This West
Cork Rally has built up a massive reputation over the years, not
just for the ‘craic’ of St Patrick’s weekend, but for hard tough
competitive rallying. This weekend looks no different – the line-up
of cars and drivers is pretty stunning. There are at least half a
dozen, or more, potential winners. In addition there is a big
line-up of GpN machinery, as well as an exciting posse of modified
cars, Escorts, Darrians, 6R4’s, all sorts. It is just fabulous to
see all these cars running together. Perhaps it is a mark of the
rally as well, of its significance, that there are virtually no
drop-outs – just 3 from the top 70.
Last year’s
winner Denis Cronin, with Helen O’Sullivan co-driving in his Subaru
WRC, leads the 151 strong entry away. When Denis came in to the
Quality Hotel for the pre-start documentation he commented, “Last
year everything fell in to place, but that doesn’t always happen.
We’ll be trying to win again, but we’re up against more modern
equipment. We seem to get better in the wet, but maybe that’s just a
way of equalising the more powerful cars. The car has had a total
rebuild at Stan Harper’s since last year and it seems good. But this
is our first rally this year, so I’ll be cautious to start, although
I feel happy enough. I’ve found out a lot about the car, the set-up,
since last year and I’ve found out about way more options!” The
driver who pushed Denis so hard here last year, Liam McCarthy,
starts at 2, although this time he switches from a Subaru back to
his Corolla WRC. Welshman Melvyn Evans is at 3 in his Impreza WRC
and could take honours.
Michael
Barrable at 4 is, in terms of winning a dark hosre. Michael drives
an ex Henning Solberg works 05 Ford Focus WRC. It’s Dubliner
Michael’s first time out for a couple of years, but he\ is a
previous National Rally winner and these fast flowing West Cork
stages could just suit him very well. Donal O’Donovan is at 5, and
although Donal is in an older car, a Celica, he is such a good
driver that he’ll surely not be a mile away. Donal has a change of
co-driver from the advertised list, Sean Moroney now doing the job.
Nigel Hicklin rounds off the top six, the Ballymena man driving
Charlie Donnelly’s Corolla WRC. Nigel has had a good test in the car
and seems pretty confident that he can give this a good go.
Tralee’s Diarmuid Falvey co-drives for Nigel and Diarmuid has a
wealth of experience of these West Cork stages. This is the first
time the 2 have paired up and the plan for today is to bed
themselves in.
That’s just
a taster of the depth of quality of this West Cork entry. Last
minute stories include JJ Fleming (7) and Pat Donegan (30) non
starting. Milton Keynes man Tony Davies (9) was all ready to go last
night but his Subaru engine went sick and it looks like he will not
make the start line, although he made every effort to try to get
another car. Bob Fowden’s Impreza broke its centre differential in
testing yesterday and his son has flown over with a spare unit from
Belgium.
Kevin
Kelleher heads the Group N category and he has done some testing
with his Lancer and seems happy enough. James O’Sullivan of 023
Tiles is 2nd group N on the road in his Lancer. Quick
Welshman Mark Morgan is 3rd on the road. Other top gpN
drivers include Kieran O’Callaghan who has discovered a long
standing fault in his Lancer’s turbo system so hopefully he will be
back on the pace. Kevin O’Donoghue should go well in his Lancer. PJ
McGrath has developed some new Reiger suspension on his new model
Impreza N12 instead of the more standard Ohlin system. Tadgh Linehan
has acquired the ex Alan Ringer N11 Impreza and has a new engine
fitted. John Hickey has 26 is driving Brendan Murphy’s GpN Impreza
instead of the revolutionary 4 wheel drive Escort as listed in the
programme.
In the
Modified section Phil Collins is the top listed seed at 15. Phil
drives a brand new stunningly fast Escort. In a short test session
yesterday Phil said the only problem was co driver Nicky Grist’s
helmet/intercom not working properly. Phil joked “The only thing the
co driver has to bring is his helmet, and it doesn’t work! Nicky
says it worked alright the last time he was out, that was in
Australia with Colin McRae. Maybe Colin wasn’t listening to a word
he said!” When asked about his new Escort Phil said it really is
stunningly quick, its red like all his Escorts and the reason it is
red is that the first one he went to buy some years ago, the guy
said ‘there’s nothing goes faster than a fire engine’. It must be
the Herefordshire sense of humour!
Conor
Curley down at No.38 in an Escort has Gerard Callaghan co driving,
but Gerard took sick on Thursday and Cathy Brogan stepped into the
breach to check the notes. Hopefully Gerard is firing on all
cylinders now. Brian O’Mahony has switched from his Puma to a Metro
6R4 for this weekend. Jon Ingram drives his Focus WRC and had a
test session yesterday. Jon is a rally winner through the UK forests
but this is his first real taste of West Cork stages and he is
really wowed by the roads. George Cullen is having his first run in
his recently acquired Kevin Lynch Impreza WRC and following a test
session he is very happy with his new car. Another non-starter is
Crookstown man Ted O’Riordan.
More news
later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
