RALLY NEWS NO.1
Rally HQ Newry-Saturday 09.30
No.1 seed on this Mourne Rally Robin Philips is in at the deep end a bit, out in
a Corolla WRC for the first time and not having done any rallies for quite a
while. The Corolla, from the David Greer stable, took a bit of a knock last
weekend on the Scottish, but all is sorted and Robin was able to take the car
for a run on Thursday night. Behind former NI Champion Robin is current title
holder Denis Biggerstaff, with Derek McGarrity next up. Biggerstaff, who drives
his trusty Metro 6R4, and McGarrity, who is in a '98 ex Freddy Dor Impreza WRC,
are locked in battle at the top of the current NI points table. David Armstrong
is at 4 in his Escort Cosworth. David may be interested in scoring points on the
Border Championship, more so than the NI series, but points aside, David is a
very possible outright winner of the rally. Indeed any one of the top ten -
Trevor Moore, equal fourth in the points with James Gillen, Gary White, Eugene
Donnelly, Stevie Whitford, George Robinson, who has won on 3 out of last four
outings, could be in line for the champagne later here today. There is just one
non-starter from the advertised top ten, Glen Allen, who has hurt his foot.
James Gillen is seeded outside the top ten but will probably run there or
thereabouts. In fact, James is running with No.59 on the car, Kenny Gass kindly
letting him have his number and Kenny is now going to act as one of the OO cars.
Gillen, co driven by Victor Carruthers will run in the 8th slot vacated by Glenn
Allen, but keep 59 on the car.
Derek McGarrity commented over breakfast in the Mourne County "It will
probably be slippy so we'll take it easy over the first couple of stages, and
see how we go on Cooley Mountain. I'm looking forward to the rally, this 98 car
is good enough, although we've had a few niggly problems. The clutch went
when we were putting the car on the trailer!" Biggerstaff told us
"This is my bogey rally, I've never won it, but I had a big accident on the
Big Gullion stage in a Mini many years ago, and I've never set a time on it
since. The Metro is going well, but I'm running the older engine and have
abandoned the sequential gear change for the moment. The other car has
more zip, but this one will be OK. Hopefully it won't be foggy, we did our recce
in the fog and it was grim".
Top Group N car today is Stevie Whitford with series sponsor Mark Crowe
co-driving in a DGM Lancer. John Cairns at 18 in his Subaru should give
him a good run with Derek Jobb, bidding for Border points, and seeded back at
32, not far out of the reckoning. Aaron McHale is listed at 17 but we
don't think his car is repaired yet after it's Cavan accident.
Trevor Lancashire at 12 has Noel Hall co driving, Trevor a top contender in the
Border championship and telling us that when he decided to change the gearing in
the car for this Mourne Rally, discovered there was a crack in the differential.
It wouldn't have lasted through the first stage the way it was. "OO"
duties today are being undertaken by John McGaffin who has done it for about the
last 12 years, and also Seamus Sands who has brought his potent rear wheel
drive, Opel engined Peugeot out of mothballs! More news after Big Gullion…BRIAN
AND LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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