Jason Black on why he's pulling out all the stops as he targets success at Imokilly Mini Stages Rally
Running just ahead of Black is the defending champion Rob Duggan in a Ford Escort Mk2, Darrian T90 GTR exponent James Stafford at two, David Moffett in a second rear-wheel-drive Toyota Starlet at three, and Johno Doogan in another Ford Escort Mk2 at four.
Other standout names include former Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship title holder Gary Kiernan, Michael Cahill, and Denis Hickey. All three are taking part in Ford Escort Mk2s.
When it last ran in 2023, Black had climbed to second position with two stages remaining only for a spin — and stall — on the penultimate timed run test to put the brakes on his charge.
Black is aiming to put the record straight tomorrow in his 2.5-litre powered rocket and hopes Saturday's shakedown stage can help get him up to speed and dialled in to the terrain.
'It can help get us back into the groove and allow us to go hard from the opening stage,' said Black, who was in Finland this week helping Toyota Gazoo Racing's Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen prepare for their home round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
'That will be important as it has been more than 10 months since we did a proper stage rally — but we know we are more than capable of achieving a good result. The hope is that everything will click for us from the word go and we can steadily build on that,' he added.
'We really enjoyed our run out in Imokilly two years ago — we were lying second overall until we spun and lost about a minute in time when the car stalled and refused to restart.
'Once again, organisers have attracted another really strong entry, with anyone in the top 10 capable of coming away with top spot. If we can have a good steady run in Imokilly with no mistakes then hopefully we will be there, or thereabouts, come Sunday evening.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
My boys did County Antrim proud, says Gary Chisholm after ‘rollercoaster' Final win against Armagh
The Antrim players emulated some famous names of the recent past who have gone on to earn senior international caps after winning the tournament with their county. Trai Hume, Brodie Spencer, Dale Taylor and Ross McCausland were involved in triumphs back in 2017 and 2018, and now Antrim are champions again after a 2-1 win over County Armagh. Michael Mulholland and Jordan Bradley Camlin hit the Antrim goals before Alfie Davidson gave Armagh hope – and Antrim a scare – but a first defeat of the week confined the Orchard County boys to the runners-up spot. 'It was an emotional roller-coaster,' said Chisholm. 'Three years we have been doing this and every year we have given everything to the squad in front of us, and this year, the squad has given us what we were looking for and made Co Antrim proud. 'I am so pleased to get over the line. We've been beaten in the Semi-Final, beaten in the Final, now here we are, we've won the Final, so I'm very pleased. We know what this squad is capable of and I think they've proved it.' Davidson had a goal ruled out for offside midway through the first-half, as did Antrim's Fionbharr Stiobhard, who had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds, at the start of the second-half. Antrim did, however, build on that momentum, and Stiobhard was involved again when they took the lead nine minutes after the break. His super through ball found Mulholland and he showed the finishing prowess that has attracted a host of big-name clubs as he shot across the goalkeeper and into the net. Armagh tried to respond and Eoghan Mallon sent a shot over the bar. Just nine minutes after the first goal, however, Antrim tightened their grip on the game when the ball was squared across the six-yard box and Bradley Camlin finished. Armagh still had something to give, though. Ethan Connolly's heavy touch allowed the ball to get away from him in a good shooting position just a couple of minutes before Davidson headed home at a corner with nine minutes to go. But they just couldn't muster up an equaliser to send the game to extra-time. Third place went to St Patrick's Athletic after a dominant 5-2 win over Celtic. Bohemians beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to win the Globe, Blackburn Rovers were 4-1 winners against County Down in the Vase Final while Crewe Alexandra took the Bowl, winning 4-1 against Charlton Athletic. Kieran O'Connor's joy as son Keegan tees up a piece of Cliftonville history in Minor triumph The kid named after a famous golfer showed all the calmness and composure of a top pro on the 18th green at a Major Championship to deliver SuperCup NI Minor glory for Cliftonville. Keegan O'Connor's thunderous penalty kick, which looked all the more impressive as the ball crashed off the underside of the crossbar, midway through the second-half gave the Reds a 1-0 win over Linfield. Blues goalkeeper Jonas Henderson had been the hero in the Semi-Final, making the only save in a 7-6 shoot-out win over Blackburn Rovers. There was nothing he could do to stop the strike by O'Connor, whose name is taken from American golf star Keegan Bradley, or in the incident that led to the penalty as he was already committed to going for the ball before colliding with Aidan Green. Given that Cliftonville had also reached the Final by virtue of a shoot-out win in the last-four, it was perhaps inevitable that a penalty would decide the destination of the trophy, particularly as a tight and tense game progressed. 'Heart and desire won that game,' said Cliftonville coach Kieran O'Connor. 'Aidan Green showed his heart and desire just to get onto the ball to win the penalty and a fantastic finish from Mr Composure in front of goal, Keegan O'Connor, wins the Cup. 'We've made history for our club as the first Cliftonville team to win the SuperCup.' While Keegan was nerveless when put on the spot, his coach too had full belief that he would deliver – and few know him better as Kieran, who played for Cliftonville in the Irish League, is also his father. 'It's difficult because Keegan is my son, but I have every faith in him. He is very cool and calm and collected when it comes to those areas,' said Kieran. 'He has shown all week, he's got five goals this week so he has a good eye for goal.' The SuperCup NI Third/Fourth place Play-Off was won by Shamrock Rovers, defeating Blackburn Rovers 4-2. Leeds United won the Globe decider with a 2-0 win over Coleraine, while Loughgall were victorious in the Vase decider, beating Al Jazira Club 3-0. The Bowl was won by Ross County as they won 3-2 against IDA Bermuda.
