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Irish
Notes 23rd Sept 2002.
The
Fisher Foundation
application closing date is fast approaching, with funding
available for clubs in relation to rally safety, a subject close
to the late Bertie Fisher's heart. There is also a young driver's
training award. Further details are available on
www.fisher-foundation.com
Billy
Coleman
award winner Stuart Darcy has abandoned his Ford Puma campaign on
the Pirelli British Championship and will now contest the Cork
'20' in a hired GpN Mitsubishi Lancer.
Donegal
Motor Club
has been thrown into a quandary over the proposed Saturday 19th
October date of its Harvest Stages Rally. The Irish Government
has called a National referendum on the Nice Treaty for that day,
and of course it would be undemocratic to close the roads. It has
now been confirmed that the rally will take place on Sunday 20th
October, with recce on Saturday 19th.
Eugene
Donnelly will
bid to reinforce his lead in the KBB Doors Forestry Championship
this Sunday in Birr. At least one front runner, Dermot Kelly,
will miss this one, his Escort WRC's engine not repaired after
blowing up in Cork.
Philip
Shaw
heads the 131 strong entry for this Sunday's Monaghan Stage event
based in the Hillgrove Hotel. Norman Armstrong is at 2, Mervyn
Wedlock at 3, all in Escorts. The Monaghan Club has picked an
interesting stage, running parallel to the Castleblayney/Dublin
Road.
Glenn
Allen
(Escort WRC) won last Sunday's popular Blue Circle Cement
Cookstown Davagh forest stage event, from Seamus Donnelly in an
Escort, with Michael Erwin (Starlet) 3rd.
Former
National Championship
front runner Hal Lewis has acquired an ex Stephen Finlay Escort
Cosworth, and having successfully completed course car duties on
last Sunday's Clare Rally, the Limerick man will tackle the
Skibbereen Rally, final round of this year's Dunlop
National series..
Stevie
Whitford
will be out to repeat his Enniskillen Lakelands win on this
weekend's Omagh Bushwhacker Rally, penultimate round of the NI
Forest series. Derek McGarrity currently leads the points from
Whitford, with Eugene Donnelly, Gary White and Denis Biggerstaff
just about in the frame, so the series could go right down the
wire to the final Toshiba round. The Omagh Club has introduced
Friday night stages for the first time, but this is not proving
popular with the NI series regulars, as it means taking Friday
off work for most of the crews.
Colm
Murphy
won the Ford Ireland Focus Championship section on last Sunday's
Clare Stages, from Cathal O'Reilly. Oliver Stanley had been
fighting for the lead, but his Focus suffered a broken driveshaft
on the last stage. Murphy and Stanley now tie at the top of the
points table.
Ruan's
Anthony O'Halloran,
expected to be a popular front runner on his home Clare Rally
last Sunday, withdrew on the Saturday when his brother Francie
sadly died in Dublin'e Beaumont Hospital after illness. We offer
Anthony and family our deepest condolences.
Brian Patterson.
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ã 2002 www.rallynews.net
(Patterson Agencies). All rights reserved. Unauthorised
duplication is a violation of applicable laws. 10/01/03 17:33
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