1984 Ballina Single Stage Rally

1984 Ballina Single Stage Rally

This report, by John Duffy, is reproduced from Carsport Magazine.

Ballina Motor Club’s Single Stage Rally on 4.11.84 was lost rather than won on the first of three runs over the five mile stage. Approximately one mile into the stage, James Cullen navigated by his sponsor Tony Kelly in the Rent-A-Van Escort heard a loud bang from the front of his car and immediately switched off thinking his engine had blown. Having coasted for some distance he decided to restart his engine which fired immediately and Cullen discovered that only his exhaust manifold had broken. He finished the stage at a furious pace but by then 15 seconds were lost to James McDaid, navigated by Carsport contributor Rory Kennedy in the Swilley Homes/Daf Trucks Opel Ascona 400.

The stage originally designated as an 8 mile stage with a practice run had to be cut to 5 miles late on Saturday night on the insistence of the R.I.A.C. Even though they had previously approved the regs, which clearly gave the stage distance as 8 miles, and even though the minutes of the R.I.A.C. August meeting stated that 8 miles was the approved length for single stage rallies. However, what was not in the minutes of that meeting and what the Ballina club were supposed to know even if they were not told, was that 8 miles for a single stage rally was only approved from 1.1.85.

The now 5 mile stage was a fast dry stage and the popularity of this event was shown by the entry of 85 competitors, 72 of whom started the event. The quality of the field would do justice to any Irish international event, it being of better quality and quantity than at least two of this year’s International Rallies. Indeed another indicator of the quality of the field was that Michael Parkes/Desmond O’Reilly from Sligo who figured in the top ten in the Galway International and who did so well in the Donegal International, could only manage third in class, even though he drove as quickly as ever but was still beaten by Gerry McVeigh/Aidan Fox in their Sunbeam and Derek Bailey/W Seanan in their Mini.

The field of 72 starters were led away from the Deenwood Hotel, Ballina, who sponsored the rally by Dan Daly from Belfast navigated by S. Gormley in his Datsun Violet, followed by the eventual winners James McDaid/Rory Kennedy in the Opel Ascona 400, followed at 3 by James Cullen/Tony Kelly in their Escort and Manorhamilton man Harold Thompson, navigated by Seamus Hannigan in their 1600 Sunbeam. Other interesting entries were Gene Meegan/Brian Murphy from Monaghan in their Porsche 911 Turbo at no 7, Joe McHugh/Dermot McHugh from Frosses in their Escort at 8, no 10 Louis McNern, no. 11 Ken Colbert/Manus McKenna from Dungannon in his Sunbeam Lotus, on his first visit to Ballina, but according to Ken himself definitely not his last. At no 12 was Jackie Harris, 13 Pat Kirk, 14 David Gould/R Mullen from Dublin also in a Lotus Sunbeam, no 15 Eamon Harvey/K Harvey, and at no 16 Derek Boyd/Leo Cunningham from Crossgar Co Down.

Also entered were Matt Doherty/Brian Grey from Derry in an Escort at no 22, 23 was P Mulgrew (Escort) from Armagh, no 26 A Hawthorne/D. Alexander from Belfast in a Chevette, no 30 G. Arthurs/G McBride from Greyabbey in an Escort and 31 R Deazly/M Deazley from Dromore Co. Tyrone in a Sunbeam.

Fastest on the first stage was McDaid/Kennedy in a time of 5.54, a time which decided the destiny of 1st overall. Dan Daly was 11 seconds slower than McDaid with Cullen, despite his problem, being only 4 seconds further back on 6.09 with Ken Colbert on 6.17 and Harold Thompson on 6.18, the 1300cc Sunbeam of Gerry McVeigh and Eamon Harvey were also flying with McVeigh on 6.24 and Harvey 6.25. During the first run Joe McHugh retired with mechanical problems, no 35 J Gibson/S Brady from Newry went off backwards in their Sunbeam, no sooner had they been pushed out than the same spot was filled by no 51 R. Keith/D Mahood from Cavan in their Avenger. Gibson/Brady had a disastrous rally, losing their grille early on and wrecking their car at the flying finish on the second run.

Cullen was only able to take one second off McDaid on the second run having effected repairs to his exhaust manifold. Cullen’s time was 5.51 with McDaid on 5.52. All the rest were outside 6 minutes with Ken Colbert on 6.04, Dan Daly on 6.08, Harold Thompson and David Gould on 6.10 with Eamon Harvey and Jackie Harris next up on 6.24. Incidents of note on this run were Derek Boyd visiting the spot recently vacated by Gibson and Keith, their having to be manhandled back on the road with practically no body damage he subsequently retired with mechanical problems.

