Motorsport Ireland Roundup and Results

Donagh Kelly continued his dominance of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship taking a 4th consecutive maximum score Sunday’s Circuit of Munster Rally.

Kelly, reunited with navigator Kevin Flanagan, led from the front and the pair were fastest on all of the 9 stages in their VSM prepared Ford Focus World Rally Car taking a commanding win of almost 2 minutes over the Subaru crew of Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy. Kelly also picked up extra points as he was fastest on the power stage, strengthening his case for a first national championship. Kelly’s title assault was also helped when his nearest title rival, Niall Maguire, retired on stage 7 with electrical issues.

Kelly and Ring were joined on the podium by the Tipperary/Cork pairing of Roy White and James O’Brien who rounded off a fine drive with 3rd overall in their 2.4 litre MG ZR. Clonakilty’s Kevin Kelleher claimed 4th overall in his Subaru Impreza World Rally Car and he finished just 5.8 seconds ahead of championship sponsor Kevin Barrett, in yet another Subaru.

In the 2 wheel drive section local drivers Barry Ryan and Ed O’Callaghan caused a sensation on the opening stage of the rally as they lay in 2nd and 3rd place overall in their Ford Escorts. Ryan and co-driver Emmet Sherry unfortunately retired with a light roll on stage 2 allowing O’Callaghan to take a 2 wheel drive lead he was never to relinquish. O’Callaghan’s winning margin over the similar Escort of 2 wheel drive national championship leader Chris Armstrong, was 1min 20secs.

The Wexford Motor Club crew of Graham and Tom Scallan took 8th overall and won the ‘R’ category in their R4 specification Evolution 10 Mitsubishi while Strabane drive Aidan Wray won Group N in his similar car. In the junior section there was a welcome return to form for Cormac Phelan and Katja Auhl as the pair swept to a 58.8 second win in their Citroen C2 ahead of the Honda’s of Brian Brady in 2nd and James Bradley in 3rd. Niall and Conor Keane took the honours in the historic category in their Talbot Sunbeam.

 

LIMERICK M C DEEBERT HOUSE HOTEL CIRCUIT OF MUNSTER STAGES RALLY AT
KILMALLOCK (ROUND 4 OF TRITON SHOWERS NATIONAL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP AND ROUND
3 OF TOP PART WEST COAST CHAMPIONSHIP):
1 Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Focus WRC) 64m 54s,
2 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Impreza WRC) 66m 53s,
3 Roy White/James O’Brien (MG ZR S2400) 67m 47s,
4 Kevin Kelleher/Ray Fitzpatrick (Impreza WRC) 67m 49s,
5 Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 67m 55s,
6 Ed O’Callaghan/Ger Clancy (Escort) 68m 16s,
7 Chris Armstrong/James Fulton (Escort) 69m 37s,
8 Graham Scallan/Tom Scallan (Lancer Evo 10) 69m 58s,
9 Aidan Wray/Kieran McGrath (Lancer Evo 10) 69m 59s,
10 Pat O’Connell/Paddy McCrudden (Lancer Evo 9) 70m 01s.
Motorsport Safety Team Group N award: 1 Aidan Wray/Kieran McGrath.
rally.ie Two wheel drive award: Ed O’Callaghan/Ger Clancy.
Historics: 1 Niall Keane/Conor Keane (Sunbeam) 56m 15s.
Juniors: 1 Cormac Phelan/Katja Auhl (Citroen C2R2 Max) 48m 52s,
2 Brian Brady/Sean Brady (Integra) 49m 48s,
3 James Bradley/Maria Kehoe (Civic) 50m 25s.

500 MRCI KIRKISTOWN RACE MEETING (ROUNDS OF MOTORSPORT IRELAND NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS):
DALCO BOSS IRELAND FORMULA LIBRE RACE 1 (12 laps):
1 Paul Dagg (Dallara-Toyota F3) 11m 15.93s, 96.63 mph,
2 Clive Heak (Juno Jaguar) 11m 28.79s,
3 Martin Daly (Tatuus F Renault),
4 Cian Carey (Tatuus F Renault),
5 Noel Robinson (Tatuus F Renault),
6 Barry Rabbitt (Tatuus F Renault).
Fastest Lap: Dagg 54.98s, 98.99 mph.

