1976 DMC Moonraker Rally

Victory (and title bid?) by Nutt and Smyth.

This report is reproduced from the Belfast Telegraph on 21st August 1976. Photographs are from the Bryce Sands collection.

DESSIE Nutt and Derek Smyth, in their Speedy Cleaners Vauxhall Magnum, made a strong challenge to win the 1976 Northern Ireland navigation rally championship when they got their second win of the series in Dungannon Motor Club’s Moonraker Rally last night.

In second place, a mere six seconds behind, was the Escort Twin Cam of Tommy Speers and Brian Rowan, this pairing together for just this rally, put up an exceptional performance and chased the winners from start to finish.

Third place went to local crew Trevor Haydock and John Beatty in their Escort RS2000, a further two minutes down.

After many years of being regarded as one of the country’s foremost navigation rallies, last night’s Moonraker was quite a letdown, with inexperienced organisation showing through from start.

In the first third of the rally, which started and finished near the Coalisland motorway roundabout and used the very bumpy roads south of Lough Neagh, few route checks were manned and it would have been quite possible for any crew to have cut out much of the route without penalty.

From the start of the rally, the first two sections were easily cleanable and then the final control into petrol saw the best crews dropping eight minutes on dry roads. If the roads had been wet, the penalties would have been incredible.

It was quite a surprise at the first petrol halt to find that the rally was being led by the inexperienced Willie Moffatt in a very large 3.1 Capri RS, navigated by Lenny Weir. Tied in second place were Nutt/Smyth and Speers/Law, with the RS2000s of John McAlorum/Paul Phelan and Trevor Haydock/John Beatty a further minute behind.

Top seeds, Fred Crawford, and Peter Scott in their RS2000 had the unusual distinction of being stopped by the Ulster Service Corps and being help up for a couple of minutes, which dropped them behind the leaders, At the first petrol halt, they were having trouble with their alternator, but decided to continue, and hoped the battery would last.

Moffatt and Weir had extended their lead at the second halt and were closely followed by the same few crews. Notable retirements in this section were John McAlorum and Paul Phelan, who lost all the oil from the engine of the RS2000 and had to give up.

Also surprising in this section was the normally very steady crew of Joe Pat O’Kane and Roy Sloan in an Avenger GT who went off the road on a tightening right-hander and dropped down quite a distance, rolling the car.

The final section included one more selective and Moffatt and Weir were once again fastest, but unfortunately, only four miles from the finish, their car stopped mysteriously and put them out of the rally. A sad end to a very fine run.

RESULTS

1. Dessie Nutt-Derek Smyth (Vauxhall Magnum), 22.4;
2. Tommy Speers-Brian Rowan (Escort Twin Cam), 22.5;
3. Trevor Haydock-John Beatty (Escort RS2000). 24.9;
4. Dan Doherty-Dave Duffin (Avenger: GT), 27.3; (Class 2);
5. Fred Crawford-Peter Scott (Escort RS2000), 34.6;
6. John Richardson-Trevor Hughes (Escort RS2000); 35.4 (Class 3);
7. Wesley Abraham-Bob McCutcheon (Escort RS2000), 36,3;
8. David Somerville-Keith Somerville (Cooper ‘S), 40.7; (Class 2):
9. Brian Clarke-Colin Beatty {Avenger GT), 41.1 (Class 2):
10. John Allen-Bobby Young (Escort), 46:7 (Class 3).

Northern Ireland Navigation Championship Positions after Moonraker (2 rounds to go)

Drivers

1. Dessie Nutt (34 points)
2. Fred Crawford (33)
3. John McAlorum (25)
4. Joe Pat O’Kane (21)
5. Tommy Speers (19)

Navigators

1. Derek Smyth (34 Points)
2. Peter Scott (33)
3. Paul Phelan (25)
4. Roy Sloan (21)
5. Drew Todd (18)