Category: Event news

Rainbow Communications Loughgall Country Park Rally Press Release 19th May 2015

For immediate release

Loughgall Country Park Set to Host Rainbow Communications Loughgall Stages Rally!

Competitors are gearing up for this weekend’s Rainbow Communications Loughgall Stages Rally, held within the beautiful confines of Loughgall County Park in County Armagh.

Over 50 entries have been received for the North Armagh Motor Club organised event which will take place this Saturday 23 May. The two-wheel-drive only rally has attracted a host of top competitors including 2013 and 2014 winner, Keith White, who will lead the field off the start line on Saturday morning.

White will be targeting a hat-trick of wins at the tricky, tree-lined venue. Navigated by Damian McCann, who partnered him to success last year, the Mark 1 Escort crew will be aiming to be inch-perfect once again during the course of the event.

Such is the nature of the rally, even the smallest of mistakes can have massive consequences in a competitor’s bid for victory. With just six stages and a total of approximately 20 stage miles, there is little room for error in such a short, sharp and demanding event.

White will have a host of top-line competitors biting at his heels, including Jim McKenna, who finished second overall in 2013. Davy Armstrong is another regular visitor to the podium, having finished third overall on his last two attempts, while Martin Toner, Trevor Wilson and Damian Toner will all be in the mix.

The action kicks off at 9.30am on Saturday morning when Councillor Darryn Causby, the Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, flags the first car away from the start.

Spectators are welcome and if you would like to help out on the event, organisers are still looking for volunteer marshals. If you want to become involved, contact Eddie Martin on 07727 960594.

ENDS.

Regards,

Jonathan
MacDonald
MediaJAM
Communications
Tel. +44 (0)7989 283055

Derek Wins the Race of the Champions!

(Image: philpics.net)

For Immediate Release: 15^th February 2015

Derek Wins the Race of the Champions!
Round One-2015 MSA ANICC McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship!

The 2015 MSA ANICC McGrady Insurance MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship started in fine style on the North Armagh Motor Club’s Eurocables Stages Rally at Kirkistown. The six stage mixed surface event, attracted a very healthy eight-six entries, and ran slickly in dry weather.

The race at the front unfolded into a mighty battle of the Northern Ireland Champions Derek McGarrity in his Mini WRC, who has five titles and Kenny McKinstry in an S14 Impreza WRC, who has three. It was Derek who took the lead on stage one, but Kenny replied with a storming run on stage two to hold the lead. It was a frenetic race, and by stage four Derek was now the leader by 0.7 of a second. The final two stages in reverse direction and the Mini surged in front to win by six seconds as McGarrity was on the absolute limit. It was a reversal of places between the two drivers from the New Year Stages event at Kirkistown three weeks ago. “I had to work so hard today, not to make one mistake” said Derek. “I knew that one fluffed gear change and Kenny would be taking a chunk of time off me, as we had to make up for the power difference. The Mini however was handling and braking very well, and it was a great days racing.”

Behind them Kevin Barrett in his S14 took a fine third place, however thirty-nine seconds behind the winning time. In fourth was Ballymoney’s Alan Carmichael in another Mini WRC heading a gaggle of WRC Subaru’s. Paddy McVeigh took fifth in his newly acquired S12B version, from Strabane’s Martin Cairns who adapting to his S14 on tarmac in sixth. In seventh another fine run for Emma McKinstry ahead of English driver Ray Brammer in a similar Subaru. Notable retirements included 2010 NI Champion Stuart Biggerstaff who retired from fifth after stage three, and former Billy Coleman Award winner Stephen Wright in his new R5 Fiesta who was seventh before retirement.

The two wheel drive race was won by Crumlin’s Keith White in his 2.5 MK1 Escort in a fabulous ninth place, after climbing back from a stage one delay, with Wesley Patterson in his 2 litre Mk2 Escort nine seconds behind in tenth. However one of the drives of the day had to come from rally veteran Dessie McCartney. The 1975 Galway International and 1980 Ulster Rally winner, now into his 70’s lead the two wheel drive race after stage one in his Darrian, before a spin on the loose on the next test. However he fought back to twelfth overall and with a seventh fastest overall stage time on stage four, proving there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet!

