Motorsport Photographer Sligo
Melvyn Evans and co driver Aled Davies in a Subaru Impreza WRC S12B won the 2012 City North Hotel backed ALMC Stages Rally by one minute and twenty eight seconds from James Belton with Mark Glennerster also in a Subaru Impreza WRC. Evans who led the rally from start to finish recorded fastest time on six of the special stages and was never troubled by second place driver Simpson who's Impreza is run by Evan's Motorsport team. Stephen Simpson and Patrick Walsh in the third of the Evans Motorsport cars were locked out the top three bring their Impreza WRC home and unexpected third overall. Stephen who ran in fourth for most of the rally was gifted third overall when Damian Cole and James Morgan hit trouble on the final stage when the fly by wire on the throttle of their Ford Focus WRC05 started to give trouble with the Welsh crew losing over a minute of the final stage to finish the event fourth overall.
Fifth place went to twenty year old Christopher Armstrong and Tommy Clinton in their Ford Escort following an outstanding drive in only their third outing in the car. In sixth were David Armstrong and Damien Fleming in their Ford Escort, a late entry for the event David has had good fortune on the ALLMC stages in the past but on this occasion could not match the pace of Christopher's Escort in fifth. Stephen Cullen with Seamus O'Grady calling the notes was the highest placed ALMC Motor Club member to finish the rally brought his Subaru Impreza home an excellent seventh overall and recorded his first Group N win on tarmac, Stephen who has been concentrating on the forestry championship this year showed how his time in the car has really paid off with the production class win. Lloyd Hutchinson and Willie Fitzpatrick finished in eight overall a remarkable result for them in the Mini, Lloyd challenged Stephen Cullen in the group N machine particularly on stage five when a heavy rain shower soaked the stage. Liam Bowhan and Ged Kennedy in their Toyota Starlet finished in ninth overall moving into the top ten on the final loop of three stages, the top ten was rounded out by Paul Clarke and Gary Copperthwaite in their Ford Escort Mk2.
"It has been a fantastic day's rallying and the club are delighted to have had so many crews attend the event from the UK championship, it was by far the best UK entry we have had since we became a part of the championship. An event like this takes the hard work of a very large group of volunteers, which without their help and effort could not take place, thanks to all the marshals, officials, sponsors, residents and competitors who all played their part in the success of the rally" commented Clerk of the Course Noel Devlin at the finish of the event at the City North Hotel.
In the historics Dick Mauger and Steve McNulty won the class in their Ford Escort Mk2 having led the event from the opening stage, in second place Roy Smith and John Stanger-Leathes in the Porsche 911 with Philip McKibbin and Padraig Foran third in their Ford Cortina. The junior class was won by Kevin McLaughlin in a Honda Civic with Sean Brady and Barry McLoughlin in the Peugeot 205 GTi second and Jill White and Paul Sheehan third in their Honda Civic.
Early retirements from the event include John Stone and co driver Rob Fagg in the Skoda Fabia WRC who never made it to the start of SS1 when the turbo in their car expired on the road section, an early turbo problem put John out of the rally in 2010 on the first stage. Top seed Eugene Donnelly in the Sligo Pallets backed Toyota Corolla WRC stopped his car towards the end of the opening stage when his engine cried enough. Washington James and co driver Liam Brennan in the Darrian T90 GTR also retired from the rally, they left the road on the scrapmycar.ie sponsored stage one. The UK crew of Simon Chapman and Tony Graham retired their Austin Metro with a centre differential problem at the end of the opening loop of three stages. Adam Clews with Peter Williams alongside on the notes only managed about one metre of the first stage when their Ford Puma broke a shaft on the start line. Joe Connolly and John J Connolly in the Red Mills backed Ford Escort pulled out of the rally due to an electrical problem; they managed to rectify the problem at service and then ran as a 00. PA Bellew and ALMC's Andres Reid in their Ford Escort crashed out on stage two both the crew were OK but the car will need some work. Third place driver following the first loop of stages Kerry man Thomas Fitzmaurice withdrew from the rally at service as his co driver Fionn Foley took ill with a stomach bug.(Words: Rally.ie)
Melvyn Evans and co driver Aled Davies in a Subaru Impreza WRC S12B won the 2012 City North Hotel backed ALMC Stages Rally by one minute and twenty eight seconds from James Belton with Mark Glennerster also in a Subaru Impreza WRC. Evans who led the rally from start to finish recorded fastest time on six of the special stages and was never troubled by second place driver Simpson who's Impreza is run by Evan's Motorsport team. Stephen Simpson and Patrick Walsh in the third of the Evans Motorsport cars were locked out the top three bring their Impreza WRC home and unexpected third overall. Stephen who ran in fourth for most of the rally was gifted third overall when Damian Cole and James Morgan hit trouble on the final stage when the fly by wire on the throttle of their Ford Focus WRC05 started to give trouble with the Welsh crew losing over a minute of the final stage to finish the event fourth overall.
