Brian Murphy proved once again that he is not only one of the best co-drivers in the country, but an accomplished driver as well, by winning the Carlow Rallysprint at Mondello over the Christmas holidays. Brian took the Stan Harper RHD Subaru Impreza WRC to a narrow victory over Ollie O’Donovan in his Legacy. Maurice Gass, Niall Maguire and Kevin Barrett were 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th, all in Impreza WRC’s. It was a role reversal trip for Murphy as his normal pilote Austin McHale co-drove. "It was my first competitive outing in anything like the Subaru. It is a beautiful car, professionally prepared," reports Brian. "I fluffed a few gearchanges, otherwise it went well. Austin was a good help with some of the lines through Mondello."

Letterkenny’s Ivan Stewart won the Maiden City Club’s holiday Aghadowey stage event in his Escort Cosworth. Terence McLoughlin was 2^nd, Richard Hogg slipped to 3^rd following a spin when fighting for the lead.

Dennis Bell won the Ulster Automobile Club’s Boxing Day Rally based at the Chestnutt Inn Castlewellan. Stephen Potts was 2^nd, Kenny Graham 3^rd. Former Toyota dealer Bell was co-driven by his son David in a standard 1975 Celica GT on the icy and snowy event, Denis commenting, "I think the narrower wheels and tyres helped, and it was a matter really of taking it gently in places."

Tarmac Champion Andrew Nesbitt is on course to defend his title this season, although details of the car have not yet been released. Indications are that James O’Brien, who accompanied Andrew on his winning ways in 2000, will be with the Armagh man again in 2002. This would almost certainly preclude James from a repeat of his successful and beneficial partnership with young Garry Jennings from last season. Niall Maguire has brokered a deal to acquire Nesbitt’s ultra successful Impreza WRC, with Maguire’s own GpA Impreza tipped to move on to Donie O’Sullivan in Co. Cork.

The King of Malaysia has honoured 1982 Tarmac Champion John Coyne for his contribution to the Malaysian economy through his computer company. At the birthday honours list John was conferred as ‘Panglima Jasa Negara (National Warrior), which carries the title ‘Datuk’ (Sir). He is now known as Datuk John Coyne, PJN!. He is the first Irish citizen to have received the award, which also had to be approved by the Irish Cabinet. John has been doing some rallying in Malaysia, co-driven by Robbie Philpott, but at the moment his Lancer Evo3 is in bits in a shed, the bodyshell having to be scrapped after a rally accident!

Eugene Ferry is the top seed for this weekend’s Mayo/Ballina Stage event based in Westport’s Castlecourt Hotel. Behind Ferry are fellow Escort men Pat Higgins and Mervyn Wedlock, with Letterkenny’s Paul Gallagher next up in his Corolla. Two young Peugeot ‘lions’, Shaun Gallagher and Stuart Darcy, the Billy Coleman Award winner, are seeded just inside the top twenty of this ‘clubman’ event. The rally is utilising classic Partry Mountain terrain last used by the Circuit of Ireland.

Brian Patterson.