| RALLY NEWS NO.1 Tralee/Sunday 09.00
Fast and furious action is promised today on this Bio-Tech/Banna Beach Kerry Mini Stages Rally, with an exciting entry vying not just for Top Part Championship class and runner-up points, but local honour as well. Last year’s winners Kevin O’Donoghue and his co-driver Joe O’Leary lead the capacity entry away from the Banna Beach for the four fast special stages up around the Ballyduff and Abbeydorney area towards the Cashen River inlet.
Well, we hope Kevin O’Donoghue will lead the cars away; the big Killarney man has been involved in a race against time to get back from South Africa where he was building houses this week under the auspices of the Mellon scheme. His team has apparently built a record 203 houses in a week! Kevin clinched the 023 Tiles Southern Four Championship on the Fastnet, and plans to again run his Lancer with a 34mm restrictor, which will rule him out of GpN. Kevin Kelleher is at 2, and he definitely is in GpN with his ADR built Lancer, the Clonakilty man and his co-driving brother Martin really on the case these days. Just behind Kevin are Alan Ring at No.3, and Keith Cronin at 4. The battle between these three, not just for GpN honours, but in terms of an overall win should be worth watching. Alan Ring has of course clinched the Top Part West Coast Championship, the 2nd time he has taken the title, while for his co-driver Adrian Deasy this was his first. Anthony O’Halloran in his Manta is at 5, and Mike Quinn rounds off the top six in his Escort.
Alan Ring unfortunately damaged his GpN Subaru on the recent Fastnet Rally so is driving Mark Nangle’s Impreza N12 today. At No.7 is Ed Synan, always a quick man in his Escort. No.8 is Eamonn Daly in his Lancer and at 9 is TLI chief Thomas Fitzmaurice in his Lancer. Thomas has given the organisers a great deal of assistance in setting up the rally and hopefully he will have a good run today in the battle for GpN.
John Kearney won this event 2 years ago, but hasn’t done a lot of rallying since and he starts at No.10. Aidan Walsh at 11, with Jim Casey on the pace notes has a new 2.5 litre “CIT” engine in his Escort, supposed to be a real screamer. Shay Power from Tipperary is at 12 with local man Kevin Walsh co driving. Kevin, who normally helps with the organisation, celebrated his 40th birthday recently and this is a belated birthday present for him, competing on his own rally. Gary Reidy is at 14 in the ex Dessie Keenan Squealing Pig black Escort, Gary trying to rebuild his confidence after his accident on Galway Summer. Rounding off the top 15 is Sean Lyons in his Subaru N12B, and if Sean gets a decent run he will not be far away from the top GpN contenders. Leading cl.6 contenders are Ian Roche in his little Peugeot 205 S1600 and the equally impressive Renault Clio of Mark Sheahan.
Just some changes to the entry list include David Horan slotted in to co-drive for Eamonn Daly at No 8, Thomas Treanor is with Mick McQuaid in Mick’s Escort at 18, and Aidan Meanie is with Tom Curley at 21. Rally sponsor Tadgh Linehan has been forced to withdraw, his BMW M3 still not set up right, which is a shame. Tadgh was due to start at No16. No 19, Charlie Hickey, is another who can’t make it. Mick Moloney was on the reserves in his Escort, and will now run in the top 20 with 164 on the car. Further non-starters include no’s 30, 34, 59 & 79, which means many more of the reserves will get a run as well.
Listowel man Ray Hilliard, who has former Kerry clerk of the course Senan Raggett co-driving, was setting up the Proflex suspension of his Lancer yesterday and is hoping for a good run, especially as there is a jump bridge in stage 2 which current Clerk of the Course, the incredible spoon playing Noel O’Connor, says has Senan’s name on it!
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
