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Irish
Notes 21st May 2003.
Trevor Moore, last year's winner, is top seed for this Saturday's
Sperrins Rally, 4th round of the NI Stage Championship. Moore
drives his updated Escort Cosworth, while current series leader
Eugene Donnelly is at 2, this time in his Celica. Former Champion
Denis Biggerstaff (6R4) is at 3. Richard Hogg is the top GpN seed
and runs at 7 in his Lancer, while second GpN car on the road,
Raymond Mason's Impreza, is at 12. The rally has a strong 85 car
entry to tackle the 10 special stages. The current NI points
positions are:- Eugene Donnelly, 44, Denis Biggerstaff 39, George
Robinson 34, Richard Hogg 32, Kevin Lynch 23 & Gary White 18.
Tapio Laukkanen is tipped to be possibly contesting the Shell
Donegal International next month in a Prodrive Group N Impreza,
as a warm up for the Manx and the Jim Clark. Tapio will have a
Pirelli tarmac tyre testing exercise in Ireland after the
Scottish, and hopefully Donegal will follow.
Ian Chadwick's win in the Ford Ireland KA Championship round in
Carlow has reinforced his points lead, his tally now 83. The ever
improving Emily O'Mahony has 64 and Vivian Noone 60.
Tommy Graham had to call a temporary rest to his rallying earlier
this season when he hurt his back, and has now decided to sell
his Impreza WRC as he feels it is putting him under too much
pressure. He plans to go for something less demanding and
hopefully a bit more fun.
Aidan Bourke in his Civic was eventually adjudged the winner of
GpN on the Carlow Rally, not Mark Courtney as we originally
stated.
Austin McHale has, once again, put a major effort into preparing
the track for the Punchestown Rally Masters and the Dubliner is
not happy to accept that the event be dropped for this year,
insisting it will happen. Austin's own immediate rally plans are
to contest the Scottish and Donegal in an Impreza WRC.
Rory Kennedy may be forced to miss his home Donegal International
as he plans to contest the Acropolis and Cyprus with Alistair
Ginley, but will co-drive for Maurice Gass in his Impreza WRC on
other Tarmac rounds. Ger McMonagle will co-drive for Maurice on
next weekend's Limerick event, which is a round of the 023 Tiles
Southern Four Championship, which Maurice currently leads.
Geoffrey Orr has been sitting with Maurice and will now help the
team with mud notes and other duties.
Regards: Brian Patterson.
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