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Irish
Notes 11th March 2002
Frank O’Mahoney has
switched his entry for this weekend’s Clonakilty based West
Cork Rally from his Metro 6R4 to a Subaru from the McKinstry
stable. O’Mahoney has led his ‘home’ West Cork Rally
several times but never won. He reckons this weekend he has as
good a chance as ever- "Obviously we don’t know how quick
this new car of Price’s is, or Liam McCarthy in his new Corolla
WRC, but I guess it will take him a couple of stages to settle
down. Now that Derek McGarrity has withdrawn, I reckon the rally
is fairly wide open. I’m not very happy with my seeding, No11,
but I’ll give it a good go" The 16 stage rally takes place
on Saturday and Sunday, over territory stretching from
Rosscarberry to Bandon.
The Wicklow
Forestry event, round 3
of the KBB Doors series, is now all stations go according to
Clerk of The Course Padraig Farrell. There were doubts as to
whether the rally would run, because of PR difficulties around
the forests in this very conservation minded area. All is now
resolved and the 14th April Laragh based 8 stage rally
has been given the definite green light.
Belfast
is to have its own Sportscar Show in 2003 at Kings Hall Belfast.
The Birmingham NEC Group are promoting the event, along the lines
of their popular May show in Birmingham. One added attraction
will be a live special stage similar to the Ulster Rally’s
Superspecial of a few years ago, to be run this time by the Mid
Antrim Club. The date of the show will be January 31st
to February 3rd 2003.
Billy Coleman Award
winner Stuart Darcy
dipped his toe in the Ford Super 1600 Puma waters on the Mayo
rally. Darcy has a new Peugeot 206 on order, but may not be able
to follow through on a Peugeot programme. Last Sunday’s drive
was at the invitation of Philip Young.
Donegal Motor Club
is promoting a new clubmans stage rally on the 28th
April, based at the Matine Hotel Gweedore. Liam Duffy will be
clerk of the course.
The ever popular
SEAT Lurgan Park Rally
is moving its date to the 24th August. Contrary to
some press reports, clerk of the course William Fullerton refutes
any suggestion that the rally may be forced away from its
traditional Lurgan Park venue because of grant aided development
of the park.
Brian Patterson.
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