At round three of the 2016 Valvoline Motorsport Ireland National Forest Rally Championship, the Tour of the Sperrins Rally, run by the Magherafelt and District Motor Club local driver Marty McCormack in his Super 2000 Skoda took top spot.

Derek McGeehan finished second and new Championship leader, Michael Carbin secured third spot in an event that saw many drop out over the dry, dusty stages.

The drama started at the first corner of stage one, when one of the favourites- former forestry champion-Pat O’Connell in his Evo 9 slipped off the road and retired. Championship leader Ger Lucey’s day started with a lack of intercom and it was to prove an off day for him, as a road penalty also helped to relegate him to twenty-second place. Derek McGarrity suffered from over-heating issues and a ten minute penalty for failing to start stage one on time classified him forty-first. Early leader Desi Henry also came a copper and when the dust settled, Marty McCormack held on to win by 23 seconds.

The two-wheel drive race was equally as frenetic with Shane McGirr was fastest in his affectionately named “scrap-box” Toyota Starlet and also finished a remarkable fifth place overall.

Winner of the rallytrader.ie/ Kumho tyres Junior category, collecting two tyres from Ears Motorsport Ireland was Castlederg’s Adam Bustard with his R2 Ford Fiesta 1.0t. The former Junior 1000 Champion finished an excellent thirteenth overall, just missing the 1600 class win by 0.8 of a second.

Now it’s the traditional break in the Valvoline Motorsport Ireland National Forest Rally Championship before the Jim Walsh Memorial Forest Rally kicks it all off again in August. The championship positions certainly make it a difficult bet to put on who will be the 2016 champion!

2016 Valvoline Motorsport Ireland National Forest Rally Championship-Round Three results:
1st  Marty McCormack / Caron McCormack  Škoda Fabia S2000  29:50.9
2nd Derek McGeehan / Arthur Kierans  Mini WRC   +0:22.8
3rd Michael Carbin / Darragh Kelly  Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV +2:03.5
4th Niall Devine / Crawford Henderson Subaru Impreza “N”  +2:21.1
5th Shane McGirr / Liam McIntyre  Toyota Starlet   +2:26.6

Points after round three:
1Michael Carbin 52
2Gerard Lucey 43
3 John Gordon 40
4 Mickey Conlon 39
5 Brendan Cumiskey 35