Cavan Stages Rally 2015

Motorsport Photographer Sligo has all the images from the Cavan Stages Rally 2015. A great win for

Peadar Hurson & Damien Connolly in a Subaru WRC.

 

 

Wedding Photographer Sligo

I am now taking bookings for First Communion and Confirmation.

Wedding Photographer Sligo

Knocknarea, Co.Sligo

 

 

Monaghan Stages Rally 2015

Motorsport Photographer Sligo Has the Rest of the Images from a Cold Day in Monaghan.

West Cork Rally 2015

motorsport photographer sligo Just a few Images from a great weekend in cork.

Donagh Kelly & Kevin Flanagan became only the third crew ever to win the Quality Hotel Clonakilty West Cork Rally two years in a row when they had a start to finish victory over St. Patrick’s weekend in their Ford Focus WRC. Second overall were a hard chasing Sam Moffett & Karl Atkinson in a Fiesta WRC who finished just over a minute behind, while a superb performance from Stephen Wright and Mikie Galvin in a Fiesta R5 netted them third overall. 150 cars started the in the main field, which had a high attrition rate particularly on the first day and at the end of the fourteen stages only 90 were classified as finishers. Denis Moynihan and Gerard Conway took the honours in the Historic Rally after a tough battle with Rob Smith and Alun Cook who retired on the final stage. The junior rally was won by Rob Duggan & Keith Moriarty in a Fiesta R2.

Dry and slightly frosty conditions was the scene that greeted crews as they headed to Parc Ferme, but by the 10.30 start, all frost was gone and the sun was shining with good conditions. A lot of rain had fallen on the Thursday before the event and some standing water was to be found on the second stage in Clogagh, but for the most part roads were dry. The inclusion of the rally as a full round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship had meant a high quality entry had assembled. Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan were top seeds having won the previous year, and with wins already this year in Galway and Birr, they were in a confident frame of mind. The reigning Tarmac Champions Declan & Brian Boyle in a Subaru WRC were at two and hoping to end a run of bad luck in recent events. Daragh O’Riordan & Tony McDaid were at three in a Fiesta WRC making his first appearance in several months while Sam Moffett & Karl Atkinson were next up in a similar car.

Melvyn Evans & Mark Glennerster were at five in a Subaru Impreza WRC and Melvyn was hoping for a longer outing than twelve months previously when a gearbox problem put him out on the opening stage. Josh Moffett & John Rowan were at six in yet another Fiesta WRC while Owen Murphy and Anthony Nestor were at seven in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. Jonny Greer  & Kirsty Riddick at eight were out in a Citroen DS3 R5 and looking to get more miles and seat time before the Circuit of Ireland while Stephen Wright and Mikie Galvin at nine were also in an R5 car, this time a Fiesta. Declan Gallagher and Ryan Moore were at ten in a Toyota Starlet and hoping to win the Bones O’Connor Modified Challenge award for the second year in succession.

Day 1

Donagh Kelly set out his stall on the opening stage setting a time of 7.31.6 to go into an immediate lead by 4.7 seconds from Sam Moffett and Daragh O’Riordan a further four seconds behind in third place. Declan Boyle was already in major bother as fuel pressure problems caused his car to stop in Ring village which caused his retirement. He wasn’t the only one in trouble as Joe McGonigle was forced to retire with suspension damage after he hit the rear of his Skoda Fabia midway through the stage. Damien McCarthy and Ray O’Sullivan retired their respective cars after hitting the same corner as McGonigle as twelve cars in total failed to complete the opening stage. The second stage of the loop was Clogagh and Kelly extended his lead out to 14.8 seconds from Moffett. The stage was stopped after Phil Collins and Diarmuid Falvey crashed their Escort, fortunately without injury to the crew.

The next pair of stages was a repeat of the morning stages and Declan Boyle had got his car sorted and was back running under Rally 2 rules. He immediately set a fastest time on Ring to show what might have been as Kelly kept control of the rally from the front. After four stages the gap was out to 25.3 seconds from Sam Moffett with Daragh O’Riordan a further ten seconds behind. Josh Moffett, Owen Murphy and Melvyn Evans were having a great battle for fourth place and were separated by less than eight seconds. Declan Gallagher was giving another two wheel drive master class and was in seventh place overall while Stephen Wright, Mark Straker (Darrian), and John Bonner (Escort) rounded off the top ten. Liam Howlett and Richard Whelan were another pair to retire as the attrition rate continued to rise.