Pat Kirk/Paul Foley retired their Datsun 240 RS having gone off towards the end of the stage. Many others had problems where Boyd left the road including A Hawthorne from Belfast in his immaculate Chevette, W Brown from Newtownards in his Escort and J Greer/T Greer from Ballymena in their Sunbeam. On the last run Cullen had a deficit of 14 seconds to make up on McDaid and this he did with a remarkable time of 5.48 to McDaid’s, Daly’s and Colbert’s all on 6.02, with the consistent Harold Thompson on 6.10, with P. Mulgrew from Armagh on 6.21 and Michael Currid on 6.23.

So at the end of three runs McDaid and Cullen tied on 17 minutes 48 seconds with first overall going to McDaid by virtue of his fastest time on the first run, 3rd overall went to Dan Daly on 18.15 with Ken Colbert on 18.23.

At the presentation of awards in the Deanwood Hotel Ballina it was a delighted and relieved James McDaid/Rory Kennedy who accepted the awards for first overall. Class awards were just as hard fought as the overall awards with in some cases only seconds separating 1st and 4th in class.

John Duffy

RESULTS TOP TEN

1. James McDaid/Rory Kennedy Letterkenny Opel Ascona 17.48
2. James Cullen/Tony Kelly Letterkenny Ford Escort 17.48
3. Dan Daly/S Gormley Belfast Datsun 18.15
4. Ken Colbert/Manus McKenna Dungannon Sunbeam 18.23
5. Harold Thompson/Sean Hannigan Manorhamilton Sunbeam , 18.38
6. Eamon Harvey/K Harvey Letterkenny Sunbeam 1915
7. Gerry McVeigh/A Fox Dungannon Sunbeam 19.20
8. Jackie Harris/C Harris Convoy Sunbeam 19.21
9. Michael Currid/G Currid Coleraine Sunbeam 19.24
10. P Mulgrew/- Armagh Escort 19.35

CLASS 1

1. P Logue/M Carr Crawford Escort 21.57
2. E Brown’C Morrow Donegal Mini 22.11
3. J Heffernan/D Hales Cavan Escort 23.45

CLASS 2

1. E Harvey/K Harvey Letterkenny Sunbeam 19.15
2. D Shanley/D Reynolds Rooskey Sunbeam . 20.50
3. R Deazley/M Deazley Dromore Sunbeam 20.52
4. J Crumlish/C Reid Letterkenny Avenger 30.38

CLASS 3

1. C Arthurs/G McBride Greyabbey Escort 19.41
2. S O’Dowd/F Yanson Tubbercurry Escort 20.51

CLASS 4

1. T Devaney/J Golden Dromahain Mini 21.59
2. P Cleary/M Mulhern Kiltmagh Imp 22.03
3. N Sproule/M Curran Ballisodare Imp 22,12
4. T Doherly/K Sweeney Ballybofey Mini 25.03

CLASS 5

1. G McVeigh/A Fox Dungannon Sunbeam 19.20
2. D Bailey/W Seaman Enniskillen Mini 20.00
3. M Parkes/D O’Reilly Ballisodare Polo 20.03
4. D Parkes/L Savage Ballisodare Datsun 21.16

CLASS 6

1. 1 H Thompson/S Hannigan M’hamilton Sunbeam 18.38
2. 2 M Currid/D Currid Coleraine Sunbeam 19.24
3. 3 P Mulgrew/- Armagh Escort 19.35
4. 4 D Boyd/E Boyd Strabane Sunbeam 19.58

CLASS 7

1. J Harris/ Convoy Sunbeam 19.21
2. A Hawthorne/W Alexander Belfast Chevette
3. M Doherty/B Gray Derry Escort
4. E Meegan/B Murphy Monaghan Porsche

CLASS 8

1. D Gould/R Mullen Dublin Sunbeam 19.54

CLASS 9

1. S Doherty/C Bradley Letterkenny Avenger 21.18
2. T Hanlon/P Haughey Dungloe Mini 21.24
3. D Orr/J Orr Letterkenny Escort 22.09
4. M Ingram/— Letterkenny Escort 23.05

CLASS 10

1. S Gallagher/- Letterkenny Celica 20.51
2. L McGeady/R Whiteside Derry Escort 21.15

CLASS 11

1. J Corcoran/G Corcoran Slige Alfasud 21.54
2. S Monaghan/C Donaghy Sligo Escort 22.52