Fifth place went to twenty year old Christopher Armstrong and Tommy Clinton in their Ford Escort following an outstanding drive in only their third outing in the car. In sixth were David Armstrong and Damien Fleming in their Ford Escort, a late entry for the event David has had good fortune on the ALLMC stages in the past but on this occasion could not match the pace of Christopher's Escort in fifth. Stephen Cullen with Seamus O'Grady calling the notes was the highest placed ALMC Motor Club member to finish the rally brought his Subaru Impreza home an excellent seventh overall and recorded his first Group N win on tarmac, Stephen who has been concentrating on the forestry championship this year showed how his time in the car has really paid off with the production class win. Lloyd Hutchinson and Willie Fitzpatrick finished in eight overall a remarkable result for them in the Mini, Lloyd challenged Stephen Cullen in the group N machine particularly on stage five when a heavy rain shower soaked the stage. Liam Bowhan and Ged Kennedy in their Toyota Starlet finished in ninth overall moving into the top ten on the final loop of three stages, the top ten was rounded out by Paul Clarke and Gary Copperthwaite in their Ford Escort Mk2.
"It has been a fantastic day's rallying and the club are delighted to have had so many crews attend the event from the UK championship, it was by far the best UK entry we have had since we became a part of the championship. An event like this takes the hard work of a very large group of volunteers, which without their help and effort could not take place, thanks to all the marshals, officials, sponsors, residents and competitors who all played their part in the success of the rally" commented Clerk of the Course Noel Devlin at the finish of the event at the City North Hotel.
In the historics Dick Mauger and Steve McNulty won the class in their Ford Escort Mk2 having led the event from the opening stage, in second place Roy Smith and John Stanger-Leathes in the Porsche 911 with Philip McKibbin and Padraig Foran third in their Ford Cortina. The junior class was won by Kevin McLaughlin in a Honda Civic with Sean Brady and Barry McLoughlin in the Peugeot 205 GTi second and Jill White and Paul Sheehan third in their Honda Civic.
Early retirements from the event include John Stone and co driver Rob Fagg in the Skoda Fabia WRC who never made it to the start of SS1 when the turbo in their car expired on the road section, an early turbo problem put John out of the rally in 2010 on the first stage. Top seed Eugene Donnelly in the Sligo Pallets backed Toyota Corolla WRC stopped his car towards the end of the opening stage when his engine cried enough. Washington James and co driver Liam Brennan in the Darrian T90 GTR also retired from the rally, they left the road on the scrapmycar.ie sponsored stage one. The UK crew of Simon Chapman and Tony Graham retired their Austin Metro with a centre differential problem at the end of the opening loop of three stages. Adam Clews with Peter Williams alongside on the notes only managed about one metre of the first stage when their Ford Puma broke a shaft on the start line. Joe Connolly and John J Connolly in the Red Mills backed Ford Escort pulled out of the rally due to an electrical problem; they managed to rectify the problem at service and then ran as a 00. PA Bellew and ALMC's Andres Reid in their Ford Escort crashed out on stage two both the crew were OK but the car will need some work. Third place driver following the first loop of stages Kerry man Thomas Fitzmaurice withdrew from the rally at service as his co driver Fionn Foley took ill with a stomach bug.(Words: Rally.ie)
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