IRISH
NOTES
29TH AUGUST 2005
Former
multiple Tarmac Champion Andrew Nesbitt reports that
he is looking forward to this week’s
Ulster
Rally on home ground around
Armagh
. Kenny
McKinstry has his Impreza WRC S9 totally refettled
for the event and although Andrew has been pretty
busy in his Cross Refrigeration business he is going
to switch on to rally mode this week and try to
celebrate his birthday this weekend with a win.
A
disappointing withdrawal from the
Ulster
Rally line up is John Mulholland’s diesel Skoda;
roll cage technicalities the given reason.
Robert Swann has also withdrawn his Group
N Impreza
.
Andrew
Nesbitt’s son Graham is co-driving for Sean
McArdle’s son Tom in a Suzuki in the National
section of the Ulster Rally, although last weekend
the teenagers were 12th on the reserve
list. Sean McArdle is competing on the International
Ulster
Rally in his recently acquired SEAT
Cordoba
WRC. Another
son of a well known rally man is David Greer’s 18
year old son Barry who is competing on the National
Rally in a Volkswagen Polo. Barry will have
experienced co-driver Stephen McAuley calling the
notes.
Following
his victory on the Galway Summer Rally last weekend
driving JJ Fleming’s Focus WRC Eamonn Boland was
of the opinion that although the Focus was very
enjoyable the suspension was too stiff for his
liking and he will drive his own Subaru this weekend
on the Ulster providing it is repaired in time.
JJ Fleming was driving it on the
Galway
event and the car incurred some accident damage in
stage 2.
Sharon
Power from Waterford is the first female driver to
have won a round of the Irish Ka Championship,
winning the category on the recent Stonethrowers
Rally and moving up to 2nd in the points
behind Mark Buckley.
This
weekend’s Killarney Forestry Rally is the final
round of the Forestry Championship and Gareth
MacHale, although he has the title won, plans to
compete. Similarly
Glenn Allen is almost guaranteed runner-up spot and
should make the trip to Kerry.
Stephen Moore is on line to take the Group N
title while the battle for best 2 wheel drive will
go down to the wire between Brian Lawlor and Frank
Kelly. Wild cards on the event include Alan Ring who
is hiring Derrick Jobb’s Group N lancer. The event
is based at Castleisland and there are 6 long stages
on the agenda.
Production
World Rally Champion Niall McShea has entered a Phil
Morgan prepared Impreza N11 for this weekend's
Woodpecker Rally and plans also to do the
Enniskillen Lakelands Stages as a warm-up for Wales
Rally GB. Gordon Noble will co-drive.
Brian
Patterson