The afternoon stages were Newcestown and Ballinascarthy, both used twice and the former was a stage that hadn’t been used on the event for many years. The gap was out to 32 seconds by the end of stage six despite Sam Moffetts best efforts while O’Riordan was falling back into the clutches of Josh Moffett who was on a real charge by this point. Adrian Hetherington became the latest top seed to retire due to a problem with the rear suspension, but was to re-join under Rally 2 on the Sunday. The last pair of stages saw a few more of the top ten drop out as Josh Moffett had spark plug problems and Owen Murphy damaged the radiator when he overshot a junction on stage 7 and had to retire. Sam Moffett had a very lucky escape on this corner but other than a vibration caused by mud in the wheels was still in second place. Kelly led by 48.2 seconds overnight from Sam Moffett with Daragh O’Riordan still holding third place almost a minute further back. Melvyn Evans was in fourth but retired his car overnight due to persistent throttle problems.

Stephen Wright was getting quicker as he got used to his new car and was now up to fifth while Declan Gallagher had put in a sensational performance to hold sixth overall. Jonny Greer was also getting more confident in his DS3 and had climbed to seventh overall as John Bonner seeded at 53 was a magnificent eighth overall. The top ten was rounded off by Vincent McSweeney (Civic) and Mark Straker as just over 120 cars got to the end of the first day. Declan Boyle was another to decide to retire overnight as he was too far down the order to make any further impression on the leaders. The Historic category was very competitive with Rob Smith impressing on his first appearance in West Cork and holding a 7.4 second lead over Denis Moynihan overnight. Gareth Lloyd and Ernie Graham were renewing their Galway rivalry with the Welshman holding a 22 second advantage in third place.

Day 2

Ardfield, Sams Cross and Rossmore to be completed twice were the three stages to be tackled on the second day with a long service after the first loop. Despite running in Rally 2 and in 53rd overall, Josh Moffett set a stunning time over Ardfield 1 as Donagh Kelly lost a little bit of time with a spin and stall on the first junction of the stage which closed the gap at the front to just 44 seconds. Kelly responded with a good time on Sams Cross which pushed his lead back out to 47 seconds. Cal McCarthy had been lying in twelfth place overnight but crashed out on the opening Ardfield test as Gary Kiernan moved up from 11th to 8th overall after an excellent start to the day.  

By the end of the first loop of stages barring a disaster Kelly was almost uncatchable with a lead of 51 seconds despite Sam Moffetts best efforts, while a puncture ended Daragh O’Riordans chances of a podium finish as he lost over five minutes. This promoted Stephen Wright into third place while Declan Gallagher was now in fourth but coming under pressure from Jonny Greer who was really getting to grips with Citroen and putting in some very good times. John Bonner and Gary Kiernan were having a ferocious battle for seventh overall with Vincent McSweeney ninth overall and Brian Brogan climbing into the top ten. The Historic category was still on a knife edge as Denis Moynihan edged in front of Rob Smith by just 2.4 seconds with just three stages to go. Rob Duggan was leading the juniors as expected but was being pressed hard by James Bradley who was only 21 seconds behind. Such was the pace of the leading duo that third placed Richard Moore was almost two minutes behind!

Over the final three stages Kelly kept his cool to take victory by almost 70 seconds from Sam Moffett who had decided to back off and preserve second place while Stephen Wright netted an excellent third place overall. Jonny Greer was an excellent fourth overall while Daragh O’Riordan overhauled Declan Gallagher for fifth place. Gallagher however managed to retain his Bones O’Connor Modified Challenge trophy for best 2WD after another stunning drive over difficult stages. Seventh was decided on the final stage when an outstanding drive by John Bonner came to a sad end when he went off the road into retirement midway through the test leaving Gary Kiernan to take his second top ten on the event in two years. Brian Brogan withstood a late charge from Wesley Patterson to take eighth place by just three seconds. The top ten was rounded off by Vincent McSweeney and Michael Kearney in their Civic after an excellent performance.  Denis Moynihan took the Historic Rally win when Rob Smith stopped on the final stage while Ernie Graham edged out Gareth Lloyd for second place on the category by just 0.8 seconds. Rob Duggan took the honours in the Junior Rally by just over a minute from James Bradley with John O’Sullivan in third place overall.

