1998 Dawnbreaker Rally Report
16 October 1998
Local crews figured strongly in the Dawnbreaker Rally 98, the 1998 Inter - Association Navigational Rally Challenge filling five of the top ten places. Overall rally winners were Edward Murphy/Barry Taggart (Ford Escort) who were also members of the winning Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs B team. The other team members of Roger Gordon/Kathryn Millington (Toyota Supra) and Alan Dorman/Brian Dorman (Vauxhall Nova) also finished in the top ten overall. The N Ireland A Team of Eric Patterson/Glen Patterson (Riley Elf), Tim McKie/Gavin Millington (Rover Metro) and John Henderson/Lloyd Cochrane (Talbot Sunbeam) were second, with the London Counties Team of Mike Biss/Cath Woodman, Jemery Rodgers/Mark Fearon, Paul Wright/Mark Goodman third.
The Northern Ireland Motor Club organised the event with considerable assistance from Clubs within the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs. The rally had an entry of 33 crews with 9 Association teams and 32 starters. The organiser's attractive package resulted in 18 mainland crews travelling across the Irish Sea. The rally had a competitive route of 135 miles, in County Armagh, with 30 Time Controls. A wide variation of route instructions together with the twisty maze of roads in the area kept the crews busy.
From the Carngrove Hotel, Portadown, the crews had a short run out to Drumnasoo for a mid-night start. The first leg of 62 miles took competitors in a loop around Loughgall and back to a petrol break at Drumnasoo. At the first time recovery section on the Moy Armagh Road the leaders were Murphy/Taggart on 1 mark from Biss/Woodman on 2 marks. However it was the London Counties crew which led at the petrol halt on 2 marks from Murphy/Taggart on 3 marks and McKie/Millington on 4 marks. Several crews cleaned the sections back to petrol, including Patterson/Patterson who tied with the Association of South East Motor Club crew of Martin Smith/Sue Speller on 5 marks.
After a break of one hour the route covered a second loop of 73 miles around Loughgall and Armagh and back to the finish outside Portadown. As the route moved around the north of Loughgall and towards Armagh the leader board changed dramatically. Murphy/Taggart regained the lead with McKie /Millington moving into second place. Then McKie /Millington faltered allowing Biss/Woodman back into second placed and the Dormans who were having an excellent spell moving into third place. The Pattersons had a troubled section and dropped out of the top ten, but more importantly the mainland crews of Biss/Woodman and Smith/Speller both had a wrong departure from a route check which resulted in missing a section of route and incurred a 15 mark penalty. This allowed McKie/Millington to regain third place with the East of Scotland crew of Radin/Watson moving up to fourth with the Association of West Midlands's crew of Glaze/Davies in fifth. Biss/Woodman were now sixth.
After another time recovery section south of Armagh the crews negotiated the narrow and sometimes wet and muddy lanes north of Markethill and back towards Portadown. The leader board continued to change during this period with the Dormans briefly taking the lead and then losing it to McKie/Millington as Murphy/Taggart dropped back. Biss/Woodman had regained fourth place with the Pattersons on a charge, which moved them back into the top ten. Then as the crews covered the final sections McKie/Millington and the Dormans both missed a time check and allowed Murphy/Taggart back into the lead from Biss/Woodman.
At the finish Murphy/Taggart were the winners on 26 marks from Biss/Woodman, who had made an excellent recovery to finish second on 39 marks. The Pattersons excellent run on the final sections gave them third place on 45 marks. McKie/Millington finished fourth on the tie decider from Radin/Watson and Gordon/Millington, all three on 49 marks.
The team winners were the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs B team from the N Ireland A Team with the London Counties Team in third place.
Drew Todd
RESULTS
- Edward Murphy/Barry Taggart Ford Escort ANICC B 26 marks
- Mike Biss/Cath Woodman Vauxhall Nova GTE LCAMC 39 marks
- Eric Patterson/Glen Patterson Riley Elf ANICC A 45 marks
- Tim McKie/Gavin Millington Rover Metro ANICC A 49 marks
- Alan Radin/Graham Watson Vauxhall Astra ESACC 49 marks
- Roger Gordon/Kathryn Millington Toyota Supra ANICC B 49 marks
- Matthew Fowle/Prar Rover 414 ASEMC 59 marks
- Jeremy Rodgers/Mark Fearon Austin Maestro EFi LCAMC 65 marks
- Alan Dorman/Brian Dorman Vauxhall Nova ANICC B 67 marks
- Derek McClean/David Cooke Austin Maestro ESACC 71 marks
TEAM RESULTS
- ANICC B 142 marks Murphy/Taggart, Gordon/Millington, Dorman/Dorman.
- ANICC A 166 marks Patterson/Patterson, McKie/Millington, John Henderson/Lloyd Cochrane 72 marks.
- LCAMC 178 marks Biss/Woodman, Rodgers/Fearon, Paul Wright/Mark Goodman 74 marks.
- ESACC 291 marks Radin/Watson, McClean/Cooke, Henry Webster/Lochart Horsburgh 171 marks.
- ANICC C 399 marks Tom Brown/William Brown 87 marks, John Lindsay/Patrick McCollum 165 marks, Trevor Reid/ Richard Reid 147 marks.
- ASEMC 457 marks Fowle/Prar, Martin Smith/Sue Speller 83 marks, Chin/Rob Liddiard 315 marks.
- ANECCC 675 marks Frazer Graham/Patrick Turnbull 223 marks, David Cameron/Teresa Bell 298 marks, Paul Schatz/David Bell 154 marks.
- ANEMCC 882 marks Andrew Goodier/Roger Hage 226 marks, Rodger Ashmead/Mike Salmon 508 marks, Robert Duck/John Erwin 148 marks.
- AWMMC DNF Baron Glaze/Peter Davies 317 marks, Peter Zjazic/Richard Preece Retired, Les Percival/Richard Todd 167 marks.
Posted by PMcCollum on 18/8/2010; Last updated by PMcCollum on 18/8/2010