Sunday 7^th March 2010 saw BMRT drivers take 2 places on the podium in the Superfinal with Andrew Morris & Paul Pascoe finishing 2^nd & 3^rd respectively.  Andrew Morris also secured the runner up position in the Supercar class & 2^nd in the overall championship!  Paul finished the season 3^rd in the Supercar class and 7^th in the overall standings in what has been a successful season for the team.

Following Round 6 the team were kept busy rebuilding gearboxes.  Andrews's gearbox was completed on the Friday before the event, and installed Saturday 6^th March.  There was no time to test the car prior to the event.  This was reflected in Andrews qualifying heats where he finished 3^rd in heats 1 & 3, qualifying 3^rd for the Supercar A-Final, taking no chances with an untried gearbox.  This was clearly the correct strategy as Andrew still had to score points in the finals to ensure 2^nd place in the overall championship.  The teams second driver Paul Pascoe had no such problems and qualified a seasons best in 2^nd to newly crowned champion Tommy Graham.

Team Manager Michael Morris "Andrew knew he had to drive cautiously in the qualifying heats, we could take no chances as a damaged gearbox may have ruined our championship after working so hard to get ourselves into this position.  With the heats over Andrew has no choice but to drive hard in the finals.  Its what we are here for"

Drive hard is what he did.  At the start of the A-Final Andrew took second place from his team mate and worked Tommy Graham hard.  In doing so he secured a front row start for the important Superfinal.  Paul made a good start, eventually finishing 4th by a few 100ths of a second to David Dempsey.

After 6 rounds battling Tommy Graham, Andrew just needed to settle for a podium in the Superfinal to secure 2^nd overall in the Motorsport Ireland Rallycross Championship.  Having raced carefully all day Andrew burst off the front row to lead Tommy Graham into turn 1.  Paul also made an excellent start and followed closely in 3^rd place.  Andrew led Tommy for half of the race, eventually being passed on the main straight a few laps from the end.  With the points secured to maintain his position in the overall standings, 2^nd place was cause for celebration.  Paul came home in 3^rd place his highest overall finish since joining the team. 

Andrew Morris "It was a fitting end to the season for all of our team members, sponsors and supporters.  We look forward to the Rallycross Awards Night at the Green Isle hotel 24th April where we can celebrate in style.  I would also like to congratulate David Dempsey who finished the championship in 3^rd place".

Paul Pascoe "I would echo Andrews thanks to everyone involved with the team.  It has been a good season for us.  Well done to David as well.  We have battled hard & closely all season, I am looking forward to the start of the new season already".

Michael Morris.  "Thank you to our Engineers, Sponsors, Supporters and everyone who has wished us well during the Championship.  The hard work preparing for the start of the new season in October starts now.  Andrew drove brilliantly and secured 2^nd overall.  Our aim is to beat that next time around.  We have the time to improve the car and also Pauls who finished 3^rd in class and 7^th overall.  2 top 10 finishes in the championship is something to be proud of.  The next few months of hard work will see the team run 3 Subaru Impreza Supercars and 2 cars in the modified class for 2010-2011.  Keep watching BMRT.ie for updates.  Until then we look forward to our awards night in April"

Andrew Morris moved into 2^nd place overall in the Motorsport Ireland Rallycross Championship after finishing 2^nd in the Superfinal at Mondello Park 21^st February 2010, despite losing 4^th gear in the Supercar A-Final.  Paul Pascoe finished a seasons best 4^th.

The team arrived at Mondello full of enthusiasm & anticipation of a good result despite the snow on the ground.  The track was clear, however extremely cold and slippery conditions made tyre choice critical.  The team decided to run both cars on wets for practice and the first heats.  Andrew and Paul finished 2^nd & 3^rd respectively in heat 1.  The team changed Andrew and Paul onto slicks for heats 2 & 3 as the track had dried out too much for wet tyres.  In slippery conditions Andrew & Paul finished 3^rd & 4^th.  With improving track conditions for Heat 3 Andrew took a 2^nd place with Paul scoring another 4^th.  This put Andrew on the front row for the Supercar A-final in 2^nd place on the grid with Paul lining up in 4^th.

