IMPORTANT

Arising from the meeting with clubs after the CAC meeting that took place on the 21st November 2012 please find attached copies of the following documents:

Document Proposal CAC 21.11.12

Time  Dist - 1 Min Comparison

These documents are due for discussion at our January monthly meeting (8-1-2013). Can you please download and read....

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Carrick on Suir Motor Club Nomination for the Ivan Webb Memorial Award

Ann Fitzgerald

Reading through the thirty seven year history of this prestigious award, one striking statistic leaps from the page, Nuala Ni Bhriain being the only woman to have been honoured.

That is about to change this year as the Carrick on Suir Motor Club candidate for the 2012 Ivan Webb Memorial Award is Ann Fitzgerald. It's time to step into the 21st century and recognise the vital role that women have played and continue to play in our sport, and none more so than Ann Fitzgerald.

In 2012 Ann celebrated her 41st year as Carrick MC Club secretary; yes that's correct 41 years. In what has now become a lifetime devoted to the club and sport she loves, Ann started in the usual way marshalling on events but when the post of club secretary became available she was drafted in and has remained in situ now for over four decades.

Along with the day to day running of the Carrick MC, Ann has fulfilled many other duties within the club and on a national level, they include:

(1) 30 years as Ravens Rock Rally Event Secretary.

(2) 30 years as Willie Loughman Forest Rally Event Secretary.

(3) Carrick MC, COC Single Stage Rally, Clerk of the Course.

(4) 3 years as Ravens Rock Rally, Clerk of the Course.

(5) In charge of results for the National Tarmac Rally Championship

(6) In charge of Prizegiving for the National Rally Championship.

(7) 24 years as Registrar for the South East Stages Rally Championship.

(8) Timing operator on Tarmac Internationals i.e. Rally of the Lakes and the Donegal International Rally.

(9) Radio operator on Tarmac Internationals i.e. Rally of the Lakes and the Donegal International Rally.

At a recent function held in her honour, Ann described taking the helm as COC for the Ravens Rock Rally as her greatest achievement but for the Carrick on Suir Motor Club members it's the legacy that Ann has accumulated over a lifetime dedicated to the club and may I say, Irish Motorsport.  

Carrick on Suir Motor Club

Nomination for the 2012 J.C. Millard Memorial Award

Seamus Anderson

During the now long forgotten Celtic Tiger years there was an influx of big names and big cars to our international and clubman events in Ireland. That once roaring beast has since left our shores the big names and the big cars have vanished. What is left is the true 'Clubman' or 'Clubwoman' as both terms have the same definition. A clubman or club woman is a person that is there competing and working for their respective club year in year out. It doesn't matter if it's an 'Autotest' event on a cold January morning or an 'Autocross' on a wet March Sunday, that person is there, lining out because of their love the sport!

For the Carrick on Suir Motor Club there is no better member in this respect today than our current Competitors Club Champion, Seamus Anderson and that is why the Carrick on Suir Motor Club have chosen him as our nomination for the 2012 J.C. Millard Memorial Award.

Seamus embodies all that is great about our sport at club level. Competing in club events throughout the year, being on hand to help with the organisation of events and also being available to help other club members as they prepare.

As of today 1-11-2012 we are only four days away from our final event of the season and Seamus is perched at the top of the standings with a nine point advantage and looks odds on to take his seventh title in a row.

Gary Jennings claims the Valvoline title as Henry takes his maiden Valvoline victory in the Glens of Antrim Rally

Gary Jennings is the new Valvoline Forest Rally Champion after he finished ninth overall (and fifth of the Valvoline registered crews) on Saturday’s Glens of Antrim Rally. The Glens rally was the seventh and final round of the 2012 Valvoline Motorsport Ireland Rally Championship.

A native of Kesh Co. Fermanagh, Jennings is the first driver from the Northern Ireland to win the series in five years, and he is the eighth Ulsterman to win the National Forest Championship in its twenty one year history. Jennings was favourite to land this year’s title after his brilliant form in the early events in the trusty Impreza 555. However, Saturday was a nail biting day for Jennings and co-driver Barry McNulty, as the engine in the Subaru did not run properly all day.

The rally was organised by the Mid Antrim MC and it was based in Garvagh near Coleraine and it consisted of six stages and a 64km/40 stage-mile route, with Springwell and Cam forests traversed three times. It attracted a total of seventy entries of which eighteen failed to finish. The event was won by NI rally champion Derek McGarrity in a Subaru S14 WRC. Second place was claimed by Martin Cairns in a Subaru WRC ahead of the Mini WRC of Derek McGeehan.

