 Apr. First held in 1931, the world’s third oldest rally returns to the international schedule after a one-year absence. www.circuitofireland.net.

6: SATA Rallye Açores (Portugal) 15-17 May. Based São Miguel, the Atlantic archipelago’s largest island, the event features stunning countryside and narrow and undulating gravel stages. www.satarallyeacores.com

7: Geko Ypres Rally (Belgium) 19-21 June. Using farmland asphalt roads around the historic

market town, the narrow stages are lined by drainage ditches and telegraph poles and popularised by tight junctions.www.ypesrally.com

8: auto24 Rally Estonia, 17-19 July. An ERC newcomer, auto24 Rally Estonia is big on fast, smooth gravel stages with crests commonplace. Based in Otepää in the south of the country.www.rallyestonia.com

9: Barum Czech Rally Zlín, 29-31 Aug. Established event featuring high-speed blasts through forests, sections of broken tarmac, a high likelihood of intermittent showers, bumpy roads and huge numbers of enthusiastic fans.www.barum.rally.cz

10: Cyprus Rally, 19-21 Sept. With technical stages on gravel and asphalt, the Cyprus Rally is a tough test for car and crew. High ambient temperatures add to the challenge.www.cyprusrally.com.cy

11: Rallye International du Valais (Switzerland) 23-25 Oct. Taking place in the mountains of southwest Switzerland close to Lake Geneva on mainly asphalt roads, the event enjoys a rich history in the ERC. www.riv.ch

12: Giru di Corsica – Tour de Corse (France) 6-8 Nov (subject to signing of event promoter agreement). Called the ‘Rally of 10,000 Corners’ due to its high frequency of turns, the route runs over the picturesque island’s narrow and undulating mountain passes. www.asacc.fr

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By Sammy Hamill PHOTOS: ESlEr CrawfOrd / TrEvOr fOSTEr / rOy dEmPSTEr / marTin walSH

Jennings Takes Tarmac Title

Points make prizes as the trophy heads back to Fermanagh for the first time in 17 years...

It started with Keith Cronin winning his first Irish Tarmac championship rally in

Galway and ended with Daragh O’Riordan’s third victory in a row in the Cork ‘20’.

But in between, Garry Jennings harvested the points to become Tarmac champion, in the end finishing comfortably ahead of Donagh Kelly. A 20-point margin suggests it was easy but the bare statistics don’t tell the true story; indeed, they hide the fact that it was real roller-coaster year for the new champion.

From the frustrations of Galway to the highs of a first Rally of the Lakes win; from the disappointment of Donegal to the limp-over-the-line victory in Ulster and on to a points-scoring second place in Cork, Jennings clawed his way to the title.

No wonder his initial reaction as he crossed the finish line in

Cork was one of relief. “I’m more relieved than anything else,” he admitted. “It’s nice to just get it done and dusted.”

It had been a long, tough season and although the celebrations were soon underway, Jennings-style, Garry could later reflect that it so nearly went wrong so many times.

Having won everything there is to win in his production Mitsubishis, and thrown in the Irish forestry championship in his venerable Subaru Impreza 555 (it is now in China) for good measure, he took the decision to step up to an ex-Kevin Lynch S12 Impreza and chase the overall Tarmac title.

It looked like his gamble and his investment might have been misplaced when, despite an extensive re-build before the start of his campaign, the Subaru proved troublesome right

from the start of the Galway International and he struggled to finish in a distant sixth place. Strangely, the problem could be traced back to the same rally of a couple of years earlier when both Lynch and Eamonn Boland suffered engine failures in their S12s. Prodive subsequently built in a safeguard and, although the more experienced Subaru drivers learned how to deal with it, it wasn’t until Jennings’ car was handed over to Derek McGarrity to test out during the Bishopscourt round of the Northern Ireland championship that it came to light.

When McGarrity stalled the car on the first stage he knew immediately what the problem was and simply adjusted his driving style to carry on and win the rally. Thereafter the Subaru was placed in the care of the McGarrity team and there was no

re-occurrence of the ‘mind of its own’ issue.

But after the cancellation of the snow-hit Easter Rally there was success in Killarney although it only came after O’Riordan had dominated the first day in his little M-Sport WRC Ford Fiesta only to crash out early on day two. From there on Jennings was able to cruise to victory ahead of McGarrity and Kelly.

Then came the drama of Donegal, probably the rally of the year even if Jennings came away angry and disappointed.

He thought he had seen off the fierce challenge of reigning Tarmac champion Darren Gass, whose title defence got off to the worst possible start with a first stage accident in Galway. Gass had skipped Killarney but was back on form in Donegal and fought Jennings tooth-and-nail for a day and a half until he put

Garry Jennings had something of a roller-coaster year on his way to the 2013 irish Tarmac Championship

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his S10 Subaru off the road.Jennings, it seemed, was on course for back-to-back Donegal wins and a commanding lead in the championship. But then he and co-driver Neil Doherty made an elementary error. With the car requiring little other than routine maintenance, they buckled in and left service early to head back to parc ferme in Letterkenny, thinking it would be no big deal.

True, sometimes this is encouraged to free up space in the service area or to assist crews to get through the traffic but no one gave Jennings permission and when a rival queried their departure time, penalties were eventually imposed.

Jennings felt hard done by but eventually “took it on the chin” and went on to claim third place behind Kelly (second) and the winner, 2012 production champion Sam Moffett who had driven superbly after stepping up to Kenny McKinstry’s S14 Subaru.

The Ulster Rally brought Jennings home to Fermanagh where he was odds-on favourite to win in his own backyard but was far from straightforward. Maybe it was the pressure but Jennings was all a fluster when a deluge swamped the first stage

and then he almost blew it on the sprint around the spectator stage at St Angelo.

More worrying, however, was the fact that his Subaru was overheating significantly and switching on to ‘safe mode’. No amount of effort by the McGarrity mechanics could cure it and Jennings feared it would never last to the finish. But a tin of Radweld, lots of water, turbo boost turned down and never switching off the engine plus a large helping of subterfuge saw it home to the Enniskillen finish ahead of McGarrity, a poignant moment for co-driver Rory Kennedy who had been a three-time winner alongside the late great Bertie Fisher but never in Fermanagh.

The success left Jennings needing only a top five finish on the championship’s final round in Cork, and he made no mistake with a solid second place behind O’Riordan despite the re-occurrence of the engine problem that had almost cost him victory on the Ulster.

“The engine had been rebuilt but obviously there was still something there somewhere,” he said. “When I was half way through the first stage she started

Daragh O’Riordan’s third victory in Cork showed that he could be a serious contender in 2014

Sam Moffett was the revelation of the year, taking the Kenny McKinstry run S14 to victory in Donegal

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to go off cylinders and onto safe mode when she got too warm. When we got to the end of the stage we opened up the water system, bled it and turned the anti-lag down a bit.

“We knew we wouldn’t win the rally after that. We had to drive at 7/10s for the rest of the rally, which is tough because you can lose concentration but we managed to keep it going and set

a few fastest times along the way just to keep me focussed.”Jennings’ success brought the Tarmac title back to Fermanagh for the first time since the late Bertie Fisher won the last of his four Tarmac titles in 1996.

“It was great to end the year on a high and bring the championship back to Fermanagh where I think it belongs.

“It’s been a long time waiting for another Fermanagh winner. If Bertie Fisher had been living I’m sure he would have won it again, but it’s been 17 years since it was back in the county.

“We have a lot of talented drivers here and it won’t be the last time it’ll be back here. We have a lot of young drivers coming on like Alastair (Fisher), Jon Armstrong and Johnny Leonard so it will be back. It’s just a matter of when.”

But what next for Garry Jennings? “I was forestry champion last year and tarmac champion this year, so I’m not sure what we’ll go for in 2014. We’ll speak to our sponsors and see what they would like to do.”Hopefully he will decide to defend his title; the championship, with its new Clonakilty Blackpudding sponsorship, needs his verve and his exuberance just as it needs to see the likes of Kelly, O’Riordan, McGarrity, Declan Boyle, Darren Gass and, perhaps, Sam Moffett step up to the challenge of trying to topple him.

Jennings proved the old adage ‘points make prizes’ by scoring on every round and only Kelly equalled him in that regard although the Donegal man was unable to match his overall pace. The decision to switch from Subaru to Ford Focus hampered Kelly for a time as he adjusted to the new car but he remained a threat to the end and if those overheating issues hadn’t been dealt with we could looking at a different champion.

O’Riordan has to be applauded for his brave decision to forsake the known capabilities of Subaru to move forward with his newer generation WRC Fiesta. It meant he missed the early part of the season and struggled to dial the car in to Irish tarmac, especially in Donegal.

But in his home territory around Cork and Kerry he demonstrated what the nimble little Fiesta could do and with a year’s experience could well be a major contender next year – if he has the commitment to take on the full Tarmac series.

Boyle will be another man to watch closely. Despite sweeping all before him in the Irish national championship he had a torrid time in the Tarmac rounds, his S12 Subaru frequently letting him down. But while it lasted he had the pace to match anyone and his luck just has to change.

The revelation of the year was Sam Moffett who gave up the chance to defend his production title to sample WRC power with McKinstry Motorsport’s ex-McGarrity S14 Subaru. It let him down early in the Ulster Rally but he was superb in Donegal, shadowing the Jennings/Gass battle and seizing his opportunity when it was presented to him. It was a really cool performance in every sense of the word.

McGarrity, as always, was in the thick of it even after making the Subaru-Ford switch. The Focus let him down in Donegal where he was chasing second place but he would admit it was his mistakes which probably cost him another Ulster Rally win when he was on the tail of the struggling Jennings. Even he probably doesn’t know what 2014 will bring but chances are McGarrity will be a contender again.

With a potential driving ban hanging over him, 2012 champion Gass was an absentee for much of the year but now having been cleared of the charges he wants to get his rallying back on track. No one, least of all Jennings, will underestimate his potential to be

Not only did Derek McGarrity look after Jennings S12 Impreza, he also drove to a number of podium finishes during the year

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champion again.In the absence of Sam Moffett

in the Donegal and Ulster rounds it was left to younger brother Josh to try to keep the production title in the family. He made a great fight of it but missed out in the end to his Monaghan neighbour Stephen Wright who proved to be one of the young drivers of the year with his sheer consistency.

A strong finish saw Noel O’Sullivan win the modified championship ahead of Fergus O’Meara while James O’Mahony was the historic champion with Wesley Patterson taking the runners-up spot.

However, for some of us the series ended on a sad note with the end of RPM’s television coverage. For nearly a quarter of a century, Plum Tyndall and his camera teams have covered every aspect of Irish motorsport including rallycross, karting, trials, autotests, Ferrari racing, hot rods, motorbikes and principally the Tarmac championship.

Tyndall decided to call a halt rather than reduce his professional standards in the face of increasing competition from cut-price production companies.“TV has changed enormously

in the past few years with some stations still requiring quality and others accepting tat,” he said. “When you have tried to stay in the quality game it is not easy to downgrade so I would rather retire with a reputation intact than cut back on our production standards.

“There have of course been the critics, we live in Ireland after all where not everyone always sees the bigger picture, but they have been very few and very far between.”

Television has indeed changed over the period the RPM team has been covering Irish rallying and anyone with a camcorder or even

a mobile phone can shoot their little piece of film and stick it on YouTube. They can even make it into a ‘programme’ and persuade any satellite channel to broadcast it.

Unfortunately some Tarmac championship rallies saw this as a viable option to RPM; all they wanted to be able to say was ‘we are on television’. But at a time when the World championship is clamouring to find a way back onto terrestrial TV, the Tarmac championship allowed a guaranteed slot they have enjoyed for two decades to slip away. More fools them.

Darren Gass’ year started off badly in Galway and didnt get much better

Eugene Donnelly made a one off appearance in Galway

Stephen and Suzanne Wright clinched the Group N Championship, 30 years after their father had done the same thing in an Opel Kadett

Donagh Kelly was runner-up in the Tarmac championship

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David Gray of TROA presents the Irish Tarmac Championship award to Gary Jennings and his wife Kerry

A presentation was made to the various TROA clerks of the course

Stephen Carey and Breda O’Driscoll with Nigel Hughes of the UAC

Dean Beckett, David Gray and Drew Wylie

Mervyn Johnson, David Gray and Wendy Blackledge

Class winners in the Tarmac Championship

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A season which began at the Galway International Rally in early February came to a conclusion at the Stormont Hotel Belfast in November with the Irish Tarmac Championship Gala Awards Ceremony. Garry Jennings repeated the feat of his fellow Fermanagh driver, the late Bertie Fisher, by claiming

overall honours to become Irish Tarmac Rally Champion for 2013. This year’s champion co-driver is Donegal’s own Kevin Flanagan who was rewarded for a consistent year alongside championship runner up Donagh Kelly.

There are of course other important categories in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship such as the Modified Challenge which was won by the Killarney pairing of Noel O’Sullivan and Nicky Burke in their Escort after a long tough season which proved that consistency pays huge dividends in a championship. In the Historic Championship the Volvo crew of James O’Mahony and Kerrie Barry took overall honours.

The Armagh Bowl was presented on the night to Rory Kennedy in recognition for his unwavering support of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship over the years, including a long career co-driving for Bertie Fisher, winning four tarmac championship titles in the process between 1990 and 1996.

The main announcement on the night was that the Clonakilty Blackpudding Company are to be the title sponsors of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, Irish Tarmac Modified Challenge and Irish Tarmac Historic Rally Championships for 2014.

Gerard Seaman, Championship Manager, said, “These are exciting times for the Championship and we are delighted to have a title sponsor on board for the coming year. It’s great that the Clonakilty Blackpudding Company have the faith in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship to sponsor the series for 2014”.

Irish Tarmac Championship announces title sponsor for 2014PHOTOS: Paul McIlrOy / TPM PHOTOSPOrT

Wesley Patterson, David Gray and Sean Hayde

David Gray and Frank Kelly

James McKee, David Gray and Sam Moffett

Neil Doherty, Nigel Hughes and Derek McGarrity

Stephen and Suzanne Wright

Fergus Macanallen presents rory Kennedy with the armagh Bowl

Kernie Barry and David Gray

David Gray and Donagh Kelly

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It’s been a year to remember for Monaghan’s Daniel McKenna. Just a year ago, he

won the Billy Coleman Award and announced that he would use the scholarship to fund a year in the British Rally Championship in the hope that he could gain a nomination for the Pirelli Star Driver final.

His season went to plan and by the summer he had already won a place in the Pirelli shoot-out. Not only has Daniel, along with co-driver Arthur Kierans, won the BRC Rally Two Championship, the Fiesta Sporting Trophy Championship and the BRC Live Media Award, but he also clinched the Pirelli Star Driver award which will see him compete in the British Rally Championship in a DGM-run Citroën DS3.

McKenna won this year’s coveted Pirelli UK Star Driver shootout after wowing a panel of five judges during a two-day competition based at the iconic motorsport complex of Sweet

Lamb in Wales.McKenna beat off stiff

competition from five other finalists to win a full British Rally Championship campaign courtesy of tyre supplier Pirelli. McKenna will compete on all seven rounds of next year’s BRC at the wheel of a Citroën DS3 R3 supplied by DGM Motorsport.

Now in its seventh year, the Pirelli Star Driver programme has helped a number of promising drivers in their quest to become an international rally star. Previous winners include the recently-crowned British Rally Champion Jukka Korhonen who is a perfect example of a driver who has used the support and guidance from Pirelli to progress in his career.

Focusing on the lower categories and providing a leg up the ladder, Pirelli Star Driver selections this year came exclusively from the new BRC Rally Two and Junior Rally Championships. This year’s finalists included Jon Armstrong, Ruary MacLeod, Steve Rokland,

Daniel McKenna, Alex Parpottas and recently-crowned British Junior Rally Champion, Ben McKay.

The six finalists were assessed on their abilities to drive their championship car on a two-mile stage at Sweet Lamb: the same complex that is used as a rally stage in the FIA World Rally Championship. The drivers were also tested on their skills behind the wheel, media awareness, technical nous and future potential.

A panel of five judges including BRC Managing Director Mark Taylor, renowned motoring journalist Evan Rothman, Finland’s Risto Laine, Citroën Racing’s Jean-Francois Lienere and former Subaru World Rally Team member John McLean assessed the finalists and agreed that McKenna was the most worthy prizewinner.

“At the start of the year, I could never have imagined that we would have won both the BRC Rally 2 category and also the Pirelli Star Driver shootout,”

explained 26-year-old McKenna. “The conditions were tough as it was slippery on the stage but we knew that we’d done the best we could. I was a finalist at the Pirelli shootout in 2010 and I was really disappointed when I lost out but it just means that I appreciate this win more than ever. I’d like to thank Pirelli, Citroën and DGM Motorsport for this fantastic opportunity and I can’t wait to get stuck into next year’s championship now. I’m determined to make the most of every moment.”

Pirelli UK Motorsport Operations Manager Matthew Corby concluded: “I know we say this every year but the level of competition is the highest we have ever witnessed. Despite the tough conditions, everyone performed extremely well on the driving element which made it even harder to reach a decision. After we announced the winner, we gave each runner-up a throrough debrief in order to help them progress in their careers. Daniel was speechless for 20 minutes – he has put in a lot of effort this year and really deserves this opportunity. He was a candidate at our shootout in 2010 and took on board the advice we gave him – it’s been excellent to see Daniel back again this year and stronger than ever. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our other finalists for all

McKenna lifts Pirelli Star Driver title

Not many tyres out there have those capabilities. This is why Pirelli tyres are excellent – they can offer one tyre that works in expected conditions but when something unexpected happens, like a downpour of rain, or a stage drying up quickly, that same tyre can still give you great performance.”

Where do you see yourself in three years’ time? DM: “I hope to be competing in the WRC 3 or have progressed to WRC 2 level by that time. I believe in my ability and if I can prove myself and get the opportunities, I can’t see any reason why I will not be there.”

Finally, can we expect to see you winning rallies in 2014? DM: “Absolutely!”

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their hard work: they can leave Wales with their heads held high but unfortunately there can only be one winner.”

Q&A with DAnielDaniel, what does it mean to you to have won this year’s Pirelli Star Driver shootout? DM: “It is the biggest moment of my rallying career to date. It means so much. I now have a chance to compete in the next level of the sport which is the perfect progression for me. To represent Pirelli is fantastic and I hope to be a great ambassador for the brand and do Pirelli proud. I would like to thank Pirelli and the judging panel at the shootout for giving me this incredible opportunity.”

Can you tell us a bit about your rallying history? DM: “I became involved through my father and uncles as they competed at a clubman level for years. I began junior stock car racing at the age of 10 before starting to co-drive for my father in night navigations in Ireland. I then progressed to co-driving in stage rallies at 16. We then built our first rally car and I began driving in sprints and autocross events before starting to drive in stage rallies at a clubman level. I then progressed by moving up in the class of car I was using through regional and national championships before starting international events in 2010. I

have stayed at this level for a few years now and I am ready to make an attempt on winning the BRC with Pirelli before moving on to ERC and WRC events.”

What do you think you’d do if you weren’t a rally driver? DM: “Well, I’m a qualified mechanical engineer and I also work for the family truck parts and truck rental business. I have always been mechanically minded and I cannot really imagine myself not being involved in some form of motorsport. You definitely wouldn’t have seen me playing for Manchester United or swinging a golf club, that’s for sure.”

What is your favourite BRC event and why? DM: “The Ulster Rally because

asphalt is my preferred surface and of course it is close to home. I’m looking forward to Rally Isle of Man coming back next year as it is a massive challenge and one I think I will relish. The Bulldog Rally of North Wales will also be epic and has some of the greatest gravel stages in the world.”

And what do you think of Pirelli’s asphalt tyres? DM: “In my opinion the asphalt tyre that impresses me the most is the RE7 moulded intermediate tyre. I’ve used this tyre extensively, and in the wet and slippery conditions I always found great grip. When a stage would begin to dry up and a slick tyre is required, the durability of the RE7 means it still manages to work and remain durable for long periods even on a dry road.

Daniel McKenna in action on Rally Yorkshire

PHOTO: ANDY CRAYFORD – WWW.CRAYFORDMEDIA.COM

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McGarrity takes fourth NI Championship

Kenny McKinstry and Kenny Hull emerged victorious from the Castlewellan

based Down Rally but it was Derek McGarrity and James McKee who had the largest smiles as they were confirmed as the 2013 Carryduff Forklift MSA N.I. Stage Rally Champions.

In fact, McGarrity was left celebrating before the event kicked off as his main championship rival, Derek McGeehan, was too late to place an entry. McGeehan had always been an outside bet to snatch the title after his victory on the Ulster National Rally but with his name absent from the entry list, there were no doubts over who would secure the 2013 accolade.

Despite effectively being crowned champion before the rally got underway, McGarrity still decided to contest the event. But driving a Group N powered Subaru hired from Robbie McGurk, the Glengormley pilot

was never going to be able to match the pace of McKinstry’s S14 Impreza WRC.

In fact, McKinstry went on to secure a start to finish victory. Gareth Sayers arrived home in second position, while third overall for Jonny Leonard and Niall Burns saw them secure third overall in the Carryduff Forklift championship standings.

Derek McGarrity and James McKee brought their hired Group N Impreza home in fourth, winning the Group N category in the process after they nipped ahead of Kieron Graffin on the final stage. Niall Henry and Damien Duffin had entered the final test heading Group N by more than four seconds but a puncture resulted in the crew landing in a ditch, putting them out of the rally.

So it was McGarrity who finished on top, leaping from third in class to first at the last gasp. He finished just 2.7 seconds

ahead of Kieron Graffin and Paddy Robinson, but Graffin had done enough to secure the 2013 Group N title.

On the previous round, Omagh Motor Club’s Bushwhacker Rally, Derek McGarrity was in a hired S14 Subaru WRC. Derek McGeehan was using a Corolla WRC, and the championship points race was on. With the Bushwhacker also a round of the Irish Forestry series, there was serious competition in store and Cork’s Owen Murphy in his Evo 9 was fastest on the first stage, but retired on the second with mechanical failure. Belfast’s Liam Regan then took over on stage two, flying in his four wheel drive Peugeot 206, before Cashel’s Pat O’Connell took over on stage three. At this point Derek McGarrity was third having been fastest on the third Glenderg stage, but his main championship rival Derek McGeehan was back in twelfth, such was the pace.

Derek McGarrity held on to take his fourth Bushwhacker victory, by just eight seconds from Martin Cairns. Cork’s Michael O’Brien was third, with Pat O’Connell the Group N winner fourth ahead of Enda McNulty’s Group A Subaru. Frank Kelly in sixth took the two wheel honours from Shane McGirr by just one scant second, with these two driver’s setting joint third fastest time on the final stage!

Glengormley’s Derek McGarrity clinched his fourth Northern Ireland Rally Championship at the Circuit of Down Rally.

BushwhaCKer rally results1 Derek McGarrity/James McKee Subaru Impreza WRC S14 30m12s 2 Martin Cairns/Kevin FlanaganSubaru Impreza S12B +8s3 Micheal O’Brien/Greg Shinnors Ford Focus WRC +15s4 Pat O’Connell/Andrew Purcell Mitsubishi Evo 9 “N”+39s5 Enda McNulty/Paul Sheridan Subaru Impreza +47s6 Frank Kelly/Sean Ferris Ford Escort MK2 +53s7 Shane McGirr/Jackie Elliott Toyota Starlet +54s8 Liam Regan/Damien Duffin Peugeot 206 4x4 +1m06s9 Derek McGeehan/Darragh Mullen Corolla WRC +1m09s10 Josh Moffett/Jason McKenna Mitsubishi Evo 9 “N”+1m10s

DowN rally results1 Kenny McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Impreza WRC S14) 39m12.4s2 Gareth Sayers/Gareth Gilchrist (Mitsubishi Evo) 39m52.1s3 Jonny Leonard/Niall Burns (Lancer Evo 6) 40m36.9s4 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza GpN) 41m02.3s5 Kieron Graffin/Paddy Robinson (Lancer Evo 9) 41m05.0s6 Paul Killen/Barry Savage (Escort Mk2) 41m22.6s7 Raymond Doyle/Marc Nugent (Escort) 41m45.4s8 Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 42m15.4s

ProvIsIoNal ChaMPIoNshIP PoINts1 Derek McGarrity: 70 pts2 Derek McGeehan: 56 pts 3 Jonny Leonard: 44 pts MSA NI Group N Champion: Kieron GraffinMcGrady Insurance MSA N.I. 2WD Champions: Keith White/Paul MulhollandMSA NI Junior Champion: Jonny LeonardM.E. Crowe MSA NI Ladies Champions: Emma McKinstry/Wendy BlackledgeMontgomery Motorsport Historic Champion: Stanley Orr

Derek McGarrity clinched the NI Rally Championship for the fourth time

Derek McGeehan on his way to victory on the Ulster National Rally

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With rallies still being cancelled and corporate sponsors almost impossible to find, Ian Beasant asks the question...

Is rallying still a spectator sport?

Look back at old photos from rallies in the seventies, eighties and nineties. One

thing that will strike you is the number of spectators that make the backdrop of every photo. But after a number of spectator related accidents that success came at an organisational price and rally organisers started running rallies designed to put spectators off... Given the decline of sponsors and television, is it time rallying tried to appeal to spectators again?

Take the Tour of the Sperrins for example - a well run rally that is a round of the NI Rally Championship. I attended one spectator junction that was easily accessible from the main Cookstown to Omagh road and I was amazed to see four French spectators waiting patiently at

the tape. Things are looking up, I thought. Unfortunately I later discovered that the French spectators were tourists who wanted to visit the Beaghmore Stone Circles and only stayed for three cars. That left a total of three spectators and four marshals at that junction.

I know from talking to them that sponsors want to see spectators back at events, rallies to have a buzz and atmosphere again. Is it down to the event, the PR, the cars, or too many other distractions nowadays?

The above certainly does make you think, it is a story with a question that I hear all the time and to be truthful if rallying is to survive in its current form, those in high places need to take a look at what is happening. If anything, with the number of smartphones about and the regular radio reports it should be easier to follow what is going on at a rally, but that does not seem to the case. I know from sponsors they

are disillusioned with the sport as it’s far too hard to understand for the casual spectator. For example, the Ulster Rally ran, I think, five rallies in one; they did it brilliantly, the organisation was superb – but even with a spectator stage there were more people in the service area who were involved in the rally than spectators. It was the same when I was out on the stages I saw more sheep than spectators! The sponsors want people at events, I have spoken to many major manufacturers and that is the story I hear. I ask about television coverage and they are not at all interested – this is simply because the rallies are shown so long after the event it really has no impact and sponsors want impact.

The Northern Ireland Rally Championship suffered badly from the lack of spectators this year, the exception being the Bushwhacker Rally which had the biggest numbers of spectators and competitors. I think many

of the competitors are voting with their feet now as we lost the Lakeland Stages due to the lack of entries. I spoke to many competitors about this and they said, that the entry was far too expensive for the number of stage miles – simple really. The Northern Ireland Championship does suffer from a lack of exposure and this year was probably the worst so far, the reason I say this is the Clubs’ press officers seem to use social media only and really that does not work if you are trying to bring new blood into the sport as you are only telling those who already know.

Just firing out a bunch of e-mails is not the answer as the response is very hard to get and if you are sending them to news outlets they usually end in the deleted items. I really enjoy the Northern Ireland Championship and the battles this year were really good with the Championship going right down to the wire with Derek

PHOTOS: RALLYRETRO.COM/FERGAL KELLY

Ian Beasant partnered Richard Hall to 9th overall on the ‘86 Circuit of Ireland, in days when there was no shortage of sponsors or spectators.

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McGarrity taking the title for the fourth time. The rallies themselves were well organised as usual but the lack of pre and post event marketing is just not there. Clubs and Championships will not attract sponsors if they do not promote their events, some clubs are even finding it hard to attract competitors as they are not promoting their events – yes it is probably all down to the economic climate, but maybe if they try they will achieve results.

I wonder does anybody know other than Davy Greer that Carryduff Forklift Sponsored the Northern Ireland Championship?

The Irish Tarmac Championship was well under the radar this year as well. Garry Jennings seemed to move heaven and earth to win it, his Subaru S12 was run by one of his closest challengers, Derek McGarrity Motorsport, whose team came out on top, sorted out a few teething problems and Garry drove superbly to take a well deserved championship. He also added a Lurgan Park victory to his CV in a beautifully controlled drive. But I wonder if the man in the street who has a passing interest in rallying or motorsport knew anything about it. The battle on the Ulster Rally with Derek McGarrity and Donagh Kelly was brilliant and the controversy over the time penalty in Donegal was all great stuff that people love

to hear about and would go and watch it unfold if they knew when the events were on and where they could see the cars.

I think to bring rallying back to the people it has to be made far more accessible in terms of information and the rules really need looked at and simplified or it could mean that we only have a few rallies for a few people watched by a few people, The demise of the British Rally Championship into a one make championship is testament

to that. Front wheel drive turbocharged cars are good and I am sure the drivers are really trying but as a spectacle I am afraid it’s quite boring.

The Bushwhacker Rally remains one of the most popular NI Championship rounds. This is Derek McGarrity on his way to victory.

One final note. Let’s all tell two people about our sport, those that want to know and those that don’t and we could be halfway there.

“I think to bring rallying back to the people it has to be made far more accessible in terms of information and the rules really need looked at and simplified.”

The John Mulholland Motors sponsored Lark in the Park rally attracted a big crowd.

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Champion Bustard sprints to final Junior victory!The eighth and final round of

the McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland,

took place at Kirkistown and for the first time the Junior Rally ran alongside a sprint meeting, and it proved very successful thanks to the efforts of the 500 MRCI.

Six Juniors lined up for six stages, in fine weather and amongst those drivers was a newcomer, 15 year old Joseph Donegan from Navan, with a Nissan Micra. Joseph’s father Pat, well known in racing and rallying was there to support him, and his pace improved greatly as the day wore on, guided by co-driver Andrew Hawthorne.

At the front there was a familiar pattern with Adam Bustard sprinting into a stage one lead, three seconds faster than Kyle White. William Creighton was third, another two seconds back, but he had a serious delay with the C1 cutting out completely at the same place on both laps. It was a fault that was going to hit the car at exactly the same place on the track all day, and any chances of victory were dashed. Just behind was the top Micra runner, 14 year old Philip White who made a fast start to pull out

a gap over James Partridge in the 107, with Joseph Donegan next up.

On stage two Adam Bustard was fastest with Kyle fastest on stage three, and William Creighton hanging onto third but dropping further back with the car repeatedly dying at the same spot. Philip White was fourth despite losing a bit of time to a rapid James Partridge on stage two, and Joseph Donegan was closing the gap to the cars in front rapidly. On stage four it was Creighton who recorded fastest time by over a second, despite the car cutting out again, but he was rapidly on the ignition key to re-start the engine. Adam maintained his early advantage over Kyle with two 2.7 mile stages to go.

Philip White would secure his fourth place, with a fine drive, just reward for co-driver Glen Campbell, on his last event here as he is emigrating to Austrailia! James Partridge and Billy Regan took a fine fifth and this crew have had some great runs this season in their 107, and will be worth watching next season. Joseph Donegan completed the top six, and the benefit of the speed traps at this sprint

illustrated just how close these cars are matched.

For William Creighton it was third, and a case of what might have been, as he set another fastest time on the final test, despite the car still misbehaving. Kyle White in second had no real answer to Adam Bustard, but the 17 year old Finaghy driver has once again shown talent this season, and has really enjoyed his two years in the Junior 1000 series. “It’s been an excellent championship, so competitive, with some great races. I think I’ve learnt a lot from it, and the atmosphere has been good also” commented Kyle. For winners Adam Bustard and his Uncle Brian, it was fine way for them to end their two years in the Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland. “It means a lot to win this championship” commented the 17 year old. “I had competed in some rally-sprint events before this, but when you compete in this series it’s a different level. Every second counts and you are watching the times at the end of every stage, as it’s always so close. It’s been such an enjoyable two years. I feel that I have learnt so much and had great fun along the way.”

