Dungiven businessman Kevin Lynch clinched his 2^nd Championship of the year when he won last Saturday’s Toshiba Rally to take the NI Champions title to add to his McCauley Trailers Southern Forestry Championship title. 38 year old Lynch has only been rallying for 2 years and has scored 18 rally wins this year.

A Dunlop Subaru Cup is to be introduced on next year’s Motorsport Ireland National series, for Imprezas, supplied by Donnellys Subaru of Belfast, running to a very basic GpN specification. Entries will be guaranteed on 3 ‘counting’ and 3 ‘non-counting’ rounds of the Dunlop series. The cost of a new car will be £40,000 plus VAT, not counting wheels and suspension.

The backbone of most Irish stage events for 25 years has been Declan Mullally, through his cool, calm, radio control. Declan has now decided to hang up the microphone, although his company, RT Communications, will still provide equipment to clubs. Declan was a regular competitor in the ‘Sixties, in a Mini Cooper. He was Munster autocross champion 3 times, Clerk of the Course of the Cork ‘20’ 4 times and was the first C of C of the West Cork Rally. Sean even co-drove in Cork once for Formula 1 star, the late Ronnie Peterson.

Motorsport Ireland is introducing a new initiative highlighting the vital role of marshals in relation to safety. There will be new training courses, marshals will have their own numbered, high visibili ty jackets. Rewards culminate with a trip to Rally Sweden in ’06, and, vouchers for Rally School Ireland. Marshals will also receive their own Motorsport Ireland marshals jackets when he/she submits a signed record card of having officiated on five events.

Young Cork driver Brendan Murphy did enough on last Saturday’s Cambrian Rally to win his class on the Welsh National Championship. 18 year old Brendan took his GpN Impreza to class victory on the Panaround Rally earlier this year, and on his home Cork Forestry event, where he was 8^th overall. Brendan is one of the contenders for this year’s Billy Coleman Award Scholarship, interviews for which take place this week. Other applicants include Andrew Purcell, Owen Murphy, Eamonn McElvaney and James Stafford.

Sean Gallagher (Escort Cosworth), David McNulty in a similar car and Peter Clifford (Lancer Evo7) are the top seeds for this weekend’s Banna Beach Rally, final round of the Top Part West Coast Championship. Tom Randles is at No.4 and has changed his famous Mk2 Escort for a Celica GT4.

Regards: Brian Patterson