Midland Motor Club Notes
Gearing Up Towards The Single Stage
Sunday the 25th March 2001 sees the ninth running of the Midland Motor Club Single Stage Rally. Once again the event will be based in the Percy French Hotel in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. The event has had some prestigious winners over the years including Eddie Torrens, Mickey Farrell, Connie Smith, Charlie Donnelly, Niall Maguire and last year's winner Tommy Graham. Tommy has competed for many years in rallycross and represented Ireland in the Internations Cup. Tommy's first rally was in fact the Midland Single Stage in 1996 in a rear-wheel drive Astra. Last year Tommy won in a Ford Escort WRC. Clerk of the Course for the event is Cyril Rollins with Paul Fitzpatrick as Assistant Clerk of the Course. Regs are now available from the Secretary of the event Josephine Lane-Flynn (043 47819). Entries close on 16th March. Sligo Motor Club held a Night Navigation Trial on Saturday the 3rd of February last. As per usual the midland club was well represented with Midland Crews featuring strongly in the Top Six with Kenneth Prior and John Mc Corry finishing 3rd overall in their Vauxhall Nova and Packie Duffy and Harry Bleakley finishing 5th overall in their VW Golf. Birr & District Auto Club held a Single Stage Event on Sunday last the 11th February with Midland Crews featured highly in the results. Longford men Patrick and Liam Higgins won the event with David and Owen Percy finishing second and Mervyn Wedlock and Philip Smith finishing third overall. Freddie Walker and Finbarr Mangan finished a very creditable 11th overall and the Midland pairing of Brendan Kelly and P.J. Cox finished a very deserving 15th overall and 1st in Group N. The Midland Motor Club hosts a Night Navigation Trial next Saturday night the 17th February. This event runs out of the Miners Bar, Arigna, Co. Leitrim. Clerk of the Course for the event is P.J. Cox. Marshalls are requested to be at the Miners Bar at 7pm with first car away at 8.45pm. For more details check out www.midlandmotorclub.20m.com.