Lark in the Park 2014

Today I found myself at Lark in the Park 2014, a rally event held at St Columbs Park in Derry (Northern Ireland).
It was a great day for the rally with the sun shining brightly over the course, leaving a nice dry track for the drivers.
For anyone that has never been to St.Columbs park it’s an idyllic setting for motor sport such as this.
As I entered the tranquil woodland on the path that follows the small stream, I heard a familiar pop bang, as the cars made their practice runs through the course. I made my way to the starting line and the first car I was greeted by was a rare sight in the form of a red 1990 318i touring estate, owned by one of the officials. Behind this lay the safety car, sitting proudly at the front of the pack, it was a nice 86′ Porsche 911. I continued on and took some pictures of the 50 cars that were entered as they were lined up waiting for the stages to begin. I had hoped to get some nice action shots during the stages but the course was locked down pretty tight during runs (for safety) and found it difficult to get close enough. I had to settle for a spot close to the starting line and enjoyed watching, as the cars warmed their tyres and engines before attacking the first corner. The sun was shining and the smell of petrol and burning rubber filled the air, the woodland was brought to life by the sounds of the rally cars and there was some great driving on display.
During one of the earlier stages I made my way towards the steep hill and corner that follows the straight along at the stream and just as I got there car number 40, which was Mark McElwee’s white Talbot sunbeam struck a protruding stump causing the front passenger side tyre to pop and the wheel ended up under the car as it skidded trouser-fillingly close to going in the stream. Thankfully no one was hurt and the stage was put on hold until the car was towed away.
All in all it was a great day out and it was fantastic to see a lot of young families there spectating, and creating the next generation of young people who are enthusiastic about Motorsport.

The full gallery of pictures from lark in the park can be seen here…https://flic.kr/s/aHsjXBCTW5