Irish
Notes 23rd January 2006.
Michelle
Deveraux, clerk of the course for this weekend’s
Grover Hotel based Castle Stage Rally at Mount
Nugent, reports a full 131 car entry, with Micky
Curran, Gordon Rodgers and Liam Wall in their
respective Escorts amongst the top entries.
Eugene
Donnelly, newly crowned Pirelli Tarmac Champion,
was awarded the prestigious NI Motorsport Award at
the ANICC prizegiving last Monday evening in
Craigavon. Amongst the many award winners, Kevin
Lynch collected the NI Rally Champion winners
trophy for the 2nd year, also presented with the
marshals driver of the year award.
Galway
Motor Club has received a star studded top entry
for the First Choice Flooring backed International
Rally on Feb 3rd, 4th and 5th, and as well as the
top Pirelli Rally Championship contenders such as
Eugene Donnelly, Tim McNulty and Derek McGarrity.
Peadar Hurson is making a welcome return in his
Impreza WRC.
Former
National Champion Hurson commented “We’ll be
driving the P2000 again, its all ready to go.
Galway is an event I always look forward to, great
atmosphere. Damian Connolly is co-driving. We’ll
try and get a few more events done in the Tarmac
Championship than last year!”
Of
special interest also was Andrew Nesbitt’s
Galway entry, the former two times Tarmac Champion
reputed to be trying to put sufficient deals
together for another full assault on the
Pirelli backed series, driving a Subaru WRC. James
O’Brien will again co-drive.
The
Galway Computer Centre is continuing their
association with the rally by running an open day
on the Thursday immediately before the rally, and
a film show/forum on the same evening in the
University, just up the road from the Radisson
Hotel HQ.
Former
Billy Coleman Award winner runner-up Peter Wilson
is planning an assault on the British series this
year in a GpN Lancer. For Wilson, who will
be co-driven by John Kilmurray, this will be a new
experience and he is hoping for some tuition on
gravel driving from Rory Galligan before the
Pirelli Rally. Meath man Wilson is also hoping to
do Rally ireland.
The
popularSligo Rally, a round of the Dunlop National
series, has adjusted its date for this year and
will now take place over the weekend of 15th/16th
July. Well known and successful local competitor
Kieran Hentry tales over as Clerk of the Course
from Joe Corcoran.
Ballymena
businessman Nigel Hicklin has concluded a deal to
run one of Eugene Donnelly’s Corolla WRCs this
season. Nigel intends to open with West Cork, and
then contest the Tarmac Championship. Tralee’s
Diarmuid Falvey will co-drive.
Former
NI Rally Champion Denis Biggerstaff survived a
broken driveshaft on his Impreza WRC to take a
solid victory on last weekend’s Kirkistown
Winter Stages Rally, finishing 18 seconds ahead of
Martin Doherty, also in a Subaru WRC. DickieCurran
finished 3rd and won GpN, just pipping his
National GpN Champion son Michael for the GpN
award. Both drove Lancers, and started the last
stage equal on time, with acknowledged
Kirkistown expert Dickie having what he called a
‘perfect’ run on the last stage. Kevin Lynch
was the No1 seed, and although he instructed Stan
Harper preparations to have his Subaru ready,
phoned up on the morning of the event and
cancelled. This left Sean Devine as favourite, but
his impreza WRC broke its gearbox before the last
stage.
Brian
Patterson.
