EXCLUSIVE: Martin Brady’s Romanian Debut—Ditches, Dynashifts, and Decibel-Heavy Town Stages

EXCLUSIVE: Martin Brady’s Romanian Debut—Ditches, Dynashifts, and Decibel-Heavy Town Stages

The world of international co-driving is rarely boring, but veteran navigator Martin Brady’s debut at Raliul Harghitei took “scenic” to a new level this weekend.

Deputising for Lorcan Moore alongside young hot-shot Reis Suliman, Brady guided their Peugeot 208 Rally4 to a dominant Saturday performance, leading the RO4, FWD, and Junior classes while sitting a massive 9th overall. However, the Sunday finale proved that the sting is always in the tail—or in this case, the ditch.

The “Dynashift” Spectator

Cruising with a 52-second lead in 2WD and just 2km remaining in the rally, the pair ran wide on loose gravel, ending their charge in a Romanian field.

“Only our pride was bruised,” Martin told Kerry Motorsport News “There will be a Monday morning front-end parts order at Peugeot Bucharest for the team, but we ended up tumbled in a field, looking at a nonchalant farmer who continued unabashed planting in his 1987 Massey 3650 Dynashift.”

“Unde-I Îcurajare, e și spor”

Despite the late-stage retirement, Brady’s insight into the Romanian rally scene is a must-read for any budding international co-driver. He said that the spirit of the sport transcends borders, bridging the gap between Irish and Romanian culture.

“‘Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí’ (praise the youth and they will thrive) or as they say in Romanian, ‘Unde-I Îcurajare, e și spor’ (Where there is encouragement, there is progress). It was a great experience with a clearly up-and-coming young driver and a very friendly place to go rallying.”

Town Stages: Winning Streak vs. Harghita

While the rally ended in a ditch, the highlight was Friday’s town stage—a spectacle Brady reckons would stop traffic in any Irish town.

“We spent 1.44km entertaining the masses. I am no good at judging the size of crowds, but I say it looked like no one was at home watching Winning Streak anyway! We raced up and down Main Street doing 360s around every roundabout and a hairpin around a barrel at an 18th-century church. What chance of that in Killarney, Letterkenny or even Eyre Square?”

For Brady, the result is secondary to the experience of the “wider view” of the sport.

“Isn’t it a great sport that gets us to these places where an Irish man can drop in, be welcomed like a local and call notes for a local hot shot?”

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