Irish Notes 29.06.05

This weekend's Monaghan Forestry Rally, round 5 of the McCauley's Trailer Championship, is based in the Sean McDermott GAA Centre at Threemilehouse. Young Gareth McHale currently leads the points, 15 ahead of John McCarthy, with Glen Allen a further 12 back, all three driving Corolla WRC's. Stephen Moore is the top GpN exponent in the points, and all the top drivers are due to appear in Monaghan this weekend.

West Cork man Denis Cronin, co-driven by Helen O'Sullivan in his Impreza WRC, extended his lead in the 023 Tiles Southern Four Championship following his 3rd place on the Ravens Rock event.

Young Brian Armstrong is bidding for a repeat win on this Saturday's 8 special stage North Armagh Motor Club's Loughgall Country Park Rally, with Camillus Bradley in a similar Escort at 2. Following his sensational result on the Ballypatrick stages, Rodney White is at 3 in his immaculate Sunbeam and Norman Armstrong 4 in his Escort, these just the tip of the iceberg of an oversubscribed 80 strong entry which includes several drivers making the trip from Scotland for the 09.30 start. Current Dunlop National GpN Champion Willie Fannin switched preparation companies last weekend, moving to a newly set-up Irish division of Promax, and celebrated with a tie-break win over the similar GpN Impreza of Alan Ring on Ravens Rock.

Requests for entries for the 13th August Triton Showers Lurgan Park Rally are flooding in and just some of the confirmed entries include - Neale Dougan, Nigel Hicklin, Sean Devine, Denis Biggerstaff and Guy Woodcock.

After their foray to the Mid Wales Stages Rally last weekend the Irish 205 Challenge points leader is Paddy Gorman on 20 points with Rodney Hicks 2nd on 15.   Sam Johnson was the winner in Wales. Adrian McBride led for most of the day but was forced to retire just 1 mile from the end.

Brian Patterson