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Irish Notes 19th April '04.
Jonny McKenna and co-driver Frank Conville scored a marvellous
victory in their Lancer on last Saturday's Fivemiletown Forestry
Stage Rally. McKenna finished 30s ahead of last year's winner
Kevin O'Kane in his Impreza. McKenna set a brilliant time on the
long 2nd stage, which set him up for the remaining four stages.
Brendan O'Hagan took 3rd place in his Escort WRC.
Kevin Lynch's victory on last Sunday's Wicklow Forestry event
puts him ahead in the McCauley Trailers National Forestry
Championship on 58 points, to Brian Murphy's 56. Next round of
the series is the Midleton Park Hotel Cork based Moonraker Forest
Rally.
Rory Kennedy and Paul Harris finished the London Marathon, each
on a time just a shade over 4 hours. It was a great effort by the
Letterkenny men and they have raised over Stg £10,000 for Spina
Bifida, a charity close to their hearts.
Although Niall McShea was unlucky enough to put his Lancer off
the road towards the end of Rally New Zealand, there was still
something for Irish fans to cheer about. As well as Chris
Patterson guiding Nasser Al-Attiyah to 20th in their GpN Impreza
on Nasser's first visit to New Zealand, Kevin Shaw, originally
from Maghera, took his Lancer to 24th. Kevin is a brother
of Kieran Shaw who rallies his KBB Doors Impreza WRC in Ireland.
16 World Rally Cars are listed in the top 20 for the 1st and 2nd
May Killarney Rally of the Lakes, round 3 of the Pirelli Tarmac
Championship. Tapio Laukkanen is listed at 1, with Derek
McGarrity at 2, both in Subarus. Eugene Donnelly is at 3 in his
Corolla WRC, Austin McHale and Donie O'Sullivan are at 4 & 5
in their respective Focus WRC's, and Eamonn Boland is at 6 in his
new Lancer WRC2. The latter was expected to shake the new car
down on this weekend's Monaghan event, but it won't be ready.
As expected, the innovative new Junior section of the Killarney
Lakes has proved to be very popular, and over fifty drivers have
entered to compete over the last four classic stages of the
two-day event.
Eugene Donnelly currently leads the Pirelli Tarmac series on 24
points, with current Champion Derek McGarrity on 23 and Austin
McHale on 18.
Obituary - Ronnie Adams
Ronnie Adams, one of Northern Ireland's leading drivers over the
years, passed away last week at the age of 88. Ronnie won the
Monte Carlo Rally in 1956 in a works Jaguar. He first competed as
a 19 year old on the first proper Circuit of Ireland Trial where
he shared the driving with the Austin 16's owner and won. Born in
Belfast into a business family, he got his first driving licence
at 13. A forceful, hard driver who seemed to excel in difficult
conditions such as ice and snow as well as in Africa, he drove
for several works teams besides Jaguar, including Mercedes and
Rootes. Ronnie also raced extensively and with success, his
motorsport career stretching to almost 30 remarkable years.
Regards, Brian Patterson.
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2003 www.rallynews.net
(Patterson Agencies). All rights reserved. Unauthorised
duplication is a violation of applicable laws. 19/04/04 12:11
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