| |  Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge - Round Six
Philip White Tyres Ulster Rally – 31st August & 1st September 2007
Morrow records fifth win of the season. Ling takes second from Reynolds on final stage.
Title race continues to next round.
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Phillip Morrow recorded an impressive fifth Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge victory of the season following a masterful performance in his home event, the Philip White Tyres Ulster Rally, which took place on Friday 31st August and Saturday 1st September.
In the first of two events away from its usual Hankook National Gravel Rally Championship domain, the Evolution Challenge saw ten of its registered competitors included in the 80-car Ulster Rally entry list. The event was also a round of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship and the Global Group Irish Tarmac Rally Championship – the Mitsubishi crews making up 12% of the overall 86-car field.
Based in Armagh, the event was the second of two asphalt events in the Evo Challenge calendar, which featured six stages on Friday evening and a further 10 on Saturday, all taking place on closed public roads around the host town.
In keeping with the event’s tradition, unpredictable weather conditions were to make tyre choice and the judgement of grip levels a tough call for competitors. Even so, right from the word go Morrow was the class of the field, not only leading the Evo Challenge, he also set a series of times quick enough to put him third in the BRC standings after the first loop of four stages.
37 seconds behind was fellow Ulsterman Neil McCance, who was pleased to be in second following an overshoot in SS1. He was followed by one of three drivers who could still claim the Evo Challenge title Julian Reynolds, who had lost time when it rained in SS2. The same had applied to fourth-placed David Bogie, who admitted to be regaining his confidence after an enormous moment only 400 yards into the first stage and following his crash on the Manx Rally – the last time he competed on asphalt.
The third title contender and currently second in the series, Seb Ling was also slowed by the wet roads, having been caught out on the wrong tyres. But things were to get worse for the Welshman before the evening was out, when he shot off the road and through a gateway on SS6. This agricultural excursion removed his lamp pod and dented almost every panel on the car, as well as costing him nearly a minute in lost time.
Others having problems during Friday’s two night-time stages were Nik Elsmore, who’s car lost power when a pipe removed itself from the intercooler and McCance, who had to stop on SS5 with a broken drive shaft. The rally was also proving tough for Connor McCloskey who found he had collected a 70-second penalty after running late when a clutch pipe split as he was crossing the start ramp!
Getting used to their new machinery were Alan Carmichael in his brand new Evolution IX, purchased only a few days before the rally, Daniel Barry acclimatising to his car, having upgraded it from an Evo VIII to a IX and McCloskey was also gathering pace in his recently refurbished ex-works Lancer.
As Morrow entered the service area for the last time on Friday, he felt something break in his car’s transmission. Fortunately, with 45-minutes to effect repairs his team were able to change the transfer box and fix the problem in readiness for the next-day’s 10 stages.
Still in with a mathematical chance of gaining the Evo Challenge title Reynolds and Ling upped their game from the start of the Saturday’s stages. But it was not going to be a good day for others: Bogie lost his clutch fluid during SS7 and could not get his car going as that start of the next road section was uphill, which elevated Ling to third.
On SS8 McCance realised that to return to the event under SuperRally regulations may not have been such a good idea, when he spun during a tightening right-hander and slid backwards at speed into a ditch. Although both unharmed, he and co-driver Ian Windress visited the nearby hospital for a check up, such was the impact of the incident.
With his car’s transmission getting noisier by the minute, Miles Johnston also opted to go down the SuperRally route and, although pulling out of the event following SS8, he was still accredited with victory in the Evo Cup and now regains the lead in the class for nearer to standard Group N Lancers.
Meanwhile Morrow was forging ahead, but only as far as SS10, when he ran wide, clipped a bank and squashed an intercooler pipe which reduced his car’s turbo boost dramatically. Although loosing 30 seconds the problem was fixed at the next service halt and the young Ulsterman focused on getting to the finish unscathed.
