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RALLY NEWS NO.1 Saturday..early..Tallaght
This Dunlop Rally of Ireland is a significant departure from
the established Irish rallying pattern, a two day Dublin based
event. Noel Devlin is the ALMC club's Clerk of the Course directing
operations, the fruits of a year's labour commencing from Tallaght
Square at 08.30 this morning.
Austin McHale leads the cars away, the five times Tarmac Champion
a lot happier with his Corolla WRC after suspension development
testing this week. Behind Austin, running at No.2, is Eamonn
Boland. The Wexford man had his first outing in his new
Impreza WRC 2 weeks ago and quickly came to grips with the new
machine. Third on the road is Michael Barrable in his Toyota
Celica, and it is between these 3 - McHale, Boland & Barrable
that the early fireworks are expected. There are many drivers
capable of top results of course. Peadar Hurson and Tommy Graham,
both in Fords, are just two who could move into top positions
if anything should happen the first three. There are a
few non starters from the advertised list. Missing from
the top 10 are numbers 3, 5, 8, 9 and 10.
Dominic Loughran, Tom Holton, Michael Shaw, Kevin Barrett in
the Triton Subaru, are just some who will move into the top frame.
In from the reserves (most of whom will get a start) to run close
to the top cars will come Peter McCullagh (175). Sure to be in
with the top running cars will be Hugh Dunne, his Legacy engine
happily repaired since blowing up on the Stonethrowers Rally
two weeks ago.
The Group N caategory should be interesting. Michael Shaw
is the highest seeded showroom driver in his Lancer. Then it
is new National Champion Patrick Elliott, also in a similar showroom
machine. George Treacy is at 24 in a new GpN Subaru Impreza,
the Dublin man, on his home patch a likely candidate for the
GpN œ500 cash prize plus trophies put by by Subaru Ireland.
Clonmel's Roy White is out for the first time in a GpN Lancer.
Roy has spent the last 4 days at Tim Ashton's garage in Yorkshire
helping to complete the car's build. He arrived in on the ferry
just in the nick of time last night to meet the scrutineering
deadline. Cross channel visitors to the rally include young
Sarah Murray in her Micra, and Paul Fuchs with his Honda.
The Ford Ka Championship runners start on Sunday morning and
just compete on leg 2 of the rally. The series has been
won by James Travers this season, but there is still an almost
full line up of the impressive little KAs. The rally has
many many dimensions of course, one in particlar, the battel
of the Mk2 Escorts likely to be enthralling - keep an eye out
for the flying John Treacey, Eugene Ferry, Greg McCormick in
a 'new' Mk2...
Weather was the subject on most of the drivers' minds as the
start time drew near. Spectacular electric storms are all
very well, but not when driving a 300 horse power rally car down
narrow country roads...! More news from end of stage 1..BRIAN
AND LIZ PATTERSON
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