NEWSLETTER NO: 3

The new event in the Club's calendar, the Mountview Restaurant Time Trial and Family Fun Day turned out to be a great success!!! It was brilliant to see a huge turn out from our own Club to help marshal the event, without this manpower on the day the event would not have run.

Over 40 drivers started the event in Banagher Forest. Eugene & Charlie Donnelly and Glen Allen fought all day to be the first 4-wheel drive car home, resulting in Eugene winning this battle by a very small margin. The first 2-wheel drive car home was that of Paul Barrett, he was the first competitor to be awarded with the Jack Keatley Perpetual Trophy at the finish HQ by Jack's son John. Our sponsor for the day, Mountview Restaurant, at the Rural College, Draperstown was the venue for the fun element of the day, with face painting, magicians, bouncy castle for young (and not so young!) and a superb BBQ. The Spirit of Rallying award presented on the day went to Sean McBride for his sportsmanship for stopping with a radio control causing him valuable seconds, to report a fellow competitor had crashed out and by doing so showed consideration for the safety of others. The Officials of the event were pleased to see that competitors are now taking on board the importance of looking out for all involved in the sport.

As the Club Championship draws to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all those registered of the need to marshal or assist on at least 2 motorsport events organised by either our own Club, Omagh or Mid-Antrim in order to be eligible for awards at year end. This initiative has been well supported to date, however a few competitors may be disappointed at prize giving unless they get the required signatures. The 2 remaining qualifying events are the Bushwhacker Omagh on 27th/28th September and Toshiba on 2nd November. If you have not already collected your Marshalling to Compete card, you should ensure that you have received one prior to marshalling. If you wish to volunteer to assist on either or both the above events, contact Ursula on 028 7032 1473 for further details.

Please note our next Club Meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday 30th September in Mary's Bar at 8.30 p.m. which will be a Safety Discussion Forum. Guest speakers on the night will include Robert Harkness, Colin Rosborough & a representative from the scrutineering body. This will be your opportunity to have all your questions and concerns on safety and first aid addressed. It would be beneficial if you could provide questions or topics you want discussed prior to this Forum in order that the guest speakers can prepare. Please forward any suggestions you have to Crawford Henderson on 07703 328666 or myself before Monday 23rd September. A good turn out on the night would be greatly appreciated.

As always our social outings are an essential part of our calendar. The next date to note is the "Club Night Out", which is planned for Saturday 23rd November 2002 in Walsh's Hotel, Maghera for a meal and a few drinks!!!! Over the years the word has spread that this is a great nights craic with numbers increasing annually. A £10.00 deposit will be collected at the next meeting or contact Marie Averall on 028 7964 4190 to secure your place. If you have never been before why not come along and see what you've been missing. Looking forward to seeing you all at our next Club Meeting.

Ursula Mullan, Chairperson