McGrady InsuranCe JunIor 1000 rally ChallenGe1 Adam Bustard/Brian Bustard Chevrolet Spark 18m 28s 2 Kyle White/ Alan Purdy Peugeot 107 +8s3 William Creighton/Andrew Bushe Citroen C1 +25s 4 Philip White/ Glen Campbell Nissan Micra +42s 5 James Partridge/ Billy Regan Peugeot 107 +49s 6 Joseph Donegan/ Andrew Hawthorne Nissan Micra +1m 10s

FInal drIver’s ChaMpIonshIp poInTs 1 Adam Bustard 74pts2 Kyle White 68pts 3 William Creighton 62pts4 James Partridge 44pts5 Philip White 37pts6 Michael McGarrity 27pts 7 Eoghan Bogue 23pts 8 Joseph Donegan 6pts

reGIsTered JunIor 1000 Co-drIvers poInTs1st Brian Bustard 74pts2nd Alan Purdy 68pts3rd Andrew Bushe 62pts

Winners Adam and Brian Bustard (middle) with Junior Co-ordinator Jim Crozier, second Kyle White and Alan Purdy and third William Creighton and Andrew Bushe

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On the Boyle in 2013PHOTOS: TrevOr FOSTer / Guy FOSTer / MarTin WalSH / FerGal Kelly

Art McCarrick talks to the new National Rally Champion...

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“I actually did my first rally in 1997” smiled Declan Boyle. “It was the Galway

Summer Rally and the gearbox broke, I didn’t rally again until 2008.” Those few tentative outings in a Toyota Corolla at the end of 2008 however, were enough to re-ignite the spark for rallying within the man from Lettermacward.

“I’d always kept the interest

in rallying over the years but the few rallies in the Toyota really made me want to do more.” The Corolla proved somewhat unreliable though and a Mark 2 Escort soon took its place for 2009. It was in the Escort that Boyle began to make his mark. “It took us a while to get on the pace of the quick Escort men like Manus (Kelly) for example but after a year or two we were

happy with how our pace was increasing.” Several class wins followed but there was only one prize Boyle ever wanted to win in the blue Escort. “Donegal. The National section of the Donegal International, that’s the one to win” states Boyle. “I grew up with the rally and to compete in it as a local is special but to compete at the sharp end of proceedings is almost surreal.

Winning the National section of the Donegal International in 2012 was one of my best moments in rallying to date.”

On overall time that year in Donegal, Boyle’s time would have been good enough for 6th overall in the main field, faster than all the Group N cars and only headed by five World Rally Cars. And shortly after Donegal Boyle decided he wanted a World Rally Car too. “We didn’t really have a plan, a blueprint, or anything like that” says Boyle. “We just upgraded the car as we needed or when felt we would be quick enough. The opportunity came to buy Tim McNulty’s WRC Subaru and I didn’t really have to think twice. We won outright on our first outing the car in Galway and I knew I had made the right choice.”

The ex McNulty Subaru had winning pedigree with McNulty winning both the Dunlop Irish National and Irish Tarmac Championships with the car and after that initial outing in Galway, Boyle set about plotting his 2013 campaign. “I wanted to tackle the National and International Championships but in order to build up my speed and confidence in the car if there was a rally on a weekend that was free, I said

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I’d do it.” The plan seemed to work pretty well. On the season opening Galway International Rally, Boyle took 3rd overall and was the only man apart from Keith Cronin and Eugene Donnelly (who finished 1st and 2nd) to take a fastest time.

While his Tarmac Championship campaign got off to an encouraging start, the rest of the campaign was, as Boyle puts it, “a disaster, and that’s putting it mildly.” He only got to complete the opening stage of the Killarney Rally of the Lakes before gearbox problems sidelined the car on stage 2. On the following round in Donegal Boyle raced into an early lead only for a brake pipe to burst, once again on stage 2. The Ulster Rally was even worse where turbo issues sidelined the Impreza after only stage 1 and on the final round in Cork, Boyle again raced into an early lead only for suspension damage to cause a slight off on stage 5 which lost Boyle so much time he eventually withdrew.

In stark contrast, his Dunlop National Championship assault was a runaway success. He contested 6 out of 8 rounds,

winning 5 and sealing the Cecil Vard Memorial Trophy with 2 rounds of the series remaining. “We got off to a great start in Birr, winning against a competitive field, but then on the next round in Monaghan I put the car off while in the lead. It was a silly mistake on my part, I was pushing hard in changeable conditions and lost my focus for a second messing with the wipers. We got to the end that day but it was my worst drive of the year. I was really annoyed because I’d put the car off in Kerry a few weeks before in exactly the same circumstances.” If Monaghan was his worst drive, Boyle rates the next round in Cavan, as one of his best. “After Kerry and Monaghan I needed a good result and Cavan went perfect. The car never missed a beat, neither did Brian on the notes and we won by over a minute. Eugene Donnelly finished behind us. If you’d said to me a few years ago I’d be able to finish ahead of someone like Eugene I would have said you were mad!” After Cavan, Declan and cousin Brian on the notes took a hat trick of consecutive wins taking the honours in

Waterford, Sligo and Tipperary where they wrapped up the title.

So after taking a dominant National Championship win, what lies ahead for Boyle in 2014? “I’d love to defend my title but that’ll be hard to do, the competition next year will be very tough especially with more British crews expressing an interest. As regards the Tarmac Championship, after such a disappointing season this year I have a lot of unfinished business there. In reality though, after a few rallies next season we’ll see how we’re going in both championships and see if it’s

better on focus on one over the other.”

In July, Boyle flew in from a wedding in Spain to take part in the Sligo Stages. Nothing unusual there you’d think until you realise the wedding he was attending was none other than that of Kris Meeke, who married Boyle’s sister in law. When asked if Meeke had an influence on Boyle’s rapid pace Boyle chuckled, “He only lives around the corner from me but I haven’t seen him since the wedding he’s that busy. I’d love to go up against him just for one rally though…”

“We got off to a great start in Birr, winning against a competitive field, but then on the next round in Monaghan I put the car off while in the lead. It was a silly mistake on my part, I was pushing hard in changeable conditions and lost my focus for a second messing with the wipers.”

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The 2013 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship concluded with the annual

prizegiving in the Sligo Park Hotel. Over 200 people were in attendance to see Gary Kiernan and Niall Tierney claim the overall trophy for the first time. This was a tremendous success for this young crew, as Gary has only been rallying for three years and 2013 was Niall’s first year competing. Gary paid tribute to the team at CMC Motorsport for looking after the car all year

Kiernan/Tierney crowned Sligo Pallets Border Champions

as well as all those who helped make the Championship such a success. Dermot O’Hagan/Pierce Doheny Jnr and Arthur Kierans/Mac Kierans were also on hand to receive their awards for second and third place overall respectively.

The Danny Caddye Perpetual Award, which was introduced last year for the pride of the Border Championship, was fittingly awarded to the late Paddy Kiernan. The younger of the Kiernan brothers lit up the

Championship and clinched the ‘Drive of the Day’ award in Cavan before his passing in the summer following a road traffic accident. Mr and Mrs Kiernan received the award on Paddy’s behalf, which included action photos of Paddy competing in the 2013 Championship and signed by none other than WRC star Jari-Matti Latvala. Big thanks for making this happen go to James Burke who provided the photos and Killian Duffy, who took them to Spain for Jarri-Matti’s signature.

Over €1,500 was raised on the night for Suicide Awareness, boosted by the impromptu auctioneering of a rally jacket which contributed €250! Indeed there were plenty of spot prizes for attendees with over 50 different prizes to be won.

Sligo Pallets will continue to support the series in 2014, with Mayo hosting the opening round in March. Gary and Niall will be back to defend their crown next year, which is sure to be another terrific season of competition.

1. Border Rally Champions Gary Kiernan and Niall Tierney are presented with their awards by sponsors Andrew Mullan and Elaine Doherty

2. Second overall winners Dermot O’Hagan and Pierce Doheny Jnr with Andrew Mullan and Elaine Doherty

3. The Caddye Family present Paddy Kiernan’s parents with the Danny Caddye Memorial award for ‘Spirit of the Championship’.

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Gary Kiernan and Niall Tierney have become the latest crew to join

the illustrious list of Border Championship winners. The Cavan crew were the kingpins in Class 10 all year with four wins and a third place from the five rounds of the series.

Class winnersClass 1 Champions: Francie McKenna & Sean CraigMonaghan’s Francie McKenna and Sean Craig wrapped up Class 1 honours with four straight wins from Monaghan to Donegal in the reliable Rover MG.

Class 2 Champions: Aiden Wray & Kieran McGrathAiden Wray and Kieran McGrath had a successful debut season in the Border Championship taking class wins in Mayo and Sligo as well as second in class in Donegal.

Class 4 Champion: Josh MoffettJosh, the younger of the rallying Moffetts came out on top in Class 4 after a strong run of results mid-season in his Mitsubishi. Shane Maguire finished as runner-up in his Subaru.

Class 7 Champions: Roger Kennedy & Wendy BlackledgeA perennial Border Championship campaigner, this crew have taken many class titles over the years

and they secured another this season thanks to three class wins in the early part of the year.

Class 8 Champions: Declan Boyle & Brian Boyle2010 Border Champions, Declan and Brian Boyle have moved up to a top level Subaru Impreza WRC and they demonstrated their capabilities with overall success in the National Rally Championship.

Class 9 Champions: Damien O’Reilly & Damien McCabeCavan pair, Damien O’Reilly/Damien McCabe came out on top of Class 9 after a close battle with their local rivals Justin Smyth and Gregory McQuillan.

Class 10 Champions: John Kelly & Niall KellyJohn Kelly and Niall Kelly had to play second fiddle to Gary Kiernan/Niall Tierney for much of the year, but they still claimed Class 10 victory in Monaghan and they just pipped Martin Ewing/James Ewing to the Class 10 title once Kiernan/Tierney were promoted due to their overall success.

Class 11R Champions: David Smyth & Mark DeeryDavid Smyth/Mark Deery from Monaghan came out on top of a thrilling battle for Class 11R honours with their consistent scoring rate (they scored at each

round). Declan Hall and Chris Corr finished just two points behind in second with Seamus Connolly/Gary McCrudden who took class wins in Mayo and Monaghan finishing in third.

Class 12 Champions: James Cassidy & Declan SmithJames Cassidy/Declan Smith inherited Class 12 honours due to Arthur and Mac Kierans’ overall result. Class victory in Cavan was their highlight as they finished eight points clear of Martin Toner/Martin Swinburne in second place. Vincent Collins was classified in third position.

Class 13 Champions: Jonathan Pringle & Martin ByrneYet another Cavan Motor Club

2013 sligo Pallets Border Championship season review

Jonathan Pringle and Martin Boyle won Class 13 with consistent point scoring.

Paddy Kiernan TriBuTeThe rallying community was left in shock after the passing of talented young driver Patrick Kiernan. In just two years competing, Paddy had already established himself as one of the top Mk2 Escort drivers in the country and a young talent headed for great things in this sport. In his first attempt at the Border Championship, he along with co-driver Darren O’Brien claimed the Class 10 title in emphatic style. The move to Class 13 and new navigator James McCarville was seamless with the pair instantly on the pace of their class rivals, culminating in a brilliant class win on Paddy’s home round in Cavan. The sport has been robbed of one of its greatest talents. His exploits will live long in the memory of competitors and spectators alike. The committee of the Border Championship extends its sympathies to Paddy’s family and friends.

crew to top their class were Jonathan Pringle/Martin Byrne who scored in all four rounds they contested to secure Class 13 honours.

Class 14 Champion: Francis RaffertyFrancis Rafferty took his rare Sierra Cosworth to success in Class 14 thanks to top scores in Mayo and Sligo.

Class 20 Champions: David Leonard & Darragh MullenSligo crew, David Leonard/Darragh Mullen took Class 20 honours in their Mitsubishi with a home win in Sligo being their best result with high scores in Mayo and Monaghan.

Team Champions: Sligo Pallets Rally TeamThe three car team of Declan Boyle/Brian Boyle, Andrew Mullen/Elaine Doherty and David Leonard/Darragh Mullen picked up maximum scores of 30 in Mayo and Monaghan with 20 point scores in Cavan and Sligo just doing enough to edge out The A Team in second place and the MK2 Mayhem team in third.

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Paddy Kiernan : a true legend

Paddy Kiernan made a huge impact on rallying in a very short space of time. He

started rallying on the 2011 Clare Stages and straight away made an impact by winning Class10 despite driving for more than six miles on a flat tyre on the second last stage. The winning streak continued in Baltinglass, Killarney Historic, and by Galway International 2012 he was unbeatable in Class10, finishing 15th O/A in the National Rally. Paddy’s aim in 2012 was to try and win the Border Championship but Paddy’s right foot was sometimes a problem as it seemed to get stuck to the headlamp. Paddy’s technique was to drive as hard as possible for as long as possible but sometimes this style doesn’t win championships. He still won Class10 in the Border Championship and finished 3rd in the National Championship. Near the end of 2012 Paddy needed more grunt so 4841 ZK arrived thanks to Bailieboro Credit Union. All Paddy’s thoughts were, “How am I gonna drive this yoke?” But straight away he was on the pace on the 2012 Killarney Historic Rally but that right foot still had a bit of learning to do, breaking the diff over a jump.Then came Galway International 2013 the star had arrived, At

22 years of age Paddy won his first National Rally. Then came Birr, a steady run earning 3rd in his class, Mayo - that right foot again, diff failure, Midlands Rally, fighting for the lead but a broken wire put an end to that, Monaghan, ended up in a field - that right foot again. Then came the Rally Of The Lakes with his brother Gary sitting in, this was to be one of his best drives finishing 2nd O/A in the National despite nursing the car home for the last four

stages with a damaged diff and only losing out by 21 seconds.Then came Cavan, his home rally three days before his 23rd birthday winning his class and finishing 10th O/A and getting Border Drive of the Day. Donegal proved to be a difficult rally but a great drive on day 3 earned him 3rd in class and 7th O/A. Then we had Sligo and little did we know that this would be the last time we would see Paddy lighting up the roads. Before his puncture

on stage 5 Paddy had been untouchable holding 6th O/A. His driving style still earned him the National Drive Of The Day award. Tragically in the early hours of Monday 29th July 2013 Paddy was taken from us in a road traffic accident. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends and the rallying community. At such a young age he proved that anything was possible when you want it bad enough and became a legend by doing so.

BY CYril MCCullagh PhOTOS: Fergal KellY / TrevOr FOSTer

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The end of an era for RPM

While I was in Spain on a bit of a holiday last November, I heard

that, voluntarily, RPM was about to cease production. As I sipped from the tinto glass, I thought, ‘that surely brings an important motorsport era to an end.’ It has been around for some time and it has set production and programme standards for others on modern circuits and stages to follow. RPM has been good for television, whether on UTV, RTE, TG4, Motors TV or other networks, and it has been important to the sport here.

Then I asked myself, as the Sangre De Toro gets a little scarce, ‘was this a good time for Alan ‘Plum’ Tyndall to draw a line across his favourite special stage?’ ‘Why not,’ came a rapid reply. ‘Money is now a scarce commodity, competitor numbers are falling, championships and clubs are cash poor, if not strapped, television networks are no longer interested in minority sports, even when the material comes cost free. And, to be modern in terms of production values, new equipment requires huge investments, while the old gear is virtually obsolete.

Don’t get me wrong, RPM was not just a rally programme. It covered racing equally as

efficiently, and then there were the specials from abroad, such as Dubai, Barbados and the Ferrari Challenge. Wherever Irish drivers competed, RPM and Plum’s squad of professionals, and volunteers, tried to be there. The ageing brain then recalled that the first ever RPM was from Dundrod, and it featured Stirling Moss, no less, on the old Ulster Grand Prix circuit. That was 1992. Before then there were programmes such as Race Ireland and Rally Ireland.

“The volunteers were very important to the programme”, was how Plum Tyndall put it to me. “Without them, the Jimmy Ogg and Dave O’Connells of this world, and indeed the camera professionals such as Eugene McVeigh, Tim Lawless, and Alan Soutar and of course Patrick and Chris, my own lads, there would not have been any such programme.” When Plum had oesophageal cancer in 1997 Patrick took over as team leader, while Professor Jim McGuigan made the big man better. No one could find fault with any of the presentations during that period, and Patrick has since gone on to work on F1 TV and the WRC.

Youngest son Chris Tyndall went in at the deep end after college, and while he still is involved from time to time with

RPM, he has made a life for himself as Producer/Editor with Century TV, and that included working on Moto GP for BBC TV and other major events. No wonder the two lads are proud of their 71 year-old Chairman, and are now happy that he is going into a kind of retirement. It is only retirement, minus.

Lynn Tyndall has also been an influential force within the operation. She has been so often master of logistics, feeding the hungry crew and often being a calming influence during times of near panic, while husband Alan put his mind to programme matters, let it be music, series sponsorship, playing politics with

clubs or tv stations, and giving each and every programme a professional look that would satisfy, firstly the TV people and finally the critical viewer. Production Manager Paul McAuley was also a key player on Team Tyndall, as was freelancer Andrew Bushe.

A happy family is one that stays together and such has been the case with regular contributor Gary Gillespie, from the days of the UTV/RTE partnership when I had an involvement of sorts, when Plum and Gary were reporters, and when the lads were responsible for some exciting pioneering broadcasts involving the Circuit of Ireland. I sipped

BY Michael O’carrOll PhOTOS: rOY DeMPSTer / TrevOr FOSTer

Paddy Tyndall and wingman robbie Beggs film Denis Biggerstaff at the 2004 lurgan Park rally

‘Doc’ in action on the ‘92 Donegal

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the Bushmills, they wrote peerless prose as commentary and we all had a grand time despite the pressures imposed by the UAC and other clubs, mad enthusiastic marshals and spectators who enjoyed blocking escape routes required for camera crews.

When I think of RPM I see images of Pamela Ballentine and Lorraine Keane and indeed freelance commentary from Brian

Tuite, Arnie Black, Declan Quigley and Leo Nulty. It takes a huge number of people to make a television programme and others of the voluntary kind that spring to mind are Willie McKee, Alan Courtney, Robbie Beggs, Jonny Coates, Sean Tracey and Martin McGrath.

RPM may be done and dusted, but Tyndall Productions will continue to televise the Adelaide

Motor Cycle series with Jim Halligan and George McCann, and in the New Year Plum will go into Live Streaming from the Belfast Motor Cycle Show. That is a new venture, and one that could develop in the short term. Television is changing at a rate of knots and I got the impression while talking to Plum Tyndall, that he no longer wanted to balance budgets as a result of tendering

for rally series, or trying to squeeze money from clubs.

“The TV stations will no longer pay for programme material such as RPM. In fact they won’t even take ready-made programmes for nothing. They are like fortresses, they won’t even talk to us”, said Plum Tyndall. Motorsport is no longer sexy; doors are not open to ideas. Remember when the Circuit of Ireland got same day coverage, when two days of the Leinster Trophy were broadcast live, and clubs, circuits and competitors were able to leverage substantial private sponsorship. At that time entry lists were full, clubs made substantial profits and new racing and rally machinery was normal.

Nowadays, the sport is stagnant and the fact that RPM will not be seen on Irish TV, let it be UTV, RTE or TG4 will not help. Of course TROA will appoint another company to televise its events. But don’t expect to see it on Irish screens. There are adequate production companies to replace Tyndall’s RPM. But, the studio doors are shut and barred and while Motors TV may be fine and dandy, it is not regularly talked about in Irish homes, pubs or clubs up and down the country. That’s the key!

But, ‘Plum’ Tyndall should be proud of his achievements. I look forward to reading the book he is writing on the life and times and cars of the extraordinary designer John Crossle. The Dublin-born Tyndall has still work to do over the years. I am sure he will keep busy and creative and maybe write the book on his own life. Not many know how good and kind a person Alan Tyndall really is. He is a superb salesman. He is also a very funny person with or without a few drinks and in his sleep he snores louder than anyone I have ever known. Snore on Plum!

The RPM Team celebrated their 20th birthday in Donegal two years ago

Plum interviews Andrew Nesbitt at the ‘92 Donegal

Armin Schwarz scatters stones at Paddy Tyndall at the Toshiba Rally

Getting the shot set-up at the 2000 Donegal

Interviewing Andrew Nesbitt on the finish ramp

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The rollercoaster ride that is Rally Finland’s signature Ouninipohja stage just about

sums up Marshall Clarke’s year.The crests and spine-jarring

dips came thick and fast for the Fermanagh businessman who clocked up tens of thousands of miles in the air and on the ground. From Galway to Beijing, from Jyväskylä to Oregon, from Deeside to Lake Superior, Clarke was everywhere in his role as co-driver to Keith Cronin, Niall McShea, Antoine L’Estage and Rifat Sangkar.

And he has the trophies and bruises to prove it.Looking back he would admit the lows probably out-weighed the highs in a season which saw him guide Cronin to a first Irish Tarmac championship win in Galway and finish the year with back-to-back victories alongside McShea in China. But there was also the devastation of crashing on the second day of Wales Rally GB which not only earned Clarke a helicopter flight to hospital but also cost him and Cronin the chance to take the big prize in the

Citroen Top Driver series.That was their main goal in

2013, the chance to step up to the World championship’s WRC2 division next season for six rounds in an R5 Citroen DS3, and they came so close to achieving it.

But the Welsh accident “was a killer blow, really devastating,” says Clarke. “We had worked hard throughout the Top Driver series and after winning in Finland, taking second in Germany and getting third with a controlled drive in France we got ourselves in a position to win it on Rally GB. We knew Sebastien Chardonnet hadn’t been very quick in Wales last year and we were confident Keith could beat him.

“But rallying is a cruel sport. It can really bite you. And that’s what happened.

“The build-up to that final round was bedlam with people trying to work out all the possible permutations and extra drivers like Bryan Bouffier, Jukka Korhonen and Osian Pryce all being thrown into the equation but we tried to make things

simple – we just concentrated on trying to win.

“The puncture on the first night wasn’t the ideal start but we got the car back to service and hit the reset button for day two. We knew the rally was just beginning and we could make up the minute deficit. We were wary of the Sweet Lamb stage with its water splash, bearing in mind what had happened in Portugal at the start of the year, and just took it steadily, ready for the 32 kms of Myherin.

“The splits showed we were on course to pull back most of the deficit and then suddenly the car just jumped out of the ruts and went straight into a tree. There was no question of continuing. The car was too badly damaged and I could barely move. I ended up getting flown to hospital for a check-up and eventually the car was retrieved and taken back to service were the DGM boys did an incredible job to re-build it.“I was OK, sore and bruised but nothing broken, but they wouldn’t let us re-start under Rally 2 rules until the docs

had checked me out the next morning. They gave me the OK and all we could do was go for a finish and hope Chardonnet hit a big problem.

“He didn’t and that was the end of the dream. We’d come so far but fell short in the end. “It was a year of high highs and low lows but that was the lowest of them all. We all knew how much it meant to Keith to get that drive in the R5 car next season and to be honest I don’t what will happen now.

“We were rank outsiders at the start of the series but Keith made a lot of people sit up and take notice, certainly the French who seemed to take it for granted a French driver would win, and they threw everything at us once it became clear he was a real contender.

“We haven’t really discussed anything about next season, both of us are still licking our wounds, but it would be a real shame if he doesn’t get a chance to drive a four-wheel-drive car in WRC2. Despite his results over the past couple of seasons in

When the Marshall left town...BY SammY Hamill PHOTOS: ROY DemPSTeR / aPRC.TV / FeRgal KellY

marshall Clarke Co-Drove for Niall mcShea in a Skoda Fabia S2000 in the Chinese Rally Championship

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the R3 Citroen he isn’t really a two-wheel-drive man – it’s just that he is such a good driver he can adapt. Four-wheel-drive is where he wants to be but it is the age old story of Irish drivers and finance being the determining factor.”

Rally GB had barely finished than Clarke was on a plane again – he has calculated he made over 80 flights this year – bound for China and the final round of the Chinese championship with McShea and the Red Bull Skoda team.

He has been partnering fellow Fermanagh man and former World production champion McShea in what he calls his Chinese Adventure for the past three years.

“It is certainly different in China,” Clarke laughs. “Different and difficult. The country is vast, the weather ranges from intense heat and humidity to torrential rain, and it is a whole different culture but they are learning to love their rallying and the crowds are astonishing. There are tens of thousands just for the ceremonial

starts and all the local bigwigs turn up.

“The competitions pretty good too with Mark Higgins back with the Subaru team as well as the very talented Finn Jari Ketomaa in a Chinese-built Mitsubishi and Chris Atkinson who is driving for the local VW importers.

“Until this year we were using an old two-wheel-drive Octavia but Niall persuaded the importers to get an S2000 car and they bought Robert Barrable’s Fabia. Trouble was they didn’t have any experience of the car and didn’t have a proper spares package so when the clutch failed when

we were leading the first round the spare clutch didn’t fit and when they tried to modify it they ran out of time and we were excluded.

“We finished second on the next one and were leading the third round, Rally China, when the engine failed. We had a new engine for the next round but when we arrived in China we discovered our S2000 car had gone to our Chinese team-mate who was in with a shout of winning the championship and we would be driving a Fabia that had been built by the local team and fitted with a 1600cc turbo engine. We were not impressed!“But bizarrely we won the rally. In truth we lucked into it when Mark was excluded at the end for some timing error but that is all part of the experience in China. Everything, all the official bulletins etc, are in Chinese, as you would expect, but if your translator doesn’t tell you, you are none the wiser.

“It’s not unusual to get a phone call asking why you aren’t ready to start or at a Press conference, or somewhere, when you knew nothing about it. And navigation is a bit tricky. You can’t read the road signs so you have to rely entirely on the roadbook and hope they have set the trip meter accurately. It makes life interesting!”

The final round of the series, the quaintly named Three Beauties Rally, followed shortly after Rally GB and Clarke flew out still nursing his injured hip, an uncomfortable nine hour trip, but it was worth it in the end, he says.

“We had a great battle with Mark but won it fair and square in the end. It was nip and tuck on the first day but we led by a few seconds and then there was heavy overnight rain which we thought would play into the hands of the Subaru. But Niall just decide to go

for it, s… or bust you might say, and we matched him most of the way until his engine cut out and he dropped about 25 seconds.

“That gave us the breathing space we need and we beat him by about half-a-minute or so. It was great way to end the season. That made us the unofficial Chinese champions. Only a Chinese driver can win it and we are there to score points for the team but that doesn’t make it any less competitive among the overseas crews.

“I should have been heading off to another rally in Canada after the last round but I decided enough was enough. I was living on adrenalin up until then and it just ran out. My hip was still giving me bother and I couldn’t face another rally,” he says resignedly.

Clarke, of course, is no stranger to North American rallies and is a regular on the other side of the Atlantic. This year he had time for just three events and picked up a couple of podiums, one with Indonesian Sangkar on the Oregon Trail Rally and then with French Canadian L’Estage when they finished second behind Mark Higgins’ brother David, the new US champion, on the Lake Superior Rally.

But he admits the effort, the travel, the time away from his De-Ice business and the family-run Knockninny Country House Hotel at Derrylin has taken its toll – as well as testing the patience of his wife Gail and their two boys, Michael and Christian. “I’m lucky to have a very understanding wife but this season has been very demanding and has made me think about what I want to do next year.

“Nothing is decided yet but maybe I will slow down a bit – not in the rally car, you understand, but a bit less travel and a bit more time closer to home.”

Marshall Clarke has had a very eventful 2013!

Pictured at Rally GB: Marshall Clarke, Keith Cronin, Paul Nagle, Jonny Greer and Raymond Moore

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‘Banner’ wins as O’Connell takes third

There were at least ten strong candidates for the overall honours on this

years Roger Albert Clark Rally, a three day marathon event for historic cars run in a similar style to the Lombard RAC Rally of the seventies and eighties. In the end, sixty-two year old Steve Bannister had a trouble free run to claim top honours. Dungiven driver Seamus O’Connell was able to match or beat Bannister on many of the stages but was hampered with mechanical problems on a number of occasions on his way to third overall.

The event started on Bannister’s doorstep with stages in the Dalby complex where it was reported that Bannister’s co-driver didn’t have to read the maps as Steve knew the stages so well. ‘Banner’ was peerless in his Ford Escort Mk2 over the whole route of 160 miles of special stages which were made even tougher by ice on the Sunday morning. Two drivers took the fight to Bannister but were both caught out by the same deceptive crest in Pundershaw.

“After the fight with Marty McCormack last year and losing on the last stage, this has made up a little bit,” said Bannister as he repeated his 2007 victory. “This is the best event of the year for historic cars, so it is great to

win it again.”The tenth anniversary of the

rally was another huge hit with competitors and thousands of spectators. Friday evening featured six stages in the Dalby complex, while Saturday’s route headed north into Kielder before an overnight in Carlisle. Sunday was the sting in the tail with 70 competitive miles in the border forests.

Over the opening two legs, Matthew Robinson/Sam Collis and Jason Pritchard/John Millington chased Bannister hard but the same crest in Pundershaw claimed them both, Pritchard rolled out on the first run and Robinson on the second time through the 12-mile stage.

Instead, Paul Griffiths and Richard Wardle clinched second from Seamus O’Connell who had Welshman Paul Wakely on the maps as Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks fought back to fourth after losing time with a low-speed roll in the Duncombe Park stage on Saturday morning.

The Friday night stages were dark, wet and mucky and saw the demise of many of the top runners. Seamus O’Connell got off to a bad start when he came round a corner on the first stage to discover Steve Perez’ Lancia Stratos blocking the stage and valuable time was lost getting past the car.

By the time the crews reached

Seamus O’Connell took third place on the RAC rally.

Owen Murphy and James O’Brien brought their ex-Russell Brookes Sunbeam Lotus home in 5th place.

Steve Bannister made up for last years disappointment by winning the RAC rally

“After the fight with Marty McCormack last year and losing on the last stage, this has made up a little bit,” said Bannister as he repeated his 2007 victory. “This is the best event of the year for historic cars, so it is great to win it again.”

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Croft race track O’Connell had pulled back some of the lost time and set fastest time around the track by 5 seconds.

The Saturday stages included two stages through Duncombe Park and O’Connell hit a large rock in the stage that broke a front tension arm bracket, leaving the front wheel free to move about in the arch, making the car virtually undriveable. At the end of the stage Seamus discovered the spare was 50 miles away in the service van but the team were loaned a bracket by fellow competitor Grant Shaw which was quickly fitted by the service team led by Derek McGeehan.

The time lost dropped O’Connell out of the top ten so it was maximum attack time again and the TOC/Meridian Utilities team made their way up to third overall. Three stages from the end of the event the clutch pedal went to the floor on the Escort but luckily straight after the stage was the longest service halt of the rally where the teams were allowed 50 minutes. The McGeehan Motorsport crew fitted a new clutch with ten minutes to spare and the team were able to complete the event although the ZF gearbox had

suffered with the clutch problem and second gear had given up the ghost.

“I really enjoyed the event,” says Seamus. “It was a really well run rally, full marks to David Heppenstall and his team. It was great to get third overall, we managed third overall in 2008 so we will have to try and go one better next time.”

Irish competitors Owen Murphy and James O’Brien brought their ex-Russell Brookes

Talbot Sunbeam Lotus home in fifth place, winning Class D4 in the process.

www.roydempster.com

Over 20 years Of MOtOrspOrt iMages

New shOp NOw iNcluded ON the website with MOdels, sigNed wrc priNts & MeMOrabilia

Seamus O’Connell and Welsh co-driver Paul Wakely.

ROGER ALBERT CLARK RALLY1 Steve Bannister/Kevin Rae Ford Escort MkII D5 2:49:07 2 Paul Griffiths/Richard Wardle Ford RS1800 Escort D5 2:53:193 Seamus O’Connell/Paul Wakely Ford Ecscort MkII BDA D5 2:55:55 4 Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks Ford Escort RS1800 D5 2:56:47 5 Owen Murphy/James O’Brien Talbot Sunbeam Lotus D4 2:57:04

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In the mid-seventies Vauxhall decided to increase their profile in international rallying. In conjunction

with Blydenstein Racing, who ran Team Vauxhall - the nearest thing to a ‘works’ competition effort - they developed a rally version of their small family saloon, the Chevette.

