Club happenings in April

Website office(Wexford)

John Dier

Wednesday 25th May

Just when you thought that we ad gone to sleep here in the website, we are here to wake you up with some of the club news. Gary Nolan the club PRO has put together a few pieces about club members and events. Here is the first one, reporting on last months hillclimb and other events that members were involved in during the month.

Fethard-on-sea played host to the first big motorsport event in the sunny south-east this year, the two-day hillclimb that was also the opening round of the Dunlop National hillclimb championship. They event was held in glorious weather and this enabled all the single seater cars to use their power to weight ratio advantage over the local rally contingent. As expected, with the non appearance of last years championship Pat Roche, it was his namesake Michael who headed the timesheets on Saturday, the Delta T81, which was now turbo-charged, rocketed to a time of 49.44 seconds, over 5 seconds clear of his nearest persuader! This was another Delta pilot, Peter Dwyer in his T85 Ford model who was best of the rest in a field that really had no answer to the electrifying pace of Roche. John Mahon completed the top 3, the Suzuki powered Sheane piping a veteran of the hills, northern man Andy Kittle who was making a welcome return to the Hillclimb scene. Michael Melia in an identical Reynard Opel rounded off the top 5. In 6th was a familiar name but in a very unfamiliar car. Goreyman David James is well known for his antics behind the wheel of a mk2 Escort but this time, he had also joined the single seater brigade and he was 6th in his Jedi, a second ahead of the first “car” on the hill, the lightweight Starlet of Waterford’s James Doherty. David Whitty threw the Black Magic mk2 around in great style to take a very commendable 8th overall and 1st in class 9. Mick Griffiths in his beautiful Mk1 escort was 9th and the winner of class 3B while Brendan Keane in his Crossle rounded off the top 10. Other class winners on the day included Kenny O’ Brien, Enda Kennedy, Peter Bogan and John Somers.

Sunday may have been a non-championship round but that didn’t turn off any of the competitors. Once again, it was ideal for hillclimbers and Michael Roche proved this in no uncertain terms, smashing the hill record to once again take a clear victory in his Delta. Peter Dwyer and John Mahon rounded off the top 3 and in fourth on Sunday was David James, obviously getting used to his new toy! Andy Kittle and Michael Melia took 5th and 6th while Liam Wall was first “car” home this time, the Fethard native was always at 11 tenths on his way to 7th. James Doherty took class 2 and 8th while Peter Bogan climbed to 9th and David Whitty rounded off the top ten. Top of the classes included John Somers, Enda Kennedy and Frank Nuttall. A great weekend was had by all with plenty of entertainment provided for the followers at the opening hairpin and the chicane’s! A big thank you to our Welsh visitors, the residents who allowed us to use their roads for the weekend and all the marshals who helped the event run like clockwork.

On the rallying front, the Michelstown forestry played host to the final round of the inaugural Peugeot 205 Challenge which Wexfords Seamus O’ Grady and Oonagh Roche have been competing in, with great success. The Newtown Wood backed crew has been the only ones to challenge series leader Graham Colfer. The went across the sea knowing a victory was needed on the Sweet Lamb forestry stages, taking a comprehensive victory to put them right in the hunt for the championship. Unfortunately, the forests around Michelstown were not kind to the Wexford pairing and numerous problem, the 205 backed by Eddie Roche and sons lost out by four points on dropped scores. If all the rounds had of counted, Seamus would have taken the title, showing just how cruel rallying can be. The silver lining was that Oonagh took the navigator’s title and they will be back on the next 205 challenge to capture the driver’s crown for Seamus!

In other rallying news, the Circuit of Ireland took place over the Easter weekend and it saw Wexfords Eamon Boland take an excellent 3rd overall on the event, which leaves the NVD crew third in the Pirelli tarmac championship.

The second round of the Dunlop national rally championship took place the weekend after over in the west, for the Circuit of Kerry rally. Once again Wexford had its usual contingent at the event and it proved mixed fortunes for them. Graham Scallan and Brian Kirwan in the Cuisine de France Escort were entertaining the crowds but unfortunately failed to finish, as did brother Tomas with Joe Kenny on the notes in the Astra. However, Noel Redmond took 5th in his Subaru WRC while Tomas O’ Rourke and John McGrath took a great 28th overall and first in class while Ollie McPhilips and Billy Collins took 76th overall. In the junior section, Neil Hickey drove a stormer to take 4th overall and second rear wheel drive car while Seamus O’ Grady took 6th overall after loosing time on the first stage in their Proton kit car. Completing the Wexford brigade was Barry Murphy and David Byrne who took 9th overall in their Nova.

JD