Derek Mackarel insists he is happy to forgo silverware at Saturday’s Trailer Parts and Spares Lakeland Stages where his pursuit of a domestic double will continue alongside his co-driver Eamonn Creedon.
Once again, the Enniskillen Motor Club showpiece is a counting round of the Sligo Pallets Forest Rally Championship and the returning McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Forest Gravel Rally Challenge.
In each case, Mackarel leads the southern series by 16 points after three starts from Claudy-based Jordan Hone and its northern equivalent by two points following February’s opener at Fivemiletown.
A strong Rally2 and R5 entry has been secured for an event that boasts a huge 16-mile blast over the ‘Carrigan-Ballintempo’ special stage and is the first of three consecutive loose surface fixtures locally.
Niall McGonigle (Ford Fiesta Rally2), Vivian Hamill (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5), Cathan McCourt (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and 2023 Lakeland Stages winner Patrick O’Brien (Skoda Fabia R5) will all feature.
Spectators are also sure to keep an eye on the Skoda Fabia of Strabane’s Ryan Caldwell – the reigning Irish Forestry champion – and Jason Mitchell, whose long wait for a first outright victory finally came to an end on August’s Jim Walsh Cork Forestry Rally at the controls of his Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
“I have to say, I am looking forward to being back out again,” Mackarel told Belfast Telegraph Sport.
“We have been kept busy in the south, and it is good to see the gravel rallies returning north after a bit of a break.
“Scoring big points is more important for me. Leaving the Lakeland Stages leading both Championships is the main goal, and if we manage to achieve that, then I would have to say it will be a great outcome.
“It is going to be a points game on Saturday, there will be a lot of guys going hard and sniffing around for the win.
“That isn’t necessarily the priority for me, but if we get close enough to them, then we will give it a good go because the event, I think, is going to be a case of going as hard as you can for as long as you can, especially on the day’s longest stage.
“The Fiesta R5 we have is starting to show its age against the new Rally2 cars but, as we have seen at times this season, there is not a lot in it as far as the top guys are concerned.
“I know the car inside out, I am comfortable in it and I know that, on its day, it is more than capable of putting in a good shift.”
Consisting of six speed tests totalling 41 competitive miles, Saturday’s opening stage – ‘Conagher’ – is scheduled to get under way at 11.12am and will be followed by runs over ‘Big Dog’ and ‘Carrigan-Ballintempo’.
All three are repeated after lunch, with the overall winners being crowned around 4pm.
Top 10 seeds: Trailer Parts and Spares Lakeland Stages Rally
1. Patrick O’Brien/Stephen O’Brien (Skoda Fabia R5)
2. Ryan Caldwell/Shaun Ferris (Skoda Fabia R5)
3. Jason Mitchell/Paddy McCrudden (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5)
4. Niall McGonigle/Caolan McKenna (Ford Fiesta Rally2)
5. Cathan McCourt/Brian Hoy (Ford Fiesta Rally2)
6. Vivian Hamill/Andrew Greenan (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5)
7. Derek Mackarel/Eamonn Creedon (Ford Fiesta R5)
8. Darragh Cairns/Mark Preston (Skoda Fabia R5)
9. Gareth Mimnagh/J Barry McCarney (Ford Fiesta R5)
10. Stephen McCann/John McCabe (Ford Fiesta R5)