Irish Notes 12th September 2005.

During the week Oldcastle's Andrew Browne delivers Heineken with great speed in his lorry. Last weekend the 24 year old turned his driving skill to the Mullingar based Castle Stage Rally and, co-driven by Keefe Kilcoyne in a Derrick Jobb hired Celica scored a brilliant victory over Padraig Price in a similar Toyota.

James Foley made a return to competition last Sunday in Mullingar and was 3rd overall and won GpN. James drove a Lancer Evo 8. He has two new Evo 9's prepared and ready to go. Homologation was however only granted by the FIA on Saturday, which was too late to get one of the new cars to the rally.

Tom Holton was one of the pre-event favourites on the Castle Rally but his Celica gave fuel starvation problems for 2 stages. The problem was partially sorted for the final stage and Holton was quickest, which will give him a bit of heart for his trip this week to compete on the Golden Tulip Rally in Holland. Navan's Paddy White, a former West Euro Cup Champion, is also competing in Holland, in his Impreza WRC.

Donegal man Eugene Ferry has abandoned his GpN Lancer and acquired Enda Keenan's famous black Mk2 Escort. Ferry was stunned at the power of the Escort, getting wheel spin in 5th gear at times over small crests on dry asphalt.

Kieron Graffin heads a strong entry for this weekend's 12 stage Cookstown MC Davagh/Loughrey rally. Camillus Bradley (Escort) is at 2, Sean McLaughlin (Escort Cosworth) at 3, Gary Cairns (Lancer) at 4, John Cairns (Impreza) at 5 and Declan McNaughton at 6.

Eugene Donnelly started last weekend's Lakelands Stages on tyres that Liam Egan had already used, but switched to new rubber for the final stages and clocked up fastest time on the final stage, all as preparation for Rally Ireland, if a deal can be finalised. Eugene was driving the Corolla WRC with which he won the Ulster, and that car will stay in forest trim, his brother Charlie using their 'other' Corolla WRC for this weekend's Clare Rally and which Eugene will then drive on the Cork '20'. Charlie really needs a maximum score on this weekend's Dunlop Championship Clare event to keep his title hopes alive, with Ray Breen in his Focus WRC looking very strong for the title.

Irish drivers competing on this week's Rally GB include Letterkenny's Christoper Boyce in the Tony Kelly Cars Civic, Shaun Gallagher, also from Letterkenny, who drives his Lancer Evo 6, and Gerard Sharkey in his Civic, besides Niall McShea and Kris Meeke. Co-drivers include Chris Patterson, Michael Orr, Glenn Patterson, Pascal Dillon and Gary Cooney.

Brian Patterson.