Donegal International 2019

toyscrota

toyscrota

4 doors are better than 2 doors
ISDC Club Member
I'm sure Adrian wasn't far off starting a thread! That time of the year again.
All info here - http://rally.ie/index.php/stories/190515-041914
Nice to see a few WRCs and a few Subaru WRCs at that!
Ken Block also making the trip over.
I have once again got a late call up to sit in a TEG Sport Class 20 blobeye seeded number 60.
Seems like a good yoke to go with WRC spec engine, sequential gearbox etc.
Looking forward to it now but as with last year not the recce! Hopefully get a finish this year.
 

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Good man James nice seat to be in for any rally :thumbsup: congrads. . Ye it's a serious lineup
 
Nice one James, best of luck, unfortunately Not going to make donegal this year , looks a savage entry.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
 
toyscrota said:
I'm sure Adrian wasn't far off starting a thread! That time of the year again.
All info here - http://rally.ie/index.php/stories/190515-041914
Nice to see a few WRCs and a few Subaru WRCs at that!
Ken Block also making the trip over.
I have once again got a late call up to sit in a TEG Sport Class 20 blobeye seeded number 60.
Seems like a good yoke to go with WRC spec engine, sequential gearbox etc.
Looking forward to it now but as with last year not the recce! Hopefully get a finish this year.
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I'm in the same class 20. Unfortunately no sequential or WRC but Donegal is a great leveller! Interesting to see how Ken Block goes.....Best of luck.
 
Alan Browne said:
I'm in the same class 20. Unfortunately no sequential or WRC but Donegal is a great leveller! Interesting to see how Ken Block goes.....Best of luck.
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Ya its a competitive class this year. Best of luck to you Alan
 
Well needless to say still in shock over what happened this weekend.
Any sudden death is shocking but to happen this guy who has put so much into the sport and his community it really is hard for the mind to compute. RIP Manus and a speedy recover to Donall. I happen to know Donall through work and he is another man who does a lot for the sport and his community back in Donegal. From the highs of a three in a row to the unthinkable low of this.

Our own weekend was good and did get up to second in class at one point (even beating the class time setter Mr. Block on a stage) only for the exhaust manifold to burst before second run of Knockalla on the Saturday. Got it welded up and back out Sunday morning but for the unthinkable to happen to a fellow competitor.
The time, effort and expense that goes into doing this event is immense and to see stages cancelled due to spectators not being able to park properly is frustrating to say the least.
 
Heading of on Saturday morning at 7.15 to get to the first stage. Got a lovely corner but unfortunately it was cancelled due to some spectator parked where he shouldn't be. I see this all the time at rallies fool's come late drive past where everyone has parked up the road and end up double parking blocking other cars from leaving. Seen James and Alan on stages later on. Unfortunately a sad weekend for Donegal losing Manus . RIP.
 
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think sometimes people forget how dangerous this sport it , we take it for granted the cars will save us if it goes wrong , the speeds on tiny roads i dont think spectators actually realise till they compete or sit in a rally car . In car videos or standing on a ditch sometimes doesnt show it , you see lads pass comments on sunday drivers as they call them on stages.
The wife was always worried sick when i get to compete and it does play on my mind anyway that i have kids at home which may seam dramatic but as the weeknd shows any type of motorsport can end badly.

my friend was recently paralyzed in a sidecar race in mondello , what are the chances of getting paralyzed in mondello ?

rip manus - always the best go first
 
sc86 said:
think sometimes people forget how dangerous this sport it , we take it for granted the cars will save us if it goes wrong , the speeds on tiny roads i dont think spectators actually realise till they compete or sit in a rally car . In car videos or standing on a ditch sometimes doesnt show it , you see lads pass comments on sunday drivers as they call them on stages.
The wife was always worried sick when i get to compete and it does play on my mind anyway that i have kids at home which may seam dramatic but as the weeknd shows any type of motorsport can end badly.

my friend was recently paralyzed in a sidecar race in mondello , what are the chances of getting paralyzed in mondello ?

rip manus - always the best go first
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Exactly Stephen i don't think your average spectator really gets how dangerous is can be. Regardless of car from a Civic to a WRC the risk is still there and its up to the crew on board to how far they want to go to the limit. They are out for their own fun not to entertain a few lads on the ditch. The comments all weekend aimed at Block were unbelievable too. Keyboard warriors who never sat in a rally car in their life. Even some "rally fans" running onto facebook yesterday to name the competitors involved in the incident for a few likes. I'm browned off the whole scene after this weekend to be honest.
 
