Irish Junior Rallying
Fact file Name Ray O Sullivan
Age 22
Hometown Durrus
Occupation Heavy Goods Vehicle Mechanic
Driver or Navigator: Driver
Car Vauxhall Nova
Motor Club Skibbereen
Hobbies Rallying & GAA
Sponsors Dan O Sullivan Plant Hire, O’ Brien Crowley Chartered Accountants, Michael Harrington u PVC windows Ltd, Ross’s Bar, West Cork Traders, The Village Groser (Ryan Shop), Andrew Shannon Panel Beating, Apachi Pizza, McNulty Cabs
Question Time
Q1 How did you get started in rallying?
Through my old fella, my family has been involved in rallying since I was born.
Q2 First event you competed on?
West Cork ‘08
Q3 How many rallies do you compete in during a year?
Usually 5 in a year. The West Cork, The Lakes, Ravens Rock, Cork 20, and my home rally The Fastnet
Q4 Favourite rally car?
Has to be a MK2
Q5 Favourite rally driver?
Dessie Keenan or Gary McPhilips
Q6 What sort of pace notes do you use and anything they could do to improve them?
Pattersons number notes with 1 fastest
Q7 One thing you would change in Irish Rallying?
The cost of it, and increase the interval time between cars to maybe 45 seconds.
Q8 Most memorial moment in Rallying?
Winning the junior category in the Southern 4 Championship 2009
Q9 The moment you would most like to forget in rallying?
None yet for us so far and long may it continue!
Q10 If you had €50,000 to spend on rallying, what would you do?
Buy or build a serious mk2 and drink the rest!
Q11 Who in your opinion is the best young Irish driver at the moment?
There’s a lot of quick drivers out there but Kevin O’ Connor springs to mind.
Q12 What would be the best tip you could give to competitors starting out in rallying?
Get a big loan and be willing to spend it!
Q13 Your favourite stage you competed on?
Ardgroom/Ring/Moll’s Gap
Q14 Who in rallying has influenced you most to date?
Dan the Cat
Q15 After 1 year with the new Hans equipment what is your opinion of the safety device?
I think they are a great introduction to motorsport, and I don’t mind wearing one at all
Q16 What tyre manufacture do you use and why? (Driver only)
Dunlop, started with them and never let me down
Fact file Name: Derek O Brien
Age: 23
Hometown: Cork
Occupation: Student
Driver or Navigator: Navigator
Motor Club: Cork Motor Club
Hobbies Rallying
Sponsors: Dan O Sullivan Plant Hire, O’ Brien Crowley Chartered Accountants, Michael Harrington u PVC windows Ltd, Ross’s Bar, West Cork Traders, The Village Grocer (Ryan Shop), Andrew Shannon Panel Beating, Apachi Pizza, McNulty Cabs
Anything else you want to say: Thanks to all our sponsors, all friends and families involved, and our service crew.
Question Time
Q1 How did you get started in rallying?
I was a spectator at rallys for years and when I met Ray he said he was looking for a navigator, I took up the opportunity straight away. Sold the road car, bought all the gear and was rallying 2 months later.
Q2 First event you competed on?
Cork Mini Stages 2008.
Q3 How many rallies do you compete in during a year?
In 2009 we did the Southern 4 Championship. West Cork, Lakes, Ravens Rock, Cork 20, and The Fastnet
Q4 Favourite rally car?
Kieran O Neills “Kit-Kat” Kadett or Mike Maloney’s rotary MK2. Although Barry Ryan class 11 MK2 is some car too. I was at a rally recently and the noise from his car is something unreal.
Q5 Favourite rally driver?
At the moment.....Mike Quinn
Q6 What sort of pace notes do you use and anything they could do to improve them?
Patterson’s. We change most of the notes though. I like to have my notes very clear so I usually spend 3-4 hours putting in the changes and cleaning up the notes with tip-ex the night before a rally. Id love if the notes came with blank spaces where the numbers for the corners are, and you would fill them in yourself during recce. So say you might have a “4R 250 2L”, instead have” _R 250 _L” and just fill in the number yourselves to suit you.
Q7 One thing you would change in Irish Rallying?
I’d love if they ran the cars by their classes. So say maybe, juniors first off the line obviously, then class 14, class 13, class 12 etc, with 1 minute intervals between classes. The leaders of each class after each stage would be the first car off. It would allow for rally crews and spectators know who is winning their class.
Q8 Most memorial moment in Rallying?
Ravens Rock 2008. My second event and we took the honours in the junior category. We didn’t expect to win, so it was a great feeling.
Q9 The moment you would most like to forget in rallying?
No really, we have had a good 2 years at it now, finished 7 out of the last 8 rallys.
Q10 If you had €50,000 to spend on rallying, what would you do?
Id probably continue to navigate, I don’t think id be able to drive at the speed some of the lads would be doing, so I wouldn’t bother even trying my hand at driving! Id love to dedicate 2 years after college to solely rallying and navigate in all the big events. Id love to do the Donegal International and The Harvest. Id also probably through some cash Rays way to spend on the car, a Bill Falconer 1600 16v engine with 6 speed sequential would sit nice in the nova!
Q11 Who in your opinion is the best young Irish driver at the moment?
Keith Cronin obviously. Out of the lads who would still be in the Junior class rallying in Ireland, probably Damien McCarthy.
Q12 What would be the best tip you could give to competitors starting out in rallying?
Spend as much time as you can doing recce. We would always try and get 3 runs over each stage in recce. It gives you more confidence at the start line of a stage knowing that you have covered the stage thoroughly, and all danger spots and more importantly the sections where time can be made are all marked in notes.
Q13 Your favourite stage you competed on?
Moll’s Gap.
Q14 Who in rallying has influenced you most to date?
Keith Cronin and Greg Shinnors. They have built up a great set-up for themselves in the last 2 years and to secure a drive with Pirelli next session is a great achievement.
Q15 After 1 year with the new Hans equipment what is your opinion of the safety device?
Don’t take much notice of them really. The felt a bit weird at first, I have a bad neck and I thought it might have caused some issues but its fine, you get used to them.
Some pic of the lads
Some In Car Action
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