| Bonds and Achievements with Middle East Rallying By looking at the title ‘Mayo and District Motorsport Club’, one would imagine that the ‘District’ takes into account the areas around the county, North Galway, West Roscommon and South Sligo, well the answer to this is not necessarily!. In keeping with the recent club drive of new ventures, two rally drivers from the United Arab Emirates have become members of the motor club. Majed Al-Shamsi and Bader Al-Jabri, products of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority’s Junior Driver Training Programme, started rallying in 2008. The duo competed in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy International in 2009, which ran on WRC events. They finished third and sixth in the standings respectively. They continued in the series in 2010, finishing second and fourth. In 2011 they competed in theProduction World Rally Championship and secured twelfth and thirteenth place in the overall series. In 2013 the pair returned to the Middle East Championship with Abu Dhabi Racing, both in a pair of identical Subaru N15s to contest the Group N category. Al-Shamsi, accompanied by Kiltimagh man John Higgins, the former Irish National Champion Co-Driver, had a luckless start to the year. While leading Group N on the opening event in Qatar they suffered suspension failure on the first stage of day two that forced them to retire from the event. |
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| The pair then had a narrow escape at the Jordan Rally, where they slid off a cliff face into a ravine.Going into the last round in Dubai last weekend they wanted to prove to everybody that they had the ability to deliver, if luck waited on their side for once. Al-Jabri, alongside his French Co-driver Nicolas Klinger, who after two top ten finishes earlier in the year, still mathematically had a chance of clinching the Middle East Group N title in Dubai. It was the Emariti-Irish partnership of Al-Shamsi and Higgins that had the best start to the event and after steadily moving up the leader board on the opening day, they went into the overnight break in seventh place overall, in the lead of Group N and one place ahead of Al-Jabri and Klinger. Day two seen Al-Shamsi build on his lead and finish the event in fifth place overall and win the Group N category by almost two minutes ahead of Al-Jabri, who finished the event in seventh. A result that seen him and Klinger secure third place in the championships. It was a great end to the season for the team mates and proves that they have the ability to deliver results at the top level. The next few weeks will tell what 2014 brings for the new Mayo & District Motorsport Club members. They hope to be part of a seven-car Abu Dhabi Racing challenge on the 2014 Middle East Championship starting in Qatar in January, which may even see the pair contesting in higher spec Citroen DS3’s.
It was also a great finish to a first Middle East Championship season for John Higgins, the Kiltimagh man making his desert rally debut in 2013 didn’t have it easy, from the DNF in Qatar to the big accident in Jordan, Speaking recently John said “2013 was quiet different to what I was used to, as in the navigation is quiet challenging. Sometimes it was difficult to see what track you should be on – or even see a track, not to mind the obstacles you come across, from Camels last weekend, to big drops like in Jordan. The year overall was extremely challenging. I never concentrated so hard on stages before. Tough going, but overall 2013 was very enjoyable”. |
Congratulations to Mayo’s own Killian Duffy who has won a Western People Sports Star for Motorsport.This is yet another major achievement for the Claremorris based Crossmolina co-driver and tops off a remarkable 2013 for him. We all wish Killian every success in the coming year.The awards will be presented at a gala function in Hotel Ballina on Friday 21st of February.
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Midland Autocross Photos by John Delaney It looked like “business as usual” at the first autocross event of 2014 as Adrian and Derek Deane were both inside the top 3, after the first run at the Midland Motorclub Autocross. But the brothers only completed one run before their afternoon took an unfamiliar twist. A broken drive on Derek’s second run followed by suspension damage on Adrian’s final run meant that both their first runs would count as their fastest run of the day. |
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| Finishing hot on the heels of McGreal was Bekan’s Sean McHugh, who while claiming third in class 4 said afterwards that 2014 was the year he was going to finally beat McGreal! Finishing third in class 2, while still learning his recently acquired Peugeot 206, was Alan Moran from Foxford. Alan has proved in the past that he has the ability to produce results on loose surface and 2014 should be the year that he knocks on the door even more loudly as the 206 is perhaps more suited to the loose surface than his former Opel Kadett. Finally a mention for Alan McGuire from Westport. An experienced mechanic and motorsport enthusiast, he got a different insight into the sport on Sunday, making his competitive motorsport debut behind the wheel of a class 2 Peugeot 205. He steadily improved his times on each of his runs, which seen him finish a very respectful sixth in Class 2. |
Tenth Podium of the Season for Duffy in Cyprus
In truly imperious form, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Giovanni Bernacchini in their Ford Fiesta RRC clinched victory and a ninth Middle-East Rallying Championship in the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally 2013.
The best battle of the three day event however was between Emirati driver Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi and Qatari Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, who entered Sunday’s final eight stages with only 1.6 seconds separating them.
