Motors: Eyeing title, Mitchell returns to happy hunting ground in Cork

The Rebel county is a happy hunting ground for Mitchell, who won this event 12 months ago and more recently popped the champagne on the Mitchelstown-based Tipperary Forest Rally.

Fri, 08 Aug, 2025 - 07:21

Martin Walsh

The decision to concentrate on gravel events is paying dividends for Strabane's Jason Mitchell (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), who sits atop of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship leaderboard. Looking forward to his journey to Cork for Sunday's fifth round of the campaign, the Kanturk based J&M Distributors Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, he knows that the title race is far from over and he's prepared to measure his title bid to land the Doc Jackson Memorial Trophy.

The Rebel county is a happy hunting ground for Mitchell, who won this event 12 months ago and more recently popped the champagne on the Mitchelstown-based Tipperary Forest Rally. "I always like going to Cork. I have competed on that event last year and the year before and I enjoyed it."

Switching to a Skoda this year has resulted in a rich vein of form. "I feel very comfortable in the car, which always makes it easier."

In terms of the championship (that including Cork, has four rounds remaining) Mitchell admits there's still a lot of driving to be done and he will tailor his approach rather than getting involved in battles with those not registered for the series including fellow Tyrone driver - Omagh's Cathan McCourt (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), who starts behind him on Sunday. "He (McCourt) is one of the fastest men in the country both on tarmac and gravel and I have to keep a sensible head. If Cathan is going very fast, I have to be sensible and not try and race him and then maybe throw it all away."

Mitchell is targeting to build a strong championship lead as he wants to use the bigger restrictor (not eligible for the championship) on the Bushwhacker Rally later in the year.

On the switch to the Skoda, he added, "Yes, it's very good on gravel, but so were the Polo GTi R5 and before that the Ford Fiesta Rally2. To be honest, it was more on tarmac that I struggled with the Polo and that was the main reason for switching but the way this championship went - after the few wins, I decided to have a full season on gravel."

With maximum points from the three events he's contested, Mitchell is 10 points ahead of Waterford's Andrew Purcell, who is not competing in Sunday's eight-stage event leaving another Tyrone driver Stephen Dickson (Ford Fiesta R5) as his closest rival - twelve points in arrears. However, Mitchell is the only one of the trio to miss one of the previous four rounds. "I coach the Strabane U-14 rugby team and we had a really good season, reaching the final that was on the same weekend as the Moonraker Rally, unfortunately, we lost to Virginia late in the game."

Unlike other countries, Mitchell won't have to sweep the loose gravel from the stages as the J1000's and two-wheel drive cars will run ahead, but that's not without its dangers as he explained, "What I have noticed and it almost caught me out on the last two rallies, is the lines they are taking, different lines and they can draw you in and that is something I have to be conscious of on Sunday."

Others on the championship trail on Sunday are Clones driver Derek Mackarel, Ballygawley's Vivian Hamill, Cashel's Pat O'Connell and Omagh's Gareth Mimnagh, in variants of the Ford Fiesta. Fivemiletown's Shane McGirr (Lada) is the top seeded two-wheel drive competitor and Bailieborough's Kyle Drury tops the J1000 category. The first of the day's eight stages starts at 9.13am.

Meanwhile, Moira's William Creighton and Welsh driver Meirion Evans, both in MEM prepared Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars and who share the lead of the Probite British Rally Championship return to the series later today (Friday 6.09pm) on the Voly Grampian Forest Rally near Aberdeen. Creighton said, "The stages can get quite rough in places and a number will only be run once. It’ll be important to find a good rhythm with the car and the pacenotes right from the start.” The Ford Fiesta Rally2 duo of Callum Black and reigning FIA Junior WRC champion Romet Jurgenson are only four points in arrears with the latter posing a real threat.