It was the first time that the West Cork Rally was included as a full Tarmac Championship round, and Clerk of the Course Greg McCarthy had devised a suitably tough route which was well received by the competitors. Donagh Kelly now leads the Tarmac Championship from Sam Moffett by six points and also hopes to come back to Clonakilty in 2016 as he bids to become only the second driver to win the event three times and the first to do it in consecutive years.

Main Field Top 5 Overall

1 – Donagh Kelly & Kevin Flanagan     Ford Focus WRC      1:50:11.5
2 – Sam Moffett & Karl Atkinson           Ford Fiesta WRC      1:51:20.6
3 – Stephen Wright & Mikie Galvin       Ford Fiesta R5           1:54:58.1
4 – Jonny Greer & Kirsty Riddick          Citroen DS3 R5           1:57:14.9
5 –Daragh O’Riordan & Tony McDaid   Ford Fiesta WRC       1:57:21.0

Historic Top 3 Overall

1 – Denis Moynihan & Gerard Conway   Ford Escort Mk1       1:26:19.8
2 – Ernie Graham & Will Graham            Ford Escort Mk2       1:28:10.4
3 – Gareth Lloyd & Den Golding             Ford Escort Mk2       1:28:11.2

Junior Rally Top 3 Overall

1 – Rob Duggan & Keith Moriarty           Ford Fiesta               0:52:39.0
2 – James Bradley & Maria Kehoe          Honda Civic              0:53:42.9
3 – John O’Sullivan & J.J. Cremin            Honda Civic              0:56:19.8