Desi Henry was fourth overall and winner of the Valvoline registered runners. Henry campaigned in the BRC this year in a CitroenDS3R3, but for the Glens the Portglenone man drove a Mitsubishi Evo6. It was Henry’s first ever rally in a four wheel drive and he was partnered by Liam Moynihan. Liam Regan was second in the Valvoline class, the Belfast man driving his unique Peugeot 206 four wheel drive. In third place was Enda McNulty the Tyrone just ahead of Stephen Wright who was fourth in the rally and fourth in the championship. Jennings was fifth and the new champion was followed home by Frank Kelly who was once again best 2WD pilot in his Escort Mk2.Colin Britton was seventh, a position that consolidated his second place in the series. The Strabane driver was slowed by drive shaft failure, but he could have lifted the crown if he won the rally and Jennings was lower than seventh championship driver. However Britton’s co-driver Arthur Kierans is the 2012 winning co-driver, as Jennings had different co-drivers during the year.

Shane McGirr was eighth in his exciting Starlet RWD, the result gives the Tyrone driver championship win in class five. Ger Lucey had another good run to ninth place and the result gives the Corkman a championship win in class eight. Finishing off the top ten was Adrian Hethrington, the Escort driver clinching 3rd in class five in the championship. The Escort of Shay Power was next, and the Kilkenny man won the 2WD class in the championship. Another Escort was next, this one a left hand drive in the hands of Tommy O’Connell who is the first ever winning driver in the Historic class in the Forest Championship. The Dungiven man was co-driven by Brian Duggan of www.rally.ie fame. Duggan from Co. Kerry is now the first ever winning co-driver in the historic class. The junior category was claimed by Michael Ryan in the Honda Civic. A good result for the Cashel driver, who bounced back to a fourth place in class despite a trio of DNF’s earlier in the season. 

The principal retirements in the Glens rally were: Andrew Fanning (burst radiator), Jer Connors (drive shaft), Seamus O’ Connell (engine stage 4) and Vincemt McAree.(off stage1).

At the Rally Prizegiving, Forest Subcomittee Chairman John  Quill said “I want to congratulate Gary Jennings on his  championship victory and I would like to thank the Mid Antrim Club for organising a fabulous rally. They put huge effort into running the rally especially when they had to change their original route. The new compact layout was fabulous and very popular with the crews”

Valvoline Standings Overall: G. Jennings 103, C. Britton 97, V. McAree 93, S. Wright 90, G. Lucey 75.

2WD Standings: S. Power 99, D. Raftery 84, I. Downey 72, S. McGirr 65, F.  Kelly63.

Valvoline Forest Rally Championship Prizegiving will take place next Saturday 3rd of November in the Clonmel Park Hotel.  

2012 Valvoline Rally Forest Championship Class Winners:

          Class  1:Joe Shinnors Jnr (Opel Corsa)

          Class  2: Pierce J. Doheny (Opel Corsa)

          Class  3: Adrian McElhinney  (Peugeot 206)

          Class  4: Raymond Benskin Jnr (Ford Escort)

          Class  5: Shay Power (Ford Escort)

          Class  6: Stephen Wright (Evo6)

          Class  7: Martin Cairns (Impreza WRC)

          Class  8: Colin Britton (Evo9)

          Class  9: (Juniors) Dean Raftery (Honda Civic)

          Class 10: Joe McGonigle (C2R2)

          Class 11: (Historic) Tommy O’Connell (Escort)

The chance to co-drive comes about as Ninemile Rally Rallycar Hire are trying to raise funds for Nine month old Jamie Dunphy. Jamie has been afflicted with hepatoblastoma, a rare form of Liver Cancer.

Tickets, priced at €10 are currently on Sale.

1st Prize: Navigate for Aaron MacHale on this year's Fastnet Stages Rally.

2nd Prize: Navigate at the 2013 Willie Loughman Forest Rally in one of the Ninemile Rally Hire Car's.

The draw for the prize's will be held at 'The Auld House', Killamery, Co. Kilkenny, on Sunday 21st of October.

Tickets can be purchased from: 086 7378950(Ben Denny) 087 7546121(david Cronin) or the Garage 051-647865

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