October Bank Holiday weekend brought to a close the 2011 Irish Enduro Championship at Tinahealy, near Gorey, Co. Wicklow. Regarded as one of the toughest events on the calendar, the event continued to live up to its name once again becoming the “sting in the tail” to what has been a long but enjoyable championship season. With continuous rain leading up to the two-day event ensuring that conditions would be anything but timid, riders were faced with one last final push to secure their respective championship honours. Those that dug deep for two days in the saddle and came out on top truly earned the right to call themselves champion.
Expert
It's Irish Enduro Championship number two for Paul...
Reigning champion Paul McLoughlin has been the most dominant force in the Expert class this season by winning all but one race. In Tinahealy he would continue that run of good form to successfully wrap up his second Irish Enduro Championship in succession. Carrying a 17-point advantage into the weekend, it wasn’t necessary for McLoughlin to win in order to become champion but right from the off he topped the opening special test making his intentions clear that he planned on ending his year on a high. Graeme Vigors was next in line quickly followed by Paul McCarthy and Mick O’Leary, with all four riders separated by less than 10-seconds. McLoughlin would go on to win all the remaining tests on Saturday to win the day, but it was the final tight check that would settle the remainder of the field. Becoming the only other rider to stay clean on time, O’Leary inherited second, dropping McCarthy to third and Vigors to fourth. Sunday would prove to be a carbon copy repeat of Day 1 for McLoughlin. Again topping all three tests, Paul rode to a comfortable final win of the 2011 season and with it the Irish Enduro Championship. McCarthy this time got the better of O’Leary and by putting in one of his best rides of the season claimed a well earned second. However knowing that to finish was more important than trying to win, O’Leary rode with his sights set on claiming the Southern Centre championship. Finishing third would secure the title and in doing exactly that, Mick earned himself his first major Expert enduro championship.
Senior
Richie brings home the Senior Irish Enduro Championship
Since switching machines during the halfway point of the season, David McNulty has been a revelation of the Senior class by claiming three wins on the trot – Tinahealy would be no different. From the beginning, McNulty laid down a test time for all to follow, going almost 30-seconds faster than nearest rival Richard Leonard. Stepping it up in the following run, Leonard came within six-seconds of matching McNulty, but a crash by Leonard on the final test of the day pushed David clearly in front. Remaining clean on the final tight check of the day, McNulty claimed the first win of the weekend. Even with a monumental crash in the final test on Sunday, McNulty would go on to win the final battle of the year while earning himself the Senior Southern Centre enduro championship – but it was Richard Leonard that would ultimately win the war. Although unable to match the pace set by David, Richard knew that with his 18-point advantage over Chad Hamilton he didn’t need to take any unnecessary risks to win. Posting second each time out to David, Leonard stayed true to his game plan and brought home the 2011 Senior Irish Enduro championship on his first time of asking. It’s been an astonishing rise through the ranks for Leonard having only started racing some three short years ago. Can he go on to title number four in Experts next year? Not if McLoughlin or McNulty have anything to say about it!
McNulty may have won the battle but not the war though he can be happy with the Southern Centre title
Clubman
Johnny Mercier has been the only force to be reckoned with during the 2011 Clubman Irish Enduro Championship. Wining all but one round of the championship his dominance almost mirrors that of Expert winner McLoughlin. Again in Tinahealy he would march on for another two wins over twice second James Farrell. By topping each special test of the weekend, it capped off an almost undefeated season for Mercier and he wrapped up both the Clubman Irish Enduro Championship and the Southern Centre Enduro Championship.
In Sportsman, it was new kid on the block Tyrone Murphy that topped the Sportsman time sheets. Seemingly never even remotely challenged, Murphy set about posting times that could easily make himself a threat within the Clubman class. Although winning both days of the Sportsman class to claim the overall win, it wouldn’t be enough to steal championship honours. Placing third on Saturday and then backing that up with second on Sunday, David McMahon would follow Tyrone home for second overall and in doing so would take home the 2011 TORC Sportman Championship by one-point in what turned out to be one of the tightest championship battles of the season.
*** Sportsman Report amended. Points were allocated on the combined score of both days and not scored on the two individual days. Apologies for confusion!
And with that the 2011 Irish Enduro Championship is brought to a close on what has yet been another successful and strong year of racing. Roll on 2012!
2011 Irish Enduro Champions:
Expert: Paul McLoughlin
Senior: Richard Leonard
Clubman: Johnny Mercier
2011 Southern Centre Enduro Champions:
Expert: Mick O’Leary
Senior: David McNulty
Clubman: Johnny Mercier
(TORC) Sportsman: David McMahon
Championship Standings:
Irish Enduro Champ: irish champ 2011-2 Southern Centre Enduro Champ: southern centre 2011-2 TORC Enduro Champ: CHAMP TORC-1