Kehoe sparkles in Cork

Website office(Wexford)

John Dier & Gary Nolan

Saturday 5th May

Gay Nolan, along with other members of the club, ventured to Cork for the mini stages rally recently. Here is his report as to how the various crews got on.

The members of Wexford motor club have been getting some miles under the bonnet recently, with the majority of them heading west during April to get themselves bedded into the 2007 rally season.
One pairing to get an early start on the others was Mark Kennedy and Ian O’ Leary, the Oakland Quarries backed Nova was the head of the field in class 11 on the Circuit of Kerry, the pair winning there class by over two minutes and finishing an impressive 27th overall. It was a highly impressive performance by Mark and Ian, the pair setting times close to the leading class 13 competitors in his distinctive style, that being on the door-handles!
However, the main source of action was recently in Rosscarbery, which played host to the Celtic Ross Hotel Mini Stages rally. The event, which was been run by well-known competitor Bob Kelly and his team, had picked two fabulous stages which were to be traversed twice and as always with these events, the event was bound to be hot from the start!
First of the Wexford competitors was James Stafford and Amy Ryan, who were getting some mileage on their Darrian T90 GTR before the Rally of the Lakes. They were seeded at 2 on the event and were considered one of the favourites. Gary Nolan was aboard the blue Mk2 of Adrian Hetherington and they were at 8, with the intention of entertaining the crowds and enjoying themselves! John and Colm Kehoe were at 17, the Campile lads just delighted to get the opportunity of getting out on the stages again. The rapid Nova of John Somers and Niall Fortune was at 21 while Simon Kehoe and Richie Codd were at 35 in the Peugeot 306. Other Wexford crews on the entry list included what could only be described as the Corsa Kit Car brigade, crews of which included John Stafford and Anne Marie Kennedy, Patsy McCafferty and Adrian Codd, Brian Cullen and James Barron, Alan and Brian Boggan, Enda Kennedy and Denis Foley, Darren and Tom O’ Connor and Paddy Dwyer and Davie Byrne. The Corsa would seem to be a fairly popular motor around the southeast! Also in the event were Thomas Kehoe and Fergal Roche in their Escort, Simon and Noel Keenan were aboard their Peugeot 106 while also out for the spin were the Civic’s of Shane Purcell and Derek Delaney and Declan Stafford and Robert Power.
After the opening stage, it was Stafford aboard his new Darrian who set the pace, the Clonmines man with the slenderest of leads, just 0.5 seconds ahead of the former Irish and British Super 1600 champion, Brian O’ Mahony in his Super 1600 Clio. The amazing Paul Purtill was third, the little 1600 Escort being drove on the limit as always. Fourth overall were John and Colm Kehoe while Ed Synan and Anto Jordan rounded out the top 5. Already out were John Somers and Niall Fortune in the Corsa, the Wexford men hitting a wall on the opening stage.
Stage 2 saw a big change in the leader board, leader Stafford retiring with clutch problems in the Darrian, also out was no. 4 seed John Kearney while no. 5 seed Fintan Canty lost all chance of victory with a puncture. Adrian Hetherington and Gary Nolan retired with prop-shaft failure, while other Wexford retirements included Brian Cullen and James Barron in their Corsa, Simon and Noel Keenan in the 106, while Thomas Kehoe and Fergal Roche retired their Escort with a broken half-shaft.
After service the rally had settled down, O’ Mahony was well out in front and he was to stay at the front to take his first overall win. Ed Synan and Anto Jordan followed home the Cork-Mayo pairing in second while the entertaining Purtill took third. John and Colm Kehoe took fourth overall and class 13 honours, the Campile boys loosing touch with the top 3 after a spin on the second stage. Still, it was a great result for John and Colm, a result that was long overdue. Shay Power took fifth just ahead of local boys Jason and Jonathan O’ Mahony who probably had the drive of the rally to sixth in their standard Honda Civic.
Wexford, despite the retirements of Stafford and Somers, still had cause for celebration. Simon Kehoe and Richie Codd took eighteenth overall and first in class 7. Right behind them was fellow Ross man Enda Kennedy with Denis Foley on the notes, Enda taking class 9A honours with Alan and Brian Boggan taking third in the class and John Stafford and Anne Marie Kennedy taking fourth after a trouble-some debut in their new Corsa, with Darren and Tom O’ Connor late retirements from the event in their Corsa. And rounding out the top twenty were class 9 winners, Paddy Dwyer and Davie Byrne in their Corsa, taking a clear win in class 9 in their CK Performance Engines Nova. Shane Purcell and Derek Delaney finished 44th overall and first novice crew while Declan Stafford and Robert Power took 60th overall.
A great weekend’s crack was had in Rosscarbery, and great praise must go to Bob Kelly and his team for putting on a superb event. Up next is the Carlow stages next weekend, with many Wexford men heading for the Mk2 challenge. Will this year see a Wexford winner? We wait and see…

JD