In Group N Kieron Graffin took a convincing win in his Evo 10, and eleventh overall, with Brian McFall in his Evo 9 just over twenty seconds behind. Other notable drives came from former Junior 1000 driver Kyle White, the class four winner and eighteenth overall in his Citroen C2, despite a lurid 180 degree spin! Class five winner was Ian Green with wife Amanda in the co-driver’s seat in his Peugeot 205, Michael Nutt took the small Group N- class one, and Conor and Alexander Cochrane the class three honours.

Top Historic was Drew Wylie in twenty seventh in his FIA specification Escort RS1800, with Stephen Mawhinney’s Lotus Sunbeam winning the non FIA class in thirty-sixth. That was just one place ahead of last year’s Junior 1000 Ireland champion William Creighton, the seventeen year old on his first outing in a DGM Sport R2 Fiesta.

McGrady Insurance MSA ANICC Northern Ireland Rally Championship 2015-Round One

1st    Derek McGarrity / James McKee                    Mini Countryman WRC       26:15.1 (+0:00.0)

2^nd   Kenny McKinstry / Noel Orr                            Subaru Impreza S14 WRC   26:21.1 (+0:06.0)

3^rd   Kevin Barrett / Claire Gamble                          Subaru Impreza S14 WRC   26:54.2 (+0:39.1)

4^th   Alan Carmichael / Ivor lamont                         Mini Countryman WRC       27:03.7 (+0:48.6)

5^th   Paddy McVeigh / Gary McElhinney                Subaru Impreza S12B           27:19.1 (+1:04.0)

6^th   Martin Cairns / Brian Hoy                                Subaru Impreza S14 WRC   27:25.0 (+1:09.9)

7^th   Emma McKinstry / Kenny Hull                       Subaru Impreza S8                27:41.1 (+1:26.0)

8^th  Ray Brammer / Mo Downey                             Subaru Impreza WRC           27:51.2 (+1:36.1)

9th Keith White / Damian McCann                       Ford Escort MkI                     27:56.7 (+1:41.6)

10^thWesley Patterson / Johnny Baird                    Ford Escort RS                       28:06.0 (+1:50.9)

Provisional drivers points after round one:

1^st         Derek McGarrity                                               12
2^nd       Kenny McKinstry                                              10
3rd      Alan Carmichael                                                8
4^th       Paddy McVeigh                                                  7
5^th       Emma McKinstry                                              5                    

This is the official McGrady Insurance NI Rally Championship Press Release, issued by Andrew Bushe Promotions- http://www.andrewbushe.com/

Eurocables (Belfast) Stages Rally 2015 – Seeded Entry List

Eurocables (Belfast) Stages Rally Seeded Entry List now available.

DOWNLOAD SEEDED ENTRY LIST

DOWNLOAD JUNIOR SEEDED ENTRY LIST

EUROCABLES STAGES RALLY 2015 Press Release 07 January 2015

(Image: philpics.net)

North Armagh Motor Club Ltd

EUROCABLES STAGES RALLY 2015

Press Release  07 January 2015

North Armagh Motor Club will run the first round of the 2015 MSA ANICC McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship, the Eurocables Stages Rally, on Saturday 14 February 2015. The event also incorporates the second round of the Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland.

The Club is very pleased to have retained Mr Shane Braniff and his Eurocables (Belfast) Limited industrial network and security product supply company as sponsor of the rally following its year out of the championship, and is indebted to Shane for his continued assistance and financial support as, without this, the event would not be possible.

The event will comprise of 6 mainly tarmac Special Stages within the confines of Kirkistown Racing Circuit, with the first Stage due to start at 10.00am. In an effort to reduce costs to the competitor, all vehicle scrutiny and documentation this year will take place on the morning of the event between 6.00am and 9.00am

Supplementary Regulations and Entry Forms for the event can be downloaded from the club website, www.namcc.com, or the Association website, www.anicc.org.uk. Requests for hard copies of the Regulations or any other queries on the rally should be made to the Event Secretary, Keith Somerville, who can be contacted at 07745 959141.

If you are not competing, please come along to help us by marshalling, an invaluable job as without the marshals we would not be able run this event. Chief Marshal for the event is Eddie Martin who can be contacted on 07727 960594.

William Fullerton – Clerk of the Course

North Armagh Motor Club Ltd.

Mob.  07703 219742