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Rally News No.1
Marine Hotel Glandore Sun 7.30am
The 2004 Dunlop
National Rally Championship reaches its conclusion here today and
what a climax this event promises to be. After nine hugely exciting
rounds across the length and breadth of Ireland, three drivers are
still in with a chance of clinching Ireland’s most prestigious
National Rally Championship. Niall Maguire, Patrick Elliott and Jim
Harrison will start the event with respectively 132, 115 and 111
points. For former championship Niall Maguire it will probably be
one of his most difficult challenges. On paper the Monaghan driver
only needs to finish in or around 15th but as any
experienced rally person can testify, one of the most difficult
things to do, is drive a full blooded WRC rally car at slow speeds.
Niall telling us before the start "this could be very tricky,
on the last round in Donegal I took it easy, and as you know almost
blew it, so I think today we can’t mess about" and with that
co driver Paul McLaughlin waved his arms as if to say he will beat
him with a big stick to keep his driver under control.
Patrick Elliott
has been one of the championship revelations this season. A former
GpN National Champion, the Cavan contractor has gradually built up
his speed in the ex McGarrity Circuit winning Impreza and must
surely be in with a chance of winning his first ever national rally
very soon, maybe even today. Englishman Jim Harrison will have other
ambitions though. Harrison has a couple of victories under his belt
now and will be charging for victory today in the MAN Direct Impreza.
Away from the
leading Dunlop championship contenders several local drivers are
looking particularly strong today. Liam McCarthy has the McKinstry
Impreza out again and after his strong run on the Cork 20 a couple
of weeks ago, should be a real challenger today. One of the main
talking points in the bar last night was that of local hero Denis
Cronin. Denis won this rally ten years ago and has taken the bold
step of moving up to a full WRC Impreza. Ray Breen had been down to
start the rally at 15 but has come to an arrangement with Denis to
hire the car for the weekend and even though it is an older spec
model the crew should be on the pace. Another interesting change in
the top ten is that of Cathal Arthurs who has switched his Accent to
one of Shane Braniff’s Skoda Octavia WRC’s.
Also reaching its
conclusion today is the 023 Tiles Southern 4 Championship with
several of the leading drivers battling for this prestigious title.
Several drivers can take the championship win after dropped scores
are taken into account with Johnny O’Sullivan, Alan Ring and
Willie Fannin all tying at the top of the tables but both Liam
McCarthy and Denis Cronin are able to win providing they finish a
couple of places ahead of the leaders. Willie Fannin will not start
the rally so this could help championship sponsor James O’Sullivan
who is also in with a strong chance in his own championship. GpN
should be equally competitive with the likes of James O’Sullivan
and Alan Ring already battling it out and throw in some late entries
like Eoin Doyle (180) and Seamus Heron (170), we should have a real
good battle for the showroom category today.
Further down the
entry list Enda Keenan leads away the 2wd boys and he will face some
stiff opposition from competitors such as Wesley Patterson and
Dunmanway’s Gerard O’Connell all in ever entertaining Escort
Mk2s. Frank O’Mahony is a non starter after engine problems with
his 6R4 but Frank has arranged for son Brian to drive the Gwyndaff
Evan’s Ulster S1600 winning Puma today. Also non starting is Kevin
Lynch (4), Colm Murphy (23), Willie Power (26), Leonard Downey (28)
and Ray Hillard (36), all leaving the door open for a few reserves
to get a run at the back of the field. More news after stage two.
Michael Patterson & Zoë Todd
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