Mourne Rally - 14 Jun 03

Posted: June 13, 2003 11:15 AM

 1 Derek McGarrity/Dermot O’Gorman - Subaru Impreza WRC
 2 Eugene Donnelly/Paddy Toner - Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
 3 Trevor Moore/Philip McCrea - Escort RS Cosworth
 4 Denis Biggerstaff/Damien McCann - MG Metro 6R4
 5 Glen Allen/John Gallagher - Ford Escort WRC
 6 George Robinson/Tommy Speers - Escort RS Cosworth
 7 Richard Hogg/Mark Hanna - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
 8 Alan Nesbitt/TBA - Toyota Celica GT-Four
 9 Sean McArdle/Gerard McMonagle - Toyota Celica GT-Four
10 Raymond Johnston/Richard Bell - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6

Full Entry List on Rally Information Service

Round 5 of the ME Crowe Northern Ireland Rally Championship, the Gass Brother’s Mourne Rally, is all set to continue the drama of the 2003 Championship when the crews arrive in Newry on June 14th to set off from the Mourne Country Hotel. The Newry and District Motor Club are hopeful of a full entry to compliment the fantastic stages, and with the championship so hotly contested this year, the action should be great to watch.

Several drivers are in with a shout of the title this year, but the man they all have to beat is a very on form Eugene Donnelly who has been seen at the wheel of his Celica or a Stan Harper prepared Subaru Impreza World Rally Car this season. He led the championship up to the final round, The Tour of the Sperrins, in Maghera, when he crashed out pushing for the win, handing the series lead to Denis Biggerstaff.

The story at the end of the year, when dropped scores are accounted for might be very different, but for now every crew has to push for every point they can.

Trevor Moore made a winning comeback to the Northern Ireland championship on the Tour of the Sperrins, and he must win most of the remaining rounds to stand a chance of the title. Richard Hogg currently lies 3rd in the title chase in a group N Mistubishi Lancer, and is probably an outside bet, but one man high up the table who has been a surprise this year, is Kevin Lynch in another Subaru Impreza WRC, and he will be keen to build on his excellent results of late.

But the Mourne Rally has a history of bringing about a few surprise victories in the past, so no-one can be discounted, but one thing for sure is that the club are looking forward to a very successful event. Clerk of the Course, Des O’Loan, was keen to thank the events new sponsors for their help this year. “The Club is delighted to have Kenny and Maurice Gass as the main sponsors of this years event. Kenny was joint sponsor last year with Jim Feenens’ Formula Karting, and they have taken a great interest in developing this years rally and we are looking forward to continuing our association”, he said, “but we’d like to thank Jim Feenan and Formula Karting who have been a great supporter of the Mourne rally for a number of years and for which we are all extremely grateful. Kenny has kindly let us have the use of his Gosford Road Service Station for scrutineering and documentation on the Friday night, as he did last year, and Maurice has given us great support, including offering one lucky person the change of competing alongside him in his Subaru Impreza World Rally Car, as part of a charity draw which will be in support of the Newry Hospice. He is offering to take the winner on as his co-driver on the Lurgan Park Rally in August this year. The club will also be having a charity auction at the prizegiving on the evening of the event, with all the proceeds going to Newry Hospice.”

Tickets for the prize draw will be available from the Gosford Road Service Station at Scrutiny, and from the Mourne Country Hotel on the morning of the event. Alternatively, they can be purchased from Kenny and Maurice Gass, and any Newry and District Club official.

The event this year goes back to its format of 3 stages repeated 4 times throughout the day, the stages being used are Camlough and the Small and Big Gullion stages, in Slieve Gullion forest park. The only difference to recent years is that Camlough will be used in reverse.

The rally will start and finish at the Mourne Country Hotel in Newry, and will have centralised servicing at Carnbane Industrial Estate in Newry. The Mourne Country will also host the prizegiving after the finish.

The Gass Brother’s Mourne Rally, is also round 4 of the Quinn Group Border Rally Championship.

With the Northern Ireland Championship becoming such a competitive series, and the current state of play in this year’s series, the Mourne Rally really looks like “The Rally to be at”.

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Regulations and entry form can be downloaded from the Newry and District Motor Club's website - www.nadmc.co.uk