A title decider at the double!

OMAGH Motor Club’s McKelvey Asbestos Bushwhacker Rally has taken on added importance over the past week following Magherafelt and District Motor Club’s decision to cancel this year’s Tour of the Sperrins Rally due to spiralling costs.

That event was to be the concluding round of both the Irish Forestry Championship and the Northern Ireland Forest Challenge, but that honour no goes to the Tyrone-based event.

The Bushwhacker is always eagerly anticipated, particularly among local crews and this year will be no different, although for several the sense of anticipation will be even more heightened with so much at stake.

Reigning ‘Whacker’ champion, Patrick O’Brien, who will again have brother Stephen on the notes, goes into the event not only keen to regain his crown as the king of the Omagh Gravel Grand Prix but knowing that victory will ensure he is also crowned Irish Forestry champion for the first time.

It’s actually even more simple than that for the Mountfield man, who is a member of the Motorsport Ireland Academy. WIth the championship now being decided on the best of four rounds out of five, he essentially starts the Bushwhacker with a seven point lead over Jordan Hone who will drop 18 points to O’Brien’s one.

Horne has been the model of consistency this year, finishing second or third twice each in the four rounds to date, but O’Brien has been the man to beat winning the last three in a row after a disappointing opening round in Killarney where he picked up just a solitary point – that poor return now looking no bad thing as that will be his dropped score.

Alongside that battle at the top of the standings, there will be a host of equally intriguing encounters in the fights for class titles, with Strabane’s Ryan Caldwell up against Kyle McBride for the class two crown, while Dromore’s Shane McCanney, Omagh’s Brian Little and Dromore’s Hugh McQuaid could make it a day to remember for the local combatants.

If things at the top of the Irish series are tight, they are even more so in the Northern Irish Gravel Challenge which will also conclude at the ‘Whacker’ on Saturday.

Desi Henry currently leads the way by four points from Cathan McCourt after winning the Spring Rally and Lakeland Stages, while his Dromore rival was second in both but he knows a good result at his home event could swing the balance.

But to make things more interesting, Cathan’s older brother Conor is just a further two points adrift in third and with anything capable of happening in the Fivemiletown forests over the day, there are a host of other drivers who could mount a late charge for the crown.

In the two-wheel-drive battle, David Condell leads by 10 points from Dromore’s Nigel Simpson, who will be keen for victory on his local stages as he bids to overhaul his rival for the crown.

The event retains it’s compact format of 10 stages of approximately 34 stage miles and is based at the traditional Lough Bradan and Killeter forests. Start and finish venues will be held at the Agriculture Complex, Gillygooley Road, Omagh with central servicing also located at this venue.

Spectators are encouraged to use the two official viewing areas at the Lough Bradan and Slievedoo stages. The Lough Bradan stage will be main spectator area and spectators will be treated to a double run of the stage during the morning followed by a double run of the stage in the opposite direction during the afternoon.

Also, access to the stage start and finish areas will be restricted and the club is appealing to all spectators to obey instructions from the marshall’s and event officials to assist in running a safe rally.

Further access information can be obtained in the rally programmes and these will be available a few days prior to the event at various outlets as listed on the club’s facebook page and website, www.omaghmotorclub.co.uk.

Meanwhile, Omagh Motor Club’s committee were keen to pass on their delighted to once again have the support of McKelvey Asbestos Ltd as headline sponsor to this year’s Bushwhacker Rally.

“The club is grateful to both Robert and Darren McKelvey for their sponsorship to the Bushwhacker Rally for the past thirteen years and Omagh Motor Club officials held a recent press launch to thank them for their continued support,” said a club spokesperon.

Also, the club will hold a two minute silence prior to today’s rally getting underway at 8.45am as a mark of respect to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.