They created a far more powerful Chevette variant by fitting the much larger 2.3 litre engine into the shell with a 5-speed ZF gearbox. Now producing 230bhp, the HS was a great success as a rally car, clocking up notable wins for drivers such as Pentti Airikkala, Jimmy McRae and Tony Pond, challenging the most successful rally car of the time, the Ford Escort, and winning the British Open Rally Championship for Drivers, and for Manufacturers.

Pentti Airikkala was one of the famous “Flying Finns” who dominated world rallying at the time. Most of his top flight competitive experience was behind the wheel of various rear wheel drive Vauxhall Opels and the Magnum coupé. In 1979 he was chosen to contest the British Rally Championship in the Chevette HS, taking 1st Overall on the five-day Circuit of Ireland International Rally which contributed to him becoming 1979 British Rally Champion.

YEB 624T, the car he competed in, is now in the hands of Killinchy man Andy Johnson who has carried out a detailed restoration of the car to it’s former glory, complete with it’s DTV Castrol decals. He intends to enter the car in the Galway Rally in February so we decided to get a few pics of it before he goes.

Photos: Roy DemPsteR

Airikkala’s Circuit winning Chevette

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Penth Airikkala in action in the car on the ‘79 Circuit of Ireland

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Anyone who can recall – or has read about – the RAC Rally in 1985 will

remember Tony Pond and his fantastic drive to third overall in the all-British MG Metro 6R4. It was a result that earned him a number of plaudits and it is still lauded to this day. Sadly Tony is no longer around to recall his own memories of that time having passed away, aged just 56-years-old, on 7th February 2002. He is still fondly remembered, however, and here Rob Wilkins chats to some of the people who knew him best during his time in the sport...

Jimmy, let’s start with you. Tony was someone you competed against in the 1970s

and 1980s, what are your memories of that time?Jimmy McRae: They were the best ever of British rallying. The characters within it, the visitors we had, with the Finns and the Swedes, everybody coming to compete in the UK, it was certainly the best time of British rallying – there is no doubt about that. There were some good guys, like Tony, there at the time. Tony was a very fair guy in the car and out of it. I knew him just through rallying and in the early days, when I did the Acropolis and other events abroad, after doing the recce we might have a coffee or a beer at night and a chat – he was another Brit when you were abroad. He was a nice guy but a formidable competitor.

Malcolm, what are your memories of Tony and how did you know him?Malcolm Wilson: I knew Tony in the 1970s. He was at Austin Rover before me too and then I joined at the end of 1985 for the RAC Rally and we were there together in 1986. It was a great combination at the time to have two British drivers in the World Championship. We just had complete respect for each other. We spent a lot of time in each other’s company. I spent quite a lot of time with him in the Isle of Man during 1986. Not only were we fierce competitors, but we were also good friends and we worked really well as a team trying to develop and push the car forward. He was a great

team-mate and the one thing that sticks out to me, was how friendly he was considering we were both fighting in the same team.

David and Mike, you both sat alongside Tony and co-drove for him at different points in his career. When did you meet him first?David Richards: I met him and got quite friendly with him in 1974, the year I won the national championship with Tony Drummond in a Ford Esort. He was clearly a great talent and our first real foray together came about through the Opel Dealer Team up in Leeds. I was co-driving for Ari [Vatanen] on a couple of events for the team. Tony was also in the same team and we got

Malcolm Wilson, David Richards, Jimmy McRae and Mike Nicholson remember Tony Pond...

Pond driving a Dolomite Sprint on the 1976 Tour of Dean.Getting ready for the 1974 Manx with his Mark One.

Tony Pond in action on his favourite event, the Manx Rally in the Metro 6R4.

BY ROB WILKINS PHOTOS: FERGUS McANALLEN / RALLYRETRO.COM

The life and times of

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quite friendly and we ended up doing the Tour of Britain together, which we won in an Escort RS2000 in 1975.

We then went on to do a few other events that year with the Opel team, including the RAC Rally. I was spending my time trying to raise funding for him and trying to see if we could get him into one of the bigger factory teams. In fact at that time we had an offer from the Fiat team, to go to there in 1976. But Fiat were left-hand drive cars and Tony was adamant he wanted a right-hand drive car and so we ended up going to the Leyland factory team in the first year of the TR7s - all be it the TR7 arrived a little bit late in the season. We started the year with a Dolomite Sprint and we did the first few rounds of the British Championship with that car. We also did the Tour of Britain again in 1976 with the Dolomite Sprint, but had engine failure.

Then at the end of that season I went my separate way and Tony stayed on at Leyland. But we remained good friends and stayed in touch. He was best man at my wedding.

It was very sad because Tony lacked confidence in my view. His talent was way beyond. He was the Roger Clark, the Colin McRae of his era. He didn’t get the full recognition for it because he didn’t get into the best cars. He just somehow lacked that confidence to take the opportunities that could have been available to him. I often look back and wonder had we gone to Fiat we would probably have ended up in the Fiat factory team and I think he could easily have been winning World Championship events and been one of the real names of the sport.

Mike, what are your memories of him?Mike Nicholson: Tony was just a magical bloke. He was absolutely what you saw was what you got and there were no airs and graces. As a person, to be honest,

he was a bit of a scallywag really. But he was absolutely straight as a die.

As a driver he was probably the quickest driver I sat with in my 30 years of co-driving – sorry Jimmy! Some of the guys like Jimmy and Pentti Airikkala, they were bloody quick as well obviously, but when Tony put the hammer down I am not sure anyone could really match him. He was absolutely incredible like that.

So the overriding thing is: a fabulous bloke, great fun, good entertainment, good to be with, but a fantastic rally driver as well.

I had the privilege of knowing Tony in my early days. He was quite well known and used to enjoy a good laugh (often at the expense of those not quite yet sure of his celebrity status!), but over time

and with opportunities through his rallying of the Rover SD1, MG Metro 6R4, Roversport development involvement I got to know him fairly well.

It was his living on the Isle of Man that provided him with a unique opportunity – to open the roads of the world-famous IOM TT motor bike road race and in so doing to make an attempt on a 100mph lap in a standard car. The first one in 1988 was unsuccessful, largely due to wet weather on the mountain section, but I was there on 6th June 1990 – in the control and radio room – to hear his achievement play out mile by mile. Tony precisely placed the Rover 827 Vitesse at the

very limits of adhesion and filmed for posterity became immortalised with a record that remained untouched for two decades (until 2011) clocking an average speed of 102mph over the 37.73-mile course in just 22 minutes and 9 seconds. I took pleasure it passing to Tony the celebration Champagne to spray over the bonnet of the Rover, in one of his many pleasurable moments.

Always determined and professional, he was primarily a happy, go lucky type and yet he was modest and convivial too. The development of the MG Metro 6R4 clearly played a big part in his life, as he took real delight in showing us C95KOG in his garage.

Kevin Jones Former Public Relations Manager, Austin Rover

Malcolm, Jimmy, what was he like as a competitor and rival?MW: As a competitor Tony was always very strong on all surfaces. He was always very committed and he was always a difficult guy to beat. He was definitely one of the best Brits around at that time – there was no question of that. I don’t think he got the results that he probably deserved.

JM: He was good and very straight forward. We always had a bit of a joke with each other. One time, on one of the Manx rallies, I’m not sure what year, there were

three of us at the finish, all British drivers, and he said: ‘Were have all the Finns gone? Long time passing...’ He wasn’t a great lover of the Finns.

David, what was it like sitting in the co-driver’s seat alongside Tony?DR: Like so many of them, he was very focused and we got on very well. He was extremely talented and a very determined guy.

You obviously co-drove for Ari as well. How did the two compare?DR: Ari was far more flamboyant and far more of a risk taker than Tony ever was. Tony was a lot more methodical about things and more calculated, but no less talented.

What sort of driving style did Tony have? How would you describe it?DR: He was very smooth. He didn’t have the aggressive Colin McRae style of driving. But still in those cars and in those days it was still pretty flamboyant stuff. I can remember all too well going through Welsh forests in a TR7 with Union Jacks flying everywhere on the Rally of Great Britain in 1976 – the sport had

Tony with Triumph team mates.

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I was then co-driving for Pentti Airikkala in 1978 and Jimmy in 1979 and 1980. In 1981 I moved across to co-drive for Tony in the Dealer Team Vauxhall Chevette. That was when I reacquainted myself with him. I did the whole of the 1981 season with him in the Chevette HSR in the British Championship. We had a good relationship and we got on well. We always use to have a laugh. We had a lot of fun on the events, but he was a serious rally driver and a serious contender. I’d say in total I probably did about seven or eight events with him.

The big one you did with him was the RAC Rally in 1981.MN: Yeah, we weren’t doing a World Rally programme but of course with the RAC Rally being UK based, it was obviously right at the top of the list for us to do. In 1981 we led it for a while when Hannu Mikkola went off in the fog, but he was only off for 2.5 minutes unfortunately. Then towards the end of the rally, I think we were lying third, behind Ari Vatanen and David, and we were determined to haul them back in again and at least be second behind Mikkola, who by the time we got to Yorkshire had about a ten minute lead. But unfortunately the rear axle let go and we had to retire.

Holywood’s Fred Gallagher has many happy memories of

his time together with Tony at Triumph. “Tony was a massive talent,” recalls Fred. “Tony and myself and the TR7 all had our first international win together on the ’77 Boucles de Spa Rally. It was the first time I has sat

with Tony so our time together got off to a fabulous start.

“We had a couple of great years together at Triumph but it is true to say that not driving a left hand drive car held Tony’s career back. I spoke to Henry Liddon at Toyota and we were offered the second car for the 1981 season with Bjorn Waldegard driving the number one car. Tony went and tested the car but Toyota wouldn’t build him a right hand drive car so he wouldn’t sign for them.

“Tony was fabulous company but he did have an opinion that foreigners were all against him and this clearly held back his career. He fell out with John

Davenport at Triumph and then moved to Talbot, but fell out with Des O’Dell and went back to Austin Rover!“But it was nothing but a pleasure to co-drive for him. He liked to create the impression of a ‘lad about town’ but by seventies standards

he wasn’t a particularly hard partier. He would have fitted in much better with today’s drivers.“My last outing was making ice notes for Tony the year he did the Monte Carlo Rally in the Metro 6R4 and we remained friends though I

didn’t get to see him much. I was really sorry I couldn’t attend his funeral as I was away on a rally at the time. He was a great guy.”

Tony Pond and Fred Gallagher in action on the 1977 Circuit of Ireland Rally. This was the last ever rally for the 2 litre TR7. All 2 litre models had been painted white but this particular car sported the new red colour scheme of the V8 version, the only time a 2 litre TR7 ran in the red colours.

Fred Gallagher remembers Tony PondPHOTO: ESLER CRAWFORD

a great following in those days and there was an extraordinary following for the team too.

Mike, how many rallies did you co-drive with Tony?MN: I was with him back in the British Leyland days too, but I was with Pat Ryan in the Dolomite Sprint. I did one event with him in the TR7 though. Fred Gallagher [his regular co-driver at that point and David’s successor] was away doing something or other and I was asked to do fill in. We did a shakedown event in Yorkshire in the TR7, which we won – that must have been 1977.

The 2 litre TR7 in action on the 1977 Mintex Rally.

Tony gets caught out on the 1979 West Cork Rally.

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What was Tony like as a person?DR: I’ve touched on this already, but he was a shy person in reality. He wasn’t one of the flamboyant types. He was quite quiet and reserved. But we had good fun together. He kept himself to himself and he had a very private life around him. He died fairly young which was a great shame and very sad.

He was a bit of a no-nonsense sort of person wasn’t he? Was he in a similar mould to Kimi Räikkönen and James Hunt?MW: I never really saw him like that. I think that was probably the impression a lot of people got. He did take his job very seriously. But then on the other hand he could enjoy himself as well.

Tony had a lot of success on the Manx International Rally and won it no fewer than four times in 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1986. What made him so good there?

MW: I think the fact that he went to live there tells you a lot. Obviously there are other advantages to going to live in the Isle of Man, but he really enjoyed and just loved the place. He liked the quiet sort of environment and that rubbed off in his affection for the place. He felt very much at home there and spent a lot of time on those roads and knew the place very well.

JM: As Malcolm says, he lived in the Isle of Man and so Tony knew every pothole and every bit of the roads. But I think the cars he drove at the time were more suited to tarmac than gravel too. He was also just a quick driver. He probably overdrove the cars he was driving sometimes. But his knowledge of the Isle of Man and his tarmac capabilities made him one of the quickest there, definitely.

MN: He had an affinity with the Isle of Man and was just blindingly quick there. It is not

DaviD LLeweLLin(1989 anD 1990 British raLLy Champion)“Tony was one of the British drivers’ that I looked up to in my younger days when I was trying to get into the top line in rallying. He helped me greatly. It came initially through Rob Arthur because he co-drove for me in the British junior team in Spain and of course Rob was his co-driver at that time. He wouldn’t admit it, but Tony worked behind the scenes to

get me in the Metro 6R4 back in 1986. I was always very grateful to him for that and I have fond memories of him.

“He didn’t mind too much what he said, did he? I always remember that interview with him when he rolled that Sunbeam Lotus on the RAC in 1979 and he said: ‘Well the arrow said that way and that is where I went...’

“He was a very good driver and of his time, he was, in my opinion, one of the best drivers in the world. It was unfortunate for him – and Malcolm and me – that Group B was banned. It was the stepping stone for all of us to be successful in the World Championship.

“One time, after I had that big accident on the Welsh Rally in the Metro, he said: ‘Dai, don’t worry about it. Listen, if you want to be a world class rally driver, you have got to have world class accidents – and you are there!’ I will always remember that comment.

“Obviously in the Isle of Man he was unbeatable. The likes of Walter Röhrl, everybody tried, but he was unstoppable if he had the right car. That stands out to my mind as much anything, his dominance on the tarmac there.

“I have to say I met him one night on the practice there. You are meant to practice the stages in certain ways at certain times of the night and there was a black Rover test car that came the other way and we took each other’s mirrors off. He wouldn’t admit it, but I know who it was – and it was him, going the wrong way!”

rallyday 2013 stars pay homage

Jimmy McRae, Tony Pond and Ian Grindrod.

Tony with Cathal Curley on the 1976 Manx Rally.

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the biggest of islands, and you do get to know the stages pretty well. Even those that live locally and didn’t have pacenotes use to go well. We use to go out and practice for a couple of week’s beforehand – totally boring, flogging around the same old stages day and night, but it certainly paid off. He was a Manx master, if you like to call it that.

DR: He was just particularly good on tarmac and that was why the Tour of Britain suited him too. He had a very smooth driving style and I am sure if he had focused his direction into circuit racing he would have been equally good on the circuits as he was in rallying. I think that stood him in good stead. He was still good on loose surfaces though – that is not to belittle his performances on gravel. But he did shine more on the tarmac events.

There seems to be a bit of a perception he had a preference for competing on asphalt. Is that correct?MN: I wouldn’t have said he personally preferred one or the other. He was very, very quick on tarmac as I found out on the 1981 Manx, but he was quick in the forests as well. I don’t

think I ever heard him express a preference for tarmac. I would say he was equally good on both.

MW: He was a force to be reckoned with on all surfaces. I always felt that he was equally good on gravel as tarmac.

JM: He had a lot of good results with Nissan and on some of the World Championship events on gravel. Also if the Metro’s and the Group B cars hadn’t been banned and if the development had come he would have been a force to be reckoned with in the 6R4 too.

A lot of people say his performance on the 1985 RAC Rally in the 6R4 was his finest hour – just how impressive was that drive?MW: Based on the fact it was the World Championship debut of the 6R4 and he had been living with it right from when the very first car turned a wheel, says a lot. But I think the most impressive thing was the conditions we had to encounter that year. We had snow, ice – literally everything the RAC could throw at you. It was a great all round performance in what will definitely go down as one of the trickiest RAC rallies.

Russell BRookes(1977 and 1985 BRitish Rally Champion)“His drive on the RAC Rally in 1985 was one of the most remarkable I have seen – and when you are competing on an event you get a feel of what the times on the stages represent because you are doing the same tests yourself. Tony was up against the new Lancia Delta S4 driven by Henri Toivonen and he was in the Metro 6R4 and Markku Alén was in the Lancia

too. They had an absolutely tremendous battle that year. Tony’s performance really was quite extraordinarily good.

“He was very loyal to British cars during his time in the sport and in some ways that worked against him. It always seemed to me that Tony went very much for British, money and the most competitive car third – and in some ways I don’t think that did his career chances that much good. He would have been better to go first for the most competitive car, which was the Ford. The trouble with doing that, and I found out of course, is that you were up against a lot of other top class drivers – particularly Finns, who were the golden boys at the time. You really felt that you got a bit of second rate treatment from Ford.

“I never really competed against him face-to-face on many events. It wasn’t like a Jimmy McRae situation in 1984 and 1985, where we were in the same team and pitched very much head-to-head. That didn’t happen with Tony. I found him as an outsider somewhat enigmatic because we never became friends on rallies. We certainly weren’t enemies, but I just didn’t really know him. He was very reserved. But equally in some ways he attracted quite a lot of interest and publicity out of that reservation because he was a bit of mystery. There is no doubt though he was a great driver and he has got a lot of fans from that era.”

Rallyday 2013 stars pay homage

tony mason(1972 RaC winningCo-dRiveR and foRmeRtop geaR pResenteR)“I have good memories of Tony and knew him extremely well because when I was at Ford, running the Ford rally team, along with Peter Ashcroft, we had a special championship for Escorts in Mexico and he did very well indeed. We gave him a car for the Scottish Rally, one of the prizes, and so I saw a lot of him then.

“I didn’t actually co-drive for him on a rally but I did go with him when he was testing a couple of times and it was certainly a fairly frightening experience in the Metro 6R4 with that great big engine a couple of inches behind your left ear and a sheet of plastic between you and it. He was an absolutely marvellous driver – very good and very fast – and when the 6R4 came out on the RAC in 1985 he finished in one of his highest ever positions.

“I would say he was one of the top British drivers of all time. He had a lot of bad luck in terms of teams he went with and it is a pity he didn’t really get into the Ford team fully.”

Tony drove Rover Vitesses while developing the 6R4.

Tony driving a Talbot Sunbeam on the 1979 Manx Rally.

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Do you agree it was probably one of his best performances?MW: It probably was. I think it was his best all-round performance, as I said, purely because of the conditions. But I think he also had some other fantastic performances when you are talking about out and out performance, like some of his drives on the Manx, which we have spoken about, and some of his drives in Ireland where he probably didn’t finish because of mechanical issues. But all round, yes, it would probably rank as his best result.

MN: The 6R4 in my view wasn’t that competitive a car. It was a bit light on power. I only did one rally with it. But what I can gather and remember from the time it wasn’t the easiest of cars and it wasn’t the most powerful by a long shot either. I would say third on the RAC Rally in that would have been a damn good result.

DR: He did have some great performances in those cars and he was brought up with that car and was involved from the early development stages and so knew it like the back of his hand [as Malcolm mentioned]. It was also a car that had a small window of time when it was competitive. It was a Computervision car and I can still remember those – it was real early days of the four-wheel drive. People soon forget but in his era Tony was the British driver.

JM: It probably was [his best performance], as 1985 was just the first year with the Metro and at that time there was the Peugeots, the Lancias and the Audis to go up against. He had some pretty good results with Nissan on the Acropolis and Safari and places like that too [he was

fourth overall on the Safari in 1982 – Ed]. But the Nissan was an underpowered car compared to its competitors. It was a strong car though, and on these rough events, Tony could get the best out of it. I think he had a fantastic result in Corsica one year too with the Datsun.

That’s right, he was third there in 1981 and that was the only other podium he managed in the WRC, along with that one on the RAC. He never got to shine anymore at the top level. Why was that? Was it just down to the cars?JM: He was late getting into it and I think the decision he made early on, in terms of only driving right-hand drive cars, was a wrong decision. He was very adamant about that. He got offered the chance to drive a Fiat [as David has talked about], but

he insisted it had to be right-hand drive. If a Finn or a Swede came to drive for one of the British manufacturers’, they had to convert the car to left-hand drive, and that was one of the downfalls Tony made in that he didn’t accept driving a left-hand drive car. If he had, I think he would have gone a bit further in the World Championship.

MN: I did a couple of events with the TR7 that Tony used – although only one with him. They were difficult cars. They were very unusual to sit in because it felt like you were on the backseat of a normal car. They had a very sloping, low, narrow windscreen with a long bonnet and you sat low in it and you couldn’t see over the crest. It came into its own a bit more with the V8, however. Then he did world events with 6R4s, which were not particularly

competitive and before that he used the Datsun. But he never really got a World Championship winning car in my opinion when he was actually doing World Championship events.

MW: I think he had a lot more to offer than the results show. It was just a case of in the wrong car at the wrong time. Of course we [Tony and I] weren’t really helped by what happened in 1986. We both had a great opportunity to really shine but for various reasons that didn’t happen during that year. Then everyone knows with the banning of Group B that left a bit hole for myself and him, in terms getting a drive in the WRC from there onwards. It took quite a few of the manufacturers’ out of the game and of course there were not the seats available. It was a difficult time for us all because we both had three-year contracts and we both had a good strategy to develop in those three years, but that was cut short with the sad loss of Henri [Toivonen].

His rallying career pretty much stopped with the end of the Group B era and when the 6R4 project was canned. Yet he still went on to enjoy some success and of course set that lap record on the Isle of Man TT course in 1988 in a near standard Rover Vitesse. That was quite a famous and remarkable achievement in itself.DR: It was, definitely. But that was Tony on the tarmac. We spent days and days practising on the Isle of Man.

Typical Pond action from the 1985 Ulster Rally.

Tony on the 1981 West Cork Rally with his HSR Chevette.

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MW: That was pretty special stuff. I was glad I wasn’t in the car when he did that!

Where do you think Tony ranks alongside the other top British rally drivers this country has produced?MW: At the time Tony was definitely one of the best in the UK – there is no question. He never got that opportunity to exploit it at full WRC level. But I am sure he could have ranked up there with all the best that there has been. It didn’t matter what car Tony was in, he was always going to be competitive.

JM: I would say he is one of the top drivers. I always looked up to Roger Clark and I went to watch him a couple of times and that was what started me rallying. I didn’t know Roger all that well though. He was getting more towards retirement when I started. But Tony was a straight forward talking guy. He was the type of guy that told you the truth. A lot of people were always having problems and were not as quick as they should be and you would get a lot of bull***t. But not with Tony – if he had a problem he would tell you and if he didn’t have a problem and he was going to beat you, he would tell you then as well!

DR: If you benchmark people, you will have division one and that has to be a Roger Clark followed by Colin McRae and Richard Burns. They have all got titles to their credit and did some exceptional things. But division two will be people that just didn’t quite make it for various reasons, but often that was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and I think Tony falls into that category. His loyalty to British Leyland meant he didn’t get into the best cars. But the likes of him, Jimmy, Russell Brookes, all of these guys were still exceptionally good and are heroes in their own right.

MN: I think you can’t really divide Tony, Jimmy and Russell. Those three were head and shoulders above the rest of the Brit pack at that time. Terry Kaby was a good peddler as well. He could be very quick but consistency was perhaps not so much his forte. But certainly I would put Pond alongside Jimmy and Brookes. I am talking in that era. Beforehand you had the Andrew Cowans and so on, but I never co-drove for them and I can’t really comment on their abilities. But certainly

Pond was up there with the best of them.

Is there anyone even remotely like him these days in the sport?MW: That’s a tricky question. It is difficult to pin-point. He was a little bit unique because he always kept himself very much to himself. He didn’t like doing PR stuff. He was quite shy and got quite nervous doing interviews, even though he put on a brave front. Deep down he was nervous and shy.

JM: I don’t know. I am away a bit from the WRC now. It is very difficult to say. I couldn’t really comment on the current drivers. They all seem to have their own good and bad points. It was different back in the 1980s as well. Okay it was very serious, but I don’t think there was the money in it then that there was later on in the 1990s and the type of money that is spent on the cars now and the type of money that the manufacturers’ spend. There wasn’t so much looking over your shoulder at what the next man is doing as there is now either.

There was a bit more camaraderie between drivers.

Do you have one memory or story that sticks out of Tony?DR: I suppose the one great memory was winning that Tour of Britain in 1975. We had some pretty serious competition and all the top racing drivers turned up. In those days there wouldn’t have been a more competitive event, a more closely fought event, than that particular one. It was a special one and it still remains in my memory and I have still got great memories of that car.

MN: There are lots, both within and without rallying, although I couldn’t go into those. But for me the thing that really stands out is the 1981 Manx when we had a major spin on the first stage and lost a minute or so. We finished the first day lying third behind Jimmy, who was leading, and Walter Röhrl, who was second. Then in the first night stage I think that is when I witnessed probably the best ever rally driving of my career. We went from third to first in two stages. He was just mind blowing, absolutely

mind blowing at night. I could barely keep up with him on the pacenotes. I got to the end of the first stage and I said, ‘Blimey mate, you are not going to drive them all like that are you?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, get used to it!’ That was probably for me, of the events I did with him, the most memorable and it is the one special stage that really sticks in my mind to this day.

What do you think he would have made of the sport today?JM: I think he would be very much like me and say the sport is nothing like what it was. The World Championship is nothing like it was back in the 1990s and in early 2000 and the British Championship is certainly nothing like it was back in the 1980s. Back in the 1980s the British Championship was as competitive as the World Championship.

MN: The events are not a patch on what they use to be in terms of content and time. The Welsh use to be three days and two nights with virtually no sleep – just a couple of hours on the middle of the second night. They were really, really hard work. Nowadays, in my opinion, rallying is a pale shadow of what it was – but nevertheless the cars, the drivers, if you are watching them on stage, they are equally as exciting. He was such an enthusiast though and I am sure he would have been just as enthusiastic about the sport now.

If he was racing today, how do you think he would have got on?MW: I think he could have been at the top – there is no question, even though the sport has changed. He would still have been able to compete with all the guys that are out there.

Tony Pond and Mike Nicholson on the 1983 Circuit of Ireland.

Pond ran as ‘00’ on the 1985 Donegal as part of the Metro 6R4 test programme.

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Falken in flight

Magherafelt race and rally engineer Mervyn Johnston competed in

the road going class in this years Northern Ireland Hillclimb series in his 1991 Carrera RS 2. This two wheel drive 3.6 litre Porsche was using the new Azenis FK453 high performance tyres from Falken and the combination of Porsche power and Falken grip saw the team regularly finish in the top three in the ultra competitive road going class on their selected hillclimbs during 2013.

Mervyn has been competing for several years on hillclimbs and for the previous few years he used an ex-works Vauxhall Chevette HSR but swapped to the Stuttgart flyer at the start of the season.

“Much of our business is related to Porsche road, race and rally cars,” says Mervyn. “We look after a number of historic 911 competition cars and this year we have had quite a few 996 model 911s in for engine rebuilds.

These 996 engines were the first of the water cooled 911s and can damage cylinder number 6 requiring a complete engine overhaul and we have rebuilt a number of engines this year for Porsche customers. We are also fitting revised parts which ensure the problem doesn’t re-occur.“The Carrera proved to be a very competitive car and the Falken tyres were very

impressive. The road going class is very tightly contested and we were very pleased to regularly feature in the top three. The new Falken tyres match the handling characteristics of the Carrera very well and give great feedback to the driver.”

Japanese tyre manufacturer Falken used its engineering team based in Frankfurt to develop the new FK453. In addition to testing on European public roads and private proving grounds, engineers also gained feedback from Falken’s racing drivers at the Nürburgring who tested the tyres. The resulting “NUR-Spec” design incorporates a more warp resistant casing and additional nylon-reinforced cover ply to

increase high-speed stability. This construction is complemented by a rounder tyre shoulder, optimising pressure on the tread area.

In contrast to the previous FK452, dry handling has been improved by 25 percent whilst handling on wet surfaces is enhanced by 30 percent. A combination of tread pattern and compound changes has led to an eight percent reduction over the FK452 in braking distances on wet surfaces. To break the water film and deflect the water more effectively than conventional tread patterns, Falken has implemented three central tread grooves and staggered sipes integrated into the first tread bar on the tyre shoulder.

Mervyn Johnston tries his Falken tyres on the grass at the Cultra Hillclimb

PHotos: WilliaM Neill/Roy DeMPsteR

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PHOTOS: JOHN O’NEILL / SPERRINS PHOTOGRAPHY

Gets you to the church on time!

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Twenty-five years ago on his wedding day, John Mulholland drove his new bride Alicia from the church to the reception in a ex-Bernard Beguin Rothmans 911 SC RS rally car. He was

working for the Agnew Group at the time and Reggie McSpadden had arranged for the use of the car on the big day. John had always vowed he would have a Rothmans 911 himself one day and twenty four years later he received a phone call out of the blue from his good friend, the late Mark Copeland. Mark was at the Essen Motor Show in Germany and had just got talking to a distinguished English gentleman who happened to know the whereabouts of one of the Rothmans Porsches.

This meeting triggered a search around the globe to find an original Rothmans Porsche 911SC RS. A few weeks after the meeting at Essen, a Rothmans Porsche was on its way to Randalstown where it has been completely rebuilt by the team at KG Motorsport.

The original plan had been for the Rothmans 911 to be rebuilt and unveiled at the same time as Mark Copeland’s book, Porsche 911 in Irish Rallying was published and while this co-ordinated event took place, sadly Mark Copeland died suddenly in May just as he was finishing his book.

The 911 SC RS is a very rare model; only 25 were thought to have been built and Prodrive built eight of these into rally cars. The Rothmans 911 SC RS made its debut on the 1984 Qatar Rally where Saheed Al Hajri and John Spiller took the car to victory on its debut. There were more victories for Henri Toivonen and Ian Grindrod while Billy Coleman and Ronan Morgan took victory for the Rothmans Porsche team on the 1986 Galway Rally. Rothmans 911s were seen regularly in Ireland not only in the hands of Toivonen, Al Hajri and Coleman but also by Bernard Beguin, while Juha Kankkunen filled in for Toivonen on the 1984 Manx Rally. In the European Championship Jean-Luc Therier also competed in one of the cars.

Prodrive took the base 911 SC RS and made a number of chassis modifications while the engine and gearbox were specially built for the SC RS. John Mulholland’s car came with the original logbook which shows David Richards of DR Autosport (which later became Prodrive) as the original owner.

John commented: “I am delighted at long last to have a Rothmans Porsche 911 in my collection. It is a fabulous car but my only regret is that my good friend Mark Copeland wasn’t with us to see its completion.”

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PHOTO: ESLER CRAWFORD

John Mulholland and his wife Alicia with their Rothmans Porsche 911.

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Porsche 911 in Irish Rallying Book LaunchPHOTOS: ESlEr CrawfOrd

Prior to his sudden death on 20th May 2013, Mark Copeland had researched

and written a book about the Porsche 911 Rallying in Ireland and it was his intention to publish this book in the autumn. His wife and family published the book themselves and it was officially launched at John Mulholland Motors in Randalstown recently.Invited family, friends, guests and enthusiasts were treated to a motor sport evening hosted by Ronnie Trouton with Porsche drivers Dessie McCartney, Cathal Curley, Ken Shields and Derek Boyd all interviewed on the night about their Porsche days.Mark’s widow Rosemary spoke eloquently about Mark and his love of the 911 and the many friends he had made in rally circles.John Mulholland also unveiled his Rothman 911SC rally car on the night, as he had previously promised Mark Copeland. Mark had been instrumental in locating the car and putting John in contact with the previous owner.Only 500 books have been printed and 300 were sold on the night so a small number are currently still available, priced at £25, by contacting Grace Lee at PFC Rainwater on 028 90 838 330 or by e-mail at grace.lee@pfcrainwater.com

Patsy donaghy with Gladys Greer and Plum Tyndall

dr Jack Keatley and Cathal Curley

dr Jack Keatley and francis Tuthill Members of the Copeland family

francis Tuthill, dr Beatty Crawfordand dessie McCartney

derek Boyd and donald Grieve

ronnie Trouton hosted the evening

Mrs Sarah Hassard organised the evening and was presented with a bouquet

Last few copies remaining!

to order your copy contact grace.lee@pfcrainwater.com

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Esler’s Porsche PortraitureFor almost 60 years Esler

Crawford has stood out in the wind and rain

photographing motorsport events in Ireland, the UK and Europe. When Mark Copeland was writing his book, Esler

was one of the first people he contacted for photos and information. Esler has supplied over half the photographs in Mark’s ‘Porsche Rallying in Ireland’ book.Not only is Esler a professional

photographer but he is also a former Circuit of Ireland winner and also owned the ex-Derek Boyd Ulster rally winning lightweight 2.7 Carrera RS, KOI 7 for many years. Esler’s first Porsche was a 1967 911T he

bought off John L’Amie who was using it to tow his race car!Esler sold KOI 7 to a private collector several years ago but is pictured here with his latest Porsche, a GT3 911.