Whilst Reynolds, Ling, Elsmore and Carmichael were getting quicker as they settled into a rhythm, Barry was occasionally caught out by the changing weather and made it a busy day for his service crew as they changed a variety of items in order to keep him in the rally. McCloskey’s day came to a premature end on SS12, when his cars engine expired, albeit he was able to claim Evo Challenge points under SuperRally rules.
But the final twist in the tale was reserved for Reynolds, when a drive-shaft snapped in SS15 - the penultimate stage and, as his pace slowed, he had no choice but to concede the runner-up spot to Ling.
There was no doubt it was Morrow’s day, as not only did his performance score him his fifth Evo Challenge win of the season, he also finished third in the British Rally Championship standings, claimed seventh overall and was presented with both the Pirelli Star driver award and the Northern Ireland Motor Club’s special trophy for being this year’s most promising young driver.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome of this event”, said Morrow at the finish. “I was happy with my pace on the stages, especially as it’s a tarmac rally and to win the Pirelli Star Driver and all the other awards is fantastic. But I am really pleased to have won another round of the Evo Challenge and take another step closer to the works Mitsubishi prize drive next year.”
With two rounds still to go and dropped scores to be taken into account, Morrow has to finish 5th or higher on the next event, the International Rally Yorkshire on 6th October, to secure the 2007 Evolution Challenge title and win the prize that is regarded as the best prize in British rallying – the chance to become a Mitsubishi works driver in the 2008 British Rally Championship.
Also included in this year’s Mitsubishi championship are the PIAA Junior award for under 25-year old drivers, plus the Pirelli and Performance Friction Brakes Cups.
The series is backed by Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart, with support from its associate sponsors: Pirelli, PIAA, Speedline Corse, Sparco, Performance Friction Brakes, Shell Helix and Tesco 99 Octane - suppliers of the controlled fuel for the championship.
ENDS
1 Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Simon Morrow (Lisburn) 2:05:31.6
2 Sebastian Ling (Llandysul)/Aled Rees (Crymych) 2:07:22.1
3 Julian Reynolds (Narberth)/Patrick Walsh (Aberystwyth) 2:07:45.3
4 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Stephen McAuley (Belfast) 2:12:24.0
5 Alan Carmichael (Ballymena)/Ivor Lamont (Ballymena) 2:16:39.2
6 Connor McCloskey (Kilrea)/Robbie Durant (Bicester) 2:19.47.8*
7 Daniel Barry (Enniskerry)/Mark Bowens (Cork) 2:20:13.9
8 David Bogie (Dumfries)/Rob Fagg (Isle of Man) 3:34.00.1*
1 Miles Johnson (York)/Ian Bevan (Wrexham) 3:03:19.9*
* Classified under SuperRally regulations
Retirements
SS8 Neil McCance (Coomber)/Ian Windress (Northallerton) – Accident
Drivers
1 Phillip Morrow 65
2 Seb Ling 47
3 Julian Reynolds 39
4 Nik Elsmore 33
5 Stephen Petch 28
6 Wayne Sisson 20
7 David Bogie 20
8 Daniel Barry 17
9 Neil McCance 15
10 Alan Carmichael 10
Co-drivers
1 Simon Morrow 48
2 Aled Rees 47
3 Patrick Walsh 39
4 Michael Wilkinson 28
5 Vicky Allen 26
6 Ian Windress 22
7 Robert Fagg 21
8 Daniel Stone 20
9 Mark Bowens 18
10 Daniel Barritt 17
Co-drivers
1 Ian Bevan 48
2 Paul Drew 32
3 Graeme Walker 18
4 Nick Cadwallader 10
5 Miquel Amblas 10
1 Phillip Morrow 28
2 Stephen Petch 18
3 David Bogie 12
4 Danny Barry 12
5 Connor McCloskey 8
6 Errol Clarke 2
1 Stephen Petch 21
2 Nik Elsmore 21
3 Daniel Barry 12
4 Julian Reynolds 14
5 Connor McCloskey 7
6 Alan Carmichael 7
7 Mark I’Anson 3
1 Phillip Morrow 15
2 Jonny Milner 9
3 Connor McCloskey 9
4 Daniel Barry 4
5 Mark I’Anson 3
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