Motorsport: Mackarel takes Willie Loughman spoils

The winners finished 20.6s ahead of championship leaders Derry’s Jordan and Paul Hone (Ford Fiesta R5), who recovered from an opening stage spin to edge out the similar car of Cavan’s Stephen McCann and John McCabe by a mere 0.2s on the final stage.

Mon, 15 Apr, 2024 - 07:07

Martin Walsh

After setting the pace from the start Monaghan’s Derek Mackarel and his Donegal co-driver Daren Curran won the Waterford-based Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the second round of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship.

They finished 20.6s ahead of championship leaders Derry’s Jordan and Paul Hone (Ford Fiesta R5), who recovered from an opening stage spin to edge out the similar car of Cavan’s Stephen McCann and John McCabe by a mere 0.2s on the final stage.

On the morning’s opening stage, Mackarel opened up a 5.1s lead over Tyrone’s Gareth Mimnagh also in a Fiesta R5 with another Tyrone driver Darragh Cairns (Skoda Fabia) 2s further behind.

David Condell in a hired Fiesta R5 was only a fraction of a second in arrears followed by McCann and the Mitsubishi of Tipperary’s James Dunphy.

Top seed Hone spun and lost some 25s and was down in eighth place.

The Derry ace made a quick response by posting the best time on the second stage to move up to sixth as Mackarel extended his lead to 15.1s with McCann slotting into second 5.4s ahead of Mimnagh.

Hone along with Mackarel and McCann beat the bogey on SS3.

The top duo remained 15.1s apart — as Hone completed the top three 7.2s further behind.

Mimnagh dropped to fourth followed by Condell and Cairns, who was concerned by a crack in the radiator following a heavy landing.

Dunphy was untroubled in seventh followed by Midleton’s Daragh O’Riordan (Ford Fiesta S2000) and the two-wheel drive cars of Shane McGirr (Lada) and Ryan McHugh (Ford Fiesta Rally4).

Mackarel (28) tightened a steering bolt after SS5 and went on to claim his first major victory and Hone did enough to edge out McCann for the runner-up spot albeit by 0.2s.

Elsewhere, McGirr won the rear wheel drive category and McHugh topped the front wheel drive contenders, they were seventh and eighth overall respectively.

Meanwhile, Welsh driver and former British Rally champion Osian Pryce (Ford Fiesta Rally2) opened his current BRC account with a strong victory in the Rallynuts Severn Valley Rally, the second round of the series.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s seven stages he was 20s clear of the similar car of Moira’s William Creighton with opening round winner British driver Chris Ingram (VW Polo GTi R5) 14.3s further behind in third.

Willie Loughman Forest Rally (Round 2, Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship) Waterford: 1. D. Mackarel/D. Curran (Ford Fiesta R5) 37m. 23.3s; 2. J. Hone/P. Hone (Ford Fiesta R5)+20.6s; 3. S. McCann/J. McCabe (Ford Fiesta R5)+20.8s; 4. G. Mimnagh/J Barry McCarney (Ford Fiesta R5)+1m. 09.6s;. 5. D. Condell/M. Coady (Ford Fiesta R5)+1m. 14.1s; 6. D Cairns/M. Preston (Skoda Fabia)+1m. 31.2s; 7. S. McGirr/D. Raffery (Lada VFTS) 3m. 15.6s; 8. R. McHugh/A. Kierans (Ford Fiesta Rally4)+3m. 41.3s; 9. M. Conlon/J. McEneaney (Ford Escort)++4m. 03.0s; 10. D. Eves/R. Farrell (Ford Fiesta Rally4)+4m. 26.9s.