Mark Copeland’s wife Rosemary spoke eloquently about her husband and his love of porsches

Mark Copelands wife and daughters with some of the porsche drivers interviewed in the book

Invited guests attended the evening held at John Mulholland Motors in Randalstown

Last few copies remaining!

to order your copy contact grace.lee@pfcrainwater.com

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Between 1969 and 1973, across two continents, Porsche’s indomitable 917

laid waste to its opposition in the World Sportscar Championship and Can-Am series, placing the company at the forefront of endurance racing. Indeed, many cite the 917 as “the car that killed Can-Am.” There is no doubt that this dominance (and the 1973 energy crisis) led to swiftly-implemented and swingeing rule changes and, consequently, the 917s premature demise. But, this demise would ultimately give rise to a return to production based racing and the birth of the delectable 911 Carrera 2.7 RS

Production rootsPorsche, which had built its motorsports’ reputation using cars that were typically production-derived, had been busy honing the 911s skills. It was a star in the making, as was Ferdinand Piëch. Piëch, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, joined Porsche in 1963 and became intimately involved with the 911. Charged with the task of developing it into a race and rally winner, Piëch certainly drove this project forward. The 911S was homologated soon after introduction, with the Carrera 6-engined 911R, arriving halfway through the 1967 season. Only 22 were made, forcing the 911R into the prototype class, but important lessons were learnt. Porsche went on to homologate the 911L and 911T. In fact, the 911T ‘Rallye’ was the first

factory-produced, limited-edition, homologation special and, effectively, the forerunner of the Carrera 2.7 RS Lightweight.

Although the future looked bright for the 911, sadly, the relationship between the Porsche and Piëch families was becoming fractious. Dark clouds were gathering above Zuffenhausen and Porsche would be restructured into a public company in 1972. In the process, Piëch was denied the top job he so coveted. He decamped to Audi-NSU, his place at Porsche being taken by Professor Helmuth Bott. Bott had also been closely associated with the 911 since its inception. Working under the stewardship of Porsche’s new Chairman Ernst Fuhrmann, and alongside Development Engineer Norbert Singer, Bott set his sights on creating a purpose-built, homologation-special 911, for Group 4 Special GT racing.

The problems facing Bott and Porsche were many-fold. The top-of-the-range 911S was a fine car indeed, albeit a little too heavy and a tad short on power to make a truly successful transition from road to race. If Porsche was to triumph, a new model would be required, with more power, an aerodynamic package, and a tauter chassis. And, crucially, its homologated weight would need to be optimised.

Pure-BredDevelopment gathered pace and, on June 25th 1972, at the

Österreichring 1,000 Kilometres, Gunther Stekkonig and Bjorn Waldegård drove the first-ever 2.7-litre engined 911, finishing 10th. This was a pivotal car and a pivotal moment. Within a remarkably short space of time, Porsche would be unveiling the lithe and lusty Carrera 2.7 RS (Rennsport), at the 1972 Paris Salon de l’Automobile.

The Carrera 2.7 RS was a visual, dynamic, aerodynamic, and cohesive delight. Devoid of excess, it was an object lesson in economy of purpose. Even so,

the changes and improvements were numerous. The engine was enlarged to 2,687cc and incorporated Mahle’s ‘Nikasil’ coating on the liners. The increased capacity, combined with an uprated injection pump and new distributor, resulted in power rising from 190bhp to 210bhp. Torque climbed from 159lbs/ft@5200rpm to 188lbs/ft@5100rpm.

And, thanks to Porsche’s aggressive yet intelligent approach to weight reduction, the pared-back, ‘Lightweight’

This lightweight 2.7RS Carrera was previously campaigned by top drivers Jack Tordoff and Ken Shields...

ex-tordoff/shields 911 restored at Autofarm

Josh Sadler of Autofarm with Jack Tordoff’s grandson, Sam

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(M471) versions, weighed in at an anorexic 960kg. Performance gains were spectacular. Jerry Sloniger tested a Lightweight for “Road Test” in 1973, recording a 0-60mph of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 153mph. With a raft of special parts, chassis tweaks, and aerodynamic appendages such as the famous ‘duck-tail’ rear spoiler, the handling was equal to the performance. Many Porsche protagonists consider the earlier the 911 is, the better it is... and most consider the 2.7 RS Lightweight to be the most pure and perfect evocation of the breed.

A total of 1,580 Carrera 2.7 RS were made, 200 being Lightweights. Just 111 right-hand-drive cars came to Britain, 17 of which were Lightweights. Included amongst this 17 was NAY 691M.

Rallying CallDespite Porsche’s racing intentions for the Carrera 2.7 RS, many, including NAY 691M, would migrate onto the rally stages, forest and tarmac, Irish tarmac in particular. NAY 691M, a white and red Lightweight, was purchased by racing driver and founder of Vitafoam Ltd., Norman Grimshaw, in July 1973. Regrettably, Grimshaw crashed the car in early 1974, writing it off.

In the meantime, Jack Tordoff, rally driver and owner of Yorkshire car dealership JCT 600 Ltd., had a major accident in his Carrera 2.7 RS rally car (registration JCT 600). Doubtful it could be repaired (although it subsequently was) Tordoff acquired a new, fully-trimmed, Bahia Red bodyshell and Grimshaw’s NAY 691M wreck. The reshelling, and rally preparation, was undertaken by JCT 600s acknowledged preparation expert, David Sunderland. Two became one, and Tordoff’s first event in the reshelled car (complete with JCT 600 registration) was the 1974 Lombard RAC Rally. Tordoff also drove it to third overall on the 1975 Galway International Rally, before switching allegiance to the recently-introduced Carrera RS 3.0.

Superfluous to requirements, JCT 600 (NAY 691M) was, confusingly, re-registered as JYG 450N on 11th November 1974 and sold to Irish rallyists Ken Shields and John McClean, in May 1975. Shields would buy out McClean’s share and use the car in rallies, slaloms and hillclimbs. His most notable successes were second on the 1976 Galway

International Rally (and first in class), and fourth overall (and first in class) on the 1977 Cork 20 International Rally. He sold the car to Richard Jackson in 1979. Jackson, who painted the car white, used it for several national rallies in England.

In 1982, the car returned to Ireland, having been purchased by rallying legend Ronnie McCartney. However, the most significant part of McCartney’s ownership appears to be the repainting of the car from white to red. In 1984, it changed hands again.

RaCing PedigRee“I bought JYG 450N from Ronnie in 1984”, recalls Porsche 911 guru Josh Sadler, founder and MD of Oxfordshire-based Porsche specialist Autofarm. “Because of the car’s history; I began working on reinstating the NAY 691M registration, the registration Porsche Cars were still holding for it. In the meantime, I’d acquired the original engine and Autofarm’s technicians had meticulously restored the car and also prepared it for production racing.”

Following DVLA inspection in 1984, the NAY 691M registration was reinstated and Josh raced NAY 691M before selling it to Chester Wedgewood. Wedgewood owned the UK franchise for ‘Giroflex Office Seating’ and a controlling 50% share in Autofarm. He and a small group of cherry-picked drivers campaigned NAY 691M with great success in the emergent Porsche Production Championship and the Inter-marque series.

Amongst those who raced the car under Wedgewood’s aegis, were Neil Bainbridge, Tiff Needell, Gavin Green, Gordon Bruce, John Morrison and Tony Dron. During 1987, the car’s final year of competition, with Tony Dron at the wheel, it just missed out on overall Porsche Production Challenge honours, but took the laurels in Class A.

“It was astonishing”, recalls Tony. “The power to weight ratio was fantastic, the handling out of this world, and the whole package was incredible. It held lap records and had wins at just about every circuit. My most memorable win has to be on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit... great days!”

Value addedIn the mid-to-late 1980s, the classic car market had been experiencing a sea change due to speculative investment. Cars such as the Carrera 2.7 RS, particularly Lightweights, were perceived as having serious investment value.

“We first started noticing values rising in 1988”, Josh informs. “Carreras were fetching strong money, well over £100,000 for a right-hand-drive Lightweight, especially one with a continuous history such as NAY 691M, which is why it made financial sense to return it to original.”

Between 1988 and 1989, Autofarm carried out a meticulously detailed restoration, to original factory Lightweight specification, complete with a repaint in white with red decals.

Sold to Alan Lloyd in 1989, it remained in his ownership until purchased by Juan Barazi in 2001. Autofarm later sold it on Juan’s behalf to Simon Breakwell. It 2012 in changed hands again, being purchased by Porsche enthusiast Nick Vince.”

Over the last four decades, Autofarm has maintained a strong association with NAY 691M, and the company’s expertise and intimate knowledge of all things 911, has imbued this famous car with race-winning reliability and given it a competitive edge. What’s more, Autofarm has been instrumental in maintaining its all-important provenance, a point that Josh, is keen to make: “Within the classic car world you’ve got eternal problems of duplication. A car might have had an engine and a bodyshell change and so on. Things become very confused. The joy of NAY 691M is that this is the actual car that Tordoff, Shields, and Dron competed in and it has a well-proven continuous history. We have also undertaken extensive work over the years, including the recent recommisioning. Added to which, it’s one of the best-performing and handling Lightweights I’ve driven for many years!”

In a nice twist of fate, Nick Vince, the new owner, has also managed to purchase the original ‘repaired’ bodyshell. Discarded in 1974 and presumed destroyed, it was masquerading as a LHD 911T, and still retains its original bulkhead.

NAY 691M is an utterly captivating and charismatic 911, steeped in motorsports’ history and with a great story behind it. The recent developments have only added to its fascinating narrative.Thanks to Autofarm – www.autofarm.co.uk – 01865 331234

Engine:

Capacity:

Valves:

Compression Ratio:

Fuel System:

Maximum Power:

Maximum Torque:

Brakes:

Kerb Weight (Lightweight):

Flat 6

2,687cc

12

8.5:1

Bosch K-Jetronic Injection

210bhp @ 6,300rpm

188lb/ft @ 5,100rpm

Servo Assisted Ventilated F/R Discs

960 Kg

PHOTO: ESLER CRAWFORD

Ken Shields in action in the car on the 1976 Circuit of Ireland

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They say you can’t go back. But what if you could? What if you really could travel in

time? Where, or rather when, would you go?

I’m sure it would be very exciting to see the future, but I have to confess I would turn the dial backwards – just a little bit. Never mind visiting 1512 to see Michelangelo complete the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, or 1600 to watch Shakespeare in the Globe. A trip back to the mid-eighties would do me fine. Because that is when rallying was at its absolute most exciting.

I find myself musing such thoughts as I drive Audi’s new RS 6 Avant along an unrestricted section of German autobahn. The deserted early morning road affords the perfect opportunity to exploit the car’s awesome 560PS twin turbo engine. The raw energy with which the RS 6 renders the Armco barriers a grey blur as it howls towards its derestricted 189mph top speed makes me think that if you could

travel in time by dint of sheer acceleration alone, this car would be well up to the task.

I reach my destination in the Eifel hills in western Germany, park the RS 6 and walk across a field bathed in sunlight to where

a crowd of people are standing. I can hear a faint whisper of a sound carried along the valley by the wind. It grows louder, becoming an angry almost animalistic howl. And then a bright yellow 1985 works Audi

short-wheelbase Sport quattro bursts into view. It’s gone as quickly as it arrived. But it doesn’t matter. I can hear another rally quattro coming, and then another one and another one and another one.

BY ANGUS FRAZER PHOTOS: DANIEL KLEIN

Audi’s Time Machine

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I’ve done it. I’ve got myself back to the eighties. Or at least I’ve done the next best thing by visiting the Eifel Rallye Festival, an event based in the town of Daun that recreates the glory years of rallying with stunning authenticity. Up until 2010 the Eifel Rallye was a normal competition for modern rally cars, but in 2011 it began running for historic rally cars only. It’s still run just like a modern rally, with the cars driving at speed along both tarmac and gravel closed road stages. The only difference is that the cars are not timed. This is strictly for fun.

The oldest car in the 161-car event is a 1958 Wartburg 311 Coupé and the youngest a 1999 Subaru Impreza, but most of the cars are from the 1970s and 1980s. There are no less than 13 Audi quattros, plus a host of Porsche 911s, Lancia Stratos, Peugeot 205 T16s, Opel Mantas, Ford Escorts and just about any rally car you care to think of.

Most of the entries have been arranged by Slowly Sideways

– a group of friends set up by legendary rally photographer Reinhard Klein with the primary aim of promoting Group B rally cars from the 1980s. With great technical freedom and power often in excess of 500PS, Group B cars were the most powerful machines to ever compete in the World Rally Championship. But their reign was a short one, emerging in 1983 before being banned in 1986.

“Everyone always thinks that the cars they saw as a young boy were the best and we want to keep that spirit alive,” explains Klein. “We welcome original rally cars and proper replica rally cars too, as long as they look exactly like the original car. If you want to fit different spoiler or cover your car with stickers advertising your own company, then you have come to the wrong rally.’

The event starts with a shakedown stage on Thursday, where the drivers can test their cars ahead of the rally on Friday. I catch up with the driver of the

yellow Sport quattro, former works Audi pilot and double German Champion Harald Demuth. Harald’s original works car is pretty much priceless and has been brought to the event by Audi Tradition, the same team that runs historic Audis at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed. “The car has come straight out of the museum at Ingolstadt,” explains Harald, “and I have to bring it back in one piece or they will kill me.”

It would appear that Harald doesn’t fear the death penalty too much, for the next day the Sport quattro flashes past me on a German farm track at a fair old lick. There is a huge variety in the speeds of the drivers though. A few attack the event like it is 1985 again and they have an army of mechanics waiting to put right any damage incurred at the end of the stage. Others tread a little more gingerly, and you can’t blame them, given the incredible value of some of these cars.

Even building a replica is

expensive. British driver Adam Marsden first fell in love with the quattro when he saw Hannu Mikkola win the 1981 RAC Rally. Marsden’s replica rally quattro is currently for sale priced at £85,000. Dermott Simpson from Northern Ireland is fortunate enough to own an original works Sport quattro. But that car is safely tucked up at home. “I got one of the original Ingolstadt rally mechanics to come over and restore it for me,” explains Dermott. “The trouble is when he finished, I realised the car was just too valuable to drive on a rally stage so I got a replica built as well.”

Replica or real, the 40,000 fans in attendance love to see the rally cars in action. Two of the cars that get the biggest cheers are a 1973 Škoda 130 RS being driven absolutely flat-out by seven-times German Rally Champion Matthias Kahle, and a boxy Wartburg 353 WR four-door saloon, travelling a little more slowly and containing Egon Culmbacher and Werner Ernst, who are celebrating the fortieth anniversary of their third place on the 1973 Polish Rally.

There’s a real party atmosphere in evidence, fuelled by the copious amounts of Bitburger beer and fried food on sale. The food looks terribly unhealthy and very, very tempting. But the way I see it, as I’ve travelled back to 1985, concerns like calorie counting, portion control and even the occasional visit to the gym still lie three decades in the future. What harm can a couple of Weisswurst, traditionally eaten for second breakfast anyway, and some fries do?

Early in the evening I drive the RS 6 into Daun and wander around the service area. I step out of the way as a quattro burbles through the crowd. Susanne Kottulinksy, whose father Freddy helped develop the quattro, climbs out of the car and dances around like a young girl, even though its three decades since she first sat in a quattro rally car. “It’s so cool, so exciting,” she enthuses. “The first time I drove a quattro it felt like it was driving me. But tomorrow I will attack!”

As early evening falls the mechanics start fitting big old fashioned spotlights the size of dinner plates to the front of the cars. I peruse the model car stalls for a while and then take an early supper – Schweinschnitzel with fries – at an outdoor cafe right beside the start. The ear splitting cry of a Lancia Stratos climbing the start ramp makes it momentarily difficult to order

Harald Demuth and Angus Frazer

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my Topfenstrudel pudding.Back out onto the stages and

in the dark the atmosphere is electric. You’d think that the drivers would go a little more carefully, but the night brings on bravado and plenty of wild driving. I amuse myself by seeing how many 1980s rally cars I can identify just by the sounds of their engines and the pattern of their spotlights – Audi quattro, Porsche 911, Ford RS 200, MG Metro 6R4 – and then when the last car has gone, head back to the RS 6.

It’s raining hard now, but the RS 6’s quattro system keeps a firm grip on the road. And speaking of getting a grip, I’m going to have to cut out the 1980’s food. I don’t want to end up having to buy my Eifel Rallye Festival 2013 t-shirt in XXL, a size not as hard to find on your average motorsport merchandise stall as you might think.

Saturday starts super early and super healthy – a quick bowl of muesli and out to the stages. There are still plenty of good viewing points and I could even watch from inside the RS 6, but I don’t want to risk dripping ketchup from my mid-morning Currywurst on the Valcona leather sports seats. So I sit on a grass bank with the sun on my face and watch the rally cars thinking that life does not get any better this. And just then the phone rings.

An hour later I’m wearing a pair of Audi Tradition overalls and a crash helmet, strapped tightly

into a five point harness sitting beside Harald Demuth in the boiling heat of the Sport quattro’s cabin. I watch mesmerised as the start marshal gives the thirty seconds signal with his hand on the other side of the windscreen.

I’d known that journalists were getting rides in the car, but I’d also known that they were all fully booked. Somehow Sebastian Klein, Reinhard’s son, has worked his magic. One phone call, a scramble for the RS 6, a dash across the countryside and here I am, in for the ride of my life. I brace my feet against the co-driver’s footrest, the same place where Christian Geistdörfer placed his double World Championship winning boots on the Monte Carlo Rally in 1985, clutch the roll cage with my right hand and bitterly regret the consumption of that last greasy Currywurst.

The quattro’s five-cylinder cry builds and builds. Harald has got his glasses on, and his thousand-yard stare. The marshal points his index finger and then pulls back his hand, Harald releases the clutch and we’re off, all four wheels spinning in anger.

The stage starts with a long downhill straight and we’re falling down, down, so, so fast. There’s 510PS of turbocharged Ingolstadt muscle at work, screaming for more gears. The trouble is there are no more to give, Harald’s fed all six in bullet fast and we’ve already hit the 180kph limiter.

Now I know what you’re thinking, 180kph is only 112mph, that’s not so fast. But believe me it is when it is reached in 300 metres. Top speed doesn’t matter to a rally car, it’s all about brutal acceleration, and I have never sat in anything this fast before, mind you, the RS 6 runs it close. And if

you wouldn’t mind keeping that bit about the speed limiter to yourself, for the guys at museum told Harald he wasn’t allowed to go that fast.

My stomach squirms with the sheer g-force, I twist this way and that, but nothing relieves it. Onwards we plunge down the hill and barrel up the other side, speed undiminished. I pump both fists in the air with sheer exhilaration. Hararld pumps his right fist in the air. A deal has been struck. Now we go Group B for sure.

As we crest a second hill the countryside opens up before us and there are hundreds of fans in the fields. Many wave and I hoist both thumbs aloft, a gesture that’s about as cool as a 1980’s Chegger’s Plays Pop Christmas special, but you think I care?

Off we hammer along a farm track in the glorious sunshine,

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there are smaller pockets of fans here to wave to. And then the people all fall away and we’re on our own, diving down into a dark forest on a narrow gravel track at crazy, crazy speeds. We hit the speed limiter again and I remember Harald telling me that the quattro was running on what he describes as ‘street tyres.’ The forest grows darker still and the tree branches flashing by seem to be reaching out, trying to claim the quattro. The g-force is back in my stomach, but so too for the first time is a tiny sliver of fear, because if we go off here.

And then the quattro’s sliding on a left-right kink that we should have slowed for. We’re going into the trees – on my side. I try and twist my head away from the impact and then somehow the quattro is pointing straight again. Anyone can drive these cars from the old days, but if you want to drive them at the speeds from the old days, then you better be fast, you better be gunslinger fast. Harald, at sixty-six, still keeps himself fit by running marathons, a fact I’m enormously grateful for. He laughs, reaches over and punches my knee, I raise both fists in the air and we are off on

another 1980’s charge. The American novelist William

Faulkner famously wrote that ‘History is not was, it is.’ Now I know that he had loftier themes in mind than rallying – but the same rules apply. This story of the Audi quattro rally car and how it shaped modern Audis like the RS 6 isn’t just something that you can visit in a museum, or click onto on YouTube, it’s a living howling, visceral thing. And for a few oh so fortunate minutes I’m sitting right in the epicentre of it.

Afterwards, during the calm of the road run into Daun, I ask

Harald if he thinks that some cars just might have a soul. He thinks about it for a while before telling me that his quattro rally car was definitely female. “She was called Christine, you know, just like the Plymouth Fury in the Stephen King film, because no matter what happened to her she just kept going.”

Harald returns the quattro back to the service area in the same perfect condition he was given it. True, it will need a bit of a wash before it goes back on display in the museum, but when the lights are turned out and the staff go home, what a tale it will have to tell the other cars. I climb out of the car and a nice lady from Audi Tradition sprays my sweating face with a hydrating water spray. If a meteorite is going to hit the earth

in the next fifty years or so, now is good for me.

Back in the RS 6, the technology at my still adrenaline tingling fingertips feels like something from another planet. And it’s put to the test on the 450-mile journey home. Through France the summer heat wave finally breaks. Lightning flashes across the bruised sky again and again, raindrops hammer against the screen like marbles and I’ll swear just to my left there’s something that looks very like a tornado trying to form.

The RS 6 carries me safely through it all and as I reach the coast the clouds clear and the sun comes out again. I’ve driven back to 2013. But I don’t mind, because you can go back. And I know the way.

Audi RS 6 Avant

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This year was the first year of the new RAC Historic Rally championship from

the team which created the immensely successful Roger Albert Clark Rally. Crews battle in equal machines regulated by historic classifications on rounds around the British Isles. It is dominated by the venerable BDG MK2 Escorts and is supported by many experienced and high paced crews from former works drivers and British Champions to local specialists – each more than capable of taking the top step of the podium. Unlike the Roger Albert Clark rally however, crews are able to make use of pace notes and the speed on the stages would be nothing short of electric.

Mid Wales sTagesFollowing on from the amazing ding dust battle of McCormack and Bannister on the gruelling RAC rally in 2012 organisers persuaded the former British Junior Champion to bring his BDG engined Escort to the opening round on the Mid Wales Stages. A classic rally featuring some brilliant historic stages would see yet another battle of titanic proportions. With records crowds of spectators packing into the

stages and a real buzz around the opening event of the newly formed championship. Elliott and McCormack went head-to-head for the first time and Elliott thought that an overshoot on SS2 Myherin had wrecked his day. A truly amazing turn of speed on the iconic 16 mile Hafren stage would see Elliott stretch out a lead. Despite a valiant performance on the Pikes Peak test Marty was unable to close the gap enough finishing second by a slender four seconds.

Tour of HaMsTerleyThe draw of competition brought Marty And Phil out once again for round two. The 2012 Roger Albert Clark Rally winners – Marty McCormack and Phil Clarke resumed their battle with the ever experienced Steve Bannister, in his similar 2 litre BDG engined MK2 Escort and stormed to victory on the second round of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship at the Tour of Hamsterley Rally. Marty and co-driver Phil Clarke went 45 seconds clear after seven tough and slippery stages in the Co. Durham forest complex. McCormack set a fierce pace and by the time the crews arrived at second service, he had 32 seconds in hand over

Ryan Barrett and Barry Ferris. Ryan then went into the final 14 mile Sharnberry stage with the aim of holding off Steve Bannister rather than chasing Marty. Though Steve surged through capitalising on a final stage and a puncture for Ryan and finished second to Marty.

After keeping his Escort out of trouble unlike some of the opposition, Marty commented at the finish, “I’m on cloud nine after a really fantastic battle, there were no real dramas,” letting him take the early championship lead with maximum points.

Carlisle sTagesBased over some classic stages around the Scottish borders the event featured a bumper field of historic classification cars dominated by the venerable MK2 Escort, this rally also featured more modern 4WD machines to spice up the overall leader board. Marty was keen to reignite some of the close battling which has characterised the championship so far. Coming from a fantastic victory on the previous round in Hamsterley, Marty and co-driver Phil Clarke were not expecting it all to go their way as the historic section alone featured several former British Champions all in

equal specification cars.Marty set out his intentions

early on the first stage, taking a three second lead from first round winner Nick Elliott in damp and slippery conditions. It was then that he began to get into his stride and found a good rhythm over the slippery Scottish roads to work up to a 22 second lead by stage four of the six stage event. It really was a fine display from the former Citroën driver who chose this historic series this year to maintain his match fitness in anticipation of a return to competition in a more modern machine.

The pace remained fast over the last two stages but Marty showed a cool head to deliver two more sets of fastest times in the historic leg thus giving him a clean sweep of stage wins and in turn taking the historic win by 36 seconds from Nick Elliott. More notably however Marty managed to hold on to second overall on the main rally in his 2WD car – an astonishing performance against the more modern WRC and GrpN machines.

NeaTH ValleyPromoted by Three Counties Car Club this was the fourth counting round of the West Wales Rally

BY NIALL McKENNAPHOTOS: PAUL LAWRENCE

McCormack wins raC Championship

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Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship would see Marty ready to resume the battle with first round winner Nick Elliott.

The stages were on fast, flowing gravel roads that had previously been made famous by the Welsh round of the World Rally Championship, but as the fight continued among one of the tightest fields in motor sport, it was the second stage that would prove to be Marty’s undoing when a slight off cost the crew 14 precious seconds. This left them entering the service halt six seconds in arrears of the hard charging Nick Elliott.

There were just two stages left to run in the afternoon creating

a nip and tuck battle between Marty and Nick. Clawing six seconds back would prove to be a tall order for the former British Junior Rally Champion, however Marty was visibly on a mission and the crew pulled their Peter McCormack and Sons sponsored MK2 Escort to the finish line leaving 0.7 seconds covering the top two contenders with Marty just pipping Nick to the post. This victory made it a hat trick for young McCormack but such was the pace of this competitive championship that the top three contenders would be separated by some 20 seconds after 45 miles of flat out rallying.

“Once again it was another

tough battle out there today, we worked hard and thankfully it paid off despite a worrying moment on stage 2. Totally over the moon!” said Marty after extending his championship lead with maximum points in the Rob Smith Rallying Series Three.

Red KiteThe forests were lined with spectators as Marty entered the famous Red Kite Stages knowing that securing the overall championship on this round was a mathematical possibility with a first Historic car finish. Marty never looked troubled as he and Phil danced through the forests of Wales in the BDA Ford Escort

setting fastest times on every stage of the day to give them yet another straight victory on this Historic series and put their championship beyond doubt.

The pair were raring to go from the start, in the family prepared Escort which had been out as safety car on the recent Sunset rally only just last weekend.

Setting the fastest time on every stage of the Red Kite event showed Marty putting on a display worthy of his talents, arriving at the finish ramp Marty was keen to pay tribute to his co-driver Phil by admitting; “I couldn’t do what Phil does and I can only be as committed to my lines through the forests because of my trust in what Phil tells me.”

An attempt by the McCormack team to bring two Escorts to the Roger Albert Clark rally was, sadly, not to be as some last minute work commitments stood in the way. But Marty was philosophical “I had never intended to do this new championship but the stages, and the battles drew me into it. I have got a lot of great rallying and stayed match fit whilst having lots of fun! It really has been a great year.”

Marty is still trying hard to secure a deal to drive more modern machinery but surprisingly on this event he was matching times with world rally cars in the Open Category and was keen to thank his sponsors Peter McCormack and Sons, Kumho Tyres, Ian Millar Fabrication and PPP Group for their continued support.

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Monty’s Full UlsterAugher motorsport

magnate Malcolm Montgomery acquired

an ex-Russell Gooding Vauxhall Chevette HSR this year and he took the car out on the historic section of the Todds Leap Ulster Rally – his first event in 20 years!Malcolm thoroughly enjoyed the event although he was hampered during the whole rally by a misfire between 4500 and 5000rpm which delayed his progress on the stages a little, but other than that he had a ball.“My brother (Ronald) had warned me before the event that I wasn’t fit enough to drive the Chevette on the Ulster since there is no power steering, but actually the steering was very light, much lighter than an Escort which is surprising given the size of the engine. The Ulster, as usual, was run fantastically well and the service area was better than you would find on a WRC round. I really enjoyed the fun and camaraderie of the historics and will definately take the Chevette out in 2014, possibly on the Eifel

Rally in Germany.”Malcolm’s Chevette was built originally for Russell Gooding and was used on several rounds of the World Rally Championship

in 1983 and 1984 and scored a top ten result on the ’84 Rally of Portugal. Gooding also competed in the car on the British Rally Championship. The car is

currently painted in Andrews Heat for Hire colours as it was last used at a Russell Brookes tribute event but Malcolm plans to restore the car to the original white.

Malcolm Montgomery in action on the Ulster in the ex-Russell Gooding Chevette PHO

TO: E

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Group A Delta rebuild nears completionThe bare shell rebuild of an

ex-ART Lancia Delta Integrale 16v is nearing completion

following the ‘dry build’ of engine and fittings recently.

The car was originally built by Paolo Alessandrini of Alessandrini Racing Technologies based near Modena, Italy, to compete on the 1989 San Remo Rally. The 16 valve version of the Integrale had just been launched by Abarth and as no spare 16 valve works cars were available, ART built their own car which Paolo, co-driven by his twin brother Alessandro, drove to 8th place overall on the rally.

The following year the car was used by Gilberto Pianezzola on the San Remo Rally as well as some Italian National rallies and Gilberto remembers the car, describing it as ‘a good strong solid car, but a bit heavier than works cars.’ It is possibly because of the extra strengthening fitted to the car that it has still survived as it has had a hard life, eventually returning back to Italy in a container having been barrell rolled on a round of the Asia-Pacific championship in the mid-nineties.

The crashed car was purchased by CarSport editor Pat Burns and a complete bare shell nut and bolt restoration was started a few years ago. The shell was taken to Riverpark Training, Northern Ireland’s top bodyshop training centre where students recently won top awards at the World Skills finals in Leipzig for their outstanding skills and craftsmanship. At Riverpark, the shell was stripped down, aligned on a jig and Colin Hagan and the team fitted a new roof and windscreen surround as well as new front and rear wings and rear doors to bring the car up to Evolution wide body specification. As a new roof had been fitted, the Riverpark team also had to cut the rectangular hole for the works style roof vent. After the fabrication work was complete, the Delta was then sprayed in PPG Lancia white colour 210.

The engine has been completely rebuilt by Magherafelt engineer Mervyn Johnston who is well known for his Porsche expertise and he was able to return the Group A engine to full specification. As the engine had sat unused for so

long the camshafts had become pitted, so new Abarth camshafts were fitted to the cylinder head along with a rebore of the block and new pistons. The 16 valve Lampredi designed unit usually has balancer shafts fitted but these are removed on rally cars. New widetrack suspension has just arrived from Sintesi Motorsport in Italy while the Group A exhaust system was sent over to Zircotec for repair and received a new heat dissipating zirconia ceramic coating.

Next up on the rebuild is the refit of the fuel and braking systems and then come the electrics. The six speed Abarth gearbox and front diff are also currently being rebuilt before the Delta finally hits the stages again.

The car in action on the ‘89 San Remo RallyPHOTOS: ROY DEMPSTER

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1. Owen Reid (Qualvecom, Valvoline), Greg Shinnors (2nd O/A navigator), Mike O’Brien (winning driver) and Colm Reid (Qualvecom, Valvoline).

