Once again this Killarney Rally of the
Lakes has attracted a massive entry, both in quality and numerically.
The top of the list reads like a who’s who of rallying,
with most of the lead Pirelli Tarmac Championship contenders vying
for points on this 3rd round. As well as the drivers at the front,
there is a huge line-up of GpN cars plus Modifieds, Historics
and Juniors, all in all making for a bumper Bank Holiday Motorsport
weekend, with even the weather looking very kind.
Eugene Donnelly, the reigning Tarmac Champion,
is listed at no1 in his Corolla WRC. Maghera man Eugene, seemingly
on the crest of a rally wave at the moment, having won the Galway
International, then Rally Ireland, and most recently the Circuit
of Ireland, will be as determined as always to go for success.
His Corolla has had the differential re-built in Germany and the
engine has had the head gasket changed. On the down side, Eugene
has incurred the wrath of the organisers before the start, because
of a controversial press article. A threatened exclusion order
would appear now to have been lifted by the stewards of the rally,
and Eugene, along with his co-driver Paul Kiely, has been cleared
to start.
Derek McGarrity is at 2 in his new Subaru
Impreza S11, and bursting to get at the Killarney stages. Eamonn
Boland at 3, currently 2nd in the Pirelli Tarmac points, could
be a real dark horse in his Focus WRC, while Tim McNulty, like
McGarrity in a new Impreza WRC S11, reported, “It will be
a fast rally, especially as the roads should be bone dry. This
will be my first ‘dry’ rally in this car. We’ve
had a pretty good test, and although we may not be at 100% with
the new car, as there’s a lot to learn with it, we shouldn’t
be too far away.”
Donie O’Sullivan, one of the real
favourites for success on his home rally, drives a McKinstry Impreza
WRC originally earmarked for Andrew Nesbitt. Former National Champion
Stephen Murphy makes a return to the stages, driving another new
model Impreza WRC S11, the car also campaigned by Noel Redmond.
Denis Cronin starts at 8 in his Impreza, the West Cork man always
a real ‘tour de force’ here on the Lakes. Nigel Hicklin
at 9 has switched from a Corolla to an Impreza, and the although
the car had some ECU problems yesterday, Nigel should go well.
Aaron MacHale is at 12 and drives a Focus WRC for the first time,
Aaron a little short of testing time with the Focus, the same
car that his father Austin took to 3rd on the Circuit of Ireland
two weeks ago.
Colm Murphy is the leading GpN car on
the rally, with Garry Jennings, Munster Joinery man Alan Ring
and Kevin Kelleher tucked in behind. The latter has hired a James
Foley Lancer for this weekend, and has a different co-driver,
Martin Brady. Phil Collins is the first of the modified section.
His Escort has been rebuilt since its West Cork shunt, but still
has a severe propshaft vibration which also plagued it there,
Phil saying that he has super-glued his fillings in! Monaghan’s
Enda Sherry is co-driving for Phil.
Local man Todd Falvey heads the Historic
list in his Porsche, with Isle of Man visitor Adrian Kermode,
with Maurice Beckett on the notes in a similar 911 running 6th
of the Historics, with a variety of Escorts and Minis in between.
Main changes to entries at the front of
the main field include Austin MacHale, Peadar Hurson, 023 Tiles
Southern 4 Ch/ship leader Melvyn Evans, George Tracey and Phillip
Morrow non-starting. Gareth Jones has been moved up the start
list, keeping 14 on his new Subaru but starting in the top ten,
while John McGlaughlin and PJ McGrath get moved up quite a few
places as well in their respective GpN cars. Tom Halliday (155)
is one of several reserves to get a start, his Escort slotting
in behind Anthony O’Halloran (42). Looking outside Killarney,
Loeb leads on the WRC Argentina Rally, while Gareth MacHale and
his Killarney co-driver Paul Nagle have their Focus WRC into the
top ten having survived a vibration in the gearbox/driveshaft
over the 2nd loop of stages yesterday. Gareth says most of the
many river crossings have huge rocks to catch the unwary! More
news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
