2000 Seat Lurgan Park Rally - 29 Jul '00

Posted: July 18, 2000 1:08 PM

This will be Peugeot Super 106 Cup Champion Fisher's first attempt at Lurgan Park, but he has '00' experience there and should be reasonably familiar with the twists and turns of the Lurgan Park roads.

Speaking from his Ballinamallard Fisher Engineering base, Mark reports, "I like the Park. The stages are tricky, and you have to really think about it. I do hope its dry, it will make it a little easier, and the North Armagh Club organisers have taken out some of the gravel sections, which should suit us in the two wheel drive car. I'm looking forward as well to driving the works Peugeot Super GTi kit car. It is supposed to be a brilliant car, and hopefully we will get a test session at Nutts Corner the day before the rally. I'm also doing the Enterprise Rally this weekend through the Welsh forests in a Kenny McKinstry Subaru, so that should get me going"

The Group N category of the rally will feature Jonny Milner in his Toyota as well as Trevor Cathers in a Mitsubishi. Tour of the Sperrins winner Trevor Moore, who switches to a Lancer for this one outing, is also entered.

Favourites in the race for the £10,000 prize money on offer include 8 times Lurgan Park winner Kenny McKinstry, as well as former winner, and indeed former British Champion, Gwyndaf Evans in the works SEAT Cordoba World Rally Car. Daniel Doherty and James Cullen from Donegal, as well as Glengormley's Derek McGarrity are all in Subaru's. There are many more star drivers, and the full entry will be released shortly. The event, with a great emphasis on the social side of rallying, promises to be a superb day out for all the family. There will be lots of entertainment on offer, including a spectacular Russ Swift driving display in the interval between the eight special stages and the double your money Challenge Time Trial.

11/07/00
KENNY'S SEAT LURGAN PARK BID
Kenny McKinstry is an eight times Lurgan Park Rally winner. The former Tarmac Champion and current British National Champion is determined to make it nine on this year's SEAT backed event. "No better time," states the Banbridge man, "This year there will be a number of World Rally Cars in Lurgan Park. It may be a tough proposition to beat them with my older model Subaru, but I'm determined to give it a go. That is all part of the challenge."

Kenny, who was in France competing on the Rallye Charlemagne when we caught up with him at the weekend, continued, "There may be £10,000 of prize money on offer, but that does not make it worth my while spending £50,000 upgrading my car. Former winner Gwyndaf Evans will be driving the latest SEAT Cordoba World Rally Car, and Andrew Nesbitt and Derek McGarrity are in the latest Impreza World Rally Cars, and they have so much power."

"The organisers, the North Armagh Club, have taken away some of the gravel sections, which I think would have helped me simply because it adds to the difficulty factor. I know as well that it won't be easy to beat the technology of these new cars, but I think in Lurgan Park that I can do it. I'm certainly going to give it a real go."

Interestingly, as well as fancying his own chances, Kenny thinks that his great friend, as well as rally rival, Denis Biggerstaff, has a great chance of success as well. Kenny continued, "Denis' Metro 6R4 may be an old car compared to what will be in Lurgan Park, but with instant power and four wheel drive it is ideally suited to the Park's tight twists and turns. Denis turned in some stunning times last year, and he could be a dark horse."

McKinstry missed Lurgan Park last year as he was driving in a rally in Wales, fighting for the National Championship, which of course he subsequently won. No such diversions this time. McKinstry will be in Lurgan Park with his Subaru on 29th July fighting for his share of that £10,000 prize fund, the richest ever on offer. Derek McGarrity and three times Donegal winner Andrew Nesbitt have indeed confirmed their entries for Lurgan Park, as has Gwyndaf Evans who represents sponsors SEAT in a Cordoba WRC. The number of cars competing this year has been cut from 40 to 30, to provide the expected 10,000 spectators with the best ever non-stop action Lurgan Park.