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Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Motors: Thrilling battle between Mitchell and McCourt at Cork Forest Rally
Tyrone drivers Jason Mitchell and Cathan McCourt, both driving Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars, served up a thrilling battle on the Kanturk based J&M Distributors Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, the fifth round of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship. With the lead role changing on four occasions through the day's seven stages, McCourt and his Fermanagh co-driver Barry McNulty took the spoils, their performance on the penultimate stage key to their 1.8s victory. Mitchell and Donegal co-driver Paddy McCrudden almost snatched the win on the final stage but the acquisition of top championship was more than consolation as they extended their lead of the series. On the opening loop of three stages (the organisers lost SS2 due to an issue outside their control) McCourt and Mitchell traded top spot with the former a second up on SS1 and the latter 2.1s quicker on SS3 to lead by 1.1s at the Kanturk service where Mitchell's service crew addressed an issue with the pop valve. McCourt, on what was his first gravel outing in some 11 months, reckoned he could have been more committed. Both and indeed all the others spoke about the foggy conditions on SS1. Third placed Gareth Mimnagh - 10.2s off the lead - was untroubled although the loss of his mobile phone was discommoding. Another Tyrone driver Stephen Dickson (Ford Fiesta) was pleased that he was able to carry the speed particularly on SS1 while outgoing national forest champion Derek Mackarel (Ford Fiesta R5) enjoyed his run through SS3. Vivian Hamill (Ford Fiesta) admitted the foggy conditions on SS1 were trying and he wasn't committed enough on SS3. The battle raged on over second loop of three stages and with fastest times on SS5 and SS6 McCourt reclaimed top spot, albeit by a mere 0.6s. Mimnagh was untroubled but Mackarel parked his Fiesta at the beginning of SS6 with suspected mechanical issues. Stephen Dickson lost time when he stalled and punctured on the same stage. McCourt set a cracking pace on the penultimate stage (Bweeng2) to stretch his lead to 5.1s - the biggest margin all day. Mitchell arrived at the finish of the final stage and seemingly had settled for second (and maximum championship points), however, McCourt had a major moment and backed off - almost too much with Mitchell posting the best stage time to leave the margin between them at 1.8s in McCourt's favour. Mimnagh was third from Hamill, Dickson and Dunphy, who punctured on the final stage. Meanwhile and dominating from the start Moira's William Creighton (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) took an important victory in the Voly Grampian Forest Rally and the outright lead of the Probite British Rally Championship. He took five stage wins from the event's 10 very fast speed tests on what was a dry but dusty fourth round of the campaign. With co-driver Liam Regan onboard the Melvyn Evans Motorsport prepared Toyota, the former Junior WRC champions finished 32.5s ahead of the Citroen C3 Rally2 of Max McRae/Cammy Fair with Welsh driver Meirion Evans and Dale Furniss (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) 10.2s further behind, completing the podium. Creighton set the pace and after Friday evening's two stages was 16.3s ahead of Evans with McRae just 1.5s behind. As Creighton managed his lead to perfection, the battle for second intensified with McRae taking the spot on SS5 to claim what was an emotional maiden BRC podium. Elsewhere, M-Sport pair Romet Jurgenson and Garry Pearson were in recovery mode when Jurgenson's Ford Fiesta Rally2 had a misfire on the Friday evening and a puncture on Saturday's opening stage and Pearson's Fiesta also had a deflation on Saturday morning. Pearson came from eighth to fourth while Jurgenson showed what could have been - with four stage wins on Saturday afternoon - from 15th to fifth. Carryduff's Jonny Greer took seventh on what was his gravel debut with his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. The Peugeot 208 Rally4 Irish duo of Joe Kelly and Kyle McBride dominated the Junior BRC category trading top spot on a few occasions before Kelly, despite a puncture, won out by 42.7s. J&M Distributors Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally (Round 5: Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship) Kanturk: 1. C. McCourt/B. McNulty (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) 31m. 29.4s; 2. J. Mitchell/P. McCrudden (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+1.8s; 3. G. Mimnagh/B. McCarney (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+50.4s; 4. V. Hamill/A. Grennan (Ford Fiesta R5)+52.2s; 5. S. Dickson/B. Taggart (Ford Fiesta R5)+1m. 02.6s; 6. J. Dunphy/G. Shinnors (Ford Fiesta R5)+ 1m. 26.6s; 7. D. O'Brien/A. Hayes (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+1m. 43.6s; 8. D. O'Riordan/S. McCarthy (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+2m. 22.0s; 9. P. McCullagh/A. Dolan (Mitsubishi Lancer E9)+3m. 04.3s; 10. C. Kelly/M. Murphy (Ford Fiesta R5)+3m. 08.6s. Voly Grampian Forest Rally (Round 4: Probite British Rally Championship) Banchory: 1. W. Creighton/L. Regan (Toyota Yaris GR rally2) 51m. 40.0s; 2. M. McRae/C. Fair (Citroen C3 Rally2)+32.5s; 3. M. Evans/D. Furniss (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+42.7s; 4. G. Pearson/H. McKillop (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+54.0s; 5. C. Black/J. Morton (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+1m. 19.2s; 6. R. Jurgenson/S. Oja (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+1m. 19.2s; 7. J. Greer/N. Burns (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+1m. 23.8s; 8. M. Hirst/D. Dear (Skoda Fabia R5)+1m. 25.7s; 9. D. Bogie/K. Riddick (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+2m. 00.4s; 10. S. Beattie/P. Davies (Ford Fiesta R5)+2m. 43.3s.
