Fast and furious action at Bishopscourt circuit

Fast and furious action at Bishopscourt circuit

17 July 2013

THE fifth round of the McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland, took place at Bishopscourt race circuit on Saturday.

Organised by the Ballynahinch and District Motor Club, eight stages lay ahead for the six Junior 1000 crews that started on what was a dry day.

It was to prove to be a superb day’s rallying, with a great battle taking place for the win once again.

Number one seed Adam Bustard, in a Chevrolet Spark, leader of the series going into this round, started off with the second fastest time on the first test, just 0.7 of a second behind Finaghy’s Kyle White, despite hitting a pigeon with his 107 on the way round

William Creighton had stand in co-driver Johnny Baird in for the day, and the 15 year-old Moira driver was five seconds off the lead — he admitted afterwards to being too cautious.

Next up was Philip White in his Micra, ahead of James Partridge in the 107 and Michael McGarrity in his Micra, who had James McKee co-driving, in sixth place.

On stages two and three, the dramas started to happen, with White losing the lead after a spin on the second test. Creighton, too, lost more ground to the leading pair with a costly overshoot.

He would record a fastest time on stage four, but the new leader was Bustard with two fastest times, and he moved further ahead after stage four to lead by 2.7 seconds.

Philip White, in fourth, was starting to drive very well, and his stage times were moving much closer to the leaders. In turn he was opening up breathing space ahead of James Partridge who had brake worries on stage two and a moment on the tyres on stage four.

Michael McGarrity also had a moment on stage two, but started to get into a better rhythm on the next two stages.

Stage five was to prove a turning point as Kyle White (inset) took over the lead, despite going off the road after the famous jump. Worse befell Bustard who got a tyre lodged underneath the Chevrolet and now he was 0.6 of a second behind.

Creighton on his second lap, got stuck behind Michael McGarrity, who had ran wide on a hairpin, and by this stage he was now over 15 seconds off the lead with three stages to go.

A similar fate befell Creighton on the next stage, as once again he lost time behind the Micra, and it was a matter of settling for points at this stage.

After six stages Kyle White’s lead was 1.5 seconds and he rounded off the day with two excellent fastest times to take victory from Bustard.

Creighton was third, despite a big tank slapper slide on the final stage, and Philip White took an excellent fourth, thoroughly enjoying the day with co-driver Glenn Campbell.

There was hard luck for James Partridge and Billy Regan in the 107, when the clutch packed up on the penultimate test and they had to retire, letting Michael McGarrity into fifth place.

This series, now in its second year is also supported this season by the dedicated rallying classified website www.rallysales.eu and Yokohama tyres. Round six of the McGrady Insurance Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland, takes place at Shackleton on August 3, and it promises to be quite a battle.

Championship standings after five rounds: 1st Adam Bustard, 57 points; 2nd William Creighton 51; 3rd Kyle White, 48; 4th (tie) James Partridge, 29, Philip White, 29; 6th Michael McGarrity, 27; 7th Eoghan Bogue 23.