The Premier Car Parts supported Dogleap Rally, where Jason Mitchell and Caolan McKenna won by 28.3 seconds with a start-to-finish lead, rounded out the McGrady Insurance NI Forest Rally Challenge, writes William Neill.
A final stage puncture dropped Vivian Hamill a place and let Ford Fiesta R5 team Jordan and Paul Hone ahead as runners up and the only crew to win a stage (the second pass of the 5.2-mile Springwell) from Mitchell.
Niall Burns, co-driver for Hamill, was delighted to get back to the stages on offer in the ROK Motorsport Volkswagen Polo R5. Going into the final stage the gap to Mitchell was 16.6 seconds but the deflating tyre was costly, the result being 44.5 seconds off matching Hone by the Ballykelly finish ramp.
Darragh Cairns and Mark Preston went from ninth fastest on SS1 to finish fourth in an IN Sport Ford Fiesta Rally 2 over a minute behind Hamill but close to a minute ahead of class winners Gareth Sayers and Gareth Gilchrist.
Ryan Caldwell’s first Dogleap didn’t go as hoped. The number one seed was fourth before a punctured radiator forced a retirement after SS2. Another Strabane driver, Martin Cairns had been on similar pace to Caldwell only for mechanical issues too.
A crash for Paul Britton after a jump on Cam not only put the Ford Fiesta R5 driver out of the rally but meant hopes of a second overall finish on the points table was over.
Shane McGirr and Denver Rafferty had a great end to the season with sixth overall in their fan favourite Lada Riva – not only did the pair win two-wheel-drive on the day but claimed the 2WD McGrady Insurance NI Forest Rally Challenge win and Rafferty had enough to win the overall co-driver title to boot. McGirr was second overall, following provisional champion Derek Mackarel.
On the day Adrian Hetherington and Ronan O’Neill finished second two-wheel-drive in seventh overall, 32.8 seconds back while Donegal’s Sam Stewart finished the year second two-wheel-drive and third overall thanks to eighth on Saturday.
Trevor Ferguson added ninth overall to a seventh on the Tyrone Stages to his achievements this year with an R5-spec Ford Fiesta and Anthony Cairns’ Subaru Impreza rounded off the top ten ahead of JF Shevlin.
So with Mackarel, McGirr and Stewart the top three Paul Maguire sneaked into fourth and Andy Magee was pushed to fifth, a point ahead of Britton.
IN OTHER NEWS
Marty McCormack, Peter Dowds and John McKay were all let down by gearbox issues, Janice Millar had engine trouble and a prop shaft was to blame for Hugh McDaid dropping off the time sheets.
OVERALL RESULTS
1 Jason Mitchell/Caolan McKenna (Volkswagen Polo R5) 40m 11.3s
2 Jordan Hone/Paul Hone (Ford Fiesta R5) 40m 39.6s
3 Vivian Hamill/Niall Burns (Volkswagen Polo R5) 41m 24.1s
4 Darragh Cairns/Mark Preston (Ford Fiesta Rally2) 42m 34.4s
5 Gareth Sayers/Gareth Gilchrist (Ford Fiesta Rally2) 43m 29.8s
6 Shane McGirr/Denver Rafferty (Lada Riva) 43m 45.8s
7 Adrian Hetherington/Ronan O’Neill (Ford Escort RS1800) 44m 18.6s
8 Sam Stewart/Stephen Peoples (Ford Escort Mk2) 45m 14.8s
9 Trevor Ferguson/Michael Laverty (Ford Fiesta R5) 45m 33.5s
10 Anthony Cairns/Mark O’Donnell (Subaru Impreza) 46m 07.4s
CLASS WINNERS
Class 1: Adrian Hetherington/Ronan O’Neill (Ford Escort RS1800); Class 2: Kalum Graffin/Mark McGeehan (Peugeot 208 Rally4); Class 3: Eoin Kelly/Eoghan Moore (Opel Corsa); Class 4: Oran Nulty/Hugh O’Donnell (Citroen C2 R2 Max); Class 5: Andy Magee/Michael Johnston (Ford Escort Mk2); Class 6: Sam Stewart/Stephen Peoples (Ford Escort Mk2); Class 7: Shane McGirr/Denver Rafferty (Lada Riva); Class 8: Paul Maguire/John Henderson (Subaru Impreza); Class 9: John McBride/Jarlath Kelly (Mitsubishi Lancer E9; Class 10: Gareth Sayers/Gareth Gilchrist (Ford Fiesta Rally2); Class 11: Jason Mitchell/Caolan McKenna (Volkswagen Polo R5).
Words and Photos: WILLIAM NEILL/NI RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP [Images must not be used in any way without prior written consent of the photographer]
