Co. Cavan Motor Club.

Motorsport News by Gerry Buckley

Cavan Motor Club 2011 Awards Presentation.

Cavan Motor Club presented their Club and Autocross Championship Awards at a Gala Dinner ceremony in the Hotel Kilmore on Saturday night last. Once again the assembled membership of the Club joined by their friends and families were treated to an excellent meal provided by Ross Mealiff and his accomplished staff.

 A range of spot prizes provided by local businesses and friends of the club were distributed after the meal and an additional draw for Cavan Motor Club leisurewear in aid of Multiple Sclerosis and Spina Bifida raised 486euro from the 115 guests which will be matched by the Club and presented in the near future.

A DVD by Black Motorsport Videos accompanied the presentation of Awards for the Wedlock Plant Hire Autocross Championship by Mervyn Wedlock. In Class 1 Ronan Kerrigan finished 3^rd while Tommy Donlon finished runner up to Alan Pickens, the top 2 driver in this class only separated in the last round of the series.

Francie McKenna drove his Peugeot 205 to 3^rd in class 2, Justin Smyth brought his Mk2 Escort  into 2^nd in Class with Shane Marron taking victory 3 points ahead in his similar car. As Class 3 contained 2 overall winning competitors Adam Kinkade’s Honda Civic followed Danny McCormack’s Opel Corsa home.

 Class 4 fell to perennial competitor Ollie McCormack in his Vauxhall Nova with Pat McGuiness making his trip from Sligo worthwhile with 2^nd in Class 4. Class 5 became a small one make series with both Richard Cassidy and Mel Mulligan competing in Vauxhall Astra. In the end Richard Cassidy came out on top by 2 points.

The Junior Category in 2011 may have produced one of the future stars of both Cavan Motor Club’s Autocross Championship and the wider arena of Irish Rallying. Darren O’Brien had a meteoric rise to prominence in 2011 and by year end he had accumulated the highest total point’s score of the series.

The young Mountainlodge driver finished 2^nd overall in the last 4 rounds and won the Junior category on every occasion, collecting the Overall Junior Championship Trophy and Perpetual Shield on Saturday night. The 2^nd place in the Junior Class went to Stradone driver Ciaran Monaghan campaigning in a rare Mk1 Ford Fiesta in the 2011 series.

In overall terms 2011 brought a new name to the established contenders, Chris Snow Jr. made his 5^th start of the season count when he won the Christmas event adding to three 3^rd overall finishes during the year which netted him 3^rd overall in the Championship. Joseph Smith had 2 wins and 3 third place finishes on his way to 2^nd overall in the Championship, the Castletara driver has never finished outside the overall results in recent years.

 Mickey Conlon repeated his double win of 2010 when he won both the Wedlock Plant Hire Autocross Championship and the Overall Club Championship. The Castleblayney driver won 3 rounds and finished 2^nd and 3^rd on the 2 other rounds to ensure Overall victory, adding these results to 10^th overall in the 2011 Hotel Kilmore Stages Rally and class finishes in both Navigation Trials to win his 2^nd consecutive Club Championship.

Cavan Motor Club also continued the practice of rewarding the efforts of its long standing members by awarding the John Wood Memorial Cup to Noel McMenamin former chairman of 10 years and now Treasurer. The poll of Club members was taken at the Club AGM in October of 2011. The Cup was presented by Honorary Club President Willie McCormick.

With their awards presented for 2011 Cavan Motor Club now turns its attention to 2012 as Sunday January 29th next gets the Wedlock Plant Hire Autocross Championship underway. The action starts at 10:00am with and a good days sport is assured, the Hut Cross circuit can be found by taking the first turn right off the Cootehill to Ballybay Road or by following your Sat-Nav to N 54 03 .551 W 06 58 .332 .

It was third time lucky for the competitors in the First Round of the Mervyn Wedlock Plant Hire Autocross Championship for 2010, as both of the previous scheduled dates had to be cancelled at the last minute due to overnight frost and snow leaving the Hut Cross track in too dangerous a condition to run the events safely. This time around the track was in perfect condition, bone dry with lots of grip and with a light breeze to clear the dust.

Forty six competitors made it to Latton including all the regular championship contenders aiming to get a good start to the 2010 season. Fastest out of the blocks on the first timed run was Mickey Conlon in the immaculate MC Blinds black escort on 3.11.45 with former champion Stephen Lipsett second quickest on 3.11.60 in his little Citroen C2R2 and Justin Smyth was third quickest on 3.11.73 also in an escort. One casualty from the first run was Trevor Lancashire with mechanical problems leaving him without a time recorded.

On the second run as the track cleaned up the times were up to ten seconds faster than the first run, coming out on top this time was Joseph Smith on 3.03.64 in the borrowed MC Blinds escort with Mickey Conlon on 3.04.54 and Stephen Lipsett on 3.04.84.

The spectators were not going to be disappointed on the last run as the action at the top got even faster with Joseph Smith setting fastest time of the day with a 3.02.96 to take the overall win and a 3.03.76 was good enough for Mickey Conlon to hold on to second place overall and a Class 5 win. Stephen Lipsett was comfortable with a time of 3.06.77 enough for third place overall and a Class 3 win.

Tommy Donlon took yet another Class 1 win from Alan Pickens with Pat Shields in third place. Thomas Melia scored a first Class win taking class 2 from Shane Marron with Chris Snow in third. Stephen Lipsett took the Class 3 win with Mervyn Wedlock in second and Anthony Masterson was third. Class 4 was won by Justin Smyth with Pat McGuinness second and Martin Burke in third place. Mickey Conlon took the Class 5 win with Trevor Lancashire coming back from his first run disappointment to finish second and Mel Mulligan in his Astra was third.  The Junior Championship got off to a good start with five competitors starting round one with Christopher Armstrong coming out on top in his Saxo, Sean Brady was second and Darragh Smith third.