Ace Barry relishing Monte Carlo Rally
Wicklow’s Daniel Barry (Mitsubishi Evo9) has been lucky enough to secure one of the 150 slots for this year’s spectacular that gets underway on Wednesday, January 19.
Since he made his debut in rallying in a Ford Ka 2004, Barry has been over the roads in Britain and mainland Europe rather than those of his native country. It was a conscious decision and one that has led to Barry being recognised more in Britain than here at home.
“That’s true, the reason why I competed in the UK was because any championship I did there, there was a prize at the end. It was nothing against rallying in Ireland, it’s just that I have always needed to have a goal in rallying.”
After campaigns in the Ford Ka and a Peugeot 206, Barry switched to the Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge series and after finishing fifth in 2007, he finally landed the title in 2009. Eager to raise the bar, he moved up to the popular Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series last year where his exploits included the Monte Carlo Rally, Rally Islas Canarias, Ypres Rally and the Rally of Scotland with Navan’s Martin Brady his regular pace note caller.
He managed to take in the Wexford Rally where he was co-driven by Craig Breen, but crashed out of third place.
Looking forward to a return to the Monte Carlo Rally, he has enlisted the services of Cork co-driver, Adrian Deasy. At the moment, the “Monte” is the only rally on his horizon, like a number of other drivers, he is trying to put a budget together that would allow him some additional forays into the IRC.
On the step up to the IRC, he said: “It’s massive, it’s another level again, not just in the quality of the drivers, the layout of the rallies are so difficult, some of them are more of an endurance test.
“The Monte Carlo Rally is one of the toughest, for the last four months I have been working on my fitness. Last year I suffered on the long stages of the rally, there are very few straights, all twists and turns, it’s relentless and you need to be very fit.
“There’s no doubt that the IRC brings on my driving and the whole professionalism of the team. It’s great to be competing against the likes of Jan Kopecky and Juha Hanninen and last year, Kris Meeke, you learn a lot from them.”
With a support team of 10, Barry outlines the plan: “Some drivers go to Monte Carlo to win but the most go there to just actually finish the rally as it’s a great feeling. The preparation is huge, the movement schedule for the service truck alone is phenomenal, the recce support team, tyre/gravel crews, it’s a big effort that’s been going on for a while now.
“Adrian Deasy was highly recommended and was more than happy to help out. The recent weather conditions were perfect and together we were able to make proper ice notes and snow notes and such like.”
On his ambitions for this year’s event, Barry said: “I lost almost 10 minutes in last year’s rally with a few problems and finished 21st. Overall, I would like to finish higher this time.”
Spaniard Dani Sordo has been added to the MINI WRC Team in the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship and will team up with Ireland’s Kris Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle when the marque makes its return to rallying later this season.
Sordo, 27, who was linked to the Ford outfit after his departure from Citroen, is one of the most experienced drivers in the WRC and has 29 podium finishes and 102 stage wins to his credit.
Sordo won the Junior World Rally Championship title in 2005 before joining the Kronos Total Citroën World Rally Team in 2006, when he was first paired with Sebastien Loeb. The MINI WRC Team will enter at least six WRC events this season.
Tomorrow’s MEC Sporting Trial, at Russellstown near Blessington, starts at 11.30am.
On Sunday, the Cavan Autocross at Latton Quarry near Cootehill begins at 10.30am and the Hewison Autotest series continues at the Mastertech Business Park in Longford.
