Willis in the Circuit driving seat
For the last five months, rally director, Bobby Willis has done little else but the proverbial “eat, sleep and drink” every aspect of the Easter classic. The Circuit gave Willis his first taste of rally action in 1977 in a Mk. 1 Ford Escort as co-driver to Clifford Davis. It was a much different event then, five tough days including the run down to Killarney and back up the west coast.
Willis has invested his own money in an attempt to rejuvenate the Circuit. He views it as a chance to reawaken a sleeping giant. His philosophy is simple, after a lifetime in the sport as a successful co-driver, map preparation expert and most recently as the man responsible for all the preparatory work in guiding VW to success in the Dakar Rally.
“I don’t see it as a gamble, it is my opportunity to give something back to the sport.”
It’s a laudable gesture, already, he has made some significant changes. A bigger entry would have made his task somewhat easier, instead, he’s got to be satisfied with around 95 crews. The one positive in that respect is that the International entry is up some 30% on last year.
An 18-mile night stage illustrates that Willis is not afraid of change, but he has all the usual concerns on safety, which he says is paramount. The Circuit has fallen from its halcyon days, indeed, it’s not that long ago that its whole future was in doubt. The event has stages in counties Down, Armagh, Monaghan and Louth, a key aspect was enlisting the help of the Monaghan and Cavan motor clubs and Willis appreciates their trust.
The need to bring the rally to the people is also high on his agenda, he wants the people in Dundalk, Newry and Banbridge to embrace the rally. The presence of the Dakar Rally winning VW Touareg as one of the 00 cars, in the hands of German ace, Dieter Depping, is further proof of the desire to raise the Circuit profile.
Bringing former Rally Ireland Clerk of the Course, Gordon Noble to clerk the event was a shrewd move, other experienced personnel have also come onboard. “It’s a massive boost to have Gordon as Clerk of the Course.” said Willis. Having attained IRC Supporter event status, the Circuit will come under the microscope, but if the team adhere to the schedule, it could gain full IRC status as early as next year. Speculation on a Dublin/Belfast event in 2011 is just that – according to Willis, “It’s far too early for that, I had five months to put this together and for now, we are just concerned about the weekend.”
Top seed, Gareth MacHale in his Ford Focus is chasing down his inaugural Circuit win. Derek McGarrity (Subaru WRC) is the only former winner in the pack that also features Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC), who will be eager to raise the tempo, Aaron MacHale (Ford Focus WRC) and Kevin Barrett (Subaru WRC). The UTV Drive circuit offers Craig Breen a quick opportunity to erase last week’s BRC disappointment while Daragh O’Riordan will continue his acclimatisation with his Subaru WRC. Alastair Fisher, Garry Jennings, Richard Cathcart, Alan Ring, Neil McCance and John McGlaughlin carry the thrust of the Group N entry. Marty McCormack, Robert Barrable, Adrian McElhinney are amongst the C2R2 Max contingent, Andrew Bushe campaigns a Citroen C2 S1600. In the Fiesta SportTrophy Ireland championship, early leader, Stephen Wright (20) from Monaghan will be looking to consolidate his position against the likes of Dara Leonard (18) and Desi Henry (20).
Meanwhile, the World Rally Championship continues with the Jordan Rally that begins today. The Connaught Competition Engines Irish Hillclimb and Sprint Championship begins this weekend with the Logue’s Lodge Clare Hillclimb. Tomorrow, the famous Corkscrew Hill in Ballyvaughan is the venue and on Sunday, the Scalp Hill near Carran village is the location. The Birr & District Motor Club’s National Championship Grass Surface Autocross double-header is in memory of Billy Cavanagh, who died recently. The event takes place in Killeen near Birr tomorrow at 2pm and Sunday at 12.45pm.
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