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Update!
28/9/05
Well it's been along time since we've had a chance to update the site, so a lot as changed in the last couple of months. I concentrated on the West Coast Junior Championship this year, thankfully with great effect, winning all the rounds to date, and the championship, with one round still remaining. We also competed in a lot of other rallies , trying to gain as much experience as we could before the end of the year. With the experienced John Smithwick sitting in, we were joint 9th overall going into the last stage of the Cashel Single Stage and with the race face on got a bit carried away on a square left, ending the day in a gripe! Carlow was both a lucky and unlucky day. First day with the new navigator, Anne-Marie Kennedy, and thankfully she's still sitting in, and we were on a mission, but we hit a bale on the first stage (driver error!) resulting in a burst rad. We battled our way back, only losing the rally due to road penalites. We then had a couple of the rounds of the West Coast, Circuit of Munster and Galway Summer Rally. Due to cancelled stages we only got 2 stages in Munster and we came out on top. Galway was a different story. With the time keepers giving us only 1 minute gap between the 00 we weren't best happy but continued on. 3 miles into the first stage, a 10mile stage, we cuaght him and with not being allowed to pass a 00 had to stay behind him for the rest of the stage. Barry Meade then caught us and Seamus O' Grady then caught him resulting in 3 cars cruising to the finish. Thinking this would be sorted out with the stage times being cancelled we finished the rally presuming we had won. But because of a Force Majure rule we were denied the win and given the time that we actually did for the stage, which was nearly 3 minutes slower than anyone else. In saying that we still finished 2nd overall. One of the best rallies to date has had to have been the Ulster International Rally. Due to work commitments Anne-Marie couldn't travel so in sat Jonathan McGrath for the weekend. It was a very demanding rally with alot of effort having to be put in, in both the rally end of it and the recce. Four stages greeted us on the first day and all of which were in the dark. It was some experience, your notes have got to be perfect and you have to really listen to the navigator. We made it through with only a few scares and got back to the overnight halt at around 1 o' clock! 8 stages on the saturday the first of which started at 8 in the morning! It was along hard day but we finished up 14th overall and 2nd in class, a result we were both over the moon with. We were out in Clare next with Charlotte Egan sitting in, and it's fair to say we had a great day! Winning by 34 seconds. Next up is Cork 20, and Anne-Marie is back in the hot seat. We have recce done and are both looking foward to a good rally. The car is being prepared for this one by Mark Kennedy and it's fair to say he's going through it with a fine toothed comb. With Anne-Marie back we'll be having a good cut as it's the last day with my 1300cc engine. After Cork, is the big one, Baltinglass Mini Stage, with a proven 1600 16v car hired for the day we'll be pushing hard! Diarmuid has not been so lucky this year. With the new 2ltr Zetec engine, he had a great run in both Carlow and Cashel Single Stage, but his luck changed in the ALMC and Wexford Stages Rally, putting the car off on both occasions, luckily only cosmetic, and pride damage was done. We'll be hoping it'l be back out for the Mini Stages, but with a serious re-build on the cards it's hard to tell at this stage.
Coilin.
30/10/04 Another day, another head-to-head. This time the GSMC Single Stage in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow. This was one was all or nothing. Long story short, Coilin got it all (6th overall from 105 finshers, class win by 45 seconds), Barry Murphy and I got nothing (bent the suspension on a stone wall when the road went left and I didn't). And that's all I have to say about that.
Diarmuid
24/3/04 The first tarmac round of the South East Stages and the first real head to head between the two of us took place at the Carlow Stages Rally held on the 9th of May. After a good recce for the both of us we headed back to Carlow town to get the offical end of the buisness out of the way. I had to do this early as I had to go play a football match! Sunday morning came and the day was going to be good so on went the X08's (I wasn't going to hold back!). The trip out to the start of the first stage didn't go well for either of us as we both had brake trouble. At optional service nothing could be done, my brake caliper was seizing and Diarmuid's back brakes were locking up. We chanced it on! The first stage went well for us and our brake trouble didn't slow us down too much! We took 15 seconds out of Diarmuid, who was using his brake trouble as his excuse. The second stage and another 15 seconds. First service and frantic work went on to try and get Diarmuid's brakes sorted as I (and the rest of the team) filled my car with petrol and washed the windscreen! Stage 3 and 20 seconds, we were now not far off the pace of the 1600 16v novas and was with the pace of the 1600 8v novas (you know who you are!!). Now I know what your thinking, we both new the stages black, but we can both stand up and say we did not see them stages until the saturday of the recce. Stage 4 and 15 seconds. Another service and again frantic work on Diarmuid's car. Stage 5 and 15 seconds. Going into stage 6 we were winning by over 1 minute, half way through and the minute was no more. The clutch went on the f**k**g yoke. I suppose it could have been worse but at the time, we were sickened. Diarmuid finished the day second in class but still with big brake trouble, which makes the in-car camera video an interesting watch! The whole head to head didn't live up to much so we will both have to battle it out another day.
Coilin
The first round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, the Circuit of Kery, was held on Sunday the fourth of April. It turned out to be a great day for the only member of O Toole Motorsport competing on the day, Coilin. The weekend started off with a very long drive down to Dingle on Friday(5 hours).With alot of road miles there was nearly as much driving to be done during the recce aswell! With four stages being run twice and the famous Conor's Pass and Slea Head being used we were in for a freighting rally. When we got to the start of the first stage, Minard Castle , it was cancelled, so for the first stage of my first multi-stage rallying we were facing the daunting trip both up and down Conor's Pass. Sitting on the start line I didn't know what to think I just kept saying to myself don't look down! The run up to the summit is tight and twisty but my god the run down it is fast! If you ever get a chance to drive this stage, take it. It was onto service then before a short five and a half mile stage to get you warmed up for Slea Head. It was a very nice stage with alot of squares and hairpins. About a mile into the stage there was a hairpin left out of which was a straight through a very narrow bridge and then a hairpin right at a pub, we came thtough the bridge flat up with the hand brake and made it around the hairpin and we could see everyvody cheering!.(magic stuff) To make it better we have it on camera. If I thought sitting on the start of Conor's Pass was daunting, well it was nothing compared to Slea Head, we actually thought about pulling out! It's the Monte-Carlo of Ireland ! Driving on the edge of Ireland with the next stop being America . Unbelieveable stuff, a cliff one side of you and the Atlantic the other side. We made it through the stage the twice with no major moments and as it was the last stage of the day aswell it was an amazing stage to end a great weekend. We finished 45th overall and 2nd in class. Not bad for our first multi-stage rally! Bring on Carlow.
Coilin.
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