Welshman John Dalton in his Darrian is seeded at No.3 on this West Cork Rally, and as we relaxed before the rally in Clonakilty’s Quality Hotel, John told us that his Darrian was up in Cork City, on the rolling road, getting fine tuned. John explained that he only does a few rallies a year now and one of them has to be West Cork. John said that if it rains this weekend it would be difficult for him to win the rally. He thinks that he will have to give best to the likes of Liam McCarthy in his Corolla WRC, as well as Tim McNulty and Denis Cronin in their respective Subaru’s and Michael Barrable in his Focus WRC. These are four wheel drive machines with superior traction over wet roads. John was relaxed about that and said that he would just keep coming back every year until he wins the rally! We recounted that Derek Skinner, a great rally enthusiast from Craven Motor Club in the South of England, who had done the rally every year until he died last year. His ashes were scattered off the bridge in the Ring stage. “No harm in that” said John, “that’s the way the West Cork Rally affects you, you can’t keep away!”
Against the general trend the rally has attracted a capacity entry, as much down to all the hard work and integrity of Clerk of the Course Darren McCarthy and his brother Greg. Even when Darren fell off a ladder at Christmas and smashed his leg, he didn’t stop working on the rally. It all comes to fruition this weekend and following the ceremonial start in Clonakilty the 151 crews, plus the historic competitors and juniors, will drive over 16 fabulous asphalt stages. The route is as nice a combination of roads as you’ll get anywhere.
All of the top ten competitors as listed in the programme are here in Clonakilty ready to go, and the first withdrawal is Eoin Doyle at 12. Liam McCarthy, last year’s winner, is No.1 seed and has a new engine in his Corolla WRC. He would dearly love to win the rally a second time. Tim McNulty at 2 has changed his strategy a bit for this one. Before the recent Galway International Rally Tim was flat out testing before the rally and was well fired up. This time he is much more relaxed and says he will test the Impreza going down the first stage.
Denis Cronin was testing his Subaru this week and Denis, the 2005 winner and current Southern 4 Champion, reports all well. Michael Barrable at 5 hasn’t done a rally since Wexford, so may take a stage or two to get going, but Michael told us that there have been a few bits and pieces done to his Focus WRC over the winter and he ‘s ready to go. Michael started his motor sport career in racing and the West Cork roads suit him down to the ground. He won here in ‘07. Hugh Hunter rounds off the top six and although Hugh will tell you that his Focus WRC is not really a ‘tarmac’ car, he is a very accomplished driver and could well be ‘in the frame’ come Sunday evening. That’s just a snapshot of the drivers and cars competing here this weekend. There is so much good about the rally that there promises to be not a dull moment.
The icing on the West Cork Rally cake is the appearance of the ‘Slowly Sideways’ crews in their fabulous rally cars from the past, and they will precede the rally. Look out especially for the ex Jimmy McRae Chevette HSR. Some non-starters include car 21, John O’Donnell: Car 28 Mark Nangle: Car 46 Peter Hughes.
More news in the morning: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
