Exciting debut for Dalton’s new Ford despite early exit

Richie Dalton and Shamrock Motorsport have debuted their highly anticipated Ford Escort Mk2 at the famous Otago Rally in Dunedin, showcasing immense potential and raw speed before an early mechanical retirement.

Prior to the event, former World Rally Championship star Kris Meeke tested the car to help dial in the setup, walking away incredibly impressed by the new build's capabilities.

“I was really nervous for the rally, and I don't get nervous anymore, because I've written that many pace notes and done many events now,” Dalton admitted.

“But I didn't get to test for that many kilometres in Brisbane with the new car, so I just really didn't know what to expect. I probably had myself psyched out, because I was going to be heading into bends 30 or 40 kilometres an hour quicker than in my GR Yaris.

“I was a bit nervous for that, but sitting in that car with Kris was invaluable, because he drove the hell out of it straight away, and it allowed me to see just what it could do.”

Once on the Otago stages, though, Dalton quickly found his rhythm. He set strong times early in the event, proving the car's competitiveness and establishing it as an instant favourite among spectators.

“I was very cautious at the start, and then on the second stage, we had a really good stage time and were the fastest two-wheel drive car in the Allcomers section," Dalton said.

Richie Dalton in action in the new Ford Escort.

“I started leaning on the car more and we were winning our category, and even still, there’s potential to be a lot faster.”

Meeke, who won five World Rally Championship rallies, was skeptical about this ‘ultimate’ Escort, but once he got behind the wheel at the pre-event test, was equally as impressed as Dalton.

“Kris said that you can have all the power you want, but if you can't get it to the ground, it's a waste of time,” Dalton noted. 

“But we found that for the slower corners, you just have to manage it in second gear. That's the same, especially with a regular classic car – you have to feather the throttle a bit and minimise the wheel spin. 

“Once you're carrying that speed ... I can't describe it. It's mind-blowing, it really is. How advanced these cars have become with the right suspension, it's incredible, and we're only just basically starting and so there's a lot more to come.”

Unfortunately, the promising run was cut short by technical gremlins.

“On stage five, about 21 kilometres in, it locked into fourth gear. We got back to service to diagnose the problem, and basically the computer didn't know whether to go back or forward (in the gears) and it put it into safe mode," Dalton explained.

“Then in the next stage, one of the best of the rally, we got about a kilometre into it and the engine seemed a bit dead. Through the stage it started getting worse and worse, and then by the spectator point, it sounded like a tractor and like it was on three cylinders. We thought it was a broken exhaust, but it started getting worse and worse, so it was actually down to two cylinders.”

Work on the car is already being completed.

Upon returning to the workshop, the team discovered a failed head gasket, a unique issue that engine builder KGP had never seen before.

Since the Otago Rally, the engine has been shipped back to Ireland for a full diagnosis.

“They're obviously keen to see what happened and why, as it shouldn't have happened after just six stages," Dalton noted.

Despite the premature end to the weekend, the team is buoyed by the car's undeniable speed, opting to keep the car in New Zealand for the time being.

It will be re-prepared for further rallies in New Zealand.

Before then, though, Dalton will switch to his Toyota GR Yaris AP4 for the Forest Rally in Western Australia on May 22-24.