Spectator
3 days ago
- Spectator
Full English
Michael Adams took first place in a strongly contested English Championship, held in Kenilworth in July. The veteran elite grandmaster defeated Nikita Vitiugov in a tense playoff, after the two tied for first place with five wins and two draws each. Vitiugov, a former Russian champion, now lives in the UK and has represented England since 2023. Adams won a crisp attacking game against 16-year-old Shreyas Royal, who already became a grandmaster last year. Michael Adams-Shreyas Royal English Championship, Kenilworth, July 2025 White to play, position after 29…g7-g6 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4 5 d4 d5 6 Bd3 Bf5 7 O-O Be7 8 Re1 O-O 9 Nbd2 Nd6 10 Nf1 c6 11 Bf4 Bxd3 12 Qxd3 Na6 13 Ng3 Nc7 14 h4! Attacking prospects on the kingside give Adams the edge, despite the innocuous appearance of the symmetrical pawn structure. Ne6 15 Be5 Re8 16 h5 f6 The weakening of the g6 square makes it harder for Black to evict a knight from f5 and turns out to be crucial in the long run. 17 Bxd6 Bxd6 18 Nf5 Qd7 19 N3h4 Nf8 20 Qf3 Bc7 21 Qg4 Kh8 22 g3 22 Ng6+ hxg6 23 hxg6 Rxe1+ 24 Rxe1 Re8 25 Qh5+ Kg8 currently leads nowhere, as the Nf8 guards the h7 square. But Adams has seen that a rook on the h-file would lend decisive force to the attack. Qf7 23 Kg2 Rad8 24 c3! A brilliant finesse. Adams probably considered 24 Rh1 Re4 25 Ng6+ Kg8 26 Qxe4! dxe4 27 Nfe7+ Qxe7 28 Nxe7+ Kf7 29 Nf5 g6 30 hxg6 hxg6 31 Ne3 Rxd4 and judged that Black can put up considerable resistance. Defending the d-pawn with c2-c3 is a subtle way to amplify the threat. a5 24…Rd7 was more stubborn, to defend the e7 square. 25 Rh1 Re4 26 Ng6+ Nxg6 26…Kg8 27 Qxe4 dxe4 28 Nfe7+ wins comfortably now. 27 hxg6 Rxg4 28 gxf7 Re4 29 Rae1 g6 (see diagram) Allowing mate, but there was nothing better, e.g. 29…Rf8 30 f3 Rxe1 31 Rxe1 and Re1-e8 wins. 30 Rxh7+ Black resigns as 30…Kxh7 31 Rh1 is mate. Vitiugov won his final round game in style: Nikita Vitiugov-Ameet Ghasi English Championship, Kenilworth, July 2025 White to play, position after 29…Bh6-f8 30 Bxg5 fxg5 31 Nxg5 Qh5 32 Nf7+ Kg8 33 Bd1 33 N5h6+! Bxh6 34 Bd1 was a beautiful winning line, because 34…Bg4 35 Bxg4 Qxg4 36 Nxh6+ wins the house. Qh7 34 Ng5 Qh8 35 Bg4 35 g3! was stronger, which keeps the knight out of f4, since 35…hxg3 36 Qxg3 would win on the open g-file Rad8 36 Qf3 Nf4 37 g3 hxg3 38 Qxg3 Bg7 39 Rg1 Bxf5 40 Bxf5 Nd6 40…Rd6 41 Ne6 Nxe6 42 Bxe6+ Rdxe6 43 dxe6 Rxe6 still offers good chances to defend. 41 Ne6 Nxf5 42 exf5 Nxe6 43 fxe6 Qh6 44 Re4 Re7 45 Rh4 Qf6 46 Qh3 Black resigns 46…Kf8 dodges Rh4-h8#, but then Rg1-f1 wins the queen.
