Circuit hopeful David Bogie’s entry boosts Midland Rally
Initially the club struggled to get entries but a concerted effort has resulted in the them attracting almost 90 crews including Juniors.
It is a round of the regional Loughransigns.com Midlands East Championship.
Bogie is expected to come out on top over the nine-stage encounter. Opposition will be from Tyrone’s Paddy McVeigh (Subaru WRC) – a winner of the rally two years ago. Another former winner Cavan’s Chris Armstrong (Ford Escort), who took the spoils in 2013 and fellow countyman Gary Kiernan, also in an Escort, are the main two-wheel drive exponents.
Meanwhile, Stephen McCann, also from Cavan, competes in the ex-Denis Cronin Subaru WRC and local ace Tommy Doyle (Renault Clio R3) rounds out the top six. US based Paul Rowley (Skoda Fabia), Escort pair Jim McKenna and Conor Waters and Pauric Duffy (Fiesta R5) complete the top ten. In Group N, Aidan Wray (Mitsubishi Evo X) will be the barometer for the likes of Sean Gallagher and Neill Tohill.
While Donegal’s Declan Boyle (Ford Fiesta WRC), Clonmel’s Roy White (Ford Fiesta WRC) and Kerry’s Alan Ring (Ford Fiesta R5+) were all shown on the club’s un-seeded entry, none of the trio are not competing.
Boyle’s Fiesta has still not been fully repaired since crashing in the Galway International Rally, but he is hopeful of contesting the Circuit of Kerry in two weeks’ time to begin his Triton Showers National Rally Championship bid. The opening stage is scheduled to start at 10.18am, the finish is at the Longford Arms Hotel at 5pm.
The Circuit of Kerry Rally (April 3) will be launched on Sunday in Tralee. Cork driver Daragh O’Riordan is set to drive the Thomas Fitzmaurice S12C Subaru. The rally is the second round of both the Triton Showers National Rally Championship and the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship. Killarney’s Rob Duggan is one of three drivers along with Mattias Adielsson (Sweden) and Arron Windus (Australia) entered by Vauxhall Motorsport. The trio will campaign the Opel Adam in preparation for the Circuit of Ireland.
The opening stages of the Circuit of Ireland (April 8/9) the second round of the European Rally Championship will be close to Larne and Ballymena. Action on the final day returns to the Downpatrick and Mourne region where Buck’s Head (14.5Km) stage will be followed by the popular 17-kilometre Hamilton’s Folly.
The Bulls Brook stage completes the loop that will be followed by mid-morning regroup in Banbridge town centre.
The crews repeat all three stages in the afternoon along with two loops of new stage, Banbridge, before the ceremonial finish in front of Queen’s University, Belfast.