2. James O’Brien (winning Navigator) and Owen Murphy (second O/A driver).

3. Shane McGirr and Jackie Elliott, winners of Class 5 and first winners of the Andrew Fanning Motor Factors Ltd 2WD award. (Andrew Fanning also pictured).

4. Jason McKenna (3rd O/A navigator) and Josh Moffett (winner Class 8).

Valvoline Forestry prizegiving

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The Paddy Hopkirk Gala Mini Cavalcade

Children from Millennium Integrated Primary School got to work to fill a unique car with balloons as their contribution to a major charity drive taking place in Belfast between

now and February 2014. As part of the celebrations to mark the 50th Anniversary of driver Paddy Hopkirk’s victory in the Monte Carlo Rally a competition has been launched, with the first prize a 1991 Mini Neon Special Edition, painted by the renowned artist Neil Chawcross. Entrants who buy a £100 ticket have to guess how many balloons the Millennium IPS pupils managed to fit in the car, with the exact number verified by adjudicator David Lyttle.

Donated by The Donnelly Group, the Mini is in good running order and is worth at least £10,000. Second prize is a trip to the Mercedes Petronas Formula One headquarters in Northamptonshire and third, a weekend for two at the 5-star Hotel Europe in Killarney.

Paddy says: “The celebrations in Belfast of my rally win 50 years ago are an honour and I’m glad to be able to share the event with so many friends. It’s wonderful, too, to be able to help two great causes; tickets to the anniversary dinner are sold out but I hope people will join the celebrations by entering the competition and thus giving to worthwhile charities. Thanks go to the Donnelly Group for supplying the car, and to Neil Shawcross for adding his personal touch which makes the prize truly special.”

Guess the number of balloons to win a Shawcross Mini

Entries are rolling in for the Paddy Hopkirk Gala Mini Cavalcade which will start

from Stormont on the morning of Saturday February 22nd, 2014. Paddy will lead the procession in

a replica of his Monte Carlo Rally winning Mini Cooper at 10.00am and will first visit Belfast City Hall where he will be welcomed by the Lord Mayor. Paddy received the Freedom of the City in 1964

after his momentous victory which paved the way for the huge success of the Mini. The cavalcade will then proceed to the Titanic Quarter where the Minis will on display on the

Titanic slipway.Other giants of motorsport

who will take part include Jimmy McRae, seven times winner of the Circuit of Ireland and many times British Rally Champion and Ari Vatanen from Finland, the 1981 World Rally Champion who won the 1985 Monte Carlo Rally with Terry Harryman from Bangor.

Ladies will be represented by Rosemary Smith from Dublin who was for many years the leading woman rally driver in the world. She won the 1955 Tulip Rally outright in a Hillman Imp. Formula One racing will be represented by another Belfast man John Watson. John finished joint second in the 1982 F1 championship while driving for McLaren.

Entries have been received from as far afield as the Czech Republic.

Entries are limited because of traffic control. Entry forms can be downloaded from the Paddy Hopkirk Gala website:www.paddyhopkirkgala.com

All profits will go to The Integrated Education Fund for Northern Ireland and SKIDZ.

L-R: Conn Williamson, Beatty Crawford, Terence Donnelly, Paddy Hopkirk,Alan Tyndall and Cathal Curley.

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The fifth running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was perfect in every way. Perfect

because, as ever, the entire weekend ran without a serious hitch for the F1 people. And perfect because the Grand Prix itself encapsulated the 2013 F1 season. In other words, it was about Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel.

After a shaky start (by Red Bull’s impeccable standards), the combination had walked off with a fourth consecutive world title for both driver and team during the previous weekend’s race in India on 27 October. By which time, the rest of the paddock had been bowing, with reluctant admiration, to the inevitable as Vettel carried off his 10th win of the season and the sixth in succession in New Delhi.

That last statistic gives a clue

about what had been going on in the first half of the 19-race season. Vettel had a fight on his hands, winning in Malaysia and Bahrain but giving best to Kimi Räikkönen’s Lotus at the season opener in Australia, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in China and Spain and Nico Rosberg’s victories for the improving Mercedes team in Monaco and Great Britain.

That last race, in fact, would be the nadir for Red Bull as Vettel suffered a rare retirement with a broken gearbox. But, more than that, the British Grand Prix also marked a significant development that would have a far-reaching effect in Red Bull’s favour. Step forward, somewhat reluctantly, Pirelli and their new breed of tyre for 2013.

The Italian tyre company had been charged with making their F1 tyres more extreme. In other

words the difference between the two types of tyre available at each race should be significant and cause the teams a headache as they tried to work out race strategies based on the usual requirement that each driver should use both tyres at some stage in every race. It was a tall order for everyone, not least Pirelli because of a limit on pre-season testing.

The new specification of rubber achieved the desired effect – but not every team found they had a car and aerodynamics capable of dealing with it. Red Bull led a chorus of disapproval even though each of the 11 teams faced the same problem and some felt less inclined to complain.

The story took a significant and potentially hazardous twist at Silverstone in 30 June when

a number of drivers suffered dramatic tyre failures in the race. The problem in some cases was caused by the inside edge of the rear tyres being unable to withstand the punishment when drivers ran across the same kerbs they had tackled without problem for the previous two years. But this, coupled with the disintegration of tyre treads and flailing rubber from out-and-out failures, was understandably more than Pirelli could tolerate as the publicity turned negative.

In an impressive piece of work, Pirelli quickly produced tyres akin to the 2012 model. And, coincidentally, Red Bull were back in business. Cue Vettel’s permanent pass to the top step of the podium and the closing out of the championship with three races to run.

Which brings us to Abu Dhabi.

MasterclassBY MAURICE HAMILTON

ETTEL’SV

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Critics, complaining that the rest of the season would be dull, overlooked one key fact. Having ticked the championship box, Vettel and Red Bull no longer had to think about long-term strategies and concerns over the winning the title. They could run free and enjoy everything that a weekend in the glorious heat of Abu Dhabi had to offer.

The excitement began during qualifying when Vettel made a small mistake on his best lap. It was an error barely noticeable to the eye but enough to allow to

Webber seize his chance and take only his second pole position of the season. With the Australian due to leave F1 at the end of the season, everyone knew he wanted his first win of 2013. More than that, he wanted to do it by beating that bloke Vettel fair and square on a track Webber really enjoys.

Fat chance! There was no other way to describe the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix than to say it was a master class; a tour de force; a demonstration of just why Sebastian Vettel is a four-time world champion. It was perfection on wheels as the German won his 11th race of the season and the seventh in succession.

To complete the precision of the evening, Red Bull scored a one-two finish as an appropriate mark of their continuing status as champion constructors. Not even Webber’s best efforts could match what Vettel had up his sleeve for this 17th round of the championship.

Webber, for once, had made a reasonable start. But Vettel’s was marginally better; good enough to give him the inside line to the first corner. And that was that.

After five laps, he was 4.7 seconds ahead. The thought that he might have ruined his tyres in the process was to be completely demolished by a pace that was quite staggering, even by Vettel’s immaculate standards.

Not only did he keep the tyres alive, he made them last several laps longer than any of the leading drivers. By the time he made his first stop at the end

Sebastian Vettel stunned the opposition in 2013.

Vettel celebrated his World Championship with doughnuts – and a fire!

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of lap 14, Vettel had enough in hand to get in and out of the pits without losing the lead. His pace had been such that, even on the well-worn soft tyre, he had been lapping quicker than all of the drivers emerging from the pits on brand new medium tyres which, even allowing for the 0.6 seconds per lap difference, were not as slow as Vettel made them look.

And so it went on. He repeated the process leading up to his second and final stop before cruising home to win by half a minute; a huge margin.

Vettel’s drive was as uneventful as it appeared effortless. It was, as usual, the result of detailed thought given to every aspect of a car he said was ‘unbelievable’ to drive.

Red Bull team chief Christian Horner felt the same way about his driver. “That drive was astonishing,” said Horner, with genuine wonder. “Seb had absolutely no issues and the lap times he got from the tyres were way beyond what we expected. It was like he selected another gear.”

A master class indeed. And so it would continue into the final races in the USA and Brazil. Vettel won them both to make it 13 in a season and a record-breaking nine in succession in one season.

You could tell this had become routine as we gathered in the media centre in Austin for the post-race conference. Vettel sat centre stage – and none of the questions were about his actual race.

All he could do – and you sensed he actually appreciated the chance to relax and reflect – was talk about the significance of this utterly dominant streak for himself and the Red Bull team.

Vettel, starting from pole and leading every lap (bar a brief interlude during the mid-race pit stop sequence), had made it look easy once again. That, as he said, is always the objective, regardless of a championship that was clinched two races before in India. They hadn’t come to Austin simply to tool around and have a nice time in Texas. The United States Grand Prix was a race to be won, just like any other.

Red Bull had achieved their goal yet again but you could see the problem Vettel now faced was making the point that it was not – and never has been – as straightforward as it seems.

It was as if he’d checked out the Twittersphere in which the

casual and uninformed viewers of this race simply did not recognise Vettel’s performance for what it was. “He’s got it made in a car 0.7 seconds a lap faster than anyone else,” was typical of the trend that, if Vettel had seen it, would cause his permanent smile to disappear. Not because he disagreed with the basic sentiment but because it gave no respect to the work that went into making the car quick in the first place and then, crucially, extracting the most from it and the tyres.

“People tend to forget each weekend is a challenge and to have such an incredible run is very difficult to realise,” said Vettel. “Everyone in this team

works incredibly hard on every detail – things you wouldn’t think we should bother with – and it’s the little things that make the difference. The one thing you do know about is looking after tyres. Things are very different compared to when I came in to F1 (in 2008) and it was sprints between the pit stops (for refuelling). Now it’s about being fast enough to win but not taking too much out of the tyres. Never an easy thing to do.”

Whether or not you agree that tyre conservation should set the pace in a Grand Prix is a discussion for another time. It is what it is. Championship points are distributed to the first ten across the line, regardless

Kimi Raikkonen moves to Ferrari in 2014 while Romain Grosjean will lead the Lotus team.

A new range of Pirelli tyres mid-season boosted the performance of Red Bull.

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This has been Adrian Newey’s tenth constructors’ title in 21

years. Apart from highlighting the importance of a car’s designer and his relationship with the driver, it will confirm Newey’s genius as the only man to have won world championships with three different teams (Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.)

Newey is regarded as a technical visionary; a designer capable of pushing the boundaries so far that the sport’s administrators have difficulty keeping up. Newey has been responsible for introducing CVT transmissions, torque-sensing differentials and energy recovery (planned a decade before KERS was introduced to F1), all of which were subsequently banned. When his creations do get through unfettered, the result is usually devastating for the opposition.

Newey arrived in F1 in the 1980s, a period when race car aerodynamics were not fully understood, thus allowing the man with First Class honours in Aeronautics to innovate.

The first example of what might be called radical thinking came with the March 881 and a narrow nose section that improved aero flow – if not the flow of blood to the driver’s cramped legs and feet. When March became Leyton House in 1990, the new regime and Adrian did not see eye to eye and they parted company. Newey hardly had time to sharpen his pencil.

‘I left Leyton House on the Friday and started at Williams on the Monday,’ says Newey. ‘Patrick [Head] gave me more liberty, a lot of freedom and I set about designing the FW14 for the ‘91 season. The car that I based it on wasn’t the 1990 Williams but cars I’d been designing for Leyton House for ’91. I used that knowledge but blended it with the huge expertise and resource that Williams had.

‘My title was Chief Designer,

which traditionally would mean the nuts and bolts and mechanical design of the car but I also assumed the position of Head of Aerodynamics too which suited me absolutely fine and I tried to blend the mechanical design with the aerodynamics because to me the two are intricately interlinked; you can’t separate them. You have to come up with a package which is cohesive.’

The FW14 came close to winning the 1991 championship but the FW14B with active ride did the trick with Nigel Mansell the following year in what Newey recalls as ‘the easiest season I’ve ever had in motor racing without a doubt’.

By the time Damon Hill had clinched the championship at the end of 1996 and the next Williams was under construction for Jacques Villeneuve’s succssful title bid, Newey was on his way to McLaren and, ultimately, two championships with Mika Häkkinen at the end of the decade.

Intrigued by the in-your-face world of Red Bull compared to rather prim and proper McLaren, Newey moved to what had formerly been Jaguar as the energy drinks company reshaped the British team.

‘Adrian started with us in February 2006,’ says Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner. ‘At Williams and McLaren, he

had been in establised teams with an established infrastructure and he’d just had to bring his creativity and technical direction. We had unstructured departments, an out of date wind tunnel, no CFD, no simulator. Coming from the bottom actually appealed to Adrian – but I think even he underestimated the scale of what there was to achieve.’

‘Adrian forced a change of culture on us because the way he works is competely different,’ says Horner. ‘We weren’t prepared for the amount of detail he gets involved in. He still uses a drawing board and I had to do a deal with McLaren to make a payment to charity to get them to release his beloved board, which had followed him from Williams.’

As the team progressed and Red Bull switched from Ferrari to Renault engines, another key arrival was Vettel after a learning year with Toro Rosso.

‘Seb’s car control is phenomenal,’ says Horner. ‘So he has no inhibitions about the car being “on the nose”, being loose at the entry or exit of a corner, which might unnerve other drivers. Mark [Webber] drives the car in a classic style whereas Sebastian may be happy to wind on more front wing to chase front-end performance and just deal with a looser rear end. He works harder on his own performance than any other driver

in the pit lane.’That hard work meshed

with Newey’s philosophy and resulted in their first world championship together at the end of 2010.

Having lost out the previous season to Brawn and the double diffuser, Newey was right on the money for two years until the rule changes for 2012. But such success did not happen by chance; a typical season would see no less than 30,000 – thirty thousand! - modifications to the car.

‘The big change for us was to the exhaust system,’ recalls Newey. ‘For two years we had side exhausts that helped blow the diffuser and gave us more downforce and we developed the engine mapping to maximise the effect. That was taken away at the start of 2012, which set us back because we’d developed so far down that route. Everything on the 2011 car was designed around that system, so suddenly the understanding we had built up over the previous two years had been thrown away and we had to start again. But we got there in the end.

‘To rise from the ashes of Jaguar Racing and to be able to challenge for wins and championships has been a fantastic ride for all of us. Personally I love the variety this job offers. I think I’m the only dinosaur in the industry who still uses a drawing board to try and come up with ideas and solutions and to work with my colleagues and engineers to understand problems. There’s no black magic; if something isn’t working with the car it’s a logical step that means you’ve made a mistake with your science somewhere.

‘The next big challenge is 2014 and the V6 turbos; the greater emphasis on energy re-use and much heavier, much more complicated power units. That’s the sort of challenge I enjoy.’

The rest of F1 has been warned.

Adrian Newey – back to the drawing board...

Adrian Newey.

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RESULTS: FIA F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2013

AUSTRALIA (AUS) 17 Marchdriver... kimi raikkonenteam... lotus renault

GREAT BRITAIN (GBR) 30 Junedriver... nico rosbergteam... mercedes

SPAIN (ESp) 12 Maydriver... fernando alonsoteam... ferrari

ITALY (ITA) 8 Septemberdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

CHINA (CHN) 14 Aprildriver... fernando alonsoteam... ferrari

HUNGARY (HUN) 28 Julydriver... lewis hamilton team... mclaren mercedes

CANADA (CAN) 9 Junedriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

JAPAN (JAp) 13 Octoberdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

MALAYSIA (MYS) 24 Marchdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

GERMANY (GER) 7 Julydriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

SINGAPORE (SGp) 22 Septemberdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

BAHRAIN (BHR) 21 Aprildriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

BELGIUM (BEL) 25 Augustdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

SOUTH kOREA (SKR) 6 Octoberdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

INDIA (IND) 27 Octoberdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

MONACO (MC) 26 Maydriver... nico rosbergteam... mercedes

ABU DHABI (UAE) 3 Novemberdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

BRAZIL (BRA) 24 Novemberdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

UNITED STATES (USA) 17 Novemberdriver... sebastian vettelteam... red bull renault

of how they got there. And Vettel got there faster and more economically than anyone.

Once again, Webber provided a yardstick for Vettel’s capacity to extract the final tenth from the Red Bull-Renault. The Australian should have been on pole but made a tiny error in the final sector of the excellent Circuit of the Americas race track. That put him in the wrong place going

into the first corner and allowed Romain Grosjean’s Lotus to get through.

In one of the drives of the day, Grosjean repelled everything Webber could throw at him to finally get onto the second step of the podium after finishing third five times. The Frenchman looked justifiably pleased in the media room as he sat beaming beneath a white Stetson. And

you had to reflect on Grosjean’s transformation; was it only 12 months before that Webber had been slagging off the Frenchman for taking him out of the Japanese Grand Prix, one of the many clumsy pieces of work by the Lotus driver in 2012. Not so in 2013. It made for a happy Grosjean as he sat among the boys in blue.

Right at the end of the conference, a question for Vettel about the actual Grand Prix. Had this been a perfect race with no mistakes?

He thought for a minute. “I don’t know about perfect,” he said. “Once or twice I went a little bit wide under braking for Turn 12 – but otherwise it was okay.”

After that, there was, literally, nothing more to be said about this race or the 2013 season, a year of total dominance.

Fernando Alonso had a disappointing season by his high standards.

After some questionable driving last year, Grosjean was one of the stars of 2013.

Mark Webber has quit F1 for porsche sportscar racing.

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Pint of lager-shandy; jacket potato, cheese and beans in a Surrey pub overlooking a village cricket green. Very Damon Hill. The perfect venue for lunch with this most unassuming and thoughtful of British world champions, who I ghosted columns and books for when he was at the F1 forefront in the mid-1990s. Since then he’s played a major role in shaping the UK’s F1 future through his work with the British Racing Drivers’ Club. We’ve a lot of catching-up to do...

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MH: I know we’re not far from where you live, but it’s good of you to take the time out. But then I suppose things have calmed down a bit, certainly as far as BRDC business is concerned. Tell me firstly about the feedback you’ve had from spectators about the new track?

DH: When you look at how a circuit is designed, you also have to think of the spectators. It’s okay having fast corners with lots of run-off, but spectators are so far away that they don’t get a feel for it. Monaco has the slowest average speed of all the circuits but, if you’re very lucky, you can sit bloody close to the cars. You’re not left in any doubt as to how fast and how powerful these cars are.

So, you don’t need a fast corner to get the sense of how impressive the cars are and how good the drivers are. That was the reason for the tight section at the beginning of Wellington straight. Luffield is another opportunity for people to get very close to the cars and see their acceleration. I mean, you can be testing on a cold day at Silverstone and there’s nothing. But when the place is full for the British GP, it’s a totally different experience. The stadium at Hockenheim is another place. The hair is standing on the back of my neck just thinking about it. On the old circuit, you’d go off into the woods for miles, tanking on at 200mph with not a soul in sight. Then you come into the stadium and they’re letting off fireworks, there’s stuff landing in the car and the whole place erupts. That’s a fantastic experience.

MH: How can you be focusing on driving with all that going on?

DH: You’ve got one mind on the driving and another bit is saying: ’I’m really loving this experience’.

MH: This is where you differ from we mere mortals because I’d be distracted by that. I can’t do two things at once.

DH: We can all do two things at once, Maurice! You’re thinking now at two levels. You’re here doing the interview and the other part of your brain is preparing the next question. In any sport or skill, you develop to such a high level that, after a while, it becomes automatic. You actually you become a spectator to the experience.

The extreme example is what Ayrton (Senna) talked about

when he went round Monaco, feeling he was outside his car because he had so much faith in his ability. He didn’t have to consciously do it anymore. That was a very scary disconnect – but that’s the thrill of it. When you do a quick lap, you’re also enjoying the ride. You’re very much in the present, so you’re not bothered by whether you’ve filled in your tax form. Mind you, are we ever bothered about that?

MH: Talking of Monaco reminds me that your Dad, Graham, won that race five times. When you were a lad, sitting on the floor in your Dad’s office at home and you saw all those BRDC Stars and you knew how important the BRDC was, I bet you never thought you might be president one day.

DH: No, I was far removed from that. But when I became president, I did think to myself: ‘My Dad would be pretty chuffed at this’.

MH: He would have been. Do your reflections on your father affect how you’re working with Josh, your son who’s now racing? You’re a racing Dad like your Dad was with you, and here’s your boy coming through. I remember you telling me that, when you were a boy, you’d go into your Dad’s office and you could listen but you couldn’t speak.

DH: Well, I felt I couldn’t speak. I probably could have done but I didn’t feel like I should interrupt. ‘Don’t interrupt’, you were told. My Dad was, not authoritarian, that’s too strong a word, but definitely you were expected to show some respect and that’s probably a good idea.

MH: Your Dad died when you were 15. I remember seeing you when Josh was taking part in a kart race, up in the Midlands somewhere. It was cold, it was wet, it was miserable, there was a van selling horrible burgers. Josh then would have been about 15 or 16. I suppose I couldn’t imagine your Dad doing that sort of thing with you.

DH: It was very different back then. In those days, you could make opportunities for yourself if you were younger and you could go out and work as a mechanic in exchange for a drive or something and end up in GP racing.

That sort of opportunity is gone. I got the tail end of it. I actually got paid for driving in F3 and F3000. I had to drive shitboxes – but I could claw my way up and look for a lucky break. I could go and talk to Ken Tyrrell and say: ‘How about it Ken?’ And he’d say: ‘You haven’t got a hope in Hell. Go away.’ But at least I could do that.

Drivers today don’t even speak

to the team owners; they don’t know who the team owners are! They’ve got managers and there’s a different structure. Before, drivers could make a living by going from one track to another, hiring out their services as drivers.

The professional status of the driver has been shot to pieces. It’s gone. In my view, if the sport was run properly there should be respect for the professional status of the driver. You should be able to achieve a certain professional status, in which case you should not be required to bring investment with you.

MH: One of your worst periods was during that time in F3000. You were married and Oliver, your first-born, had arrived. The going was very tough, wasn’t it? You had no drive and you were really struggling.

DH: It’s mad, Maurice. I was 29 or whatever. I had no money, no house and I still wanted to be a racing driver. At which point my Dad, had he been around, probably would have said to me: ‘Listen son, it’s about time you got a job.’ So, yes, I was probably mad. Certifiable. But it was different.

MH: You had the test role with Williams, then you were with Alain Prost in 1993. What was your attitude then? He was in it to win the World Championship.

“We got to the point where Michael won every race and that was... dull. It was not very interesting. Then you bring in changes like fuel stops to spice it up – and then you ask: ‘Where’s the race gone?”

Maurice Hamilton and Damon Hill reminisce

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DH: Well, my view was, it didn’t matter to me what Alain Prost was doing! If you had said to me three years before that I would be driving the best car in F1 and be team mates with Alain Prost, I would have said: ‘Take this man away. He’s obviously deranged.’

MH: It didn’t go to plan in ’94 for all the reasons we know, but it got off to a bad start because the Williams FW16, by Adrian Newey’s own admission, didn’t work well initially. He remembers going to a test at Nogaro. He went out and watched the car on the circuit and was appalled by what he was seeing, because the car was jumping around all over the place. Do you remember that?

DH: I’d forgotten about that test.

MH: Maybe it’s just as well. It was difficult to drive.

DH: It wasn’t very easy. It was on a bit of a knife edge. Ayrton fell off in every single race he did, which shows it was hard to drive.

MH: Putting all that into perspective is what happened at Imola on 1 May 1994. Having had this role where you’re understudy, if you like, to Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, suddenly now you’re leading the team.

DH: I’m not sure that I was seen as a leader.

MH: That’s a point actually because you did say that at the time, you felt that they didn’t regard you as a leader.

DH: Which I can understand because up until then I’d given every indication that I was very happy with my position as

team mate to Alain and Ayrton. Although I clearly wanted to beat them – and I did beat Alain on several occasions – I don’t think I thought I was going to overturn Ayrton. I knew it was a benchmark to aim for. But I did feel after the Imola weekend that someone’s got to carry the load and pull these guys back up again because everyone was suffering.

MH: Monaco was a shocking weekend for you because it was the race after Imola and then you had the incident on the first lap with Mika (Hakkinen). You ground to a halt with a damaged car in Casino Square. That walk down the hill back to the pits must have been the longest walk of your life.

DH: I’d clean forgotten about that. To be honest, Monaco was just a non-event.

MH: Everyone was on auto pilot, weren’t they?

DH: Yeah. It was much too soon to come back and it took a while to answer the questions: ‘What are we doing here? Why are we doing this?’ There was a lot of nervousness in the drivers, people talking about whether or not the cars were safe and what could be done about it; press interest in taking a closer look at the ethics and the moral justification of racing and various things. And we had Karl Wendlinger have his shunt at Monaco. It was one thing after another. And then there was (Andrea) Montermini’s shunt during practice at the next race in Barcelona?

From Imola onwards, it was suddenly like a war zone. I mean, you can’t compare a real war zone but for us it was going from

a relatively secure environment to having the whole thing turned round on you. I think everyone was jittery. I was definitely jittery about it.

MH: Montermini’s wrecked car – with his feet exposed – ended up near your pit. I remember seeing you at the back of the garage afterwards. You were shocked and you were very pale.

DH: I just thought: ‘Not again. Not again. I’ve had enough. I love racing and everything, but I don’t like people getting hurt.’

MH: You, perhaps more than many of your contemporaries, were aware that motor racing can do that, having being through it with your Dad and his close friend Jim Clark being killed and so on. You knew that motor racing could bite back. Even so, was this becoming too personal? Was it too much?

DH: It suddenly seemed like it was raining big accidents and people getting hurt. It was like a long overdue evening of the score. Niki Lauda said something, in that peculiar sort of perceptive way that he has, which was that when Ayrton died, he wondered if God

had had his hand on F1 for a long time and had just taken it away. Suddenly, a whole lot of stuff that shouldn’t have happened in the last ten years, suddenly started happening in a flurry. It was a real test for everybody. MH: Having endured all of that up to the Spanish GP, you then went and won the race, which was a great result for everybody, including yourself.

DH: That kick-started things. I wanted to win grands prix anyway, but it was triply important to be doing it at that point. It was a way of saying: ‘We’re not going to give up here just because Ayrton’s not around’. There was a sense of doing it for Ayrton; a tribute to him, in a way. Meanwhile, in the background, you’ve got people accusing team personnel of being responsible for Ayrton dying. It was a really, really stressful year.

MH: I remember doing your column at the time. You wouldn’t say much about it on the record, but you hinted that Renault (engine partner) didn’t seem to be in favour of you.

DH: People were looking round

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for someone who was a lead driver and the team was used to having mega stars in their team. So, here’s Hill Junior. I’m sure they were thinking they needed someone with a bit more depth.

MH: Did you want to say: ‘Oi! Excuse me! I can do the job!’

DH: I was trying to say that.

MH: They weren’t necessarily paying much attention to you.

DH: I think this is where my British diffidence, my reserved nature, went against me. I don’t like to blow my own trumpet. I thought: ‘Hang on a minute. How do I compare? What are my performances saying? Why do I need to say anything?’

I knew I’d never be an Ayrton Senna or an Alain Prost. But, at the time, I was in the hot seat and I felt no one else could do any better. It was slightly frustrating. Still, at the end of the day I won Sports Personality twice over, but mainly thanks to Williams and that situation. I think that happened because I kept my head down and kept going.

MH: You say that but, at the end of ’94, you had that truly fantastic drive at Suzuka. I’ll never forget that.

DH: It was the time when I went

out further on a limb than I’d ever done in a racing car for a long period of time. I never went that far again. I wouldn’t have done it if it hadn’t been so important. You get to certain points in your career where it is important to do something special. I recognised that at Suzuka. It was a massive showdown and allowed me and the team to show we weren’t going to go down without giving absolutely 100 per cent of everything we’ve got. I’m glad I did that. But I wouldn’t want to do it again!

MH: You were fighting against this unseen opponent (Michael Schumacher), which was even more difficult. The race was in two parts and was against the clock. You just had to go as hard as you possibly could.

DH: Sometimes you’re racing against something you can’t see and there’s only one thing for it; you’ve got to just drive like you’ve never driven before. Then we went to Adelaide for the final round – and that was Suzuka, part two!

MH: That was absolutely brilliant. Those first 34 laps or whatever, you were right up Michael’s chuff and you weren’t letting him go. It was just amazing. You often get this coming at the crunch of a championship; two contenders

who are on a different plane to everybody else.

DH: You rise up. That’s the great thing. Once you get into that zone, a lot of things happen in your mind. You realise everything you’ve ever thought about in your entire life has reached this climax. So you get the best out of it. That’s why sport shows such extraordinary feats because it’s the crucible; it’s a mixture of all of the factors. The world seems to stop in order to watch what’s going to happen. You’re on the spot; you’ve really got to perform and this has a multiplying effect.

MH: And then it all comes to an end when Schuey has you off. I happened to be with you after the race when Barry Sheene arranged for you to see the video of the incident. You weren’t aware that Michael had touched the wall, were you?

DH: I had no idea.

MH: People question why you went for that gap. But it was because you thought it was the only chance you were going to get. You didn’t know he’d hit the wall.

DH: That’s the point. I’d watched him closely enough at Suzuka to see him nearly go off, then actually go off – but always get

back on. The guy seemed to have more than nine lives. So I see he’s gone wide without realising he’s damaged his car and I thought: ‘I’m never going to get another bite at this one.’ So I went for it. And the rest, as they say, is history.

MH: If you’d arrived at the corner a second earlier, you would have seen it, or a second later, you wouldn’t...

DH: He’d started to get away from me and I was thinking: ‘Bugger!’ But the reason he went off was because he was trying too hard. We’d been going hammer and tongs, lap after lap, and then he just got enough of a break on me.

But that’s the game isn’t it? He had to get away – and he overstepped the mark.

MH: There’s a brilliant picture of the two of you line astern coming into the braking area at the end of the long back straight. You’re both lapping someone and you’ve arrived just before the turn-in point, you’re right-front is locked and I’ll swear the Benetton and the Williams are joined together.

DH: I remember! There were a couple of times I was pretty close. I was almost in his gearbox.

MH: But you were braking from 180mph, plus!

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DH: It’s not like that, Maurice. It’s like driving in traffic; like around the M25. All that matters is how far the guy in front is and whether or not you can stop more quickly than he can. Saying that, I remember thinking: ‘F**king hell, we’re braking late! This is just amazing!’

I think that’s what must have been difficult for Michael because if you’ve got a guy who just will not let go of the gearbox. There’s no point me trying to pretend I’m as good as Michael Schumacher over every single lap of my racing career. But there were times when I could match him and maybe irritate him a bit – and that was one of those days.

MH: He wasn’t used to that. He didn’t like it.

DH: No, he didn’t like that, because it doesn’t compute in his head, does it?

MH: He sort of got his own back in 1995. I don’t know if disaster is too strong a word to describe that season for you, but it wasn’t good, was it?

DH: I think the Michael rivalry thing from 1994 had created a sort of diversion in my mind. And he just rubbed my nose in it. Not that he was too bothered about whose nose he rubbed in the dirt, but I tended to take it personally and I think it got to me eventually. I defeated myself, quite frankly. And that, in my view, sowed the seeds for what happened in 1996. Because, in 1995, Frank thought: ‘Damon’s finished.’

MH: So, that’s why your contract wasn’t renewed at the end of 1996 even though you’d won the Championship? Your view seemed to be: ‘I’ve won the title, so everything will be all right.’ You were a bit stunned when Frank didn’t seem to want to keep you.

DH: I didn’t understand the position team owners are in at times like that. If I’m honest, my career was a lesson in how not to do it! The fact that I got anything out of it is just a pure... miracle, I suppose.

I see Eddie Jordan now and I say to him: ‘Running my own son, I completely understand the frustration – and I can say the same to Patrick (Head) as well – I completely understand the frustration that you guys must go through with drivers.’ There’s two sides to every story. Frank told me in 1996: ‘I’ve got to do what’s right for the team.’ Now I see

that he had his reasons. It wasn’t done out of spite; it was because he had to do what he had to do. That’s fine. But I needed to learn that.