Al-Kuwari, who as usual had Mayo’s Killian Duffy navigating, suffered a puncture early on the final day. Determined, the pair promised to drive flat-out in the afternoon and that is exactly what they did. Unfortunately for Seashore Ford Fiesta crew they came within four seconds of Al Qassimi and had to settle for third, which is the same position they currently hold in the Middle-East Rallying Championship.
The result adds to an amazing tally for Duffy in 2013. Twelve rally starts, resulting in ten podium finishes.
MAYO MEN MAKE THEIR MARK IN SLIGO
Report by Justin Ryan
There were a number of Mayo competitors in action last Sunday in the Sligo Loose Surface Autocross, achieving some impressive results.
Ballina’s Padraig Roache in his Ford Escort Mark II had a great run and eventually finished in 7th overall and 3rd in class 4.
Padraig put in three impressive and consistent times and he finished just over ten seconds off the winner of the event, Philip Harte in his Vauxhall Nova.
Mervyn Deane, from Williamstown, finished just outside the top 10 after three steady times to come home in 11th overall.
Next Mayo competitor home was Derek Bolton. The Ballaghadereen man enjoyed his day, winning class 9 in his Subaru Impreza and finishing 29th overall.
Then there was the “Battle of the 206” as three Mayo & District Motorsport Club members’ treble-drove a Peugeot 206 Cup Car. Bekan’s Sean McHugh, Alan Moran and James McGreal, both from Foxford, had the 206 out for the first time and the fight was on to see who would be quickest of the three drivers. After a tight battle all day, the experienced McHugh eventually came out on top, by less than a second over young gun Moran, with McGreal a further three seconds back.
Finally, Gavin and Ray Carroll from Killala had their class 1 Vauxhall Nova out in action. They enjoyed their day in Sligo and finished 33rd and 54th overall respectively.
Duffy’s Delight Down Under
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Killian Duffy were victorious in the WRC 2 class of Rally Australia and have moved to the top of the FIA championship standings.
The Qatari and Mayo partnership that rally the Seashore backed Ford Fiesta RRC, began Sunday’s last leg of the four day event with a comfortable 1min 13sec lead over Ukrainian, Yuriy Protasov. They lost just 0.4sec of this margin by the end, claiming top WRC2 crew and finishing in tenth place overall.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for the pair, after moving into the lead on stage 12, they continued to push hard, sometimes a little too hard. They were lucky to get away with a spin on stage 15 that seen the fiesta end up in a field. With calm restored they headed for service in Coffs Harbour, not relinquishing their lead again.
It was the third WRC 2 victory of the season for Al-Kuwari and Duffy who also took maximum points on the other long-haul rounds in Mexico and Argentina. The pair now lead the WRC 2 drivers and co-drivers standings respectively.
“Three wins this year, leading again and I equal my best result which was 10th in Greece, so it’s feeling really good,”said Al Kuwari.“I’m pleased to have made top-10 in an RRC car, my pace was really good, even against the top drivers, and every time the gap is getting closer. The team did a great job, as did my co-driver Killian, it’s been a very nice weekend.”
The WRC 2 does not have a fixed calendar. Instead, teams and drivers competing in the series are free to contest any of thirteen rallies that form the 2013 World Rally Championship. They must nominate up to seven events to score points in, and their best six results from these seven events will count towards their final championship points score.
There are three events left in the 2013 calendar, and Al-Kuwari and Duffy’s last nominated event is also the last event of the series, Rally GB in November. While nothing is decided yet, the pair have put themselves firmly in the driving seat.
Mathematicians in the Mayo and District Motorsport Club already have the calculator’s at-hand, hoping that over the remaining rounds, the Claremorris based Crossmolina man can hold onto his co-drivers lead to become World Champion.
Well done to club members Tony Langdon and Eddie Quinn on their finish on Clare Stages Rally. The pair brought their Class 6 Honda civic home in 60th place overall.
Motorsport at Bonniconlon and Ballycastle Shows
Mayo & District MotorSport Club exhibited at the recent Bonniconlon and Ballycastle shows. The aim of the stands was to promote and introducing motorsport to the public. Visitors got the chance to learn first hand about motorsport, speaking with club members and experiencing the machinery from inside!
Mullen clinches Ulster win
Mayo and District Motorsport Club member Darragh Mullen from Ballisadore navigated Derek McGeehan in their Mini to an overall win on the national section of the two-day Ulster Rally on Friday and Saturday last. The pair came from behind on the last few stages, and although having to content with a misfire in their John Cooper Works WRC spec car, they managed to set a blistering pace to win the event by 24 seconds ahead of Frank Kelly in his Escort.
Westport man David Carney along with his regular navigator Ray Fitzpatrick from Laois was taking part in the British Rally section of the Northern Ireland event. Following a good solid drive on day one which seen them sitting in tenth place overnight, they went one better on Saturday to finish in ninth place overall and securing fourth place in class six in their Citroen C2R2.
Photos courtesy of M2merallyphotos