Andrew Jumped Tommy Grahams 560BHP Fiesta ST at the start of the A-Final to lead into turn 1 with Paul keeping his 4^th position.  During lap 1 Andrew lost 4^th gear, giving Tommy an opportunity to take the lead coming onto the main straight.  The top 4 remained the same throughout the 5 laps with Tommy winning from Andrew, followed by David Dempsey in the EVO5 and Paul in 4^th place.

Andrew lined up along side Tommy on the front row of the Superfinal, with Paul on the 3^rd row in 6^th place.  Andrew again made an excellent start beating Tommy into turn 1.  With 4^th gear missing Andrew could offer minimal resistance to Tommy, who took the lead at the end of lap 1.  Paul also made a good start from the 3^rd row to move into 4^th place by the first corner.  The top 4 again maintained position through the race with Tommy winning from Andrew, David & Paul, followed by Willie Coyne, Chris Grimes, Derek Tohill and Ian O'Connell.

This result leaves Andrew in 2^nd place in the overall standings with Tommy confirmed as the Irish Champion.  Paul consolidated his position in the top 10.

Andrew Morris  "I would like to congratulate Tommy on winning this years Championship.  We had some close races this season, the amount of my paint on Tommy's car confirms this!  I look forward to round 7 in a couple of weeks to confirm second place in the Championship".

Paul Pascoe  "Happy with 4^th place today, best I could do in the conditions.  A top 10 finish overall is within sight, a strong performance from myself could even see a top  5 finish.  This will be great for me personally and encouraging for the team".

Team Manager Michael Morris  "Well done to Tommy and Andrew.  They have certainly provided the entertainment at the top end of the field.  Andrew has to have a reasonable finish at the next round to secure 2^nd place overall. With a 5 point lead over his nearest rival, we are confident he can finish the job off.  He has never been off the podium in the races he has completed this season.  Paul should also bring home at least a top 10 finish, possibly higher.  This has been a successful season for BMRT.  Let's finish it off in style.  Thanks to our Sponsors, Engineers & Supporters for their continued support"

The day started slowly with fog delaying the start of round 5 until 10.30.  With only 2 laps of practice due to the late start, this was concerning for the team after making modifications to both cars during the winter break.  This did not prevent Andrew from taking a lights to flag victory in heat 1, with Paul in 4^th place.  Andrew finished 2^nd in heat 2 with Paul in 4^th again.  Heat 3 saw Andrew record another 2^nd place finish, with Paul following home in 3^rd place.

Andrew started the Supercar A-Final from the front row next to pole man Tommy Graham with Paul on the outside of the front row.  A clean start saw Andrew lead into the first corner, followed by Tommy Graham, with Paul resuming his battles with David Dempsey's EVO.  Tommy managed to pull past Andrew on the main straight to lead after lap 2.  The order remained the same after 5 laps with Tommy taking the flag from Andrew, David Dempsey & Paul in 4^th.  This result left Andrew on the front row for the all important Superfinal with Paul lining up on the 3^rd row.

At the start of the Superfinal Andrew again led pole man Tommy into the first corner followed by Barry McCardle, David Dempsey, Dessie Tierney, Paul Pascoe, Pearse Brown and reigning Champion Michael Coyne.  The battle with Andrew & Tommy was hard, Andrew lost his bumper during the race and again Tommy's traction out of Dunlop onto the main straight saw him pass Andrew into the lead.  Andrew consolidated his 2^nd place and was never under any pressure for the rest of the race.  Paul initially battled with Dessie Tierney for 5th place, eventually settling for 6^th and 12 valuable Championship points.  Andrew and Tommy finished the day entertaining the crowd with the now "Compulsory" post race doughnut celebrations.

