Irish Notes 10th October 2005.

Rally Ireland got under way last Sunday when the office in the rally HQ, the Sligo Clarion Hotel, a former mental institution, opened for the first 'recce'. Amongst the top drivers to sign on was Kevin Lynch.

Double NI Champion Lynch expressed some dismay that he is going to have to use Shell fuel, as his Subaru Impreza WRC is mapped for Carless.  Kevin has nothing against Shell fuel, he just feels that this should have been spelt out in the regulations, and not sprung on the competitors the week before the rally.

Freddy Loix drove George Tracey's Peugeot 206 WRC to victory on last weekend's Haspengouw Rally, despite many problems including a broken brake disc, then a damaged propshaft and later a burst water tank. Loix was due to fly in to Ireland on Monday, and was due to test not just the Suzuki that he will drive on Rally Ireland, but was also going to set up Tracey's 206 WRC for Irish tarmac as well as gravel for the Sunday Stages.

The 2006 Easter Circuit of Ireland is strongly tipped to be moving to a new base in 'Derry, and to have been assigned the use of Inishowen Peninsula territory for stages.

New Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly, driving his Corolla WRC, took a guest co-driver, Carl Moore, to a fabulous victory on last weekend's Donegal Harvest Stages Rally. James Cullen led the 9 stage event, based in North West Donegal at Bunbeg, for the first few stages in wet and difficult conditions, but Donnelly upped his pace through the day to give Ramelton man Moore, whose daughter had won the seat, the drive of his life to take victory.

James Cullen/Reba Graham took 2nd on the Donegal Harvest in their GpN Lancer, Andrew Stewart/Fabian McShane 3rd, also in a Lancer. One of the pre-event favourites, Hugh Martin Doherty, put his Impreza off the road on the very first stage, but the got the Subaru going again and on some of the later stages turned in a couple of fastest times as part of a testing exercise.

Damien Gallagher/Mac Walsh had a brilliant run to take 'best two wheel drive honours' on the Donegal Harvest with their Escort, and finished 5th overall. Eugene Ferry looked as if he would take the honours, but unfortunately he crashed his famous ex-Keenan Escort into a pole on the final stage, and didn't finish.

One of the class winners on the Harvest Rally was Adrian Fox, which should be enough to clinch the class based Border Championship for the Escort driver. Damien McCauly/Caitrona Gallagher won the Junior section on the Donegal Harvest in their Escort.

Dickie Curran is debuting a new Lancer Evo 8.5 MR on the 30th October Fastnet Rally, while his son Michael sticks with his faithful Evo 6 in his efforts to secure the prestigious Patterson RallyNews GpN Award for the Dunlop National Championship, the Fastnet being the final round. Ray Breen has the overall title sewn up, but is pledged to compete on the rally as a mark of support for the Championship, which he also plans to contest next year. Dickie Curran has won GpN on the Cork '20 in the past, but not the Fastnet.

Andrew Bushe, a former class winner on the Pirelli Tarmac Championship events, has changed his Peugeot 106 for the Citroen Saxo recently campaigned by Darren Gass. It will be a bit of a step up for Andrew, switching to left-hand drive in the former Niall McShea Asquith built machine. Darren Gass is hiring a Chris Birkbeck Puma S1600 for this weekend's Rally Ireland.
 
Looking back to the Cork '20', Barry Meade/Colin Fitzgerald won the Junior section in their Escort, not Seamus O'Grady/ Aidan Kent as at first thought, the latter moving to second when all the times were checked.


Brian Patterson.