Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Ireland Round Six Report • Todds Leap.com Rally NI – 20 & 21 August 2010. • Brendan Cumiskey scores surprise victory. • Neil McCance loses comfortable lead after leaving the road. • Sam Moffett and Stanley Ballantine retire with brake problems. • Ulster result sets-up three-way battle for final round.
..23rd August 2010

Brendan Cumiskey and co-driver Conor Foley ended the Todds Leap.com Rally NI as surprised winners of the sixth round of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Ireland. After a difficult first leg, they inherited first place half-way though the second day when Neil McCance/Jonny Hart left the road whilst comfortably in the lead.

Based in Antrim, the Todds Leap.com Rally NI (or Ulster Rally as it was previously known) featured six stages on Friday evening followed by a further eight on Saturday, the combination of which provided competitors with a total of 127 miles of timed special stages on closed roads to the north and south of the town.

First to leave the start at Friday lunchtime were McCance/Hart. After scoring two outright victories and then having his first non-finish of the season last time out on the ALMC Stages Rally, McCance was eager to stamp his authority on his title bid by ensuring another top result this weekend.

Therefore, even having opting for a cautious approach, he was pleased to find that after the first loop of three stages he and Hart had pulled out a lead of 48 seconds ahead of Sam Moffett/James O’Reilly, with whom they had started the event sharing the championship lead.

At the first service halt after three stages, Moffett reported he was yet to get on the pace, but his progress had not been helped when he had to stop and reverse at a tight chicane. Stanley Ballantine/Donnacha O’Callaghan were ‘happy enough’ with their third place, 10-seconds behind Moffett/O’Reilly, whereas Cumiskey was pleased to be back in his own Mitsubishi, but not happy with his pace, the car not handling to his liking and not giving him the confidence to push.

The next loop of three stages was a repeat of the first three and, although the roads remained dry there appeared to be less grip, as most crews posted times slower than that of their first run. This was certainly the case for Moffett/O’Reilly, when they had to stop on SS5 after a rear brake disk fractured and ruptured a pipe, the fluid then leaking out.

With no brakes at all, they cautiously nursed the car through the remainder of the stage and tried to make a few roadside repairs before SS6. With a just a small amount of braking they made it through the stage and back to service, but with so much time lost and now some significant repairs to make, they elected not to continue on Saturday.

The exit of Moffett/O’Reilly gifted McCance/Hart and even greater lead and, at the overnight halt, their advantage had increased to 1-minute 51 seconds. With Cumiskey/Foley still not happy with their pace, Ballantine/O’Callaghan held second - even after welding a crack in their car’s front chassis rail (the aftermath of a heavy landing) at the final service halt of the day.

Saturday’s opening loop comprised two stages where the margin between the leaders and second place increased. However, the gap between second and third was decreasing, as Cumiskey started to feel more comfortable on the Saturday stages and he and Foley started catching Ballantine/O’Challaghan.

But then, on stage nine, disaster struck for the leaders when McCance mis-heard the pace-note: ‘right-two into a left five’. Having negotiated the quick right-hander, he was going too fast for the tight left that followed and, with nowhere else to go, he aimed the car at the hedge, blasting straight through it and into the field on the other side.

Luckily the car was not too badly damaged, but they were unable to continue, leaving Ballantine/O’Callaghan to head the Irish Mitsubishi series field. It was a frustrating end to a good run for McCance and Hart, especially as it was meant to be a points scoring exercise in order to make the title more achievable on the final round.

Two stages later, their new-found pace saw Cumiskey/Foley pass Ballantine/O’Callaghan to take the lead. However, their task to stay in front was made much easier on the next stage (SS12), when a worn rear-brake mounting bell came loose on Ballantine’s car and damaged the rear brakes too badly to continue.

With just two stages to go, all the new leaders had to do was get to the finish, which they did and, in doing so, scored their second victory of the season and claimed enough points for Cumiskey to take the lead in the championship.

“I wasn’t happy with my pace this weekend, so of course I am delighted – if not surprised - to take my second Evo Challenge win of the season”, said Cumiskey. “With the team only able to finish the recent rebuild of the car in the early hours of Friday morning, I am delighted that it ran without a problem, which is a credit to them and we’re now in with a good change of the title.”

The final round of the Irish Evolution Challenge takes place on 11 & 12 September in Wexford and, with a double-header format which sees round seven on Saturday and round eight on Sunday and a maximum of 24 points up for grabs, the scene is now set for a three-way battle between the series leaders: Cumiskey, McCance and Moffett.

The Evolution Challenge UK also shared the Todd Leap.com Rally NI as a round of its championship, as did the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship. The UK Mitsubishi series was won by Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy, with the British Championship event won by Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts in a Fiesta S2000.

For the first time this season, the winner of the Evolution Challenge in each of the three countries it takes place, UK, Ireland and Sweden, will win the same prize: A supported drive in the FxPro Rally Cyprus, the final round of the IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge). Then, whichever of the three teams are first home on this event, will be crowned European Evolution Challenge Champions.

The 2010 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Ireland is supported by: Mitsubishi Motors, Pirelli tyres, Sunoco fuels, JRM, Cyprus Automobile Association, Fairways Mitsubishi, Donnelly Group, James Foley Rallysport, Speedline Corse wheels, Murray Motorsport, CL brake pads, Sparco racewear, Pacenotes and PIAA lights - who sponsor the junior award for under 25-year old drivers.

Round six - results
1  Brendan Cumiskey (Dundalk)/Conor Foley (Ballinode) 1:54:18.0

Retirements
SS6  Sam Moffett (Monaghan)/James O’Reilly (Monaghan) Brakes
SS9 Neil McCance (Comber)/Jonny Hart (Carryduff) Accident
SS12  Stanley Ballantine (Strabane)/Donnacha O’Callaghan (Mallow) Brakes
 
Series standings after round six
Drivers
1 Brendan Cumiskey 52
2= Neil McCance 44
2= Sam Moffett 44
4 Geoff McMahon 22
5 John McGlaughlin 17
6 Stanley Ballantine 15
7 Willie Mavitty 5           
Co-drivers
1 James O'Reilly 44
2 Conor Foley 42
3 Jonny Hart 24
4 Rob Graham 22
5 Sean Ferris 20
6 Crawford Henderson 17
7 Donnacha O'Callaghan 15
8 Brian Daniels 5

ENDS

Photo Caption

Brendan Cumiskey and co-driver Conor Foley recorded a surprise victory in round six of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Ireland, the Todds Leap.com Rally NI. They inherited the lead when series front-runners Neil McCance/Jonny Hart went off the road, the end result meaning that there is now a three way battle for the title on the final round in September (copyright free image).