IT’S all systems go for this weekend’s Carbery Navigation Trial that will be based at the Kilmurry GAA complex and counts as round three of the Motorsport Ireland National Navigation Championship and round two of the Munster Navigation Championship.
Following discussions with Motorsport Ireland, the Skibbereen and District Car Club organisers, led by clerk of the course Clondrohid’s Iarla McCarthy, were able to re-schedule the event that was postponed some three weeks ago due to a red weather alert.
Most of that entry has remained along with some seven additional entries, most notably that of reigning national champions Monaghan’s Andy Mackarel and his Limerick co-driver Greg Shinnors. They hadn’t entered to compete on the original date as Mackarel’s son Derek was receiving his award for winning the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship where he was co-driven by Inchigeelagh’s Eamonn Creedon.
Competition over the 85-mile route that is based on Ordnance Survey Discovery Series Map 86 (Fifth edition) should be intense as Mackarel/Shinnors will be aiming to strengthen their four-point advantage in the current campaign. Local crews are unlikely to have total domination given the presence of the Ulster quartet of Shane Dalton/Ryan Treanor and Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes, who are joint second following the opening rounds that were organised by the Cork Motor Club and the Monaghan Motor Club.
Drinagh navigator Denis O’Donovan is seeking an unprecedented 11th win on this event; his knowledge of the West Cork terrain is vast and coupled with his razor sharp ability on the maps, marks him out as one of the event favourites. He will be driven by Caherdaniel’s Michael ‘Bones’ O’Connor, who is originally from Ballintemple and is best known as the former clerk of the course of the West Cork Rally. Previously, he competed with the renowned Dublin navigator Paul Phelan, who is a multi-winning national championship co-driver. O’Donovan/O’Connor are contemplating competing in other rounds of the national series and a strong result on the Carbery could copper-fasten that plan.
Meanwhile, other local interest on the event is provided by Ballineen-based Johnny Kenneally, who has Rosscarbery’s Brian O’Mahony on the maps. The Leap father and son pairing of James and Ciarán French are amongst the entries in the Novice category and Bandon’s David Beamish and Crookstown’s Chris Brady compete in the semi-expert class.
For Killeagh’s James Fitzgerald and Ballincollig’s Ken Carmody, the event will provide them with an opportunity to gain some valuable points after they endured a tough time and scored only two championship points in Monaghan a few weeks ago. The Mallow crew of Derek Butler/Aaron O’Regan are one of the additional entries. The first car away on Saturday night is at 9.01pm.
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Entries for the Boggeragh Rallysprint (December 29th) opened last weekend with Dunmanway’s David Guest (Ford Fiesta Rally2) the first entry received by the organising Cork Motor Club. Guest, in a Ford Fiesta R5, won the inaugural event in 2021 when he finished just 2.8 seconds ahead of the ex-Marcus Gronholm Ford Focus WRC of Ray Breen with Ballyvourney’s Gerard Lucey another 4.2 seconds behind in third.
Lucey took a seven-second advantage into the last run over the 5.6km stage, only to suffer a loss of power while Guest spun at the final corner and had to reverse to get back on track. The late Craig Breen (Ford Focus WRC) won the 2022 event and Waterford’s Andrew Purcell (VW Polo GTi R5) took the laurels last year.
The event in 2021 provided Guest with his first-ever rally victory. He was co-driven by Millstreet born Liam Moynihan, who will co-drive again this time.
‘I enjoyed the event in 2021. I have a gravel kit and a few other bits and pieces for the Ford Fiesta Rally2 so it’s a good time to have a run on gravel. I'm hoping to do other gravel events next year,’ Guest said.
