IRISH
NOTES 17TH JULY 2006
This
Saturday’s Cork Forestry Rally, based mostly in
the forests around Mallow and Kilmallock but with
a new HQ, the Commons Inn, outside Cork City,
sports a 100 strong entry headed by last year’s
winner Glenn Allen in his Corolla WRC. Allen had
to withdraw just prior to the start of last
weekend’s Sligo Stages when his Corolla blew its
head gasket, so is faced with a race against time
to get his Toyota ready in time for this
weekend’s, two day, 14 stage event.
Carrigtwohill’s
John McCarthy in his Corolla WRC leads the
McCauley Trailers Forestry series before this 6th
round in Cork, and he is seeded at 2, ahead of
Northern Ireland driver Kevin Lynch, the winner
here two years ago in his Impreza WRC. Stephen
Moore (Focus WRC) is at 4, Kevin O’Kane and
Trevor Harding at 5 & 6 in Subarus. Local man
James Murphy is at 7 in his Escort WRC, while
Adrian McElvaney makes the trip from Monaghan and
starts at 8.
Limavady’s
Richard Hogg (Lancer) collected the £300 first
prize for victory on last Saturday’s Lark in the
Park Stage Rally, with Dermot McGeady 2nd in his
Lancer and Damien Gallagher (Escort) 3rd.
Pre-event favourites Hugh Martin Doherty (Impreza)
and Kieran Graffin (Lancer) both had arguments
with the scenery in the event venue, St Columbs
Park, and didn’t feature.
Patrick
Elliott’s points tally at the head of the Dunlop
National Championship provisionally stands at 108
pts following the Sligo Stages, with Charlie
Donnelly on 96 and Aaron MacHale 72. Alan Ring
continues to lead GpN, with Willie Fannin next up.
The next round is the 13th August Clonmel based
Tipperary Stonethrowers.
Interest
in the Turkington Group backed 12 th August Lurgan
Park Rally is really building up now, with Kenny
McKinstry sounding very serious about adding to
his tally of 10 wins, and both Jimmy and Alister
McRae intent on competing in the Mk 2 Challenge
part of the event. McKinstry will not find the
going easy up against last year’s winner Kevin
Lynch, while the two McRae’s will be up against
some tough local opposition, including Trevor
Moore, Camillus Bradley and Wesley Patterson. GpN
features such drivers as National Champion Michael
Curran in his new Evo 9, and Tarmac Champion Garry
Jennings (Lancer).
Letterkenny’s
Conor Harvey took a convincing victory on the
Junior section of the Sligo stages, from the
similar Civic of Anthony Cairns, with Charlie
Hegarty 3rd in a Corolla.
Ballynahinch
and District Motor Club held their Roy Haslett
Preparations backed stages rally on the 13th July
holiday and Denis Patterson took victory in his
Darrian, ahead of Wm Smith (Mini), while Mervyn
Williamson was 3rd in his Escort.
Brian
Patterson.
