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RALLY NEWS
NO.1 Rally HQ..Mullingar..Sunday 10.30am
Formerly a convent,then a boarding school, now Bloomfield House
Hotel, rock n'rolled last night as this Castle Rally returned
to the environs of Mullingar from its sojurn at Oldcastle. The
event has again attracted a top class entry of 130 cars, plus
a mass of reserves. Last year's winner David Armstrong, fresh
from a run yesterday on the Bushwhacker in his Manta, drives
his trusty Escort Cosworth. David has been pretty busy with work
recently and hasn't been doing so many rallies. However he's
back with a bang, and co-driven by Herbie Blackburn, had a good
run in Wexford last weekend, despite being troubled with intercom
problems. Interestingly David's brother Norman, who co-drove
for him last year, is co-driving today for his own son Stephen
down at No.82. Behind David is Tim McNulty in his big Toyota
Celica, with Connie Smith 3rd on the road. McNulty has yet another
co-driver this weekend, in the shape of Eugene O'Donnell, while
the venerable James Murtagh is once again sitting with Connie.
Cavan's Patrick Elliott is next up in his GpN National Championship
winning Lancer Evo 6, with Ivan Stewart at 5 in his ex James
cullen Escort Cosworth. Ivan has Joe Friel in the hot-seat. car
6 is a non-starter, then we have Joe McGurk, Camillus Bradley,
Eugene Ferry and Mac McKenna making up the top ten. Cars 11 &
12, Maurice Moffett and James Cole are missing. Mick McQuaid
at 15 is driving Moffett's RWD Peugeot.
As ever, by its very nature of being a single stage run three
times, this Sleators for Opel backed rally is an opportunity
for drivers to take different co-drivers, or to try alternative
machinery. Dominic Loughran is the new Clerk of the Course and
he's hired his Sierra Cosworth out to Ballynacargy's Padraig
Price. There are two McHales out competing, Aaron and Gareth,
the latter with Brian Murphy co-driving. Tom Holton is just one
of the '00' cars, driving his F2 RS2000. Scrutineer Noel
McGrath is another '00' James and Ann Foley have a different
engine in their Honda, the old one they blew up in Ballina. (the
new one let go on ALMC). James starts at No.22, and is trying
new Drummond suspension instead of the usual Proflex, and indeed
is planning to compete on next weekend's Birr Forestry as another
trial. Birr, 2nd round of the KBB Doors forestry series, and
a very good rally, still has some entry places available. The
man to contact is Owen Longworth who is here on the rally.
Last year's Clerk of the Course Breen McNamee was down to drive
an ex Richard Burns Peugeot 306 - but the little red rocketship
still has a forest diff, the asphalt one hasn't arrived from
France, so Breen has reverted to his old 205.
Further non starters include cars 23, 24, 41, 43, 44, plus a
few more, which means quite a few reserves will get a start.
Enda Keenan's co-driver Raymond Aughey isn't here, as one of
his children has been taken ill. Dessie, Enda's son, was to run
at No.17, but has withdrawn his entry and is now co-driving for
his father. Further co-driver news is that Brian Duggan is with
Joe McGurk, Gerry Reilly with Micky Cadden. Aidan Burke with
Freddie Walker. Frank Burns is with Adrian McElvaney. More news
from Hamill's service area....BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
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