DALCO BOSS IRELAND FORMULA LIBRE RACE 2 (17 laps):
1 Paul Dagg (Dallara-Toyota F3) 16m 05.86s, 95.80 mph,
2 Noel Robinson (Tatuus F Renault) 16m 08.80s,
3 Martin Daly (Tatuus F Renault),
4 Barry Rabbitt (Tatuus F Renault),
5 Darragh Daly (Tatuus F Renault),
6 John Daly (Lola T93 Holden).
Fastest Lap: Dagg 54.04s, 100.72 mph.

FORMULA FORD 1600 RACE 1 (16 laps):
1 Jake Byrne (Ray GR13) 16m 40.02s, 87.09 mph,
2 Adrian Pollock (Van Diemen DP08) 16m 46.34s,
3 Tom O’Connor (Van Diemen RF90),
4 Johnnie Mulholland (Van Diemen RF91),
5 Alan Davidson (Mondiale M89S),
6 Arnie Black (Crossle 32F).
Fastest Lap: Byrne 1m 01.76s, 88.14 mph.

FORMULA FORD 1600 RACE 2 (16 laps):
1 Adrian Pollock (Van Diemen DP08) 16m 44.91s, 86.66 mph,
2 Jake Byrne (Ray GR13) 16m 45.05s,
3 Alan Davidson (Mondiale M89S),
4 Tom O’Connor (Van Diemen RF90),
5 Johnnie Mulholland (Van Diemen RF91),
6 Andrew Noble (Van Diemen JL012K).
Fastest Lap: Pollock 1m 01.69s, 88.23 mph.

CARLOW C C SPRINT AT MOAT OF ARDSCULL, ATHY, CO KILDARE (ROUND 2 OF NAYLOR
ENGINEERING NATIONAL HILLCLIMB/SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP) (DAY 1):
1 Michael Connolly (Gould GR37-Judd) 46.07s,
2 Eanna Carroll (Civic Turbo) 48.46s,
3 John Con Byrne (Jedi-Honda) 48.82s,
4 Robert Bell (Crossle 30F- Hayabusa) 50.36s,
5 Paul McLoughlin (Sheane Rover) 50.68s,
6 John Mahon (DJ-ADS1 Hayabusa) 50.83s,
7 Jim Doherty (Starlet) 50.94s,
8 Peter Bogan (Escort) 52.74s,
9 John Hade (Escort) 52.93s,
10 Georgie Bell (Civic) 52.94s.
Class winners: Senan O’Connor (Kadett) 61.73s, Aidan Courtney (Cinquecento)
59.24s, Jim Doherty, Peter Bogan, Eanna Carroll, John Farrell (Escort)
53.98s, John Con Byrne, Paul McLoughlin, Ian Roche (Nova) 60.73s, William
Cecil (Peugeot 205) 59.00s, Georgie Bell, Thomas O’Rourke (Civic) 52.78s.

CARLOW C C HILLCLIMB AT BAGENALSTOWN, CO CARLOW (ROUND 3 OF NAYLOR
ENGINEERING NATIONAL HILLCLIMB/SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP) (DAY 2):
1 Michael Connolly (Gould GR37-Judd) 35.92s,
2 John Con Byrne (Jedi-Honda) 40.79s,
3 Robert Bell (Crossle 30F- Hayabusa) 40.83s,
4 Martin Tracey (Lancer Evo) 40.85s,
5 John Mahon (DJ-ADS1 Hayabusa) 41.64s,
6 Tom Connolly (Gould GR37-Judd) 42.05s,
7 Thomas O’Rafferty (Fiesta) 42.36s,
8 Mark Carroll (Starlet) 43.92s,
9 Emmet Dunne (Van Diemen FVJ) 44.58s,
10 (tie) Peter Bogan (Escort) and Jim Doherty (Starlet) 44.79s.
Class winners: Emmet Dunne (Civic) 51.37s, Aidan Courtney (Cinquecento)
53.05s, Jim Doherty, Peter Bogan, Mark Carroll, Seamus Anderson (Anglia)
49.67s, John Con Byrne, Martin Tracey, Alan Drew (Civic) 50.69s, William
Cecil (Peugeot 205) 49.06s, Georgie Bell (Civic) 45.51s, Leo Doyle (Escort)
46.46s, David James (Escort) 45.68s.