2009 Mourne Rally Preview
[04 June 2009]
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Town Centre Finish For 2009 Mourne Rally
The Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally, round five of the Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship, kicks off this Saturday from the Modern Tyre Service depot in Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry!
The event, which marks the midpoint of the televised Hankook series, sees Derek McGarrity lead the field away in his Subaru Impreza WRC. The Glengormley pilot, who currently leads this year's championship, narrowly lost out on victory at the 2008 Mourne event.
That win was secured local driver Peadar Hurson. He has decided not to defend his Mourne title, and with the 2008 winner absent from this year's entry list, McGarrity is the odds on favourite to claim victory. He took a last gasp win at the recent KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally, and is on course for securing another N.I. championship title.
Kenny McKinstry and Denis Biggerstaff hold second and third places in championship terms, and McKinstry starts at number two this weekend. He was unsure if he was going to continue with the championship but submitted a last minute entry for the event.
Biggerstaff, on the other hand, has called time on his campaign, leaving McGarrity and McKinstry to fend off challenges from the likes of George Robinson and Ray Brammer. Another former champion, Glenn Allen, will also return to the series with his Toyota Corolla WRC.
In the Sunoco Fuels Group N category, Mark Massey also makes a return after his round four accident. He was among a handful of drivers battling for the outright win until he slipped off the road on the final stage. Massey will face stiff competition from Neil McCance, although the Comber driver will be very wary of the scenery after losing a battle with a tree stump a couple of years ago.
Enniskillen's Raymond Johnston will also be among the pacesetters. He claimed maximum class points at round four, propelling him into the lead of the Group N championship. Donagh Kelly will also be looking to build on his points tally as he only lies six points adrift of Johnston.
Trevor Moore is the current leader of the Superdrive two-wheel-drive category and he will be bidding for another points haul at the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally. He will have plenty of competition for the top spot, with a large contingent of 2WD men, including the local Armstrong family, among the contenders.
The event has also attracted a few Montgomery Motorsport Historic crews. It is "touch and go" for Alan Jardine to make the start after his Loughgall Rally accident a little more than one week ago. But Jardine has been working hard and his Mark 1 Escort is almost pristine once again. Nonetheless, he will have a tough job on his hands to beat Phillip Hunter, who already has three victories to his name.
Vehicle scrutiny will take place at Modern Tyre Service from 6.30pm on Friday 5 June, and the rally will start in earnest on Saturday morning at 9.30am. Crews will tackle 13 stages, with repeat runs through Camlough, Wee Gullion and Big Gullion, before finishing at Bellini's Bar and Restaurant in Newry at approximately 5.20pm.
Top 10 seeds
1 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC)
2 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC)
3 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC)
4 George Robinson/Tommy Speers (Impreza WRC)
5 Neil McCance/TBA (Lancer Evo 9)
6 Raymond Johnston/Rodney Hicks (Lancer Evo 9)
7 Richard Cathcart/Martin Brady (Impreza)
8 Mark Massey/Andrew McVeigh (Lancer Evo 9)
9 Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Lancer Evo 9)
10 Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Impreza WRC) |