MH: Would part of that lack of understanding account for the way you arrived in Adelaide for the last race in 1994, got off the ‘plane and announced to the media that you were not being paid enough? I mean, what a story for the media! We loved it. But you were going for the Championship, for Heaven’s sake! What was that all about?

DH: Please don’t! I was so naive! I’d sat the whole way on the ‘plane with Barry (Sheene) and he was saying: ‘You’re not being paid enough. You need to tell Frank he’s being a mean b***ard’. And all this stuff. And I’m going: ‘Yeah, you’re right, Barry. That never occurred to me before, Barry.’ By the time I got off the plane, I was thinking of nothing else. And I know Barry would have gone to Gerhard (Berger) or someone like that and said: ‘Watch this!’ I fell for it, completely. Like an idiot! I was so pumped up. I was just so inexperienced in those things. I’d no idea. What can you say?

MH: Okay, let’s get up-to-date. What’s your take on F1, with the tyres, DRS, KERS and so on?

DH: It seems to me that there are two distinct reactions. One is: ‘I’m so confused, I don’t know what’s going on.’ And the other one is: ‘That’s exciting, isn’t it?’ If someone has a real duff start and

has the opportunity to fight their way back up to the podium, then that’s good and adds interest to the race.

I think that the little flappy wing thing on the back is great to watch on TV! People love that. You wait; someone’s going to appear soon in a road car with a wing like that on the back! But the tyre degradation means that drivers have to really be thinking. I have to say it looks pretty healthy to me.

MH: What about the confusion factor? I’ve struggled to follow the races.

DH: There’s always the danger that you’ve got too much artifice in sport. It used to be that drivers were admired, first of all because they were brave enough to do it. They had extraordinary skill. If you look at someone like Jackie Stewart; if he won a race by two minutes it was still an extraordinary feat of daring and skill and he was respected for that. That got to the point where Michael won every race and that was... dull. It was not very interesting. Then you bring in changes like fuel stops to spice it up – and then you ask: ‘Where’s the race gone?’ They start and then they get all muddled up and the race finishes and you can’t work out what happened. That’s a danger.

MH: What do you say when people ask what you do these days? You seem very relaxed now; got your life under control.

DH: That’s because I don’t race

any more! Racing is an all-consuming thing.

MH: True! What about Down’s Syndrome Association? You’ve been playing a big part in that, haven’t you?

DH: I’m a patron of the Down’s Syndrome Association. Also, I’m involved with a local charity called Halow, an acronym made up of the initials of children with learning difficulties. That provides what is called Nurturing Independence which gives people at school leaving age recreational activities and other social activities that will help develop independence. That’s local to Guildford. That’s going well but, like everything, budgets have been slashed and there is the need to raise money. I think it’s important to have things to keep the mind alive. Everyone wants to have recreational or challenging things. And then I’m trying to find money for Josh. So, I’m back where I started!

MH: If Josh asks how you would sum up your time as an F1 driver, what would you say?

DH: I’m not making any great claims for myself. I think I was a very good driver. Put me in a racing car and I wanted to beat whoever I was racing against. I resolutely refused to believe they were any better than me. Saying that, I know where I stand in the pantheon of great drivers. I think I made the best of what I had, and that’s really all you can say.

Previously published by F1 Racing.

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Celebrating 60 years in style...Whatever way you

choose to look at it, sixty years is a long

time, and to have survived for six decades merits some sort of celebration.

That thought was uppermost in the collective mind of the 500 MRCI at the start of last season when the race programme was being decided, and it proved to be a very good thought indeed with a celebratory event which featured Kirkistown’s first ‘en masse’ Australian invasion and a cameo appearance by the Red Arrows.

And, of course, there was a new outright lap record as well.........

Underpinning all of this was the resurgence of Formula Ford, the class which has stubbornly resisted all attempts to kill or supersede it – many of them by Ford themselves – for the past 20 years or more.

Behind this was the appearance of a new

Championship involving rounds at Kirkistown, Mondello and the recently revived Bishopscourt, and the extra entry meant capacity grids for both races. By the time the second race was due however, the numbers were lower, a three-car accident at Debtors Dip in Race 1 removing, among others, new Irish Young Driver Kevin O’Hara and his 09 Van Diemen.

Kevin was out again for the next round, but the car wasn’t seen again for several months. Meanwhile Ivor McCullough had picked up where he left off at the end of 2012, romping away to win the first of the days races from Noel Dunne and the second from Noel Robinson.

McCullough won again at Bishopscourt where Niall Murray took the runner-up position in both races, and when McCullough followed this up with a win and a second place – behind O’Hara who was now in his own ’99 Van Diemen – the

Ryan Templeton was a winner again in the pre-’83 class.

James Turkington on his way to another Zetec Fiesta victory.

Ivor McCullough scored more victories in 2013.

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Ballymena man was so far ahead on points that the rest of the season didn’t really matter much.

In fact he was to win again, in July, but by that time he was virtually uncatchable.

But there were other winners. Jonny McMullan won twice, at the ‘Anniversary’ Kirkistown and in the final round at Mondello, but Hugh Reid’s ageing Mondiale was always in the hunt and these two victories along with a string of top four placings, assured him of the runner-up position in the NI Championship. The other double winner was Stephen Daly whose Ray took the honours in the first race on ‘Anniversary Day’ and also the penultimate race at Mondello, but he didn’t contest every round and eventually placed 10th over the year.

The third Kirkistown championship place went, in fact, to Niall Murray who, like O’Hara, won just one round – at Kirkistown in August – but scored enough places to finish third on points. The years only other winner, Noel Dunne- who also won in August - placed fourth overall .

None of the above really tells the full story however. Runaway victories were few and far between, and on a number of occasions results were decided

on the final lap between the Hairpin and the chequered flag, with as many as four cars involved in that dramatic last lap charge. Formula Ford has always provided close racing, but this writer cannot remember a season where there were so many nail-biting final laps!

Among the classes, the Pre-90 category was McMullan’s exclusive property and he took maximum points every time out. The Pre-87 tussle was more entertaining with Jamesy Hagan (84 Reynard) and ‘new boy’ Mike Todd (84 Mondiale) locked in combat until late in the year, the verdict eventually going to the talented Todd at the final two rounds.

Pre-82 went to Ryan Templeton (Crossle 32F) for the umpteenth time, although Arnie Black made a fight of it in a similar car for a while before engine woes – and a bit of on-track excitement – dropped him back.

martin donnelly trophyAs ever, the final race of the year was for the Martin Donnelly Trophy, a ‘standalone’ Festival-style contest held in late September and supported by Ards Tourism where O’Hara, now back in the Motorsport Ireland

Stephen Traub was top of the tin-tops.

Kevin O’Hara on his way to winning a closely fought Formula Ford race.

THE DARK HORSE

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Congratulations to Mike Todd on winning the

Pre 87 Formula Ford Championship

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‘prize car’ took the win, but not before half the field, it seemed, had held the lead at some point during 21 hectic laps of the Final. McMullan finished another strong season in second place with Murray eventually placing third. McCullough left the fray after 15 laps with failing brakes on his Van Diemen.

But it was his year despite the downbeat finish, and his Championship win was well deserved. Even when he didn’t win, he was the benchmark and on sheer pace he was always close to the front, while McMullan’s performances in a car which first saw the light of day in 1989, leave one wondering what he might do in younger machinery.

And Murray ? His third place and consistent runs near the front belied the fact that before the opening race of the season he had never so much as sat in a single seater, all his previous racing having been done in Ginetta Juniors, first in the Irish series and then in the UK one.

But he took to FF1600 like a duck to water and when things got hectic he appeared always to know what was about to happen before it actually did. An impressive debut season which bodes well for the future.

And there were others who showed well too. Experienced ‘old hands’ like Noel Dunne, Adrian Pollock and Neville Smith were always in the thick of the action, as were Robert Barrable and Patrick McKenna on the occasions that they visited, while slightly younger talent such as David McCullough – younger brother of Ivor – and the even more youthful Sean Doyle and Jake Byrne all showed well.

SUPERKART CHAMPION ADAPTSI should also mention Trevor Roberts, the former World Superkart Champion, who had a tough first year in FF1600 but adapted well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move up the grids – and the results sheets – in the year ahead.

The Roadsports championship held its own during the past year, with an eclectic mixture of sports/racers doing battle in their various classes. Top man overall was Jim Larkham, whose Radical was usually the fastest this present. On occasion though, he had strong opposition from Mark Campbell in another Radical, while Stephen Donnelly was a front runner when he appeared with his newly-built S&D Honda. At seasons end it was Donnelly who took second place in the

series with Campbell third, while Paul Conn had a late charge to fourth in his Crossle 47S and might well have finished higher but for some mechanical teething problems at the start of the year. The NI Sevens were a little less numerous than previously, but still provided plenty of entertainment with some very close battling in the midfield pack. Few though, could get on terms with Alan Davidson whose green GMS took no fewer than eight class victories out of a possible ten during the season. He might well have won the other two as well, but for a blown engine, and must start favourite for a repeat performance in ‘014. Trevor Allen finished second on points, but he had his hands full with Jack Boal ending the year just one point behind him after a long hard battle.

Among the ‘Libre’ saloons, an amazing total of more than 30 drivers had scored points by the end of the year, the ‘home team’ being augmented on occasion by visitors from south of the border, including a number of runners in the Honda Cup.

And it was a Honda which took overall honours, with Stephen Traub emerging triumphant after a season in which adventures, both mechanical and physical, played a part. Philip Shields’ SEAT Supercopa chased the Traub Integra hard and actually won more races than anybody else during the course of the year. However his season was marred by a couple of non-appearances and he had to make do with second place on points. Defending champion Gerry McVeigh also had a couple of non-starts and non-finishes in his Mitsubishi Evo and eventually placed third, just ahead of improving Honda pilot Robert Patton.

Among the 1600cc Civics, Aidan Vance vanquished brother in law Andrew Armstrong with former hill climb star Neil White taking third in class.

In the GT category, the same Ginetta G50 finished first, third and fourth in the hands of owner David Beattie and guest drivers Wayne Boyd and Colin Elstrop, while another G50 driven by Bonnaire Finn took second place. Crowd favourite among the GTs though, was Jim Hutchinson’s immaculate SHP Mk 1 Escort, the most convincing looking Escort never to have seen the inside of a Ford factory !

Jim plans to have a few more horses under its bonnet for next year.........

And so to those other Fords, the Fiestas.

James Turkington made some sort of history last season by not only starting every race from pole position but winning them all as well!

Both Andrew Blair and Ryan Campbell challenged on occasion, with Blair the most consistent, but nobody could do anything about the ‘Portadown Flyer’ and James – with a bit of early season coaching from older brother Colin – pretty much stroked it, although there were occasional signs of panel damage on the silver car suggesting that others had got a bit closer to him from time to time!

fIESTA fIElDSGenerally fields at Kirkistown were a bit smaller than ideal, but a move to bring the regulations for Kirkistown into line with those at Mondello – where there are 40+ Fiestas currently racing – should help to improve things.

So those were Kirkistown’s ‘home’ classes for the year.

Visitors there were aplenty too. As I mentioned earlier, a sizeable Australian contingent appeared for the Anniversary meeting in June to provide some welcome variety in a brace of races for Classic Racing Cars. Both were

won by Martin Bullock from Perth with his beautiful Chevron B17 from Crossle boss Paul McMorran in his Formula Two Crossle 26F and the unique Jane Brabham of Lance Carwardine.

Formula Vee has been a mainstay over the years, and while numbers were definitely down in 2013, the racing held up and the air cooled racers put on a good show as always. There was a different winner on each of the three Vee appearances with Ray Moore, Adam Macauley and Kevin Grogan taking a victory each. However the overall ‘Mini Series’ if that’s what it was, fell to Macauley by virtue of consistent podium places.

And Formula Sheane also provided some – occasionally hectic – action. The Rover-powered cars run at a very similar pace to Formula Ford, and get up to similar antics too. Winnigest drivers at Kirkistown were Kevin Sheane Jr, Brian Hearty, but Robbie Allen and Barry Rabbit among others made sure that there were no boring races...

A busy year... Busier than expected in fact.

They say 60 is the new 40, in which case we may look forward to a good ‘new 41st’ season at Kirkistown in the year ahead. Plans are already well advanced...

Mike Todd was a winner in his ‘84 Mondiale.

Philip Shields set a new lap record in his GP2 Dallava.

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First Class Fergus

Fergus Flaherty in his bright red First Class Fireplaces sponsored Formula Renault

was made to fight by last year’s champion Martin Daly in the similar Dunshaughlin Motors Renault powered machine, in his battle to win the 2013 Magic Bullet Breezemount Formula Libre Ireland Championship.

The FL1 class for the big cars was won by John Daly in his Dalco Engineering, Holden powered Reynard. The season started in April at Mondello Park when the biggest grid of the year was led home by Martin Daly. The Irish Apprentice star Eugene Heary Junior was a deserved winner in the big class. The next day out at Kirkistown saw Eugene’s season terminate when his engine expired in a huge way at Fishermans. This event saw the Breezemount Motorsport Dallara GP2 car driven by Philip Shields win both races.

A welcome newcomer to the class was Cian Carey in his Mooretown Precision Engineering Formula Renault who raced to a deserved second place at the next event in Kirkistown. The winner that fine June day was Eamon Matheson in his mighty 1.3T Mission T5 Hayabusa, but mechanical woes would hobble Eamon’s season.

At the half way point of the season Martin Daly was leading the overall championship and John Daly was leading the FL1 class as result of his consistent finishing. The second half of the season was when the eventual champion shone. Fergus had four second place finishes, combined with a Kirkistown win over the last six rounds. While illness struck down John Daly, neither Stanley Watson in the Magic Bullet car nor Philip Shields who broke the outright Kirkistown lap record could catch John in his class win

Fergus Flaherrty clinched the 2013 Formula Libre series.

Eamon Mathewson in his Mission T5 Hayabusa.

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for the big cars.Other winners in Formula Libre

this year were Jonathan Fildes in his father’s immaculate Ralt RT4, and Paul Dagg’s impressive double at the Leinster Trophy race meeting.

Overall Fergus was pushed all the way by Martin Daly and he was a deserved Formula Libre Champion. The class had tremendous support from Global Oils, Magic Bullet, and

Breezemount Logistics. Formula Libre Ireland would also like to thank the clubs and marshalls and associated sponsors for their support throughout 2013.

2014 is already looking exciting with a few new drivers looking to upgrade to Formula Libre, there is also quite a lot of interest from the rest of the UK which adds to an exciting future for the class.

Cian Carey

Martin Daly

Series sponsor Stanley Watson of Global Oil in action.

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Fiesta time at Mondello!

I suppose it is a sign that I’m not getting any younger but the race season seems to

start and finish very quickly in recent years. Time stands still for no man and all that I suppose. The economic climate seems to be finally getting slightly better but at least we can thank it for one thing- The Patch Tyre Equipment Fiesta Championship! The concept was originally run in Kirkistown and with the Uno/Punto classes having bickered themselves into extinction, there was a glaring hole in the market for a budget saloon class. As soon as the series was announced, the registrations came pouring in. Brian Matthews of Patch Tyre Equipment came onboard as series sponsor and the rest, as they say is history. John Denning took the title but he had to work hard all year as eventual Rookie Cup winner Sean Lillis was a genuine front runner too. Mondello’s Phil Lawless also managed a win and was never far from the front.

The thing that astonished me in the class was the amount of blatent cheating that was

attempted. I am not sure of the final number of cars which earned technical non-conformance reports during the year but it is safe to say this was in the mid teens at least - including, sadly, some of the front runners and prize winners. This may give a bad image of the class initially but dig deeper and it is probably actually a good thing. I have never seen so many technical checks carried out in a class since I started racing over 20 years ago- even when cars were blatantly quicker than the rest and the competitors requested it repeatedly from scrutineers. The organisers have much more in store for 2014 in terms of compliancy tests with suspension component jigs, interchangeable ECUs and a store of new Ford parts including shocks, engine, gearbox etc, which can be fitted to any competitor’s car on race weekend while their own parts are inspected. The concept of the class is wonderful- a competitive televised race series with double header meetings only costing €200- but the people who keep trying to gain illegal advantages

will damage this if they keep it up. Rest assured any offenders will be named and shamed in 2014!

Formula Vee may have been down on numbers in 2014, but certainly the class was not lacking in quality or excitement. Adam McAulay was always a wet weather expert but since he teamed up with the crack Newsome racing squad, his immaculate yellow Sheane was generally the car to beat and he ended up as a worthy 2013 champion. Ray Moore, as ever, was right there too in his Bernard Dolan run Leastone chassis but he suffered too many technical issues to challenge for the title, finishing the season as runner up but well adrift in terms of championship points. Former Leinster Trophy winner Dan Polley had a torrid year in the LOH run Enya Sheane, beset by engine problems and a niggling misfire for much of the season but consistency brought him third in the title chase. Former karter Kevin Grogan progressed exceptionally well in the Avanti Sport tended Leastone and his dominant debut win in

Kirkistown was surely a warning shot across the bows of his 2014 rivals. Trevor Delaney arrived out sporadically and was right on the pace, driving superbly to win the coveted Festival, beating both Moore and McAulay in the process.

Colm Blackburn benefitted immensely from the assistance of Paul Heavey en route to an impressive Dunlop B title win, with the improving Morgan McCourt his closest challenger. Stephen Morrin went well in the ex Paul Heavey works Leastone. Helped by father Christy, the Mondello local continued his impressive progression from Rallycross to single seaters but had too many problems to challenge for the title, placing third in the eventual standings.Justin Costello took the Novice VW spares title after a season long battle with 16 year old Jack Byrne with Brendan O’Brien’s Lohunda Autocare Leastone in third. Sean Newsome only appeared three times and won the novice class on each occasion- definitely one to watch if he does a full campaign in 2014. With a

By Leo NuLty

Champion Denning leads Lillis and Boland in a typically close Fiesta scrap

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number of starter cars available for under €3,000, Formula Vee is as good a starting point as it ever was in Irish Motorsport, the beauty being that most chassis are the same so a newcomer can upgrade his engine etc as he can afford to do so, without having to actually change car.

Formula Sheanes produced good grids and attracted online car parts supplier Mickagarage.com as their title sponsor for 2013. Brian Hearty and Kevin Sheane did most of the winning, with Barry Rabbit’s FCR Golden Pages backed machine the only one to beat the pair during the year. Hearty had a few non finishes but fought back superbly, a classic hard but fair pass on Sheane at turn 1/2 at the penultimate meeting proving that he is still prepared to push as hard as ever. Winning the last round was not enough, however and Sheane took the title again. The class also competed for the Leinster Trophy once again and Rabbitt it was who won the big one, having charged up from fourth with a stunning first lap and held off all challengers for a hugely popular victory. Rabbitt and his FCR team are selling up and leaving the class for 2014. Dave Parks returned to the class and went well, as did Robbie Allen, who ended up third in

the title chase. The previous winner of the “Become A Race Driver” competition, Timmy Swail rejoined the class in the ex Antion Cahill car during the season and showed great pace but was always short of luck. Gary Corcoran won the Fun Cup section in his beautifully prepared SOS Autobody car, from Jennifer Mullan’s Sayso.ie car and Mondello Park 2013 “Become A Race Driver” competition winner Mark O’Keefe in third.

Future Classics was another new class in 2013 and proved reasonably successful in its debut season. Capitalising on the 1979 cut off date of the HRCA class, as well as the disappearance of the Fiat Classes, they managed to attract a colourful and varied grid and produced some top class tin top action too. Ian Thornton’s Mk1 Golf GTi was pretty much unbeatable from the off, although Ken Fleming’s 1500cc Starlet was at least as fast by the season’s end. Robbie Parks chose an ex Stock Hatch 205 GTI, as did Ken Byrne and ex Uno racer Michael Clune, whilst Dan Byrne drove an unusual Chevette with great gusto. An MG Maestro, a Mini 7 and numerous Unos also joined in the fun, with more cars already being prepared for 2014 already.The GT class was another new addition to the Mondello racecard

for 2013, with Connaire Finn’s OPH.ie company sponsoring the class in its inaugural season. Finn’s Ginetta G50 was the class of the field and he romped to the title. Pat McBennett’s well driven Honda powered Elise got close early in the year but when Finn found some pace from the car after a mid season test day, he was untouchable, breaking his own lap record on the National track as he regularly dipped into the 57 second bracket! John Cardoo moved from the historics in his immaculate Mini and went well all year, managing second in the championship too. Alan Kessie was out in various different machines, his dice with Sean Doyle’s RT2000, whilst driving

Tom Hallisey’s GT3 Porsche, being one of the highlights of the season. Living legend Dan Rooney returned to Mondello for the first time in many years in his famous 998cc Imp. Former Ginetta Junior driver Megan Kessie also joined the fun in the ASK Racing 944 Turbo whilst Vinnie O’Reilly and Pete Murray both fielded T-Cars and were inseparable for most of the year!

Dave Kelly’s Crossle-BMW 9S was unsurprisingly the class of the HRCA field for most of the season, with Jackie Cochrane being the only one to cross the line ahead of the Gulf liveried machine, the Tiger taking the honours in Bishopscourt and Kirkistown. The new for 2013

At just 16, Jack Byrne was the youngest driver ever to race a Vee

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Joe Flynn Trophy, for MGB, Midget and Sprite variants was won by stalwart competitor Dave Moloney despite the best efforts of the similarly Midget mounted Wolfgang Schnittger. Detlef Heyer won the Pre ’55 series in hi beautiful BMW 328 from Ed Cassidy’s famous MG Magnette based Iona Special and Ken McEvoy, whon alternated between his A7 Special and Riley during the season.Alan Watkins added another Stryker Championship to his already impressive collection- pretty much dominating proceedings from the off. Alan Auerbach again had the pace to watch Watkins, but not yet the consistency. He is still great to watch though and the on the

edge style of driving he uses is a complete contrast to the super smooth Watkins. Series organiser Brian Kingston was third in the title chase with class returnee Andy Dalton in fourth.

There was some great racing from the YOKOHAMA ITCC series in 2013, especially at the front- as Erik Holstein and Dave O’Brien battled mightily in their superbly turned out BMW M3s. Ex Karter Rob Butler managed to beat the pair early on in his well driven Civic but the pace seemed to move on after that and despite his best efforts, he rarely got close to the Bavarian machines. Rob Savage took advantage of O’Brien’s non appearances at some rounds to split the RWD machines and take second in the

overall standings in his Integra. Norman Fawcett stepped down from the Super Touring class to win the Production class in his Civic, from G-Sport’s Owen Drought and JOMO’s Ian Radford, both driving Integras. Andrew Twomey had very little opposition to win the new Stock Hatch class but proved his prowess when the rain came, even giving the big boys trouble on occasion in his little Saxo!

Peter “Max” Drennan is usually the pace of the class in Global GT Lights, often playing with the pack to make a spectacle, but this all changed with the arrival of former Ginetta Junior frontrunner Jake Byrne on the entry lists. The pair were closely matched early in the season, often leaving the rest in their wake, but 4 straight wins for Byrne in the latter part of the year was enough for him to pip Max to the title by a single point. An improved Mark Twomey was third, the expat commuting from the UK to compete, as did fourth place man and former champion Mark “Bernie” Braden.

FF1600 visited Mondello a few times and the racing was excellent but 2014 will see the class return to the Kildare venue fulltime in the guise of the “Champion of

Mondello”. Classes will be run for Open, Pre 93, Pre ’90 and Pre ’87 cars and at the time of writing there seems to be plenty of interest, perhaps spurred on by Niall Murray’ super win at The Formula Formula Festival in Brands Hatch.

The other innovation in 2013 was the introduction of Mondello.tv- after a one off trial at a Rallycross meeting, the decision was made to begin live streaming all race events from Mondello and it became hugely popular with racers and fans alike. The Leinster Trophy meeting enjoyed over 7,000 views but when the Mondello.tv team accompanied the Patch Fiestas to Brands Hatch for the Formula Ford Festival the the hits really began to roll in. The coverage is still available on the Mondello.tv website and at the time of writing the Brands coverage has had circa 25,000 views- not a bad fact to drop to your potential 2014 sponsor!The Mondello season begins earlier in 2014, with a return to the traditional St Patrick’s weekend date so anoraks like myself won’t be starved of racing action for quite as long this winter.

Adam Macauley was on form in F Vee, winning the Crowne Plaza A series

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Barry Rabbit took an impressive Leinster Trophy in Formula Sheane

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HRCA Champion Dave Kelly in his beautiful Crosslé 9S

Holstein and O’Brien battled mightily in the ITCC series

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SPARKS Dinner raises £23,000 for charityPHOTOS: CHRIS NEELY / MODAFOTO.COM

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The Annual SPARKS NI Celebration of Motorsport dinner and auction was held in the Kings Hall Conference Centre and was once again a resounding success with £23,000 raised in

aid of Action Medical Research. A host of names from the world of motorsport both two and four wheels attended. Damon Hill was the special guest and was in conversation with Maurice Hamilton when guests were treated to some great anecdotes from his time racing.

For the first time this year team awards were presented and Roger Magee of KTM UK picked up the award for Two Wheel Team of the Year and James Hagan for Four Wheel Team of the Year with a special award presented to Raymond Moore in recognition of his development of young drivers. Previous recipients of the Contribution to Motorsport Award have included Eddie Jordan, Gary Anderson and Jeremy McWilliams and this year Ryan Farquhar was stunned when it was announced that he was to be honoured.

1. Kevin McKay and Peter Burnside from sponsors BDO.

2. Pamela Ballantine, Damon Hill, Georgie Hill and Alan Graham.

3. Robert Barrable, Alastair Fisher, Raymond Moore and Coleen Moore.

4. Stephen Cartwright, Maurice Hamilton, Jeanette Jardine and Damon Hill.

5. World and European kart Champion Charlie Eastwood with mum Suzanne, dad John and Lisa, Natalie, Johnny and Raymie Eastwood.

6. Bob Bell.

7. Tony Jardine.

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8. Garry and Kerry Jennings with Alan Tyndall.

9. Hal Catherwood, Arnie Black and Mike Todd.

10. Fiona Hedgecock, James Heaney and Barbara McDonald.

11. Hector Neil and Michael Dunlop.

12. Colin Turkington.

13. Maurice Hamilton.

14. Michael Lyons, Chris Atkinson, Frank Lyons and James Hagan.

15. Charlie Eastwood.

16. Robin Thompson and Lourda Geoghegan with Lucy and Stephen McCreery.

17. John and Wendy Lyons.

18. Kevin McNamee, Pamela Ballantine and Alan Graham.

19. Hazel and Ivan Fisher.

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Will Turkington steer from the rear in 2014?

BY: SAMMY HAMILL PHOTOS: ROY DEMPSTER

Will we see Colin Turkington in the British Touring Car

Championship in 2014? Will we see him in a BMW? He is cagey and non-committal.

“Maybe, maybe not,” says the 2009 champion who made a strong return to the series after a three year absence. “I’m working on a couple of potential deals at the moment, both inside and outside the BTCC. I have a few options and it is a matter of weighing up the pros and cons but it is early days and I can’t say what will happen. But one way of another I want to be racing in 2014.”

The prospect of a switch to the World Touring Car Championship is appealing but Turkington is honest enough to say his heart is in the British series.

“If it came down to a straight choice I would pick the BTCC,” he says emphatically. “It would have to be something pretty special to make me want to leave. I enjoy the whole package which goes with the championship, the friendships, the rivalries and I have loyal sponsors who have stuck with me. I wouldn’t want to walk away from them.

“But who knows what the next few weeks or months will bring. I

want to keep my options open.”One of those options has to be

the question of a front or rear-wheel-drive car. Turkington is the only driver in a decade to win the BTCC title in a rear-wheel-drive car and it could be argued that it was the vulnerabilities of the eBay Motors BMW which cost him a shot at a second title this year.

Rear-wheel-drive cars are susceptible to the slightest tap from the back and it cost Turkington the possibility of two victories in 2013 as well as more points in the penultimate round at Silverstone.

“The BMW has its advantages, especially off the startline and it is generally easier on the tyres although that wasn’t really the case so much this year,” he explains. “But it also has its disadvantages which were shown up at Snetterton and Silverstone. If anyone nudges you from the back at the wrong moment you are just a passenger.

“Gordon Sheddon and Matt Neale both did it to me at Snetterton and again Matt Jackson at Silverstone which cost me a lot of points. It is all part and parcel of racing but the way it is dealt with means the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. For instance, Gordon took me out of the lead at Snetterton and although he was

fined and had his licence endorsed he was allowed to keep the points for winning.

“If you get 12 points your licence is suspended but that never happens so some see it as worth taking the risk. The BTCC organisers are aware of this and are looking at changing the rule and not before time.

“But in general the driving standards are pretty good - you are talking about one or two isolated incidents and Snetterton was probably the only event where driving standards throughout the

field maybe weren’t as good as they should be.“

Having spent the best years of his career with West Surrey Racing and their BMWs, Turkington admits he is looking at a front-wheel-drive option and recently tested Gilham Racing’s Volkswagen CC.

“I’m well aware that front-wheel-drive cars have dominated the BTCC in recent years and it is something I have to consider,” he explained. “I was asked to test Tony Gilham’s VW at Silverstone and was quite impressed. I think it has potential.

Colin Turkington was punted off the track a number of times in 2013 with the offending drivers receiving little punishment.

Colin Turkington - still undecided about what he

will drive in 2014

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Smylie’s PeopleCarrickfergus racing driver Chris Smylie has ended his

2013 season in winning ways after securing his maiden saloon car title. The 21 year old drove his 240bhp front

wheel drive mini to the 2013 JCW Cup title at Donington Park Race Circuit in only his second season of competing in the JCW Cup (John Cooper Works) Class which is run within the Mini Challenge UK.

This season’s JCW Cup was made up of seven rounds, totalling 20 races over the season with some rounds holding a reverse grid race for good measure. The cup visited all of the UK’s major circuits as well as holding a European round at the Zandvoort race circuit in Holland, which turned out to be Smiley’s most successful round of the season by winning all three races.

Highlights of Smylie’s season were the nine victories he scored, gaining six lap records and the weekends were he dominated by winning two out of three races. The final JCW Championship table saw Smylie (299) topping it by 23 points from Chris Smith 276 and third placed Jake Packun 275. When combined overall with the Mini Cooper class Smiley still managed a credible third place overall.

As well as gaining the title Smylie’s name will be entered in to a draw for a touring car test with the leading Triple Eight Touring car Team, who currently run MG’s works effort in the BTCC.

Speaking at Donington Park Smylie said, “Winning this title has totally vindicated my decision to stay within the Mini family for another season and has allowed me to repay the faith of my sponsors. Its been great as this title carries on the momentum, adding to my long history of winning titles. Thanks must go to Team IN-MINI for running a faultless car all season JKC MINI Coleraine, Pic-Up Spares Swansea and J&W Body Repairs, Belfast.”

Smylie’s switch to tin-tops came after a highly successful career in Karts were he achieved multiple Irish, Scottish and British Championships. In more recent times Smiley was named Scotland’s Young Driver of the year in 2011 by the Scottish Motor Racing Club after his second season of competing in the Scottish Celtic Speed Mini Cooper Cup. In 2014 Smiley aims to progress his career by securing a drive in the Renault Clio Cup which is part of the British Touring Car Championship support package.

“But they say the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence and I have a great relationship with Dick Bennetts and West Surrey. And we have a whole year of information of the NGTC BMW to build on and carry through to 2014.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy coming back after a three-year gap, trying to develop a new car through the season and compete against some very strong team and driver combinations. But saying that, I think we did remarkably well to achieve what we did and generally we were at the sharp end of the grid and to get ten podiums and five wins with a brand new car I think was a job well done.

“It all came together very late and at the BTCC Media Day the car was still being built so the first few races really were testing sessions, getting the car calmed down and finding our feet. If you look back on the season it wasn’t really until Oulton Park that we started to show some performance - so I had a very strong second-half of the season and that is encouraging. It is clear that the potential is there.

