Irish Notes 15th Nov. ’04
Sean Gallagher took his Escort Cosworth to victory over the challenging 10 mile Desmonds Grave stage, repeated 3 times, on the Banna Beach Rally last Sunday. Peter Clifford was 2nd in his Lancer with Mike Quinn (Escort) 3rd. The rally was the final round of the Top Part West Coast Championship and Peter Clifford took the title from James O’Sullivan.

Brian Armstrong, Norman Armstrong, Keith McQuillan and Mark Doyle are the top seeds for this Saturday’s WRC Engineering Gullion Stages, through the Camlough and Gullion tarmac forest stages. The rally is based in the Mourne County Hotel.

Following his run on Rally Catalunya in his new RHD Impreza WRC S9, Navan’s Paddy White, who had Bruno Brassart co-driving, is considering competing on the French asphalt series next year.

Three young drivers, Eamonn McElvaney from Monaghan, Brendan Murphy from Cork and Peter Wilson from Kells, Co. Meath, have been short listed from 14 finalists for the Billy Coleman Award, ‘Young Rally Driver of the Year’, which carries a support package worth 32,000 Euro.

Armagh’s Maurice Gass, with Trevor Agnew co-driving, is going to compete on the 26th/27th/28th November Rally Du Var. The event utilises some of the Monte Carlo Stages and Maurice will drive an RHD Impreza S7. Dublin’s George Tracey is also making the trip and will drive his Peugeot 206 WRC.

Feasibility studies are reportedly well advanced for a future major forestry rally to take place ‘cross-border’ in the north and west of Ireland, an envisaged event with International appeal. Tom Nolan and Gordon Noble have been working on the ground, Stephen Finlay in the air. A full announcement is expected shortly.

Louth man Paul Goodman co-drove John Drislane in his Lancer to a memorable victory on last weekend’s New York Rally.

Finally for now congratulations to new Production World Rally Champion Niall McShea!!

Brian Patterson.