Controlled, calm and quick were words used by Derek Mackarel to describe his day as he stood alongside navigator Darren Curren taking in the plaudits having claimed a maiden victory on the Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club’s Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the second round of the 2024 Sligo Pallets Forest Rally Championship.
For the Monaghan youngster, the day had started perfectly with a fastest time across the opening Derrylackey stage, and it was a lead that would continue to grow throughout the day as Mackarel & Curran would bring their Ford Fiesta R5 home with 20.6 seconds to spare over their closest rivals and now likely Championship adversaries Jordan Hone & Paul Hone.
In the 2WD battle, it was a real ding dong battle. Hugh McQuade & Declan Casey grabbed the lead at the end of the second stage, but their day would end early with a retirement on the next test.
That would return the lead to Shane McGirr & Denver Rafferty who had gone quickest on the opener, and they would return to the Rhu Glenn Hotel as winners for a second round in a row.
In the J1000 battle, it was a real marker laid down by Oisin McShane and Fabian McShane as the pair claimed victory on only their second ever rally, setting an incredible stage time on the final stage to overturn what was a 10 second deficit into a 2.8 second victory over Ross Ryan & Peter Keohane, with third place going to Tommy Cronin & Derek Butler.
After an incredible days action, the Championship now heads into a summer break, returning on August 11th with Round 3 and the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally.
Top 3:
Derek Mackarel & Darren Curran (Ford Fiesta R5)
Jordan Hone & Paul Hone (Ford Fiesta R5) +20.6 secs
Stevi McCann & John McCabe (Ford Fiesta R5) +20.8 secs