“The signs are that there will be a maximum grid of cars next year and that illustrates the desire there is to be in the BTCC. The cars are probably more fun to drive now as well - they are quicker, they stop very well and I think driving wise they are a good thing. They also look more spectacular and they are generally more exciting to drive which is always a good thing.”

Overall, however, Turkington thinks things are much the same as when he left the BTCC at the end of the 2009 season.

“It has changed a little bit, but it is still very much the same BTCC paddock. A lot of the same faces are still there - there are a few new teams and drivers and the machinery is a little bit different now - but all the main things are exactly the same and in general it is the same teams and drivers at the sharp end of the grid.

“For me coming in with WSR, there was no settling in period and

I think that was one of the added bonuses that I came back into the championship with a team I knew very well, in a rear-wheel drive car and we are very strong in the engineering department and as a team we know a lot about rear-wheel drive touring cars.”

I get the feeling he would be reluctant to leave WSR and it is even clearer they need him. Despite having raced only occasionally in the previous three years he was a strong contender throughout the season and his final fifth place in the standings barely reflects his overall performance. Indeed, just how good Turkington was in his comeback year can be seen in the results of team-mates Rob Collard and Nick Foster.

They managed just one podium place between them and finished 13th and 15th respectively.

No wonder ITV commentator picks him out as Driver of the Year rather than new champion Andrew Jordan or Jason Plato or Sheddon or Neale.

Addison writes in his season review: “I’d argue that Colin Turkington was the most significant driver of the year. Why? Well, it was his return to the BTCC since he won the crown in 2009, his first season of NGTC, a brand new and undeveloped car and he also came into the season after being hit by Bell’s Palsy.

“He certainly wasn’t 100 per cent at the start of the season but he looked like a proper pro and shone season-long. He was unlucky to get roughed up at Snetterton and Silverstone and those dramas coupled with exclusion at Knockhill [not his fault, the engine was over-boosting] caused his season to unravel. Sometimes, Colin’s driving looks a bit nice to be in the BTCC: he doesn’t drive in the same robust way as others, but he can race hard and fast and his return to the championship was a welcome one.”

Let’s hope Addison and the excellent ITV4 team will have the opportunity to welcome him back again in 2014.

Steer from the rear?

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Chinese takeaway three out of four Bentleys

Bentleys might not be a common sight on the roads of Ireland but the Crewe

car builder is enjoying great sales success in China. Although owned by the Volkswagen Group and now returning a profit again, the cars pay tribute to the company’s great heritage that dates back 95 years. Chinese customers account for around three out of every four Bentley sales and such is the popularity that every Chinese province now has its own Bentley dealership.

Bentleys are still handmade in a factory that was set up to build Rolls Royce Merlin engines for the Second World War effort. There are 4,000 employees at the plant involved in design, research and development, engineering and production. The company exports £1billion worth of cars a year while VW spent £500 million upgrading the production facilities. There is also a fabulous museum that details the history of the marque and includes some priceless cars.

It’s obvious the workers take great pride in their work. To give an idea of how much care is taken while building a Bentley, a steering wheel takes a skilled machinist four hours of intricate work, while the dashboard is handmade by wooden veneer craftsmen and after each dashboard is finished, spare veneer is kept at the factory in case the original should ever get damaged. Similarly, the leather comes from cows that are farmed in Italy where the farmers don’t use any barbed wire in case it would damage the hides.

Workers on the production line have 9 minutes per work station to complete their assembly tasks, compare that with the Nissan factory in Sunderland where the time interval is now down to 59 seconds. While the styling and interior are all of Bentley’s own design, many of the underpinnings, electronics, brakes and suspension are from Bentley technicians prepare a V8 for installation

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the Volkswagen Audi Group parts bin and there is certainly no harm in that.

Bentleys are performance tourers and the latest versions of the Continental GT feature a new twin turbo V8 engine and the W12 engine. While the W12 looks quicker on paper, with a whopping 630bhp, the V8 feels lighter, sharper and on twistier roads, gives a much more responsive turn in. The W12 might be more suited for a blast down to Cannes, but the V8 certainly proved livelier on Welsh mountain roads.

The 4.0 litre, twin turbocharged Continental GT V8 engine delivers maximum power of 500 bhp at 6000rpm and an extraordinary peak torque of 660 Nm (487 lb ft) which is available across virtually the entire rev range from 1700 to 5000rpm, providing exhilarating performance and effortless power delivery in the Bentley tradition. Combined with a new close-ratio 8-speed automatic transmission, this translates into a 0-60 mph sprint time of 4.6 seconds for the GT coupe and a top speed of 188 mph.

The new V8 engine features variable displacement with a highly sophisticated engine management system, ensuring a seamless and imperceptible transition from V8 to V4 mode under light throttle load.

The high-technology V8 also features high pressure direct

injection, low friction bearings, thermal management, energy recuperation via the charging system, and innovative turbo charger packaging for greater efficiency. The instantly recognisable growl of the new 4.0 litre V8 engine sets it apart from its Bentley stablemates.

Expressing their potent, muscular character, both new Continental V8 models are distinguished by a black gloss matrix grille with chrome frame and centre bar, a red enamel Bentley ‘B’ badge, and a black matrix three-segment lower front bumper divided by distinctive body-coloured strakes.

At the rear, unique chromed ‘figure eight’ exhaust tailpipes, a dark lower valance and red enamel ‘B’ bootlid badge emphasise the sporty, contemporary identity of the new V8s.

Both Continental V8 models feature a state-of-the-art, all-wheel drive system employing an advanced Torsen differential and a 40:60 rear biased power split. This ensures safe yet dynamic sports car handling in all road conditions. With at least 500bhp under your right foot, it must take some serious development work on the transmission and suspension to get the power down, something Bentley are well experienced at achieving. Prices for the Continental start around £158,000.

STEVEN KANE BECOMES A BENTLEY BOYNorthern Irish racer

Steven Kane is confirmed as one

of three drivers for Team M-Sport Bentley, as the famous British marque of Bentley Motors returns to motorsport for the first time in a decade. Steven, who originally hails from Ballynahinch but now lives in Northampton, will star in the first race for the all-new Bentley Continental GT3 at the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi.

After several successful seasons in British Touring Car and American Le Mans Series championships, including winning the famous Sebring 12 Hour race in 2012, Steven spent 2013 racing the JRM Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series in Europe, finishing the championship in 4th position. Steven now aims to go a step further in 2014, competing in the same championship but now in the Bentley Continental GT3 run by Team M-Sport Bentley. Steven comments:

“Securing the drive with Team M-Sport Bentley is a dream come true. The chance to work with a manufacturer of Bentley’s reputation is fantastic, and I can’t wait to drive the new car against the competition. The next twelve months are going to be seriously exciting.”

Steven joins fellow British endurance racers Guy Smith from Yorkshire and Andy Meyrick from Cheshire to form a new team of entirely British “Bentley Boys” - named after the elite group of racers who took Bentley to five Le Mans wins in the 1920s. In so doing, Steven becomes the first Northern Irish Bentley Boy in the company’s history.

Three out of four Bentleys are bought by Chinese customers

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www.superdriveni.comwww.dmdairart.com Andrew Lyons 028 9263 8312

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REPORT & PHOTO: ANDREW BUSHE

Twelve year old Daniel Harper, from Annahilt, Co. Down, made history in 2013 by winning the Ulster Quad Championship, the Ulster Kart Championship and the Northern Ireland Karting

Championship in one season. Added to this was a victory in the Irish Kart Grand Prix giving the coveted GP plate and the CDMC karting championship and the Year 9 Dromore High School pupil has clearly a bright future in motorsport.

Using an LT80 Quad, Daniel dominated the Ulster Quad series, unbeaten in eighteen races, sewing up the championship with one round to go. “It was an excellent year, with no mechanical issues, or incidents and very enjoyable. Next year I will be moving up a class to the 200cc Blasters, so that will be a new challenge to look forward to,” commented Daniel.

After missing the first round of the Ulster Kart Championship, due to one of the only Quad clashes, he stepped into his Mini Max kart for round two and proceeded to win all four races. Having started karting in 2010, Daniel has had a rapid rise in that discipline, finishing fifth in the series on his debut season, and taking the 2012 Winter Series outright, leading up to this magnificent year. On the Quads, Daniel started racing at the age of five and with the exception of his first season has won a championship every year. He won the Ulster series and Co. Down series in 2012, but to have won Ulster Championships in two very different disciplines in the same season is unique. “It wasn’t so bad switching between the karts and quads from week to week. In fact racing the kart taught me the importance of holding a line and the race-craft learnt at the quads has stood by me,” said Daniel.

It’s no surprise that Daniel comes from a motor-sporting family, his father Stan having engineered some of Ireland’s top rally cars, his

Twelve year old Daniel Harper makes motorsport history!

mother Paddie was a leading co-driver, and even older sister Alex races Quads, and finished an impressive fourth in her class this season in both Ulster and club championships.

The family background is in rallying, as even grandad Raymond Reid competed in that sport, but Daniel who is a big fan of Sebastian Vettel, has his sights set on the world of racing at present, and has aspirations in the sport.

“I would love to get into Formula Ford racing when I’m old enough, then try to progress in racing and would love to make it all the way into Formula 1.”

Adrian Quaife-Hobbs brought his first GP2 Series campaign to a close with two strong drives through the field in the final rounds in Abu Dhabi. Storming through from a

pit lane start to finish 11th in race one, a return to race pace in race two netted the sixth fastest lap, but broken rear suspension brought his charge to an end just three laps from home.

Undertaking an intensive simulator programme in the six-week break since the last round in Singapore, Quaife-Hobbs arrived at the track optimistic of rounding out his first GP2 season with a repeat of the form that secured podium finishes in Monaco and Spa, and a maiden series win in Monza.

A brake issue on his 600bhp, four-litre V8 Mecachrome Dallara in free practice failed to dampen his enthusiasm and confidence ahead of qualifying, and with new brakes fitted to his Hilmer Motorsport car he headed into the session aiming for a good result. On his second run on new tyres, he flew through the first and second sectors, and was on for a strong grid position until a

red flag on the final sector slowed his progress and dropped him down the order.Despite that the 22 year-old took to the grid for the opening race in 17th. At the lights a rare mistake from the Briton left him stranded

on the grid, and with a second formation lap required was forced to start from the pit lane. A tremendous charge through the field over the course of the 29 laps, allowed the 2012 AutoGP World Series Champion to carve his way

through, and salvage 11th at the flag, to set him up for a potential top ten finish in Sunday morning’s final race of the season. A superb getaway saw the GP2 rookie gain five places on the run into turn one, entering the corner in sixth place. However the stricken

car of Johnny Cecotto ahead required quick-thinking avoidance techniques by the BRDC Superstar, but in the process Quaife-Hobbs hit another car, damaging his front wing and steering.

With just three laps remaining Quaife-Hobbs suddenly suffered rear suspension failure, a display of superb car control allowed him to safely pull off the track and into retirement, but brought his hopes of a top ten finish firmly to an end.

“It was a rather frustrating weekend in Abu Dhabi, we had a small brake issue in practice, and in qualifying my fastest lap was destroyed by the red flag, however the car was fast all weekend and I’ve had great fun with Hilmer Motorsport this year,” said Quaife-Hobbs.

For more information visit www.quaifehobbs.com

Quaife-Hobbs ends GP2 season on a charge

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Charlie Eastwood signs for Douglas Motorsport

2012 Rotax Max Karting World Champion Charlie Eastwood is set to make

his car-racing debut with Douglas Motorsport in 2014. The Belfast based driver is no stranger to this outfit as Team Principal Wayne Douglas raced with Charlie’s family in the early years of his own career. Now effectively turning full circle, Charlie joins Douglas for the most important step in his professional racing career to date.

Eastwood has spent nine years karting up to a World Championship level becoming one of Ireland’s most successful karters with titles including Rotax Max World Champion in 2012, Florida Winter Tour Champion and European Rotax Euromax Champion in 2013. Eager to make the transition to cars, Eastwood tested Douglas Motorsports Championship winning Formula 4 in Kirkistown and immediately impressed the whole team. “Charlie was very impressive for a newcomer to cars,” commented Team Principal Wayne Douglas. “I’ve known the Eastwoods for many years now and enjoyed a lot of success in karting myself racing with them in the early days of my own racing career. We’ve always kept

in touch and we all now feel that the time is right for Charlie to make his transition from a hugely successful Karting career to the UK’s premier single seater championship. I believe there is some exciting times ahead for both the team and Charlie in F4.”

Speaking just as the deal was confirmed, Charlie outlined his delight at joining the Douglas Motorsport team and his thoughts ahead of 2014, “Wayne has been a big part of my family before I was even born! It’s great now that we have this opportunity to race with his team. He’s got lots experience and I have a lot of respect for him as he’s a very quick driver which allows him to easily help people like me to make this transition. I’ve kept a close eye on the BRDC Formula 4 championship this year and it’s become really successful which is great. For someone like me coming from karts, this is a big step as with the sealed parts and limited setup changes, it requires a lot from drivers themselves to win and I certainly hope I can be in that position. Having spent nine years karting, I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the F4 at Grand Prix spec circuits like Silverstone in 2014!”

Charlie Eastwood and Wayne Douglas with the new F4 car

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Close finale to ChampionshipsWords and pics by John belshaW

The big talking point in the Northern Ireland karting scene of recent of

course has been the European Championship win by Charlie Eastwood which now makes him the most successful Irish driver at International Level.

On a local level though, the Ulster Karting Club Ulster (UKC) Championship and the North of Ireland Karting Association (NIKA) Northern Ireland championships have concluded another competitive year with the junior classes finishing very strongly which bodes well for next season.

The Honda Clubman Cadet class really held up well and up front it became a three way battle for the lead. Defending NI champion Dylan Tuite started out well but it was soon apparent that Shay Burns and Sam McDonnell, the Irish Kart GP winner in August were going to be hard to beat.

By mid season McDonnell was really punching in the wins and with Martin in hot chase Tuite was under some pressure. In the end the battle went to the final round and with none of the top three missing a round then when the dropped four individual race scores were accounted for it was McDonnell that came out on top just holding off Martin to win the series. Although a final meeting surge by Jack Irvine looked a threat to Tuite it was the defending NI champion that took the final podium place overall with Irvine in fourth and Tom

Edgar close behind in fifth.Phillip Patton and Se’og Martin

have had a close battle all year. As the season closed young Martin pumped in win after win but when the overall points tally and dropped scores were accounted for Patton turned out to be the winner overall. Laura Carey drove well in her races to take third overall.

Mini Max once again started out well with Daniel Harper, Jack McGaughey, Reece Barr and Michael Woods all in close contention in the early rounds. By mid season though Harper was the one with the most wins and looking strong for the season. After winning the Gran Prix Harper’s confidence grew and as the season closed he was well out in front.

The battle between McGaughey and Barr tightened and the well matched pair went right to the end for a decider. In the end McGaughey just pipped Barr for second but with the Irish ‘O’ plate to his credit young Barr has had a superb year also in the class. Steady driving by Woods saw him secure fourth from the improving Michael Hyde in fifth.

Junior Rotax Max saw Conor McPolin the dominant force all season and in the end despite the best challenges by Jack Graham and Samuel Harron he took the championships with confidence.

Prokart unfortunately suffered in numbers this season but with the class taking in the longer

circuit at Nutts Corner the racing was much closer throughout the field. Nigel Stewart continued his dominant run all year and secured the title by some margin from Tommy Fegan and Mark Murphy with Thomas Fegan and Derek Wilson rounding off the top five.

Without question, World Formula has become one of the backbone classes in recent years and up front the multiple Pro-kart champion Robert Devenney, David Lilburn and Neville Bell were the pace setters from the start. Mid season saw Bell challenge harder on the challenge for second with Devenney starting to really dominate at the front.

As the series closed Devenney did come under more pressure from Lilburn with Bell in hot pusuit. However, in the final analysis Devenney took yet another title with Lilburn second and Bell a comfortable third. Consistent performances by Peter Caldwell and Steven Stewart saw them round out the top five.

The Rotax Max class of course had a big boost early in the year with Belfast’s Charlie Eastwood winning the World Championships in the class and going all out also for the European championships in his hopes of making it to the world finals once again.

With such a race schedule Eastwood sat out the Ulster Championships and Darragh Cormack was the pace setter in the early races. Douglas Reid

started his best season to date and surged forward in second and with Daniel Burgoyne closer than the points showed by mid season the pair were helping keep the top three competitive.

Cormack however seemed unfazed and simply pumped in more and more wins and by the end had effectively demolised any chances of contention. Still, the rage for second did not let up and by the end of the year there were only four points in it or the equivalent of one race place which over a whole series is quite something.

In the end Reid was the one to just hold onto second from Burgoyne with David Irvine and Daniel Conlon in an equally close battle for the rest of the top five.

The Superkarts classes put out great grids all year with racing all round really showing off the very best these machines have to offer. With some non-gearbox drivers moving over this year the extra perspective and driving added to the classes.

In the 125 Superkarts Matt McGaffin, Noel Lindsay and past Rotax Max driver Stuart Coey really gave the series a great start with all three well matched. By mid season though McGaffin’s heat wins were really starting to show effect as he led the class and looked strong for the remainder of the season.

The top three never missed a round all season and that really added to the top three battle.

close gearbox racing has been evident all season

dublins darragh cormack made sure of the Ulster championships

World Formula provided packed classes all year

conor Mcpolin took on the super one series as well as the Ulster championships

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However, in the end, despite the surge by Lindsay McGaffin took the series with Coey a popular third to show that non gearbox drivers really can cross over well to gearbox racing. James Irvine just fended off Brian Jones for the rest of the top five.

The combined 250 National and Division One Superkarts also saw great racing all season and up front the defending NI champion Liam Fox really made it difficult for anyone to get a shout in the Division One class.

From the off Fox was dominant from Richard Dewart and Alan Witherow but as the year went on Fox, after taking the Irish Kart GP lost only three heat wins all year and went on to win by a large margin. Witherown gained ground mid season at the expense of Dewart

and that’s the way it went to the championship finish.

Visiting drivers Eoin Buckley and Warren Deery topped off the top five

In the 250cc Nationals it was Jonathan Adams who led the way in his best season of recent. As the season progressed, Dessie Black and Scott Greenaway were really at it in the close battle for second. In the end the pressure by Black paid off to see him take second from Greenaway with Stephen and Adam Foster rounding off the top five.

All in all, the Ulster Championships once again proved itself to be a superb championship. Anyone interested in seeing more karting over the winter should visit www.nikarting.com to see the race schedule.

Lisburn’s Kyle Price was the World Formula Class star at the season finale Gary Ireland Memorial race.

The grand finale of the last day saw a near capacity grid in the class and as luck would have it Nigel Stewart drew pole position with Moira’s Paul Prentice, a top five runner overall, beside him.

The early laps saw Stewart hold firm up front knowing well sure that the rapid pace of Kyle Price and Neville Bell would soon catch up on him in the ‘last man knocked out’ race. Sure enough, by lap four of the mammoth twenty five lap race, Price and Bell were on Stewart’s bumper.

A lap later and Price and Bell made it through. Two laps later Bell was in front in a race he wanted to win as one of the few in the sport at present that would have raced with Gary Ireland.

Once again Price and Bell were showing off everything the very competitive World Formula class offers but that battle then saw Waringstowns Peter Caldwell creep up and catch both off guard when he shot through to lead with just a few laps left.

However, Price once again had the contenders well figured out and in the last lap pulled off a perfectly timed move which let him take the chequered flag without risk from Stewart and Caldwell to top off what was a terrific final days racing in the sport.

Price Secures Gary Ireland Memorial

Lisburns Kyle Price 24 leading Neville Bell 36 and Nigel Stewart 30 to victory in the Gary Ireland Memorial race

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By Stephen toSh photoS: paul McFarland

CDMC Championships

Coleraine and District Motor Club’s Kart Section held their usual three round club championship over the summer months with the two rounds also counting for the NIKA

Championship. In the Honda Cadet, early pace setter and CDMC “young guns”

driver, Sam McDonnell won the cadet NW plate meeting but was pushed all the way in the championship by defending NIKA Champion Dylan Tuite and Jack Irvine, The championship went down to the final round with McDonnell taking the honours to add to his impressive season’s tally and the ever improving Tom Edgar took second in the series.

The Mini Max class was dominated by Daniel Harper with Jack McGaughey his only serious challenger pushing him all the way to the last race before the title was decided.

World formula had the strongest grids and Paul Prentice showed his class by taking the championship from NI Champion Robert Devenney.

Douglas Reid won the Senior max Class with David Irvine and Dean Gray second and third respectively.

CDMC wishes to thank the main championship sponsors Nutt Travel, Lindsay Ford, McDonnell Motors, Martin Mechanical, Culbertson’s Spar and The Kart Shop. In addition, each driver finishing in the top three has been entered in to the draw to win a Rally Experience day courtesy of Rally Storm. The draw for that will take place at the CDMC awards evening at the end of January.

Kart GP full of energy

The August Bank Holiday weekend saw Nutts Corner Circuit the hub of

the Irish action with the Ulster Karting Club, supported by Power Chron Energy, hosting the island’s largest meeting of the year for the Irish Kart GP plates.

In the combined Honda Clubman and Parilla Cadets, Sam McDonnell stamped his mark in pre-finals after rocketing through in the opening lap to win from pole man Tom Edgar and Seog Martin.

In the finals, McDonnell and Edgar had a quick scrap going into the opening turns but by half the lap McDonnell was back in front and was looking very strong. By mid distance, Jack Irvine was through the pack and starting to look a threat for second. That threat really developed in the last five laps with second swopping place many times. That tussle of course released McDonnell somewhat who went on to win comfortably. The final lap also saw Edgar hold his nerve once he got the lead and in the end took second ahead of a reasonably well pleased Irvine.

Seog Martin held on well in the finals to take fourth and win the Parilla class from Philip Patton.

In Mini Max, there was little doubting from early on that Daniel Harper was very keen to secure his first GP title. Being fairly dominant all season again showed and by the time of the finals Harper had taken heats and a start to finish pre final win. Nearest to him in pre finals were Ryan and Jack

Young with Jack McGaughey in hopeful form.

The finals took two attempts to get going but Harper held firm going into the opening sequence of turns with Jack Young on his tail. Harper was not going to let anyone near and by the end of the lap his lead was sending out a clear message. A bit of a gap formed between the two Young brothers as Power Chon’s Reece Barr came through to snatch fourth from McGaughey.

By mid distance Harper was well in front and not looking like he was going to be reeled in. By that stage another local British championship contender was on the move as Adrian Hegarty moved up to fourth. The three up front were well in front and in the case of Harper he was unstoppable and went on to win comfortably.

The Young brothers did close up somewhat with Jack holding firm in second from Ryan third. Hegarty did hold off Reece Barr to take fourth.

The Prokarts took to the longer of the two circuits which resulted in tighter racing and in the pre-finals Robert Devenney looked like he was after a double with a win in this class to go with his World Formula contention. Tommy Fegan and Nigel Stewart were a split second behind to confirm the closeness of the racing.

Devenney however had a real handful of an opening to the final and by the second circuit was down in fourth with Fegan taking charge. Stewart recovered quicker though and was soon challenging Fegan and

cadet_action at cdMc

daniel harper dominated the Mini Max class at the cdMc and ulster championships

louis Wall made his travels worth it by defending his Irish

Kart Gp title in 250 national

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Karting mournes ‘Mr Karting NI’July was something of

a sad month in local motorsport when the

remains of ‘Mr Karting NI’, Terry Wilkinson, were laid to rest in Newtownards.

After a few months of illness, Terry passed away on Tuesday 16 July in a year that saw Terry receive awards for his services to Motorsport for over 50 years and to The Scout Movement for nearly 70 years of service.

The Rev Ian Gilpin addressed a crammed Comber Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church and in his address highlighted the integrity qualities of Terry that were evident from a young age, making it no surprise that he would throughout his 77 year life race in just about every class but also hold just about every post of office going in the sport of kart racing.

It was not in karting however that Terry honed his competitive skills, which no doubt helped in his career in warranty sales. John Galloway, now an international commentator, remarked afterwards how Terry and himself raced at the equivalent of British Championship level in the 1950’s…….in Soap Box Racing within the Scouts movement!

Needless to say the pair ended up in karting after the second official race of the ‘new’ sport at Mays Market in late 1960. Terry also had a great interest in motorcycling and marshalled in many events, including the Isle of Man TT and was fortunately well enough this year to be able to attend. However, in the capacity as a parent Terry was also a past Chair of the Parents Association in Newtownards

where he settled with his wife Molly and his eventual kart racing sons Jonny and Keith.

Representatives were in attendance from MSA (the UK governing body of Motorsport) who had previously made an award to Terry for his “significant contribution to Motorsport in general and to Northern Ireland in particular”. The Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs and the Scouts Movement were also in attendance with the latter earlier in the year making an award to Terry for nearly seventy years of involvement with the movement.

Needless to say The North of Ireland Karting Association (NIKA), where Terry was one of the founding members, had many club representatives and drivers in attendance with just about every gearbox driver,

both past and present, in the country at the packed service. Representatives from the 2 and 4 Wheels Steering Group where Terry represented kart racing were also present and the Rev Gilpin also remarked on his time there to help direct Motorsport at local level.

In recent years Terry was instrumental in the formation of Bishopscourt Kart Club and earlier this year Terry also received an award from them for his services to the club and the sport. In the case of BKC they have gone on to run rounds of British Championships and the UK Cup.

In closing, all those people, no matter whether they are past or present drivers or past or present club members, extend their condolences to the whole Wilkinson family.

in the fourth lap both he and Devenney shot past to lead. For all but the last two laps that’s how it stayed but the closeness of all three indicated that anything could happen.

With a lap to go, Fegan made his move ahead of Devenney but couldn’t get the momentum to go past Stewart. In the end, Stewart surged through to win by just 0.4 seconds from Fegan with Devenney another 0.2 behind.

In World Formaula, Robert Devenney the defending champion again looked very strong by the pre finals only for a mid race issue to knock him down five places. That let Derek Wilson, another multiple double champion in four strokes, to go on to win from Neville Bell and Paul Prentice.

The finals saw Wilson storm out front with Bell holding on. However, Devenney was very determined and inside a few laps was back in the leading challenge. By mid race he had surged past Bell and was giving rapid chase after Wilson. Mid race saw Bell drop back further as Peter Caldwell started his attack. That surge of pressure took himself and Devenney right up on Wilson who was definitely feeling the pressure.

With two to go, Devenney made his move and managed to make it stick to go on and win by 0.35 from Wilson with

Caldwell well pleased in third.The Senior Rotax Max class had

none other than Charlie Eastwood on hand to demonstrate why he was defending World Champion and with the European Championships not long after the GP is without doubt the biggest international success story that has come from the province.

The Pre-finals saw Eastwood go out front from the off to win from Douglas Reid and Darragh Cormack.

Although the finals were something of a pushover for Eastwood the action was still hot, at least in the early stages, between Reid and Cormack. The early scrap however saw Cormack come out the better of the pair but by that stage Eastwood was in demolishing form. By the flag Eastwood cruised home with Cormack and Reid in close formation to top off the podium. The significance though was the decent turnout, which hopefully is a good sign for the future.

The Superkart classes produced some really strong entries that were very encouraging in a year that has seen a number of classes struggle.

In the 125 Superkarts, Matt McGaffin and Noel Brennan started out steady in the pre-finals but then had a good tussle for the lead mid way. In the end McGaffin won by just 0.6 seconds from Brennan and James Irvine who was very hopeful of another

title win.That was not to be so

however and when the rolling lap of the finals was over so too was Irvine’s race. From the off it was Brennan who went out in front and once there made it clear he was hanging on to it. McGaffin chased hard but as the eighteen lap marathon went on James O’Keefe clawed his way into the leading action. With two to go, O’Keefe made his move stick but Brennan was not for being reeled in with only a few laps left and went on to win.

O’Keefe was well pleased with second with McGaffin smarting somewhat after winning the pre-final.

In the 250 Superkarts, Liam Fox was keen to show in heats that as defending NI champion he wanted to add the GP to his trophy tally with wins to put him on pole for the pre final. However, Matthew Campbell too was really on form and after a quick start Campbell went on to win and throw down the challenge with Richard Dewart rounding up the top three Division Ones. Louis Wall was heading up the Nationals in his hopes of defending his title. However, a poor set of heats and a DNF in pre finals left him plenty to do come the finals.

The finals saw plenty of action off the line but by the time they made it into the ‘river’ section

of the circuit Fox was out in front with Dewart right in tow with Campbell in third. By the second tour Campbell was through to second and pressurising hard to show all this was going to be a close one. As the laps went on Alan Witherow started to show his determination and started to reel in Dewart.

As the race progressed it looked like Fox had the makings of it but Campbell was closing fast and with only one bend to go made his last chance move. Fox however kept the door well shut forcing Campbell to go around the long way and as the pair sped for the line Fox took the chequered flag from Campbell Witherow and Dewart.

However, post race scruitiny and enquiries saw Witherow promoted to second with Dewart in third. Louis Wall did indeed get it together at last to regain his National title from Jonathan Adams.

All in all, a great end to summer and the Ulster Karing Club would like to pay tribute to the contingent of volunteers that make such a great event happen but as the sponsor said in his prizegiving comments a big tribute to all the drivers, in particular the visitors, for supporting the Irish Kart GP.

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In only the first full season of racing at Tullyroan Oval (in association with Spedeworth

Motorsports), the fans were treated to some top class action on track from full grids of cars, right through from April until November. And whilst the local scene was blossoming, that also transferred onto the international stage, with the Dungannon venue

boasting no less than four World Champions come the end of the season.

The highlight of the year for many was John Christie’s World Championship triumph in the elite National Hot Rods division, emulating his legendary father Ormond who of course lifted the biggest prize in oval racing no less than five times during the eighties

and nineties. John became the first ever second generation winner of the World Final, and that after his very qualification for the race hung by a knife edge following a non-racing accident late in 2012, which left him with a badly broken collarbone and languishing down the local points chart.

Christie soon got back on form

though, and the rest as they say is history! When early leader and pre-race favourite Chris Haird from England hit trouble with backmarkers during the Ipswich-staged World Final, John swept through to relegate Jason Kew and lift the roof off the house as he took a very popular victory. Even John had doubted his speed before the race, but it all came together in emphatic fashion and he was the new owner of the coveted gold roof.

A month later and the National Championship at Hednesford Hills Raceway in Staffordshire, and Christie once again lifted the silverware in a race blighted by poor weather conditions. So imposing was his pace that he was even able to recover from a mid race spin and still take the chequered flag, and with it the one title that had always eluded his father. Another superb performance at Ballymena saw him also net the Irish Open title

Fantastic first full season at Tullyroan BY DARREN BLACK PHOTOS: BRIAN LAMMEY

National Hot Rod action at Tullyroan is always close. Here Mark Heatrick (960) in his Mercedes SLF fends off World Champion John Christie.

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in September, and at the halfway winter break John currently leads the 2014 World Championship qualifying points table for the Northern Ireland Championship.

The National Hot Rods have, as a whole, had one of their best seasons to date at Tullyroan. With car counts in the mid to high teens, the racing has been as close as it has ever been as the fastest cars on the ovals circulate at breakneck speed. The Dungannon venue proudly staged the British Championship in September, raced for by a star-studded field from across the British Isles, and whilst Christie was out of luck on this occasion, 2012 World Champ Glenn Bell from Portadown produced a masterclass to easily lift the British crown.

The smaller brothers of the Nationals, the 2.0 Hot Rods, also saw World Championship glory come home to Tullyroan, when young Randalstown ace Shane Murray finally did what he has threatened to do for a few seasons by taking the World title at Ipswich. Shane also became the first ever second generation winner in this class too, as his father John had won the World title back in 2002. Murray starred for much of the season in the formula, also lifting the British title for the third year in succession at the Summer Speedweekend at Tullyroan. He also took the Irish Open Championship title and the season long NI Points Championship, and finished second in the National Championship at Hednesford.

The 2.0 Hot Rods continually saw wheel-to-wheel racing at their weekly meetings which delighted the spectators, as the Ulster drivers dominated the formula. Portadown’s Adam Hylands was Murray’s biggest challenger throughout the season, taking National Championship glory and also the end of season Irish Championship. He also chased Murray across the line in the World Final in an Ulster one-two, as well as taking Scottish Open and Internations Cup wins during two successful trips to Lochgelly Raceway in Fife.

