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Rally
News No.6 Service Saturday 6.15pm
Unofficial Leaderboard After Final Stage
1st (1) Kevin Lynch/Francis Regan (Impreza
WRC) 48.07
2nd (2) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla
WRC) 49.05
3rd (7) Johnny McKenna/Frank McConville
(Lancer N) 50.09
4th (14) Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Lancer N)
50.36
5th (5) Kieran Shaw/Crawford Henderson
(Escort WRC) 50.43
6th (15) Seamus Heron/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer
N) 51.17
7th (4) Denis Biggerstaff/Damien McCann (Impreza
WRC) 51.21
8th (12) John McGlaughlin/David McIlroy
(Lancer N) 51.24
9th (8) Raymond Mason/Peter Martin (Lancer
N) 51.41
10th (11) Terry McGonigle/Stephen Casey
(Lancer N) 51.44
11th (17) Craig Bennett/Roger Bennett (Focus
WRC) 51.52
It has been another dominant driving display from Kevin
Lynch as he cruised to victory over the final three stages on this
Tour of the Sperrins rally. The current NI rally champion showed real
class today and was fastest or equal fastest on every stage. They do
not come much better than that. Kevin was struggling with a brake
problem over the first six stages but as ever the Dungiven man was as
cool as a cucumber and was full of praise of the rally here at the
Walsh’s Hotel finish. Glenn Allen fought hard all day but with a car
lacking in gravel development he was always going to be up against it,
but another impressive drive sees him increase his lead in the NI
championship. Glenn dropped a few seconds on the penultimate stage
when they broke a wheel and were lucky not to lose more time.
Perhaps the drive of the day goes to Johnny McKenna who
dominated GpN on his local event. The GpN pace was seriously
impressive, with several drivers battling for just a few seconds for
most of the day. McKenna was under pressure initially from Neil
McCance but soon got his nose in front and did enough to stay ahead.
McCance had the pace but a couple of scares were enough to give
McKenna the advantage and the category win. John McGlaughlin scored
a fine third in GpN but was lucky to get his Lancer home after
struggling with a bad tyre choice and the crew were very low of fuel
coming into the finish. Terry McGonigle dropped from third to fifth
in GpN after incurring 30 seconds in road penalties.
Event sponsor Kieran Shaw got his borrowed Escort WRC
home in an impressive fifth despite draft shaft worries, a good
spanner check showed the car was okay and they were able to push over
the final three stages. Craig Bennett reckons he was lucky to get his
Focus home at all after he stalled in stage eleven when a throttle
sensor failed. Alistair Cochrane had been leading the 2wd battle from
Seamus O’Connor after stage nine and we think this is how they
finished after Andy Magee retired with a broken draft shaft.
Finally for now a big well done to newly wed COC Philip
Shaw and his super team from Magherafelt MC on another brilliant Tour
of the Sperrins and as one leading competitor told us at the finish
when he summed up his day “brilliant rally”. Many thanks to all our
sponsors who supported the Rally News service and all those who helped
us out. Michael Patterson & Zoe Todd
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