Stockport driver Dave Pattison leads a 54 strong field into action for this weekends opening stage rally of the year, the Mann Construction-sponsored Chris Kelly Memorial event.
Pattison won last years renewal comprehensively, before crashing out of May’s Manx Telecom Rally at The Garey, incurring significant damage to his Ears Motorsport Mitsubishi Evo VI. Despite this being his first event since then, and having Andrew Marchbank on the notes in place of Paul Whittaker, such is the pace shown on two winning visits to the island over the last 18 months, he starts as clear favourite.
In the absence of reigning Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Champions Nigel and Imogen Cannell, the challenge to Pattison will be led by Steve Quine and Richard Skinner in a similar Evo VI. ‘Smiler’ showed good pace on last Autumn’s Manx Auto Sport Stages before gearbox gremlins intervened, and reported additional work on the car since should make the Adore team a real threat.
With Andrew Leece also an absentee, Graham Fargher switches to co-drive for Steve Colley, experience that could be a real boost to the trials great, still really on the rally comeback trail in his Evo VIII. A runners-up finish on that MAS event was followed by retirement after clouting a bank in horrendous conditions on the Duke Stages, but nonetheless the pace is clearly there, and the longest club event of the year at 106 stage miles offers time for it to shine.
Lancashire driver John Cope, with usual local man Rob Fagg on the notes, continues to chase a long overdue Manx victory in his Subaru WRC. He’s led this rally several times in the past and should be thereabouts, with the distance no problem to the Mull Rally regular.
Amongst the other ‘all-wheel drive’ crews to watch out for are Tim Collins (Evo IX), the up and coming Sean Kelly (VII) and Dave Corris (Escort WRC) who will hope finally to have the engine management sorted that have thwarted him over the last year.
The two-wheel drive battle looks set to be a real highlight, with giant-killer Martyn Jones (Vauxhall Nova), runner-up on the Duke Stages, heading the front-wheel drive crews, though he’ll be chased hard by the Vauxhall Astra’s of Stuart Egglestone and Andrew Holmes, as well as the Vauxhall Corsa of James Quirk, re-fettled after its November roll.
The crowd-pleasing rear-wheel drive category meanwhile pits the Ford Escort’s of top historic drivers Connor Corkill and Darren Moon up against highly rated debutant on the Manx roads, Kevin Davies (Escort), Kex Walker’s BMW, Adrian Kermode’s Porsche 911 and Andy Bird’s glorious Vauxhall Chevette.
The rally begins from St Johns at 7pm Friday for the opening six stages covering 35 miles, two runs each of Slieu Whallian/South Barrule, Eairy/St Marks/Ballanank and a stage at Balladoole near Castletown not used for 30 years.
The base switched to Jurby on Saturday with a 9:40am re-start for three runs of the Curraghs and Druidale/Sartfield and two over Staarvey/Peel Coast Road, before the finish in Market Square, Ramsey at 2pm.