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Son of Manchester United legend hits the target for Red Devils as SuperCup NI gets under way
Kai Rooney, son of the club's all-time record goalscorer and former SuperCup NI player himself Wayne, scored in a 3-0 win over West Cork Academy. They meet Rangers in a glamour game at the Coleraine Showgrounds tonight after a 1,000 crowd in sun-splashed Bushmills were treated to an impressive performance from a player with the perfect name to play for Scottish giants. Kyle Glasgow struck twice, his second a penalty, in a 5-0 win over County Tyrone, who conceded the final three goals late on. Substitute Ruairidh Hall also scored twice. County Down's Mason Ayre is hoping to fire his team all the way to the SuperCup NI Premier Final after he scored two spectacular goals in a 4-2 win over Intercontinental FA. Ayre came off the bench to hit a stunning half-volley before firing home a superb free-kick in injury-time after the American side had twice come from a goal down. Zak Magowan hit a wonderful free-kick strike himself midway through the first-half before the impressive Ben Quirino equalised from the penalty spot. Shea Trainor added to the array of special goals to restore Down's lead only for Sam Winik to reply from a low driven corner after an impressive save by Max Sykes. 'I don't usually score those too often, it was good to score both,' said Ayre. 'It's much more of a buzz when you score goals like that. 'Hopefully, we can make it all the way to the Final.' County Down now meet 2024 winners Brighton, who were 2-1 winners over County Armagh who the Seagulls defeated in the Final. AFC Bournemouth head Group B after they won 3-0 against County Fermanagh, and Hamilton Academical came from behind to draw 1-1 with Mexican side Tigres after missing a first-half penalty. County Londonderry won 2-1 in their derby with County Antrim and now face Southampton, 2-0 winners against Ichifuna of Japan. Mixed emotions for manager Darragh Peden following County Armagh Juniors' victory Darragh Peden confessed to being torn between the joy of victory and frustration over County Armagh Juniors' performance despite a winning start to the SuperCup NI. A goal from Alfie Davidson five minutes from time, when he let the ball run across his body before unleashing a shot into the bottom corner of the net, gave Armagh a 1-0 victory in their derby against County Tyrone. Up to then, it had been the quality of rival goalkeepers Aidan Cunningham of Armagh and Tyrone's Jake Morgan that kept the scoreline blank. 'I think we're a better quality team than what we showed,' said Peden. 'The coach in me is frustrated but I suppose the manager in me is feeling 'job done' and now we move on to the next game. 'It's always a balance between winning games and trying to do it with a wee bit more flair. For me, as Juniors manager, it is more than just results; it's an experience at the SuperCup.' That win was key for Armagh as their final Group A opponents Blackburn Rovers defeated Crewe Alexandra 4-1. It was a tough start for County Down, who gradually grew into their game against St Patrick's Athletic before going down to two second-half goals from Conor Hudson and Gethin Davies. West Ham and Plymouth Argyle finished 2-2 in the other Group D encounter. County Fermanagh also lost to southern opposition, 4-1 to Bohemians in Group C, while Celtic won 4-2 over Chicago City. Michael Mulholland scored twice for County Antrim while Fionnbharr Stiobhard got the third in a 3-0 win over County Londonderry, setting them up perfectly for today's clash with Tottenham Hotspur, who were 5-2 winners over Charlton Athletic with Ashiah Haughton-Sinclair scoring four of the Spurs goals. Crusaders' quest to retain Minor crown suffers blow after defeat to Shamrock Rovers Defending champions Crusaders' hopes of retaining their Minor title were dealt an early blow as they were defeated on the opening day at the SuperCup NI. While the Crues got off to the kind of start they didn't want, there were goals galore for two other Irish League clubs, who each hit four goals in their victories. The Crues were beaten 2-0 by Dublin giants Shamrock Rovers and that result sets up a hugely interesting Group A clash on day two as they now face Ballymena United in Castlerock today after the Sky Blues finished 4-2 winners over Ross County. Cliftonville also made an impressive start to the tournament by hitting four goals in their 4-1 success against Loughgall. That game was, however, overshadowed entertainment-wise by the other game in Group C as Leeds United and Surf Select from the USA shared six goals in a thrilling 3-3 draw. The Reds now face Surf Select today. It is all to play for in Group B after both games finished level. Glenavon and Linfield battled to a scoreless draw, while Kilmarnock drew 1-1 with Al Jazira Club of the UAE. Coleraine and Blackburn Rovers will do battle for control of Group D when they meet in Bushmills after both were victorious in their opening games of the tournament. Blackburn were 3-0 winners over IDA Bermuda, while Coleraine managed to squeeze out a 1-0 victory over Shankill Juniors.
