Myers takes unusual role at ALMC Hellfire Rally

Myers takes unusual role at ALMC Hellfire Rally

Ballyhar’s Niall Myers had an unusual role at Sunday’s ALMC Hellfire Rally in Meath.

A few years ago, Motorsport Ireland introduced the Junior 1000 (J1000) class, giving 14–17 year olds the chance to drive 1000cc rally cars on forestry events.

An adult co-driver was required to take over on the road sections, while the youngsters competed on the special stages.

This year the governing body expanded the rule, allowing experienced J1000 drivers aged 16 and over to compete on closed-road special stages.

Donegal driver Osian McShane was one of the first to avail of the change and, at just 16, became Ireland’s youngest rally driver.

Under the regulations, the co-driver must drive the road sections between stages and that duty fell to Myers.

During reconnaissance, on open public roads, Osian’s father Fabian, an experienced international co-driver, took the wheel of the recce car, with Osian in the front seat and Myers in the back making and adjusting pace notes.

McShane thus became one of the first drivers to compete under Motorsport Ireland’s new rule, which allows experienced J1000 competitors aged 16 or older to drive a Class 2A car on both asphalt and gravel rallies.

Their efforts were in vain, as a blown engine in their Peugeot 208 R2 ended their historic run but they did a  fastest stage time before retiring from the event.

It was the same story for the majority of the Kerry competitors at the Oldcastle-based rally. Mick Quinn and Kieran Doherty retired with clutch problems, while Ardfert co-driver Dermot Flaherty and his Longford driver John Shaw also retired early with a broken engine mount in their Mini Cooper.

Dave Slattery and Denis Coffey did make the finish, taking ninth in their class in a Ford Escort Mk2. Cousins Michelle Quinn and Caz Somers were sixth in their class in a Honda Civic, while Denny Greaney guided Ronan Campbell to third in their class in a Ford Escort Mk2.