The highlight event of the year at Tullyroan was the World Weekender in September, when World titles for both the Lightning Rods and ProStocks were up for grabs. Against a talented field, Nigel Jackson managed to drive the race of his life to lift the Lightning Rods title, whilst Dungannon’s Ryan Abernethy was the man

who powered through to the ProStocks World Cup win amidst the unbelievable atmosphere of the Speedweekend Saturday night. The Sierra-based Lightning Rods were a real backbone of the local weekly events, with Gordy McKee winning the Irish title and Gary Beggs taking a sensational, if surprise, win in the Oval Racing Council (ORCi) Championship at Cowdenbeath in Scotland.

The ProStocks have been arguably the biggest positive of the season at Tullyroan Oval, with an astonishing 70+ drivers having raced at one time or another during the year. The budget light-contact formula allows the ordinary working man to compete at the highest level, and they have produced some of the best races seen at the track since its construction. None more so than the Irish Open title decider at the Summer Speedweekend, which produced one of the closest and most dramatic finishes ever! Abernethy was again the victor, but only after his late lunge at NI Points Champion Stefan McClelland had gone horribly wrong. The two cars entered the last lap tangled up and on the grass, only for Abernethy to get all gathered up quickest and

race round to the flag, much to the astonishment of the huge crowd on the terraces. Crowd participation is most certainly encouraged at Tullyroan Oval!

They say the future of any sport is in the young blood coming through, and for 2013 the Ninja Karts for 6-11 year olds were introduced to the local track. The uptake was phenomenal, with 20 of the young terrors blasting round the track during the season in what look like mini Sprint Cars. They brought smiles to even the most hardened onlooker, as their pace and driving at times was nothing short of exceptional. Donaghcloney’s Niall Cregan took the inaugural Irish Championship crown, with Ballymena’s Adam McFall and Ballykelly’s Matthew Nicholl also major winners during the year. All are notably sons of current or former racers, and they are certainly getting a superb grounding in the new class. The girls aren’t left out either, with Sophie Willis taking a number of wins and Keeley Farquhar, daughter of motorcycling legend Ryan, also joining in the fun.

Our other underage class, the Junior Productions for 11-16 year olds, were dominated during the year by Nutts Corner teenager

Bradley McKinstry, who landed both the Irish Championship and NI Points Championship titles. Edmund Davis, Shane McMillan and Dean McCrory were others who shone during the season, and they will soon all be ready to move up to the senior ranks.

The crowd pleasing National Bangers once again had a great season at Tullyroan, with action aplenty from the bash and crash brigade. The flagship race of the local season, Shamwreck, saw entries from far and wide including Belgian Bart Versmissen, although it was Coleraine’s Kieran McIvor who avoided the carnage to land the big prize. Kieran then completed the dream double by taking the Nutshaker title later in the season too, whilst Dublin’s Steven Reynolds took the Irish Championship and the track points title.

Two other new catgegories were introduced during 2013, with the Superstox filling the gap for single seater racing at the venue. Numbers encouragingly grew during the year, with Aughnacloy’s Kyle Beattie landing the Irish Championship ahead of his two main rivals during the year, the Grattan brothers Denver and Gary. The other new formula was the 1400cc non-contact Stock Rods, in which Raymond Harper took the biggest local prize, the NI Supreme title, and Scotland’s World Champion Chris Lattka won the Irish Masters against a huge field at the September Speedweekend.

All in all it was a fantastic season at Tullyroan Oval, both on the local and international stage, and with some more major events set to be contested at the purpose built arena in 2014, things look as though they can only get better!

Tullyroan Oval’s Darren Black presents a special award to John Christie to mark his win in the National Hot Rods World Championship at Ipswich.

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Having shown some excellent promise in recent years, Adam Hylands from

the Birches outside Portadown really did deliver at the highest level during 2013, guiding his Citroen Saxo 2.0 Hot Rod to victory in his first ever major championship races. Adam also enjoyed an excellent run on the home stage too, where along with Shane Murray and Derek Martin he dominated the weekly racing.

They say the first major title is always the hardest to land, and despite knocking on the door for a couple of years, Adam just couldn’t find his way onto the top step of the podium. That was until September, when at Hednesford Hills Raceway in Staffordshire he raced to the National Championship crown. It was a race the Ulster drivers dominated, with Shane Murray and Derek Martin filling the podium. Hylands had qualified on pole position for the championship final following the heats, and he wasn’t to be shifted from the top spot throughout the final at the UK’s fastest oval circuit.

Little over a month later, Adam was again tasting the

Profile – Adam Hylands (54)

champagne, this time in the Irish Championship on home ground at Tullyroan Oval. Lined up in order of points scored during the season, he started alongside his big adversary Murray, and for the opening laps the two circulated

side-by-side at the head of the field. They then sensationally became hooked on each other, skating wide and handing the lead to Adam Best. When Best and Murray then clashed, Hylands was in the perfect place to

capitalise and land the coveted Irish title.

The #54 team always have their Saxo in tip-top condition, and it is a credit to Adam and his mechanics that it seldom goes on track without looking immacualte. With well in excess of 25 outings per season, that really is no mean feat at all, and there are many hours spent in the workshop between events.

Adam also came very close to landing World Championship honours in 2013, when he fell just short during the big final at the Ipswich Spedeweekend. He qualified at the front alongside eventual winner Murray, but fell back initially to third position. He quickly made it back through to second, but although he closed on the leader nearing the end he couldn’t quite get on terms.

The Hylands team put in plenty of road miles during the seaon too, with Adam finding a liking for the Lochgelly Raceway in Scotland, where he won both the Scottish Open and Inter Nations Cup titles. 2013 was the best season to date for Adam and his team, and you can be sure they will be aiming for more major championship glory in 2014.PHOTOS: BRIAN LAMMEY

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Portadown’s Glenn Bell had yet another successful season in the National

Hot Rods in 2013, taking an emphatic win on his home circuit at Tullyroan Oval to land the British Championship crown. He was also crowned Northern Ireland Champion in some style too, comfortably taking the points title for the 2012/13 season. It takes consistency and

Profile – Glenn Bell (9)

determination to win the NI Championship over the course of a full year, but Glenn was able to stamp his authority on proceedings before the winter break, and despite having to start each race from the rear of the field he was always in control right until the end.

Having been successful in the World, National and Irish Open Championship races in 2012,

it was always going to be a tall order to better or even equal that, but Glenn once again had a top season, being right on the pace at all the big events across the UK, as well as at home. The NI Championship crown in National Hot Rods runs from July to July, determining the qualifiers for the World Championship at Ipswich. Glenn’s pace will have pleased him immensely, as he cruised home to a easy win over all his rivals, before going on to put the Bell Building Services-backed Vauxhall Tigra on pole position at Ipswich for the biggest race of the year. Having led the early stages of the World Final, Glenn looked in good fettle to retain his crown. Mid race and his car began to lose pace, and as the handling deteriorated he was forced to give best to fellow countryman John Christie. The quest for back-to-back World titles just wasn’t to be, and Glenn had to settle for third in the end. The loss of his World title was somewhat sweetened by a solid win in the Best in Britain Championship on the Sunday afternoon, in front of the appreciative Ipswich Spedeweekend crowd.

Right from the opening of Tullyroan Oval in 2012, Glenn has always excelled on his local circuit. He has his car perfectly

dialled in to the challenges the new circuit presents. To prove that point Glenn dominated the British Championship at the venue in early September, qualifying on pole position and leading all the way to victory against a formidable field boasting many of the top racers from right across the British Isles.

Glenn drew pole position for heat one, which he quickly turned into a commanding win, before returning to sixth from the very back of the field in the second encounter. That was enough to see him take pole position for the British Final, and once he had weathered the early challenge there was only ever going to be one winner. The victory donuts at the end showed just what it meant to Glenn as he gained the black and white chequers of British Champion for his roof.

For 2014 Glenn will be hoping to make a real effort at regaining the World Championship crown, and his 2012 achievements bode well in his quest to do just that. Lifting that British title on home ground was a fine achievement, but the resolve as well as racecraft shown over the course of a full season on his way to the points-based NI Championship will have been right up there for Glenn on his list of honours.

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To win a World title in short oval racing is a dream come true for any driver, but to

do so at your home track is an even better achievement. That is exactly what Nigel Jackson pulled off this year when he was crowned 2013 Lightning Rods Champion of the World at his local Tullyroan Oval in September. It really was a fairytale story, as the likeable Portadown man finally got his hands on the World title, and with it completes his full set of every major championship the formula has to offer.

Two years ago Nigel was a retired former champion, having been right at the top of the Lightning Rods tree for many seasons.Indeed, his battles with Stephen Emerson were almost legendary, and it looked as though we had seen the last of him when he hung up his helmet. In a career spanning over a decade, Nigel had managed to win European, National, British and Irish titles, some more than once too, but that gold roof of World Champion had always eluded him. It looked like it could well go down as the one that got away.

Fast forward to the opening of Tullyroan Oval in mid 2012, and with racing transferred from Nutts Corner to the new circuit, it was right on the doorstep of

Profile – Nigel Jackson (902)

Nigel. You can’t keep a good man away, and a 12-year-old Sierra that Nigel had first used on his introduction to the formula was pressed into service to try out the all-new facility. Slowly but surely the car was tweaked, the driver brought back up to speed, and by mid 2013 the whole package was together again and ready to challenge for titles.

When the 2013 World Final was staged at Tullyroan in September, it was a wide open event. There were so many potential winners being touted from right across the formula that it was always going to be a

hard fought weekend of racing. When the chips were down and the pressure on, Jackson stood up to be counted. During the closely contested qualifying heats he carded a second in his opener, before returning from his rear grid start to third in his second outing. They were two drives which demonstrated his enormous experience of the big fields and the big occasions, and left him proudly sitting on pole position for the World Championship final.

The biggest race of the season at Tullyroan saw Jackson produce an absolute masterclass, leading all the way from flag to flag

to land the gold roof and the biggest prize of them all – World Champion. It wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagaination, as Nigel fought off a concerted onslaught from Brendan McConnell for most of the race.

Gordy McKee moved through to challenge in the closing stages, and despite even coming alongside Nigel during the final lap, Jackson had it all under control and took victory with clenched fist out the window in salute. It really was a fairytale ending, as he lifted the crown that so many thought would elude him forever, and on home soil too.

Four champions at Tullyroan. From far left: Nigel Jackson, Ryan Abernethy, Shane Murray and John Christie.

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In 2013 Randalstown’s Shane Murray finally achieved what so many had said was only a

matter of time – joining his father John as a short oval racing World Champion! As a star man in the Junior Productions during his early teens, and then the front wheel drive Stock Rods, Shane soon moved up to the 2.0 Hot Rods and quickly served notice that he was now right where he belonged. In 2011 he was British and National Champion, in 2012 British and European Champion, before this year he finally got his hands on the coveted World Championship crown. And for good measure, a hat-trick of British titles came his way too.

Every three years the 2.0 Hot Rods World Championship is staged at Ipswich Spedeweekend, supporting the National Hot Rods World Final. Such is the stature of the class nowadays, that is the perfect stage for the big race, and Murray arrived there in early July in determined mood. A huge field of cars meant that all had to be perfect, and Shane drove two exemplary heats to land pole position for the big race, with his arch rival and fellow countryman Adam Hylands alongside.

The Saturday evening atmosphere in the dusk was electric as the cars gridded for the World Final. Many could, and would, have buckled under the pressure, but Murray had his

Profile – Shane Murray (70)game plan and all fell into place. He led from flag to flag, and was equal to anything Hylands wanted to throw at him once he got through to second spot. Eleven years after his father’s World title success at Portadown’s Shamrock Park, the gold roof in the class was on its way back to their Randalstown garage business. As if that wasn’t enough for the weekend, the following day saw a ‘World Revenge’ race with the grid the reverse of the World Final the previous evening. In an absolute masterclass that had the whole stadium applauding, Shane hit the outside and worked his way from last on the grid to the very front in a euphoric drive.

With the World Championship trophy safely on the mantelpiece, Shane turned his attentions to the British title, being held on his home Tullyroan circuit. Having taken the title at Northampton and Ipswich for the previous two seasons, it really would be quite an achievement to pull off the hat-trick. Qualifying seems to be Shane’s forte, and once again he set the pretty #70 car on pole position, before heading former World Champ Wayne Woolsey home by a distance in the final after yet another dominant display.

It was almost a carbon copy at the second Tullyroan weekender of the season in September, when in the Irish Open Championship

Murray once again qualified on pole position and left the rest trailing in his wake to land yet another title triumph. There were also wins in the season long NI Points Championship and the Wash ‘n’ Dash mini-series too for Shane, as well as a runner up spot in the National Championship at

Hednesford.2013 couldn’t have been much

better for Shane Murray, but you can bet he’ll be going all out to make sure he dominates once again in 2014, especially if the rumours of a Tullyroan-staged World Championship final come to fruition.

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2013 turned out to be a fairytale season for John Christie, but back at the

turn of the year things were looking far from good for the Crumlin garage owner. A non-racing accident towards the end of the previous season had seen John suffer a badly broken collar bone, and although he struggled on through the pain barrier his hopes of qualifying for the World Final were balanced on a knife edge.

However, not only did John manage to qualify for the World Final after a scintillating end to the local qualifying season in May, but he did so in second place and in the crucial first group, which guaranteed him a start in the first block of the grid for the Ipswich-staged World showdown in July.

During qualifying at Ipswich John felt that his Tigra ‘wasn’t good enough’, as he sat fifth on the grid. But how wrong was he about to prove himself? He slowly settled into the race, and worked his way up to third, and then second with a great pass on England’s Jason Kew. Only European and English Champion Chris Haird stood between John and victory, and when he got caught up with a backmarker and went out with broken suspension, it was all falling into place.

The only problem was that Kew had nipped back past Christie in the ensuing melee, but John quickly eyed up his prey

Profile – John Christie (962)

once again and swooped right around the outside to take up the running, leading all the way to the chequered flag and the biggest prize in oval racing. At last he had joined his five times winner Dad Ormond as National Hot Rod Champion of the World! It really was a dream come true for the whole ‘#962 crew”, and they partied well in to the following week!

A month later and the National Hot Rods circus was at Hednesford Hills Raceway in Staffordshire for the National Championship. With the gold roof on the Tigra John was in confident mood, and promptly qualified the car on pole position

after the series of heats on Saturday. As the cars sat on the grid for Sunday’s final though, the heavens opened and they set off into the 75 lap final on slick tyres. It really was a test that would separate the men from the boys so to speak, and John quickly established a race winning lead, such was his dominance. He even survived a mid-race spin after a tangle with a backmarker, regaining his exposure and his lead in super quick time. The dream double of World and National titles was now in the bag, but the Christie steamroller was far from finished.

Early September saw the best in the UK head over here

to Northern Ireland for our international weekend. Whilst John was out of luck after a heat two collision in the British Championship at Tullyroan Oval, the Irish Open at Ballymena the previous evening had seen him once again at his magical best. Inside, outside, it didn’t matter as John swept to victory for his third championship win in under two months!

John has also been bang on form on the domestic scene too, and currently tops the race for the 2013/14 Northern Ireland Championship at the half way winter break. It certainly was a dream year for John Christie – what does 2014 hold in store?

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What’s newThree NEW RPM DVDs

McRae, just Colin

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Incredible action added to the very special atmosphere of today’s World Rally Championship – these are the ingredients that make McKlein’s XXL calendar “Rally 2014 – The Wider View” so amazing.

Price: 39.90 euroswww.rallywebshop.com

The Tarmac Review Series now covers the years between 1989 and 2012, following the addition of TARMAC 1998 – Brookes Bags it & TARMAC 1990 – Brilliant BMWs. The TARMAC TITAN

SERIES tells the stories of six great drivers who have conquered the Irish stages. The CLASSIC EVENTS SERIES is about the histories of the Circuit of Ireland, Donegal International, and Lurgan Park rallies, so there wasn’t much point in churning them out old material in another form.

However with 500 RPM programmes on the shelves there is plenty of footage that deserves a second look.

BEST OF THE REST OF RPM - Volume 1 starts with a reminder of some of the classic moments from all the RPM shows, but it is more a ‘lucky bag’ of rallying (West Cork, Stonethrowers, Toshiba, Sperrins, Lark in the Park, Luxembourg); classic events (Circuit Retro, Pirelli Classic); historic anniversaries (Dundrod & Ards TTs); some great racing (Senna at Mondello, Dundalk Street races, Spa Ferrari Days); and specialist events (Autotest & Sporting Trial).

1989 & 1999 ADDED TO TARMAC REVIEW SERIESTARMAC 1989 and TARMAC 1990 join the catalogue consisting

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The new Tarmac Review titles are available online from www.rpm-motorsport.com at £14.99 (€ 23.50) + P&P. Or you can buy any 5 of the TARMAC REVIEW SERIES DVDs in a box set for £49.99 (€60).

Tel: 028 6863 3000

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Ireland’s motorbike racers continue to dominate at world level in all categories of the sport. Billy McCullins reflects on their global successes during 2013.

Michael Dunlop takes the TT to the next level...“We’re here to make

history” quipped the ever bullish

Michael Dunlop as he claimed his third victory of TT 2013 from three starts. The 25 year old had just set a lap time of the 37 miles Island course which defied logic – an average speed 131.22 mph and 3.5 seconds slower than the outright lap record. He hit those numbers on a basically standard Honda Fireblade compared to the £100k+ machinery which John McGuinness had at his disposal when setting the record.

Speculation among spectators perched in the hedgerows around the island inevitably turned to whether Michael could possibly repeat the unrepeatable feat of Ian Hutchinson’s five victories from five races in 2010. And this was only Monday of the most demanding week of road racing in the world.

Behind the speculation though there was substance. The Michael Dunlop of 2013 was a very different proposition to the angry young privateer of recent seasons. There was the Honda

Eugene Laverty had a career best season with Aprilia.

Michael Dunlop - making history at the Isle of Man.

www.vauxhallnorthwest200.co.uk

Race Week 10th - 17th May 2014

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factory contract and machinery, initially just for the International road races, but extended to include circuit racing with the world endurance team following his impressive performances at Honda’s pre-season testing. There was the weight loss, the gym sessions and even a slight influence evident from the Honda PR department. But most telling was the admiration from fellow competitors. John McGuinness was Michael’s Honda team mate this season and at the start of TT week 2013 was regarded as the undisputed king of the island. He was widely tipped to add to his tally of 19 wins but with each race that ended with Michael climbing to the top step of the podium, John’s crown slipped a little more.

“I was speechless about how fast Michael was riding” observed McGuinness after Michael passed him and he tried following in his wheel tracks for a few miles. “I’ve never seen anyone ride the TT like that. He’s lifted TT racing to the next level”.

When Michael lifted a fourth trophy from four races on the Wednesday, speculation reached fever pitch for the prestigious

final race, Friday’s Senior TT for 1000cc Superbikes. The sun shone brightly, tens of thousands of spectators lined the course and when Michael lead at the end of lap one everyone thought it would play out as it had done all week. Nobody counted on a new outright lap record from McGuinness to move himself into top spot at the end of lap two and from there he held Michael at bay to spoil the story for sports journalists everywhere.

2013 was the season when everything aligned itself in Michael’s world and we finally saw the true potential of the next generation of Dunlops. His years of racing experience in all weathers around Ireland, mechanical knowledge and sympathy from seasons preparing his own bikes, natural talent from the Dunlop genes and above all the bravery of youth, were collectively combined with Honda machinery to devastating effect.

The enigma that is Michael Dunlop continues to fill sports columns even though the 2013 season has now drawn to a close. He is without doubt the world’s hottest property in road racing and yet for 2014 is unemployed. He couldn’t agree terms with Honda and he talks of all offers from all interested teams being too restrictive. Apparently he is taking a year off in 2014 – but nobody believes that.

World SuperbikeS Another Irish rider who was nearly unemployed for 2014 is Toomebridge’s Eugene Laverty. Now based in Monaco, the 27 year old enjoyed a career best season with the factory Aprilia team in World Superbikes, finishing a close runner-up in the championship. Victories in Australia, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, America and Spain left Eugene a tantalising 23 points adrift of the number 1 spot in one

Jonathan Rea endured another season on the Honda Fireblade.

Marty Nutt took an amazing 15 podiums from 16 races.

www.vauxhallnorthwest200.co.uk

For all the latest newsand online ticket prices visit

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of the world’s highest profile bike racing series. With 19 podiums compared to the 18 of eventual winner Tom Sykes, Eugene was left to reflect on his non-finishes during 2013 which effectively cost him the championship. But with his French team mate on just one victory all year and a further 20 points behind him in the overall standings, Eugene must surely have expected his expiring contract to be renewed. However an Italian team loves an Italian rider and the opportunity to sign Marco Melandri from BMW proved too tempting for Aprilia.

Recent confirmation is that Suzuki will be Eugene’s new team for 2014, allowing him to remain in World Superbikes for a further season. With just two podiums from the team in 2013, Eugene’s development skills will be much in demand during the Winter testing dates. There appears to be a bigger plan afoot though, as Suzuki have confirmed their return

to Moto GP in 2015. Rumour has it that Suzuki fended off a multitude of offers for Laverty’s services with the promise of a ride in the sports premier series in 12 months time.

Ireland’s other World Superbike representative continued his career long loyalty to Honda in 2013. Jonathan Rea endured another season of the Honda Fireblade trailing its rivals at most circuits around the world. A revamp of the bike is overdue but not scheduled to be delivered upon until 2015 and it was the rider aid electronics which caused most problems for the 26 year old Larne man this season. His talent did shine through at the Silverstone round of the championship though, taking Honda’s sole race victory for the year. The joy was short lived however when at the very next round at the Nurburgring a high speed crash resulted in a broken femur, sending Rea home to the Isle of Man to convalesce.

BRITISH SUPERBIKESWith no representatives in the premier 1000cc Class of British Superbikes, it fell to Alastair Seeley to carry local honours in the ultra competitive 600cc Supersport Class aboard the Gearlink Kawasaki. A thrilling season long battle came down to a final round showdown, with the Carrickfergus rider just losing out but once again reinforcing his natural talent.

The British Superbike Series is one of Europe’s best race packages for spectators. In addition to the factory supported 1000cc Superbike and 600cc Supersport championships, spectators enjoy a weekend long programme of support races. For 2013 the Ducati Trioptions 848 challenge has been one of the most talked about support races for the quality and excitement of the racing.

The concept of one make championships is a well tested one. All riders on identical machinery, resulting in talent and

bravery shining through. For 2013 the Ducati series has been no exception with grids of 21 bikes lining up for 16 races around the UK. Castlerock’s Marty Nutt saw them all off to claim the title, recording an amazing 15 podiums from 16 races. Nutt’s victory was still not assured until the very last race of the season, such was the level of competition, but at 37 years of age it is all the sweeter for the former Irish circuit racing champion.

ROAD CLOSINGMarty Nutt is the son of former North West 200 Clerk of the Course Billy Nutt and once again that event found itself in the headlines as the cruel victim of Northern Ireland’s climate. Under the current stewardship of Mervyn White and with Vauxhall as title sponsor, for the second time in three years Saturday racing was rained off.

The event fills hotel bedrooms, bars and restaurants like no other motorcycle event in Ireland and indeed very few events from any other sporting discipline. The audience is no longer Northern Ireland day-trippers but increasingly tourists from throughout these Islands and Europe. The commercial stakes are high, television and radio scheduling hard won and all put at risk from an eight hour weather window.

A cry for more flexible road closing orders went out following this year’s washout and was further reinforced by the cancellation of Thursday racing at August’s Ulster Grand Prix. Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy promised a public consultation on the issue and announced in October that his findings indicated widespread support existed for such a change in legislation. It is hoped that these changes to the law can be in place for 2014, allowing organisers of both 2 and 4 wheel events to amend road closing times at short notice and allow tourists to plan trips in the knowledge they will see motorsport action.

Marty Nutt in the Ducati series.

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Retro TT winners Simon and Paul Woodside

After three days of competition made up of speed, navigation and regularity tests, former British Rallycross champion, Dermot Carnegie and Paul Bosdet were the winners of the Circuit Retro.

The Ford Escort Mk1 crew fended off early leader Eamonn Byrne by 56 marks. The Retro TT category was won by Simon and Paul Woodside (Toyota Starlet) by 28.4 marks from Alan Harryman’s Mazda MX5.

UAC CIRCUIT OF IRELAND RETROSPECTIVE TRIAL 1. Dermot Carnegie & Paul Bosdet (Ford Escort) 123 marks. 2. Eamonn Byrne & Paul Phelan (Mini Cooper S) 179.3m. 3. Michael Reid & John Lindsay (MG Midget) 195.3m. 4. Frank Lenehan & Anthony Preston (Datsun 100A) 267.6m. 5. Tim McKie & Gavin Millington (Rover 3500) 536.1m. 6. Tony McLaughlin & Clifford Auld (BMW 323i) 566.8m. 7. Ernie Campbell & David Johnston (Peugeot 104 ZS) 577.1m. 8. Noel Cochrane & Paddy McCollum (MG Midget) 844.9m. 9. Bryan Mutch & Ken McEntee (MGB) 129.9m. 10. Robert Dickson & Sam Baird (Mini Cooper S) 133.9m.

Class winners: Eamonn Byrne & Paul Phelan; Frank Lenehan & Anthony Preston; Michael Reid & John Lindsay; Tony McLaughlin & Clifford Auld; Bryan Mutch & Ken McEntee.

RETRO TT 1. Simon Woodside Jnr & Paul Woodside (Toyota Starlet) 68.3s. 2. Alan Harryman & Suz Graham (Mazda MX5) 96.7s. 3. Brian Crawford & Michael Gilmore (Mazda MX5) 219.8s.

Carnegie Hauls in the Retro BY WILLIAM NEILL

Overall winners Dermot Carnegie and Paul Bosdet

Robert Dickson and Sam BairdEric Martin and Brendan Mullan

Frank Lenehan and Anthony Preston

Paul Williamson and Conor Kennedy

Alan Harryman and Suz Graham

Tim McKie and Gavin Millington

Mark Brownlee and Ryan Jones

Eamonn Byrne and Paul Phelan

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The International Auto Show returned to Frankfurt in mid-September with over 1,000 exhibitors from more than 34 countries occupying the maze of

exhibition halls. While the show was intended to feature the latest in automotive design and technology, the multi-million Euro stands also attracted attention with the German manufacturers displaying their dominance on home territory.

Opel / Vauxhall provided the most stunning show model, bringing back the Monza badge for their gull-wing sports model, while Kia asserted its blossoming reputation with the Niro, a concept giving strong clues to a possible new B-segment contender. Both cars combined electric power with an internal combustion engine.

Not to be outdone, the French manufacturers did themselves credit with Renault displaying a superb range of concept vehicles, closely supported by Citroën and Peugeot. However, the common theme among all manufacturers was the underlying technologies which focused on both the structural materials and engineering advancements. F1 technology is now entering the mass market with carbon fibre and aluminium alloys used in several new cars.

But below the surface of the stunning concepts was the main thrust of the show – technological advancements and environmental commitment. The investment in this alone was sufficient message that there was no lacking in confidence as to the future of the industry and Frankfurt very much showed that the industry felt that it was comfortably on the path to recovery.

BY JIM McCAULEY

The Frankfurt Motor Show

The Peugeot Oynx concept

The new Kia Soul

BMW’s new i3 model

The Opel Monza features gull wing doors

The new VW XLT concept

The latest styling cues from Renault

The Kia Niro concept

The Alfa Romeo 4C

Fiat’s latest 500

CarSport

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CarSport sponsors ANICC’s 50th birthday celebrationsPHOTOS: ESLER CRAWFORD

The Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs celebrated its 50th birthday at the MSA sprint at Kirkistown in July and the celebratory lunch was sponsored by CarSport Magazine.

Guests included Nick Bunting, Chief Executive of the MSA as well as former BTCC Touring Car Champion Colin Turkington and Jonathan Bell, MLA. ANICC Secretariat Nicky Moffitt hosted the event which also saw guests from the various discplines of motor sport in attendance.

Nicky Moffitt, secretariat of the ANICC with BTCC driver Colin Turkington and Robert Kelly, treasurer of the ANICC.

The special 50th birthday lunch was sponsored by James and Gladys Greer of CarSport

President Ronnie Trouton with members of the Autotest Drivers Club.

Alan Drysdale of 2+4 Wheel Motorsports with Robert Barr of 500 MRCI.

Ronnie White, Denis Biggerstaff and Ian Lynas.

Jonathan Bell, MLA with Colin Turkington and Nicky Moffitt, secretariat of the ANICC.

Nick Bunting, chief executive of the MSA and Ronnie Trouton cut the ANICC’s 50th birthday cake.

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François Delecour began rallying in 1981, in the French national championship. He entered his first major event, the Monte Carlo Rally, three years later, driving a Talbot Samba. For 1985 and 1986 he drove in the Peugeot 205 Cup, finishing third in both seasons. This was followed by a Peugeot works drive in a Peugeot 309 in 1989 and 1990, in which year he finished ninth overall and first two-wheel-drive car on the Monte Carlo.

He was then hired by Ford to contest the 1991 World Championship. Delecour demonstrated remarkable speed on the Monte Carlo Rally and seemed certain to win until he lost five minutes with suspension failure on his Sierra Cosworth on the final night and dropped to third place.

Delecour scored his first WRC victory on the 1993 Portuguese Rally in an Escort Cosworth and won again in Corsica and Catalunya giving him second place in the World Championship, his co-driver, Daniel Grataloup, was awarded the co-driver’s championship for that year.

Delecour was widely regarded as the strongest contender for the 1994 world title, and he duly won the Monte Carlo Rally. A month later he was involved in a road accident, when the Ferrari F40 he was driving was hit by an amateur rally driver practicing for a local event. Delecour suffered severe leg injuries and was forced to miss the next four rounds of the series.

After leaving Ford, he returned to Peugeot to drive the 206WRC on selected rounds of the WRC but went back to Ford in 2001 to drive a Focus WRC. A bad crash nearly crippled co-driver Daniel Grataloup, on Delecour’s final Ford outing in Australia. The Frenchman moved to Mitsubishi but the Lancer was no longer competitive at the highest level and again Delecour suffered a massive shunt during that year’s Rally Australia. This time the accident had effectively ended Grataloup’s top line career due to injuries he sustained as a result of the accident.

Delecour retired from the WRC after that, competing in off road events, but has now returned to rallying and drives on selected rounds of the European Rally Championship.

What Was the best moment in your motorsport career?The 1991 Monte Carlo Rally, this was when I suddenly became known on the international rally scene and then wanted some anonynimity.

What Was the Worst moment?The 1991 Monte Carlo was both the best and the worst. The worst part is that I had victory in hand with a 48 second lead with just the Col de Turini to run when the rear suspension broke. Even though I finished third I am the moral winner and it was painful to watch Carlos Sainz spray the champagne in Monaco.

Which event do you look forWard to?My participation, hypothetically at this stage, in the 2014 Monte Carlo Rally. you’ve Won the lottery. What car do you rush out to buy?A 997 4 litre Porsche...but no, I have one already! I would love a 1980 Mark Two Group 4 Escort RS1800. What Was your best car... and your Worst?The best was the Peugeot 306 Maxi and the worst was the Ralliart Mitsubishi I drove in the 2001 season. I had a massive crash in Australia that almost finished my professional career. Which car do you regret selling and Why?My 1994 Monte Carlo Rally winning Escort Cosworth.

What’s the most entertaining car you’ve ever driven?A Group B Ford RS200 in the European Rallycross Championship. What is your most effective or personal asset?In motor sport you must have a massive passion and total commitment.

What advice Would you offer the aspiring driver?Believe in yourself and always listen to yourself. tell us something surprising about yourself?I have a passion for marine animals, dolphins and whales, and I usually swim with them frequently in the Mediterranean between Corsica and Saint Tropez, I am equally fascinated by volcanoes, it may be a childish interest that I have developed over the past 50 years!

françois delecour