NI title still within reach for Mcgarrity despite retirements as he switches to Skoda Fabia

Derek Mcgarrity says clinching a record eighth Northern Ireland Rally Championship title is still very much within his grasp despite already having two nonfinishes to his name ahead of this weekend’s Tyrone Stages.

Mcgarrity retired his Ford Fiesta RS WRC from the seasonopening Kirkistown Stages while in the lead with one stage remaining when the car suffered a power steering pump failure.

He also recorded a no-score when he slid off the road on last month’s Lakeland Stages Rally.

He is third in the standings behind Derek Mcgeehan and Stephen Wright, with Desi Henry also in the mix after winning the last two rounds.

“By my own reckoning, I have had a poor season but winning the title is still doable,” he said.

“The title fight would be different if we did not have so many issues with the Fiesta.

“If we were running a Skoda Fabia, then I’m sure we would have got the results.”

Efforts to cure the misfire on his Fiesta WRC inbetween the Lakeland Stages and the Bushwhacker Rally have proved unsuccessful despite the intervention of M-sport.

The car has since been returned to the Cumbrian outfit for further checks, which has forced him to look for a substitute car for the Tyrone Stages. He will use a Fabia R5 that Chris Ingram used in the European Rally Championship.

“The Fabia is a car that will really suit the tight, twisty roads we are going to see on the Tyrone Stages,” he said.

“It is a 2019-spec car. It has been properly looked after and is the real deal.

“I drove a Fabia on a few rounds during the 2017 season and beat [eventual champion] Jonny Greer in it so I know what the car is capable of. ”

Henry (Fiesta RS WRC), Wright (Fiesta R5) and Mcgeehan (Mini JCW WRC) have all entered the Tyrone Stages Rally which returns to the Benone area for the second consecutive year.

Crews will tackle 14 special stages over a competitive distance of 42 miles.