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Motors: Eyeing title, Mitchell returns to happy hunting ground in Cork
The decision to concentrate on gravel events is paying dividends for Strabane's Jason Mitchell (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), who sits atop of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship leaderboard. Looking forward to his journey to Cork for Sunday's fifth round of the campaign, the Kanturk based J&M Distributors Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, he knows that the title race is far from over and he's prepared to measure his title bid to land the Doc Jackson Memorial Trophy. The Rebel county is a happy hunting ground for Mitchell, who won this event 12 months ago and more recently popped the champagne on the Mitchelstown-based Tipperary Forest Rally. "I always like going to Cork. I have competed on that event last year and the year before and I enjoyed it." Switching to a Skoda this year has resulted in a rich vein of form. "I feel very comfortable in the car, which always makes it easier." In terms of the championship (that including Cork, has four rounds remaining) Mitchell admits there's still a lot of driving to be done and he will tailor his approach rather than getting involved in battles with those not registered for the series including fellow Tyrone driver - Omagh's Cathan McCourt (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), who starts behind him on Sunday. "He (McCourt) is one of the fastest men in the country both on tarmac and gravel and I have to keep a sensible head. If Cathan is going very fast, I have to be sensible and not try and race him and then maybe throw it all away." Mitchell is targeting to build a strong championship lead as he wants to use the bigger restrictor (not eligible for the championship) on the Bushwhacker Rally later in the year. On the switch to the Skoda, he added, "Yes, it's very good on gravel, but so were the Polo GTi R5 and before that the Ford Fiesta Rally2. To be honest, it was more on tarmac that I struggled with the Polo and that was the main reason for switching but the way this championship went - after the few wins, I decided to have a full season on gravel." With maximum points from the three events he's contested, Mitchell is 10 points ahead of Waterford's Andrew Purcell, who is not competing in Sunday's eight-stage event leaving another Tyrone driver Stephen Dickson (Ford Fiesta R5) as his closest rival - twelve points in arrears. However, Mitchell is the only one of the trio to miss one of the previous four rounds. "I coach the Strabane U-14 rugby team and we had a really good season, reaching the final that was on the same weekend as the Moonraker Rally, unfortunately, we lost to Virginia late in the game." Unlike other countries, Mitchell won't have to sweep the loose gravel from the stages as the J1000's and two-wheel drive cars will run ahead, but that's not without its dangers as he explained, "What I have noticed and it almost caught me out on the last two rallies, is the lines they are taking, different lines and they can draw you in and that is something I have to be conscious of on Sunday." Others on the championship trail on Sunday are Clones driver Derek Mackarel, Ballygawley's Vivian Hamill, Cashel's Pat O'Connell and Omagh's Gareth Mimnagh, in variants of the Ford Fiesta. Fivemiletown's Shane McGirr (Lada) is the top seeded two-wheel drive competitor and Bailieborough's Kyle Drury tops the J1000 category. The first of the day's eight stages starts at 9.13am. Meanwhile, Moira's William Creighton and Welsh driver Meirion Evans, both in MEM prepared Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars and who share the lead of the Probite British Rally Championship return to the series later today (Friday 6.09pm) on the Voly Grampian Forest Rally near Aberdeen. Creighton said, "The stages can get quite rough in places and a number will only be run once. It'll be important to find a good rhythm with the car and the pacenotes right from the start.' The Ford Fiesta Rally2 duo of Callum Black and reigning FIA Junior WRC champion Romet Jurgenson are only four points in arrears with the latter posing a real threat.
