Germaine's of Baltinglass GSMC Mini Stages Rally 2009
CLASSIC ICONS vs. MODERN METAL IN BALTINGLASS
The Garda Siochana Motor Club's Germaines of Baltinglass supported Mini Stages Rally this Sunday will see an intriguing contest for supremacy unfold between the pilots of outmoded but very potent cars from the 1970s and '80s, and those of four wheel drive turbocharged machines from the current decade. The Classic camp boasts a Toyota Corolla Coupe and various examples of the evergreen Ford Escort among its weaponry, while the Modern army will rely on Japanese chariots from Mitsubishi and Subaru.
So, enough of the clichéd imagery, lets get down to the contenders. The ever-spectacular Terence O'Shaughnessy will lead the field away in his Corolla Coupe, the Carlow man having finished second overall on this event last year. James Foley, a past winner of the GSMC Rally, was listed as the No.1 seed, and intended to drive his Evo 10 Mitsubishi, but he has withdrawn his entry, having been advised by doctors that sitting in a rally car would not help broken ribs to heal. In his absence, the way is open for a new name to appear on the winners' trophy.
In addition to O'Shaughnessy, a host of other Modified men can expected to be major players. Trevor Mulligan, Mick McQuaid, Mick Curran and John Waring will all be out in 2.4 and 2.5 Escorts, and all are capable of taking the win. Mulligan is one of the leading contenders to win the class-based Japcars.ie Midlands East Rally Championship, of which this event is the final round. He finished third overall in Baltinglass in 2008, having been tied for second with O'Shaughnessy at one point.
The 'modern' contingent will be led out by Paul Kiely in his Group N Lancer Evo 9. The Tarmac champion navigator-turned driver was leading the 2008 GSMC Rally when a mechanical failure forced him out, and he will be hoping to make amends on Sunday. Enniskerry's Daniel Barry has had an ultra-successful year so far, winning the UK Mitsubishi Evo Challenge, and finishing third in the British Gravel Rally Championship. He starts this event in his Group A spec Evo 6 Lancer, rather than the later Group N Evo 9 which he has used to such effect across the Irish sea over the past few months. He will be partnered by GSMC member, Martin Brady, who has guided him throughout 2009. Brady was also part of the winning crew on the Baltinglass Rally twelve months ago, calling the notes for the victorious Kevin Kelleher.
Evo 9 pilot, Adrian Quinn, is seeded at No. 8, and has an outside chance of landing the Midlands East title. Next in the line-up is Paul McEnroe (Subaru Impreza WRX N14), who finished in the top four on this event last year, while Mark Courtney (Toyota Celica ST205), seeded at ten, led after the opening stage in 2008, only to then crash out on stage two.
The GSMC Mini Stages Rally gets underway at 9:42am on Sunday morning (18th October, 2009), when the first car leaves Parc Fermé. A short service follows, before the opening stage, Sorrel Hill, gets underway just before 11am. This test, almost 20km in length, which previously featured on the route of the Circuit of Ireland Rally, starts near Kilbride village, circles the hill which from which it takes it name, and skirts around Pollaphuca Reservoir prior to the finish. The second stage, Grangecon, is less undulating than the first, and slightly shorter at 18km. It is located north of Baltinglass.
A twenty minute service precedes a second run over the same two stages, and the leading crews are due to arrive at the Finish, located at Germaines Hotel, Baltinglass, at 4.30pm.
In spite of the current economic difficulties being experienced by all, not least those who are part of the Irish motorsport community, 110 entries have so far been received by the Garda Siochana Motor Club for the Germaines of Baltinglass Mini Stages Rally 2009. Entries will continue to be accepted until sign-on for Pace Note Reconnaissance opens at 9am on Saturday morning.
Germaine's of Baltinglass GSMC Mini Stages Rally 2009
Top Ten Seeds
NO. DRIVER/CO-DRIVER (CAR)
2 Terence O'Shaughnessy/TBA (Toyota Corolla Coupe)
3 Trevor Mulligan/TBA (Ford Escort RS)
4 Mick McQuaid/Paul Kelly (Ford Escort RS 2.5)
5 Mick Curran/Alan White (Ford Escort RS)
6 Paul Kiely/Pat McSharry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9)
7 Daniel Barry/Martin Brady (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6)
8 Adrian Quinn/Alister Wyllie (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9)
9 Paul McEnroe/Andy Donoghue (Subaru Impreza WRX N14)
10 Mark Courtney/Mick Courtney (Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205)
11 John Waring/Sorcha Kelly (Ford Escort RS 2.4)
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