RALLY NEWS NO.1 Clonakilty/Saturday morning early..

This West Cork Rally, opening round of the 023 Tiles Southern 4 Championship, again has an interesting and hopefully entertaining entry. There may be fewer World Rally Cars for this 30th year of the rally, but there is a lot of brilliant machinery nonetheless and it should be a good event. The weather looks to be a bit soft, but still it is St Patrick’s weekend, the daffodils are out, and for most people it is great to be here in Clonakilty.

Melvyn Evans was to lead the cars away in his new Subaru, but his Impreza needs some gearbox parts, so Melvyn has had to withdraw his entry. Now it’s previous West Cork winner Stephen Murphy first on the road in his Subaru, running with No.2 on the car.

Donie O’Sullivan is at 3, driving one of the Kenny McKinstry Subarus. Killarney man Donie hasn’t really done a rally in anger for two years, so he’s in at the deep end a bit this time. Still, a test session yesterday outside Ballinascarty will have helped him settle down. Donie remarked afterwards that he was like a father in the labour ward when he sees the baby for the first time – wide eyed! The test went well and he feels he has a bit to learn in the braking department, that it will take a few miles, but it should be grand.

Liam McCarthy is at 4 in a Corolla WRC, a car that he and Kieran Murphy have brought in from the Erik Wever stable in Holland. This was one of the latest evolution tarmac Corollas, and should go well.

Behind McCarthy are the top two ‘modified’ cars, John Dalton in his Darrian and Phil Collins in his Escort. Dalton has been a front runner in the modifieds over the years, won the category here last year, and has done further electronic modifications to his rear engined little supercar, whereby he can ‘flat-change’ the car. The only problem is that it is a little vicious on the damp roads, and is inclined to kick the tail. As far as the incorrigible Phil Collins is concerned, his rally has started even before the special stages, psyching out the opposition with his Cardinal Puff drinking game in Clonakilty’s An Sugan! Phil’s Cardinal Puff tricks are legendary and he always wins!!

Colm Murphy and Owen Murphy are at 7 & 8 in their respective Mitsubishi Lancers. The two Murphy’s, not related to each other, are the top two contenders in the Irish Evo Challenge. Colm is to drive the James Foley prepared and run Lancer, and judging by his speed in Galway, he will be the Lancer man to beat here. Having said that, there are half a dozen registered drivers for the ‘Evos’, all anxious for a slice of the prize money.

Owen Murphy is definitely in that latter category. He has spent a lot of euros on new Reiger suspension and ‘AVO’ diffs for his car. Certainly, he should have a good idea of the stage roads, as when he was a small boy he used to sit in the back of his father Gerry’s Sunbeam doing the recce many years ago!

Welshman Bob Fowden, a former winner of the rally was to be at 9, but has withdrawn his Lancer. Connor McCloskey has also pulled out as his Focus is being traded in for a Subaru for next weekend’s Circuit of Ireland.

Just outside the top ten there is a host of top drivers such as JJ Fleming, Alan Ring, 023 Tiles Southern 4 Champion Kevin O’Donoghue and Wesley Patterson. Further down the list are the Citroen C2R2 Irish Cup contenders. Martin Laverty, Marty McCormack and Jason Pritchard are the top three seeds in these fabulous little cars, with 12 altogether competing for a very interesting prize fund.

Further changes to entry include Damien Tourish non-starting, following his building site accident, but he is on the road to recovery. Darren Caldwell (No43) is also a non starter, as is Tadgh Linehan and Amy Moynihan. There are as ever all sorts of really interesting entries on this West Cork Rally, from Englishmen Gary and Harvey Bell in one of Kenny McKinstry’s Subarus, to Brian O’Mahony in his fabulous Clio. Harvey Bell, who is a prime mover in the MF GlobalSpreads Financial concern, normally co-drives for Jim Harrison, and Jim believed to be here this weekend to give Harvey some help with the gravel notes.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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