Final Race order (Provisional)

1. Tommy Graham
2. Andrew Morris
3. Barry McCardle
4. David Dempsey
5. Dessie Tierney
6. Paul Pascoe
7. Pearce Brown
8. Michael Coyne

Andrew Morris.  "We have worked hard to reduce the point's gap to reigning Champion Michael Coyne and set ourselves a target of 4 points per round.  Today we managed to take 7 points out of his lead with 2 rounds to go.  Tommy remains in front at the top of the standings, however we will not give up the Championship fight until it can't be done.  Missing the first round and a failure to finish in round 2 has cost valuable points.  If I am to be the Champion of Ireland I will have to win it in 5 rounds and not 6 which is the maximum number of rounds that count".

Paul Pascoe.  "A good result today from a personal point of view, and that of the team.  I have moved into the top ten of the Championship in my first full season in a Supercar, this i am happy with.  To have 2 drivers in the top ten is encouraging for all of the team in what has been a break through season.  Michael's car will be completed soon, which is something else we can all look forward to".

Michael Morris.  "Another strong performance from Andrew today.  He has reduced a 34 point lead by reigning Champion Michael Coyne down to just 4 in 3 rounds.  He has out scored every other driver in the last 3 rounds and clearly shown his class.  Paul also scored well today and did his job as the team's second driver.  With both cars finishing well in the overall Championship points, today is a great start to the second half of the season". 

"2009 BMRT recorded their first Pole position &, first overall win during the tale end of last season in March 2009.  We have now consistently won races and finished on the podium during this season.  Andrew's has finished on the podium for every race he has finished.  With 1 win and 2 second places.  What will be will be this season we will give it everything over the last 2 rounds, but one thing you can be sure of, BMRT will be one of the favourites for the title for the new season beginning in October".

The short break between rounds 4 and 5 has enabled us to carryout work on the team cars in preparation for Round 5 of the Championship at Mondello Park 7 February 2010

Andrews Subaru Impreza has had a gearbox rebuild during the last few weeks and is fully prepared for his assault on the Irish Title.  Andrew is up beat about delivering a title challenge following his performances in Rounds 3 & 4.  "It's not going to be an easy ride over the remaining rounds for any of the title challengers.  What we have done is maximise our performances over the last 2 rounds to outscore all of our competitors.  We aim to maintain this momentum over the coming weeks and put ourselves in a position to challenge for top honours on the final day of the Championship.  Reliability will be key for the rest of the season.  Missing the first round, and having teething problems with the new car in round 2 has cost us, but we are still in there"

Michael Morris has been missing for a portion of the Championship with engine problems.  The uplift in power resulted in an unexpected component failure in Round 2.  This is in the process of being rectified and Michael will be back on track during the second half of the season.  "It has been disappointing not to be on track, particularly as Andrew is challenging for the Championship. Developing the engine and transmission on our car has given us the performance to win races, however we have had problems along the way.   As a team we are delighted by Andrews performance, and I have been carrying out my role as Team manager with my usual enthusiasm and commitment but, it's not the same as racing, I will be back on track very soon to mix it at the front again"

Paul Pascoe will continue to use the third BMRT Impreza while his new car is being built.  We have changed a few suspension settings and the rear Diff over Christmas, and hope this will improve the grip levels, particularly off the line.  We expect the new car to be on track for the beginning of the new season in September.  "The new car has taken time to complete, we do not want to finish the build in haste and have taken a decision to difer its debut until September.  I know Michael is working on sourcing the components we need to complete this project.  Until then we will continue to use our current car and push on for the rest of the season"

In addition to our 3 Supercars, we are building 2 Super Modified cars for Darragh Morris and Barry Jordan, to challenge in the Super Modified Class.

