| RALLY
NEWS NO.1
Ennis/Sunday morning…early…
It's down to the wire here in Clare as regards the Dunlop National
Championship, with last year's winner and current Dunlop National Champion
Niall Maguire leading the field, and the two men fighting for this year's
crown, Eugene Donnelly and Michael Barrable at 2 & 3 just behind. All
three drive Subarus, and indeed the top end of the entry list consists of
Impreza World Rally Cars. Ollie O'Donovan is at 10 and he has moved up
from a GpA Impreza to Kenny McKinstry's P2000 example. English visitor Jim
Harrison normally drives that P2000, but he has moved up to Kenny's S8,
which raises the stakes even further. Jim and his co-driver Harvey Bell
have been turning in some sizzling stage times this year, but have yet to
win a rally, so maybe this is their chance.
As to that Championship battle at the front, if Donnelly gets a half
decent result here on this penultimate Dunlop round he can tie up the
title, whereas Barrable really needs a win to keep his title hopes alive.
Between them the two have won all 8 rounds this season. That is not to say
that someone else won't win here, Maguire or Harrison, or Adrian McElvaney
or Patrick Elliot. That could upset the Championship points battle, but
maybe no harm as the title could then be decided on the Donegal Harvest
Rally three weeks hence.
There are some top names missing from the top end of the entry - JJ
Fleming, Tim McNulty, Sean Gallagher, Ray Breen, Kevin Barrett, all
absent. That shouldn't detract too much from what promises to be a
sizzling battle, not just at the very of the front of the field, but
throughout the various classes as well. The rally is a round of the Top
Part West Coast Championship and the Ford Ireland Focus series as well as
the Dunlop, which should ensure action throughout the field.
Denis Cronin is the highest seeded driver in a two wheel drive car, the
West Cork man determined to shake off his habit of making a lacklustre
start and promising to screw the maximum out of his BMW M3 from the word
go today. Behind Denis is a startling array of two wheel drive machinery,
with drivers such as Richard Casey (Escort), Mac McKenna (Peugeot RWD),
Anthony O'Halloran in his Manta, Enda Keenan (Escort), James
O'Sullivan in a new Mk2 Escort, and many more, all promising a day of high
speed action through today's special stages traversing the Burren.
In the GpN category Willie Fannin debuts a new Prodrive GpN Impreza, and
he will be up against some tough opposition from drivers such as Jack
Sleator, Mark Courtney and Derrick Jobb, all in Lancers. Adrian Quinn in
his GpN Lancer comes in from the reserves and will run up the field.
Man of the moment of course has to be Eugene Donnelly. Having just
clinched the NI Championship it would be a unique achievement if he could
tie up the Dunlop National C/ship as well. The Maghera man wasn't
too nervous as the minutes ticked away to the start here at the West
County Hotel, saying "I'm looking forward to it. We're driving the
usual Stan Harper car and it hasn't let me down. The stages are good, very
technical, and that wee drop of rain this morning suits me down to the
ground!"
Looking away from Clare briefly - Seamus Donnelly took his Mk2 Escort to
victory on yesterday's Davagh Rally ahead of the similar machine of
Camillus Bradley, with Martin Doherty 3rd in his GpN Lancer.
More news from service….. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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