| RALLY NEWS NO.1 Killarney/Saturday/10.30
This weekend’s Killarney Historic Rally once again sports a massive entry list, bulging with interesting cars and talented drivers. Great Stuff Catering is the overall sponsor with the rally based at the Randles Dromhall Hotel. The route covers real classical territory over such stages as Molls Gap, Tim Healy Pass, Ardgroom and Cods Head. Russell Brookes describes this terrain as ‘God’s own rally country’. Ray Cunningham and his co-driver Richard Hyland in their Mini Cooper S will lead the convoy of cars away from Killarney town centre for the thirteen special stages. Local man Todd Falvey was to be at 2, but his Porsche has developed a 2nd gear problem so he is not starting. The rally is the final round of the 023 Tiles Southern 4 Historic Championship, and Todd has the series well and truly won so although he would dearly love to be competing on his home rally, it’s not to be.
That leaves Welshman Gareth Lloyd running 2nd on the road in his West Wales Rally Spares Escort, the ex Roger Clark Ford having had a rebuilt engine just fitted. Next up is John Keatley in his Porsche 911. John was Irish and British Historic Champion in the mid-Nineties. He hasn’t been doing so much rallying lately, but along with his co-driver Maurice Beckett is delighted to back here in Kerry. There was a last minute steering problem on John’s Porsche, happily now sorted. Steve Smith is another top visitor and he starts at 5 in his Porsche, while local man Denis Moynihan rounds off the top 6 in his Mk1 Escort.
Ed Murphy and Tom Randles in their Escorts are at 7 & 8, and then its one of the all time rally greats, Russell Brookes atNo.9 in the original Andrews Heat for Hire Lotus Sunbeam. It would be a lot to expect that Russell could get into the winning frame again here in Killarney, but with his famed ‘inner grit’ Russell could surprise a lot of people. Russell was taking a run in the Sunbeam yesterday when the steering wheel broke. He was able to get a replacement from Moynihans in Millstreet – it had been on the shelf for over twenty years! The Historic end of the entry list is studded with some star names, just two to look out for including former International winners Dessie McCartney and Derek Boyd, both driving Porsches, Derek’s the Adrian Kermode ‘Rothmans’ machine.
Running further back, numbered from 101 on, are the ‘Modifieds’. This year’s Rally of the Lakes and undoubted potential world rally superstar Kris Meeke is the top seed. Following his Rally Ireland disappointment, Kris is here more for a fun weekend’s rallying, and will drive a DenSport Mk2 Escort belonging to Conor Curley. Kris managed a small test last night at Caragh Lake and reported that it was like ‘taming a bucking bronco’! Also then when he ‘leant’ on the car a bit, a gearbox mounting broke, or came loose or something. Behind Kris are some pretty serious guys in very special Escorts, and most of them have been doing a bit of testing up back roads such as Borlin. Top drivers such as Phil ‘seaweed in the wipers’ Collins, Wesley Patterson, Killarney man Kevin O’Donoghue, Peter Kelly, Martin McGee, Brian Brogan, Charlie Hickey, Gary McPhillips and a whole lot more should be right on the case here this weekend.
Certainly the rally looks like being a tough challenge. Clerk of the Course Tim Clifford has laid on a really classical route which will test men and machines. Once again the weather looks like being a mixed bag which will make life difficult not just for the drivers, but all the officials and marshals. The work that goes on behind the scenes to make the rally happen, from Rachel in the rally office to Eco Challenger Timmy Flathin who is climbing up Hungry Hill in the Miskish Mountains on Saturday night, camping there and manning a radio repeater station on Sunday – well, its all quite mind blowing really. Mike Marshall and Tim Clifford flew out on Thursday in Dermot Healy’s helicopter to set up the three base stations on the various mountains. A few changes from the original entry list include, as well Todd Falvey non-starting, Adrian Kermode, James Stait and Pat Donegan are a few who also can’t make it. Adrian Deasy is now co-driving for Phil Collins, Phil Spurge is sitting in with Steve Smith, Ian Paget with Dessie McCartney, Pat Cashman with Alan Ring and Tony Dineen with Kevin Flanagan in his Mini Cooper. More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