Mayo Stages Rally 2015

Motorsport photographer sligo Has the rest of the Images from Mayo Stages Rally

Monaghan’s Niall Maguire and Enda Sherry stormed to an emphatic victory on Sunday’s Hotel Ballina and Kennedy Motors Mayo Stages Rally, finishing just over a minute ahead of their nearest rivals Frank Wray and Kieran McGrath. Wray, finishing in a career best second place, was closely followed by Mayo & District Motorsport Club crew Aaron McHale and Paul McGee.
In a battle of sheer concentration, the victors would always be those who could best negotiate the scenic by-roads of North Mayo, in what was a rain soaked first loop. The opening stage twisted wildly around Kilcummin, however the drivers had little time to admire the view. Stage two started scenically through Lacken Hill before skirting Ballycastle. Kilfian hosted the third stage which proved the kindest to the drivers. Each stage was driven three times and a cumulative time decided the winners.
93 crews left rally headquarters at Hotel Ballina on Sunday and reassembled for service at Asahi plant. The conditions faced by contestants were challenging to say the least, heavy rain over the weekend had left the stages extremely testing for the drivers as muck and surface water provided extra obstacles on the course.
As expected, the World Rally Cars at the head of the field set the pace from the start, with Niall Maguire fastest on the opening test by 17 seconds, a lead he was not to relinquish throughout the day. Marty Toner and Sharon Clarke were the surprise early leaders of the unofficial two wheel drive modified battle in their Talbot Sunbeam, although it was clear from the start that this would be a closely fought contest, with the likes of Jonathon Pringle, Damian Toner & Pat Donegan all setting top ten stage times from the off.
By first service Maguire had established a lead of 40 seconds and professed himself happy with his pace, despite noting the difficulty of the stage in the wet conditions. Paddy McVeigh & Gary McElhinney in their newly acquired Subaru had been Maguire’s nearest challenger until they were forced to retire following a brush with the local scenery. Local honours were being upheld by Road Safety Ambassador Aaron McHale & Paul McGee in their Mitsubishi Evo as they were lying second overall, with Niall Maguire’s son Shane in third in another Evo.
The second loop of stages saw greatly improved conditions, with Niall Maguire continuing to extend his lead to over 50 seconds by the time they returned to Asahi for the final service. However, his closest challenger was now Frank Wray who had upped his pace in his Subaru WRC to climb to second overall. Maguire felt comfortable after the exit of McVeigh and hoped to see out the rest of the event at a steady pace. Local crew Aaron McHale & Paul McGee, who’s parents needed only to look out the window to see him pass, were still competing well and were keeping the pressure on Wray, lying a mere ten seconds behind. The modified battle was now being edged by Pat Donegan, with David Moffett and Jonathon Pringle nipping at his heels. Marty Toner had slipped back after a rapid start.
True to form, Niall Maguire and Enda Sherry set a fast but steady pace to consolidate their lead on the final loop, before duly returning to rally headquarters at Hotel Ballina to a warm welcome as event winners. Frank Wray & Kieran McGrath made no mistakes to take second, while Aaron McHale & Paul McGee were delighted to finish third overall on home soil. Shane Maguire was the group N winner in his Evo and finished fourth overall. In the battle for modified honours, Pat Donegan / Alan Keena in their Ford Escort finished just under 20 seconds ahead of the Toyota Starlet of David Moffett & Fintan Sherry with Jonathon Pringle / Martin Byrne in their Mark II.
Top local finishers other than McHale were Barry Cuffe & Aidan Gannon from Castlebar, finishing 20th overall third in class 11R in his Elvery’s backed Escort. Ballyhaunis man Shane Buckley had been the top local, running as high as 12th overall until his rally came to end on the penultimate stage. Belmullet man Shane Barry was on the notes for Padraic McGee and guided him to a class 1 victory and 22nd place overall. Kenneth McHale from Knockmore came home second in class 15 after a good run. Westport pairing David Healy & Stephen McGing finished second in class 1, following up their recent result in Birr. Club secretary John Duffy & John Egan from Claremorris won class 3 in his Honda Integra, fairing slightly better than Club Chairman Matthew Murphy with brother Ronan on the notes who managed to come home fourth in class 11R after an eventful day behind the wheel.
Tony Langdon & David Loughney in their Civic finished second in class six after setup issues hampered their day. Brian Lavelle, on his first time out, finished a respectable seventh in class 1 and 42nd overall in his Devers Garage backed Civic. Castlebar pairing Padraig Conneely & Liam Walsh finished third in class 11F for front wheel drive car. Experienced local navigator Jared Gill was calling notes for Stephen Kelly and they finished 48th overall and seventh in class 11R. Father and son crew Patrick McEveny Snr and Jnr, managed to bring home their Corolla fourth in class 11F on their first time out. David Moran and Robert Culliney finished third in class 10 in a Citroen Saxo. Killala’s Aubrey Carson and Mary McAndrew came home fourth in class 10, while Raymond Carroll with Crystal Culkeen on the notes hot on their heels in fifth in the class.
The Junior category had a number of Mayo entrants with Justin Ryan battling for the lead throughout the day and eventually finishing second. Stephen Doherty & Alan Moran from Foxford finished fifth in their Opel Kadett. Local woman Trisha Greavy on her return to rallying was happy to finish sixth. Mayo Young Drivers’ Champion Noel Murphy from Shrule eventually finished seventh despite visiting the scenery on stage one, using Rally 2 rules to re-enter the event.
Unfortunately, a number of local crews failed to complete all stages due to various issues. Event sponsor Ciaran Kennedy from Ballina with Paddy O’Hora will be disappointed to have bowed out early in the event after an off road excursion. Lacken man Colin Loughney & Seamus Murphy were unlucky not to finish in their Escort after engine problems. Michael Loughney, who had cousin Fergal Loughney on the notes, was driving a similar Escort to his Coin and retired due to similar technical problems. Father and son crew Ronan & Lorcan Moore had retire in the final loop following engine mount problems. Martin Cawley and Kenny Langan also had to retire with engine problems at the end of stage 3.
Once again Mayo & District Motorsport Club put on an excellent rally that ran right on schedule, testament to the huge effort put in by Clerk of the Course Padraic Roche and his team. In addition to their sponsors, the club would like to thank the residents and locals along the rally route for all their support and co-operation.Words Mayo Motor Sport Club

Birr Stages Rally 2015

motorsport photographer sligo has more Images from the Opening round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.