Fully agree with the above statements. I wasn?t there and don?t know the circumstances of the fatal crash but after hearing my heart did sink. I once got a passenger ride in Bertie Fisher?s Legacy, I was the last run of the day and I told the driver to go as fast as possible, of which he did. I was fastened but it gave me a whole new perspective on speed and safety.

Safety of the drivers and spectators are always the first priority but Motorsport is dangerous and anything can happen. Although I did see many negative comments about Ken, the real fans showed positivity.
 
I've never gone from such a high (Parc Ferme on the Sunday morning) to such a low (Parc Ferme at about 3 o'clock that afternoon where you had over 300 competitors standing more or less in total silence).

For now the only thing to do is pay respect to the Kelly family. After that, try to educate the people who somehow associate Manus' accident to the 40 people arrested on the Saturday night. How 'The Irish Times' printed the two paragraphs one after the other on its website I just don't know. RTE did much the same on their Sunday news bulletins.
 
Alan Browne said:
I've never gone from such a high (Parc Ferme on the Sunday morning) to such a low (Parc Ferme at about 3 o'clock that afternoon where you had over 300 competitors standing more or less in total silence).

For now the only thing to do is pay respect to the Kelly family. After that, try to educate the people who somehow associate Manus' accident to the 40 people arrested on the Saturday night. How 'The Irish Times' printed the two paragraphs one after the other on its website I just don't know. RTE did much the same on their Sunday news bulletins.
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I hope we will never be in a parc ferme like that again it was eerie.

Yes I heard a 2FM news bulletin on the way down the road Sunday evening and just thought it was typical RTE to have one after the other.
 
2/3 of those arrested will more than likely have had little to do with the rally (not fans as such that are there for the sport)... and a mix of "locals" from the wider area and others who are just there for the p1$$ up and acting the maggot. Still... the "rally" gets blamed by the media - cos it sells papers / gets "target audiences'" attention - even if it is at best a slanted view or at worst total boll1x.

Was involved with SS Tarmac rallies around the country from '96 till '09 as a safety marshal and organiser. Gob$hites who cause trouble are a headache (and there will always be some, and at times many of them). And then there are the inconsiderate numpties who may be fans, but will indeed park in stupid places... or stand in stupid places... will give loads of abuse when asked to move... and ultimately can cause a stage to be cancelled. Over all the years only had to cancel 4 stages... 1 due to competitor accident (serious injuries, but recovered after), 1 due to spectator injury (old man who lived on the stage who fell off a ditch and had a compound fracture so had to be ambulanced out), and 2x due to spectator issues (crowd control / vehicle blocked roads). That's roughly out of 60/70 stages ran.

There would have been at least another 4-5 cancellations due to spectator issues... but learned very quickly to start to use spectator crowds to help rein in other spectators (address full crowd and tell them that stage will be cancelled due to that group over there not moving - or that/those cars not moving -- usually it shames / intimidates the in-compliant parties to cop on as the crowd turns on them). As organisers / stage commanders, it is also wise to plan ahead. Some stages you just know there will be car parking issues or crowd control issues. You have to have a tow truck on hand for those stages to remove offending vehicles... sufficient marshals in appropriate places - and, in some specific places a Garda presence.

Some rallies are well run - some less so (regardless of how good their record might appear on paper).

Deepest sympathies to Manus Kelly's family and hope for a speedy recovery for Donall Barrett.

Also spare a thought for the people first on the scene like other competitors, marshals and first responders... very tough thing to have to deal with!
 
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