Darragh will be campaigning a Golf VR6 this will complete his transition from Juniors to Super Modified.  This will be the only VR6 Golf in the Irish Championship, and will certainly be a crowd pleaser with the sound of the V6 engine.  Darragh is confident ahead of his debut in the class.  "I can't wait to get out on track with the new car.  I enjoyed my experience in the Junior ranks, and the fact I have just turned 17 does not deter me from giving it my best shot when we get on track in the spring.  We hope to develop the car quickly into a competitive machine"

Barry Jordan has gone for a more nimble approach to his return to Rallycross.  His Renault Clio will be lighter than Darragh's Golf, if not as powerful.  The car is at an advanced stage and on schedule to be on track this season.  "I took my time on deciding when to return to Rallycross and with what car.  I feel the Clio has huge potential and we will develop the car with some of our partners during the tail end of this championship and during the summer.  The aim is to be ready for the new season in September"

With the team expanding to 5 cars, and the help from our Sponsors, Engineers & Mechanics, the future is looking very strong for BMRT.  We look forward to a strong performance 7 February 2010 at Mondello Park.  See you there practice starts at 9.30.

Michael Morris

Andrew Morris secured a second place points finish at round 4 of the Motorsport Ireland Rallycross Championship 15 November 2009.  He finished 3^rd in the Superfinal behind points leader Tommy Graham who was runner up to European Rallycross Ace Kevin Procter, making an appearance in his European Spec Focus ST.  The strength of the Irish Championship is clear with new UK Rallycross Supercar sensation Andy Scott making the trip across the water with Kevin Proctor.  Double British Open Champion Mad Mark was due on circuit, however he withdrew with car problems.

Qualifying heats went well for Andrew who entertained the crowd battling David James driving the TDP EVO6.  Andrew  won 2 out of the 3, finishing 2^nd to David in Heat 3, after losing the lead during the middle of the race.  The lack of grip with wet tyres on a drying track preventing Andrew recording a clean sweep in the qualifying Heats.  Andrew qualified for the second row of the grid in the Supercar A-Final.

Paul Pascoe set the 6^th fastest time in Heat 1 in the second BMRT Impreza.  A closely fought battle with Declan Kelly in his Fiesta ST in Heats 2 & 3 saw honours even in their personal battle, however this cost both drivers time.  Paul qualified in 8^th place, earning him Pole position for the Supercar B-Final.  David Dempsey in the EVO 5 joined Paul on the front row.  Paul & David both made a good start, David just edged Paul into the first corner.  Halfway through the first lap Paul tried an ambitious move around the outside of David’s EVO spinning his  Impreza Just missing the tyre barrier. He recovered to finish the race in 2^nd place handing David an easy victory.

Paul  “I had problems getting the car off the line today, and had a game plan should David beat me at the start.  I intended to take my time and pick him off over the 5 laps as I had the pace to beat him.  I made an attempt to pass him on the outside lose section  going into Rallycross 3.  I tried to win the race in the first lap, where I know it is almost impossible to overtake.  It was a mistake, one that I won’t make again.  We have since discovered that the clutch slave cylinder is faulty, which would explain my erratic starts today”

Andrew lined up on the second row for the Supercar A-final.  A strong start saw Andrew maintain  his position going into the first corner, recommencing his battle with David James’s EVO.  Andrew drove a strong race, finishing 4^th and claiming his position in the important Irish Championship scoring Superfinal.

Andrew  “The gearbox is due to be changed after today’s event.  It felt ok in the main, however during the last qualifying heat and A-final I noticed a snatching when changing gears.  I had to be mindful of this this afternoon.  I am driving for championship points  so we cannot afford to have a no score today”

Andrew made a good start in the Superfinal from the second row of the grid, Kevin Proctor leading from Tommy Graham, Andy Scott with Andrew in 4^th place.  Andrew moved up to 3^rd capitalising on a mistake by Andy Scott, a position he maintained with a strong, professional drive to the flag.  Kevin Proctor won from Tommy Graham, Andrew 3^rd, David James 4^th ahead of Barry McCardle the highest placed modified driver in 5^th place.  Kevin Proctor delighted the crowds with victory donuts, Andrew and David duly obliged the crowd with their own post race entertainment.

