Sligo Stages Rally 2011 - 9th July 2011

What a better opener for the 30^th Sligo Stages, than bringing the main field and local crews into the heart of the city along the banks of the Garavogue River on Friday evening last. As the evening remained dry for the ceremonial start, a large crowd congregated to experience the atmosphere of the cars crossing the start ramp. Complementing the festivities members of the Cairde Festival entertained the gathering to live street theatre .The Quinn Body Repairs /Sligo Park Hotel - Sligo Stages Rally kicked off to a great start in the presence of Mayor Rosleen O Grady , Tony Mc Loughlin TD , Senator Mark Mc Sharry , Chamber of Commerce Chairman Gerry Moore , WRC Navigator Chris Patterson, M I Ambassador on the Road Safety campaign Toni Kelly , Motorsport President Joe Corcoran and Monica Tighe on behalf of Quinn Body Repairs.

The competitive element of the event fired up as the 121 strong fields left parc ferme destined for the Gusclad stage in Gevagh. The hot favourite in the pristine Skoda Fabia S2000 Robert Barrable, who lived up to his reputation to set fastest even though he commented of the stage as being very slippery and greasy in places.Corkman, Daragh O Riordan came into the finish of the stage near Arigna just three seconds a drift even though he suffered with a possible dose of flue.Colm Murphy setting fastest Group N a further twelve seconds off and just one second on his perusing class rival, Garry Jennings. Three times winner in Sligo Niall Maguire, sustained a puncture near the end of the stage costing him a little time .Wesley Patterson was the fastest two wheel drive over the Gevagh mountain as Roy White in the MG lost a lot of time when a water bottle strayed under the pedals . The ground hugging Darrian of the Welsh crew Washington James and Llionas Jones Davis persuing the same class 14 was well of the pace on , ten seconds off the Escort.

The field headed towards the second, Team P R Reilly sponsored stage 2 located in the Arigna valley overshadowed by the wind turbines. The WRC Impreza of O Riordan was to endure a further deficit as the S2000 car took a further fourteen seconds, widening that leadership gap further. Gary Jennings starting his Group N charge set third fastest although Murphy, Barrett and Maguire set practically identical time on that second stage. The last stage of the first loop and the longest, the Gulf sponsored Blast Hill was not to affect the leaderboard although the Subaru of O Riordan was to set a three seconds faster time on this one .On the local front local disappointment was filtering through, that Domnic Mc Loughlin and his young nephew Brian had retired at the end of stage two when the gearbox lost a few gears. The 00 safety car of Martin Kearns also had quite a moment when early on stage three slipped off on a tight right hander beaching the car on a high ditch. Early on leader of Group N Colm Murphy entered service quite disappointed that his push on Jennings lead had come to an end as the gearbox gave up the goat forcing his retirement in service .Another prominent retirement was the MG of Roy White.

On the second loop the fight between the Subaru and the leading Skoda of Barrable continued but once again on the Blast Hill stage three,  O Riordan set fastest tightening that margin entering service for the second occasion to just eight seconds. Border Championship leader entering Sligo, James Cassidy spoiled his chances of maintains the lead, putting his Escort off on the second loop. It was also on Stage four that highest seeded local club member , John Mc Gettrick was to have quite a moment , dropping the car off a bank on a challenging right only to recover and continue on losing only about a minute .Leading the locals after six stages was David Leonard with young Daragh Mullen in the Saxo .
With the leadership battle firmly between the two top crews and Jennings comfortable in control of Group N it was Barrett who was to sneak into third place although any possibility of advancing into second was well out of the reach with only three stages to go.
On the final stage of the day young Robert Barrable entered with a margin of twenty nine seconds but once  again the Subaru of Darragh O Riordan set fastest on the stage which took them to the back of Ballitogher .With the best efforts , closing that gap to eleven seconds at the end of the day was not enough to topple the Skoda , and Robert Barrable was to secure his first National Championship win in Sligo.
Many locals were among the awards at the prizegiving function which took place in the Sligo Park Hotel later that evening.
Ballymote crew Damien Scanlon with Paul Wims on the notes picked up third in Class 2.Jarlath Barry and Paul Gallagher on their first outing since a big off in the 2009 Mini Stages captured the second class award in class three. David Leonard and Daragh Mullen came home at eighteenth overall and had a comfortable Class eleven margin to pick up first in class and they were also presented the Dunlop Championship drive of the day. After a day of drama on stage four Ballymote crew John Mc Gettrick and James Mc Dermott was awarded the Connacht Motor Club award for , the highest placed club crew not already in receipt of an award. Stage sponsor Ian Gunning with Fred Holmes on notes was the highest local crew to complete the rally at seventeenth overall. Andrew Mullen and Elaine, sponsors of the Border Championship finished at nineteenth overall in the Evo 9 . Gary and Alan Quinn from Ballymote  brought their class 13 Manta back to the finish ramp at thirty fifth overall.Dromahairs ,Kieran Carroll with John Conway on the notes on this occasion brought  their Civic home in 37^th spot.Enda Haran accompanied by Gary Gallagher was happy to take the car across the finish ramp at 38^th position having encountered a puncture early on .David Quinn another of the Ballymote family with colleague Wesley Shaw finished at fifty third place .Barry Gallagher and G Johnston had a good first run in the Escort coming home at 59^th place having the difficulty of catching a number of drivers on stages. Finishing at 64th, Patrick Corcoran and Sean Harte were happy to take the car home relatively unmarked .Martin Ewing and M Currid in the 205 finished 65^th .Derek Chambers and Chris Mitchel came in at 71^st.David Hunt from Gurteen and Gillian Gilmartin took their 106 home at 73.Andy Heekin and Frank Egan 74^th .Alan Lawson and Brian Boyd 75^th.Kieran Henry and Aidan Gannon at 78^th. Mark Murphy and Keith Branley at 80^th.Ronan Kerrigan and Leon Mc Gowan at 81^st .The accomplished Navigator getting his first taste of driving Niall Burns with Aaron Dolan came in at 83^Rd although the did have an incident on Stage five.The Border Championship Drive of the day went to Shane Maguire in Class four. Words: Padraic Boylan (Press Officer CMC)