RALLY NEWS NO.10 Killarney Finish/Sunday 5pm

UNOFFICIAL HISTORIC L/BOARD AFTER STAGE 12 – LAST STAGE
1st (2) Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) 1.32.08
2nd (1) Ray Cunningham/Richard Hyland (Mini Cooper) 1.32.10
3rd (72) James Stait/Gill Cotton (MG Midget) 1.40.38
4th (17) Adrian Kermode/Liz Jordan (Porsche 911) 1.40.51

This is the 7th time Dessie Nutt has won this Killarney Historic Rally and it is probably the closest finish yet. Ray Cunningham led throughout and then Dessie just pipped him on the post on the final stage. Nutt commented at the finish outside Randles Garage “We took the spare wheel out, jackets, jack, even my emergency supply of Bushmills came out for that final stage and I never drove as hard. I genuinely feel sorry for Ray and Richard, to lead and then to lose it on the last stage. It was great competition. The organisers did a fantastic job to keep the rally going and a special thanks to all the marshals who stood out in such atrocious conditions”. Ray Cunningham said. “I’m disappointed to lose but it was still a good result. It was one of my best day’s rallying and of course to lose by 1 or seconds is tough. There were lots of places where we lost a few seconds with a spin or catching another car. That’s rallying”. Where Ray was philosophical about it his co drive Richard Hyland, who worked so hard throughout the 2 days, was slumped in the Mini and freely admitted “I’m gutted”.

UNOFFICIAL POST HISTORIC L/BOARD AFTER STAGE 12 – LAST STAGE
1st (3) Todd Falvey/Dan Barry (Porsche 911) 1.30.18
2nd (8) Denis & Dan Moynihan (Escort) 1.32.06
3rd (7) Joe & Gareth Connolly (Escort) 1.33.44
4th (9) Frank Cunningham/Aaron Forde (Escort) 1.34.07
5th (26) Chris Browne/Ali Cornwell (Escort) 1.34.10
6th (28) Kevin Flanagan/Adrian Parry (Mini) 1.34.34

Todd Falvey and his co driver Dan Barry scored a memorable win in the Post Historics in their Porsche. They were pushed hard by Nick Whale/Sally Woods but the visiting crew put their Porsche into a ditch on Ballaghbeama to allow Falvey, originally from Millstreet, but now living in Killarney, a comfortable win. Denis & Dan Moynihan did well to come into 2nd in their Escort. While Joe Connolly and his son Gareth battled back from early broken gear stick delays to take 3rd. Joe commented “I’m thrilled, it just proves to me that no matter what set backs you have in life if you keep plugging away you’ll get there in the end!” Frank Cunningham also battled back from early delays to take 4th place, Frank had a bit of a fright on the final stage when he took the Freestone’s jump flat out and a water bottle broke loose and went under the pedals and then the brake wouldn’t work at the next junction! He got away with it anyway….!

UNOFFICIAL CLASSIC L/BOARD AFTER STAGE 12 – LAST STAGE
1st (50) Martin McCormack/Joe Agnew (Escort) 1.29.56
2nd (91) Tom Randles/Sean Duggan (Escort) 1.31.03
3rd (11) Martin Freestone/Joanne Oakey (Escort) 1.34.57

This was a red letter day for young Martin McCormack to score such a significant win on his first visit to Killarney and these Kerry stages. Martin said his next event will be the Rally of the 1000 Entries and after that he will make up his mind what to do next year. Second placed Tom Randles reckons he will have to get more revs out of his Escort BDG and he will have to conquer the Ballaghbeama stage as well to beat this brilliant young newcomer Martin McCormack!
UNOFFICIAL MODIFIEDS L/BOARD AFTER STAGE 12 – LAST STAGE
Times not in yet – but unofficially Dessie Keenan and his co driver Enda Sherry have scored a fabulous win. This makes it a hat trick for the former Billy Coleman Award winner from Monaghan. Pat Donegan was 2nd but has crashed his Escort at the Freestones jump on the final stage to let Phil Collins/Adrian Deasy into 2nd and Martin McGee/Arthur Kierans into 3rd.

Finally for now very well done to Tim and Rachel Clifford and all the Killarney MC team for a fabulous organisational job in such difficult conditions. Thanks also to all who supported and helped with the RallyNews service.
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net