RALLY NEWS NO.4 Banna Beach/Finish/Sunday 3.15

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 – FINAL STAGE
1st (7) Kevin O'Donoghue/Joe O'Leary (Lancer) 28.10
2nd (2) Adrian McElvaney/Enda Sherry (Subaru) 28.12
3rd (10) Eamonn Daly/John Young (Lancer N) 28.51
4th (11) Stuart Darcy/Stephen Furey (Impreza) 28.55
5th (8) Mike Quinn/Sean Enright (Escort) 29.07
6th (5) James Cullen/Reba Graham (Lance3r N) 29.19
7th (1) John Kearney/Denis O'Connell (Escort) 29.41
8th (16) Ed Synan/Kieran Cusack (Escort) 29.50
9th (4) Tadgh Linehan/Paddy Robinson (Impreza N) 29.51
10th (20) Tom Randles/Sean Duggan (Celica) 29.58

There was a grandstand finish to this Kerry Mini Stages Rally, with Kevin O’Donoghue taking the victory by 2s from Adrian McElvaney. When Kevin brought his Lancer into the Banna Beach finish he had a grin from ear to ear and when co-driver Joe O’Leary checked the times and confirmed they had won Killarney man Kevin said. “I’m a nervous wreck, its my first ever win. The first rally I drove in was here at Banna in a SEAT Ibiza 6 years ago. It was a very good rally, super fast.” Second placed Adrian McElvaney said. “We were flat out towards the end, it was as hard as it would possibly go”. Adrian’s co driver Enda Sherry was full of praise for his driver and gave him a big thank you as well for giving him the run which puts him into the frame of winning the co-driver section of the Top Park West Coast Championship. Eamonn Daly and John Young overcame a few niggly problems with their Lancer including an intermittent misfire which came in towards the end, but still they took 3rd o/a and won the group N section.

James Cullen & Reba Graham were 3rd overall at the halfway halt but they lost a minute in stage 3 when James had to swerve violently to avoid a farmer who decided at that particular moment to run from one of his yards to the other on the opposite side of the road. James hit the handbrake as well and went off the road, losing nearly a minute, but still managed to finish 6th o/a and 2nd group N. Tadgh Linehan was 3rd in the gpN category and is runner up in the Top Park series.

Mike Quinn had a great day to take best 2 wheel drive category. Last year’s winner John Kearney made a hesitant start to come through strongly towards the end to take 2nd in the 2 wheel drive section, just pipping Ed Synan.

Stuart Darcy had a strong run to take 4th o/a in his Subaru. Tom Randles had some brake fade in his Celica towards the end but still made it into the top 10. Thomas Fitzmaurice got over his earlier accident and was 5th fastest on the final stage but is still a long way back in the classification after his earlier time loss. Ken O’Neill finished on a total of 30.41 in his Puma, Ken reckoning he needed 2 more gears in the car. John Hickey was another who said his Fubaru was under-geared for the very fast stages, John finishing just outside the leaderboard on 30.57.

Finally for now very well done to Noel O’Connor and all his team for a cracking rally and many thanks to all those who supported the RallyNews service.

BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net