Entry List
1 Dave Pattison/Andy Marchbank (Mitsubishi Evo 6)
2 Steven Quine/Richard Skinner (Mitsubishi Evo 6)
3 Steve Colley/Graham Fargher (Mitsubishi Evo 8)
4 John Cope/Rob Fagg (Subaru Impreza WRC 99)
5 Martyn Jones/David Radcliffe (Vauxhall Nova Gsi)
6 Connor Corkill/Mark Perryman (Ford Escort RS2000)
7 Tim Collins/Paul McCann (Mitsubishi Evo 9)
8 Darren Moon/Graham Wild (Ford Escort)
9 Sean Kelly/Emma Kennaugh (Mitsubishi Evo 7)
10 Dave Corris/Dave Rawling (Ford Escort WRC)
11 Stuart Egglestone/Helen Hall (Vauxhall Astra)
12 Kevin Davies/Dale Furmiss (Ford Escort)
14 Andrew Holmes/Stephen Fox (Vauxhall Astra Sport)
15 Kex Walker/Danni Matthews (BMW 325 )
16 James Quirk/Eddie Kennaugh (Vauxhall Corsa)
17 Adrian Kermode/Maurice Beckett (Porsche 911SC)
18 Rob Ellison/Leigh Jones (Mitsubishi Evo 7)
19 Andy Bird/Richard Pulleyn (Vauxhall Chevette)
20 Ian Chadwick/Stephen Quin (Honda Civic EP3)
21 Guy Simpkiss/Debbie Perry (Vauxhall Astra)
22 Gary Edgington/Pete Johnson (Peugeot 106)
23 Kevin Vondy/Nick Kaighan (Vauxhall Corsa)
24 John Wood/Kev Parkinson (Mitsubishi Evo 4.5)
25 Chris Woodcock/Heidi Woodcock (Proton Persona)
26 John Richardson/Eric Wilcockson (Ford Escort MkII)
27 Gavin Edwards/Rob Hopewell (Ford Escort Mk II)
28 Richard Fathers/Dean Quayle (Ford Escort)
29 Stu Bainborough/Chris Heyes (Vauxhall Nova)
30 Donny Gill/Steven Gurney (Ford Fiesta ST)
31 Mark Bumfrey/Paul Bumfrey (Citroen C2)
32 David Jones/Andrew Cowley (Vauxhall Nova)
33 Jack Faragher/Martin Burns (Suzuki Swift)
34 Andy Glaister/Ian Postlethwaite (BMW 325i)
35 Douglas Ingram/Johnnie Bould (Mini 1380)
36 Glyn Parry/Seb Turner (Vauxhall Corsa)
37 Wayne Quirk/Kris Killip (Vauxhall Nova Kit Car)
38 Walter Bridson/Stephen Christian (Vauxhall Corsa)
39 Paul McEvoy/Michael McEvoy (Ford Escort)
40 Tim Healy/Rob Jackson (Vauxhall Astra)
41 Malcolm Jones/Eifion Thomas (Ford Escort MkII)
42 Matthew Carter/Mark Collister (Ford Escort MkI)
43 Richard Barnard/Andy Barnard (Subaru Impreza N8)
44 Terence Hough/Frankie Barrow (Mitsubishi Evo 7)
45 Chris Stewart/Steve Rough (Mini Cooper)
46 Quenton Williams/Michael Evans (VW Golf GTi)
47 Terry Phillips/Ian Davison (VW Golf GTi)
48 Tom Shimmin/Manda Shimmin (Ford Cortina)
49 Will Rand/David Oliver (Vauxhall Astra)
50 Jason Daly/TBA (Vauxhall Nova)
51 Lee Farrer/Kate Ellis (Peugeot 205)
52 Boosh Kerruish/Barrie Ford (Peugeot 205)
53 Steve Higgins/Dave Corlett (Saab 96 2-stroke)
54 Peter Eaton/Julius Deane (Ford Fiesta)
55 Nigel Quirk/Jessica Quirk (Ford Escort Mk 6)
Time Schedule
Friday 17th February
MC1 St Johns 19:01
SS1 Slieau Whallian 1 19:05
SS2 St Marks 1 19:01
SS3 Balladoole 1 19:46
SA1 St Johns 20:12
SS4 Slieau Whallian 2 20:36
SS5 St Marks 2 20:52
SS6 Balladoole 2 21:17
MC2 St Johns 21:43
Saturday 18th February
MC3 Jurby 09:38
SS7 The Curraghs 1 09:48
SS8 Druidale 1 10:14
SS9 Staarvey 1 10:29
SA2 Jurby 11:00
SS10 The Curraghs 2 11:25
SS11 Druidale 2 11:47
SS12 Staarvey 2 12:02
SA3 Jurby 12:33
SS13 The Curraghs 3 12:58
SS14 Druidale 3 13:20
MC4 Ramsey 13:58
-ENDS-
