The bug is back

No I don't have any nasty doses......but there is a recurrence of an old fever I once had and lost for about 18 months, no proper medical name for it but many know it as Rally Fever.
In June 2017 I went to the Ravens Rock Rally and went out to one of the stages, I probably picked a bad spot to take some photos but that has happened before and I made the best of what I had and enjoyed things. However that day on "The Rock" did nothing for me, no buzz, no excitement. Rallying had been a big part of my life and most things revolved around it up to that moment. I was still enjoying my motorsport and attended many autotests, classic and vintage events and targa events up North but had no interest in rallying. Plenty of craic and banter to be had with organisers, marshals and competitors at other events so didn't miss the rallying buzz.
After a bit of interest in rallying was recently sparked a trip to the Willie Loughman Forestry Rally was planned and so a hope that the old grá for rallying might return

Back on the Stages

   After a slight absence from the rally stages, this weekend will see our return to the road side and a trip down to the Willie Loughman Forestry Rally organised by the Carrick on Suir Motor Club. The last stage rally I attended was also a Carrick event, The Ravens Rock Rally, back in June 2017. For a while I hadn't been getting any buzz from stage events and stuck to the clubman events like autotests, endurance trials, targa rallies and multi venue autotests. Why go back now?? Why not?? The Forestry Championship is getting great publicity which is helping get good entries so hopefully it will spark up my enthusiasm to head off to a few more rallies, both on gravel and tarmac during the year.
   Hopefully this new found enthusiasm might also lead to sticking stuff up on this blog a bit more often, I hope to post a few ramblings along with some event previews and reports and anything else I can think of.

Ravens Rock Rally 2017
<img src="https://images42.fotki.com/v1416/photos/0/78200/14338522/1N4A0068-vi.jpg">

Willie Loughman Forestry 2016
<img src="https://images52.fotki.com/v496/photos/0/78200/13918551/IMG_0973-vi.jpg">

Carrick on Suir MC Autotest

CARRICK-ON-SUIR M C AUTOTEST AT WATERFORD (ROUND 9 OF HEWISON TROPHY

CHAMPIONSHIP) (DAY 1):

1 Steven Ferguson (Mini Special) 618.2s,

2 Eamonn Byrne (Mini) 619.8s,

3 Robin Lyons (Mini) 625.6s,

4 Guy Foster (Mini Special) 627.6s,

5 Timmy Lynch (Westfield) 628.1s,

6 Mark King (Nova) 632.7s,

7 David Thompson (Nova) 642.0s,

8 Darren Quille (Westfield) 653.2s,

9 Paddy Power (Mini Moke) 659.1s,

10 Chris Grimes (Mini) 662.7s,

11 Alan Coyle (Mini Special) 665.4s,

12 Ian White (Mini Special) 668.8s.

Class winners: Eamonn Byrne, Guy Foster, Timmy Lynch, Mark King, Seamus Anderson (Starlet) 890.8.

Semi-expert award: James Mansfield (Mini) 812.1s.

CARRICK-ON-SUIR M C AUTOTEST AT WATERFORD (ROUND 10 OF HEWISON TROPHY

CHAMPIONSHIP) (DAY 2):

1 Steven Ferguson (Mini Special) 689.0s,

2 Robin Lyons (Mini) 691.1s,

3 Eamonn Byrne (Mini) 697.9s,

4 Guy Foster (Mini Special) 709.3s,

5 Alan Coyle (Mini Special) 722.2s,

6 Paddy Power (Mini Moke) 723.9s,

7 David Thompson (Nova) 724.5s,

8 Ian White (Mini Special) 730.9s,

9 Mark King (Nova) 748.3s,

10 Liam Croston (Nova) 763.1s,

11 Darren Quille (Westfield) 765.9s,

12 Damien Doran (Mini) 777.3s.

Class winners: Robin Lyons, Guy Foster, Darren Quille, David Thompson, Seamus Anderson (Starlet) 1022.8.

Semi-expert award: James Mansfield (Mini) 879.2s.