Andrew  “I drove today with a clear Championship strategy.  Kevin Proctor and Andy Scott are not eligible for Championship points, I was not going to take any risks racing them, and decided to concentrate on the overall Championship.  This was the right thing to do, especially with the possibility of a failing gearbox this afternoon”

Team Manager Michael Morris  “Andrew has scored 37 out or a possible 40 points over the last 2 rounds of the Championship.  Andrew and BMRT are clearly the strongest combination over the last 2 rounds.  Andrew drove within himself today and did not get caught up in any battles with visiting drivers.  Using your head gives you an opportunity to challenge for championships.  Andrew has moved into 3^rd place overall in the Irish Championship.  We need to maintain this momentum going into the second half of the season, it is all to play for.

Disappointing for Paul today, but he is 4^th in the Supercar Championship just behind Andrew.  He got impatient today, he knows that, I am sure he will learn from this and  pick his moments more carefully in the future”

“The team should be back to full strength for the second half of the Championship in the New Year.  We are working on our budget for next year with our sponsors and will be looking to give others the opportunity to get involved with the team.  The interest in our Championship from UK and European competitors clearly shows the appeal of the Irish Championship.  I wish our sponsors, supporters, friends and competitors a safe and secure end to 2009 and look forward to seeing you all in 2010

The heats placed Andrew and team mate Paul Pascoe in the other BMRT Subaru Impreza together with Tom Kirwan in his Mitsubishi EVO 5.  On full wets in the rain Andrew won the first heat from Paul and Tom.  This was to be the race order throughout the qualifying heats with the times dropping as the track dried out. 

Andrew initially qualified in 2nd place alongside Tommy Grahams Fiesta ST for the Supercar A-Final with Paul in 3rd place.  A decision to allow fellow Super Car competitor Eddie Kinirons 2 free runs to set a time for the final, following problems with the gearbox in his Focus, Andrew and Paul eventually qualified 3rd and 4th respectively.  Eddie set his qualifying times in drier conditions and just beat Andrews's fastest time of the day. 

In the Supercar A-Final Andrew and Eddie Kinirons set off from the front row, with Pole man Tommy Graham retiring at the first corner due to engine problems.  David Dempsey jumped Paul at the start to move into 3rd place.  The race order at the end of lap one was Eddie, Andrew, David, Paul & Barry Johnson.  Eddie was coming under extreme pressure from Andrew for first place, with Paul placing David under similar pressure for the final podium position.  Andrew kept up the pressure on Eddie in the Focus and eventually passed him on the finish line to win the A-Final by 0.1 seconds, David was 3rd with Paul taking 4^th, Barry Johnson finished in 5th place.  The top four cars were separated by less than 4 seconds in what was an exciting Supercar A-final.

Andrew lined up in Pole position for the main race of the day, the Superfinal. Paul qualified 5th, but moved up to 4^th when Eddie failed to make the start in his Focus.  Modified A-Final winner Barry McCardle qualified on the front row in his rapid rear engined Renault 5 alongside David in the EVO 5.  Andrew led the pack into the first corner and controlled the race from the front, never coming under any real pressure from the rest of the field and finished the clear winner. Paul battled with David again for 3rd place, eventually finishing 5th.  Barry McCardle finished 2^nd, Dessie Tierney 3^rd and David 4^th.

Andrew commented "This was a long time coming and great for the team, particularly with Michael Morris sidelined with engine problems this weekend.  We had the two cars here today, both finishing in the top five.  I am sure that will be of some comfort to Michael"

Team Manager Michael Morris commented "This is the second outright event win for BMRT following my win earlier this year.  It's great for the team and the sponsors who all deserve this victory.  Andrew qualified in Pole position for the Supercar A-Final earlier this year in the Toyota that clearly does not have the outright pace to challenge for the Championship, he has shown today that given the right car he can challenge anyone".

"I hope to be joining Andrew and Paul for the second half of the Championship when the team will be back to 3 Supercars.  Also Darragh Morris will be moving up from the Junior grade with a new car, and another driver to be confirmed for the new year, will see 5 drivers lining up for BMRT.  These are exciting times for the team and our sponsors going into the second half of the season"

The next event is 15^th November 2009 at Mondello Park Race Circuit.  Practice is from 9.30 with race 1 approx 10.15.