Newry & Mourne Rally - 6 Jun 09

Posted: June 9, 2009 5:23 PM - 18207 Hits

Round 5 - 2009 Northern Ireland Rally Championship
Round 4 - 2009 Border Rally Championship

  • McGarrity/McKee keep on winning!

Posted: June 9, 2009 5:25 PM


Photo: Roy Dempster

More Video Clips

Posted: June 9, 2009 5:23 PM



Derek McGarrity and James McKee win Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally!

Posted: June 8, 2009 9:12 PM

Derek McGarrity and James McKee have extended their championship advantage with victory at Saturday's Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally!

The event, which marked round five of the Hankook MSA N.I. Rally Championship, saw McGarrity claim an emphatic win in his Subaru Impreza WRC from Sunoco Fuels Group N winners, Neil McCance and Jonny Hart, while Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan sealed third.

It was by no means a McGarrity whitewash though, as the Glengormley driver trailed Kenny McKinstry and Noel Orr for much of the day. Banbridge's McKinstry, also in an Impreza WRC, was fastest from the outset, while McGarrity was outside the top 10 after a spin on stage one.

"We were going too hard on cold tyres," McGarrity explained later. "We spun and then stalled so we lost quite a bit of time."

McGarrity was back on song for the following stages and quickly moved into second overall, but he couldn't seem to do anything about the car in front. He was fastest on stage three but McKinstry quickly replied, setting fastest times on the following four stages.

Although McKinstry was merely trying to keep the chasing McGarrity at bay, he managed to increase his lead to 17 seconds after eight stages. He seemed to have everything under control until crankshaft failure during a road section put paid to any dreams of Mourne Rally victory.

McKinstry was not the only man in trouble. George Robinson, who had been as high as third overall, also retired from the event after a road accident. And Ray Brammer was lucky to still be in the running after he understeered off the road, launching his Impreza over a bank!

There were no such worries for McGarrity, and aside from his early morning indiscretion, he kept his car on the straight and narrow. With McKinstry out of the rally, McGarrity suddenly found himself leading the Modern Tyre Service event comfortably from Neil McCance and Jonny Hart. He eased off the throttle over the final loop of stages to arrive at the Newry finish victorious!

"Kenny made our life a lot easier," McGarrity said. "To be honest, I was looking forward to a race with him. He was going very well but when the stages were turned around, neither of us knew them, so I was looking forward to going in there to race him. It's unfortunate but I'll take a win anyway that I can!"

In second position, Neil McCance and Jonny Hart also topped the Sunoco Fuels Group N tables. The win places them in joint second position in championship terms, but it wasn't enough to move ahead of Donagh Kelly, who now leads the category after finishing third overall at the Mourne event.

Enniskillen's Raymond Johnston had entered the rally as the category leader and was on course for taking third in Group N until an incident on stage 10. Navigated by Rodney Hicks, the crew understeered off the road and out of the rally.

"About two miles into stage 10, near the second car park, there was a fairly tight square right," Johnston explained. "I turned in but we went straight off the road. There was a big trail of oil on the road so there was no grip at all. We went through a fence and rolled onto our side."

In the Superdrive 2WD category, Trevor Moore and Ray Fitzpatrick sealed the win as well as a superb fourth overall. Damian Toner and Paddy McCague hounded Moore throughout the day, but a few stages before the finish, Toner decided to settle for second. At least that was until Moore "fell asleep" on the penultimate stage, allowing Toner to move into a one second lead!

Unfortunately, Toner's time at the top was short-lived as a back axle broke during the final stage through no fault of his own. His retirement ensured Moore claimed the victory as well as another maximum points haul.

"I don't know why but I just didn't have any confidence in my notes on stage 12," Moore said. "I was very disappointed with myself after driving so well all day. We got the win in the end but we'll never know what way it would have gone if Damian had stayed in the rally."

Toner's retirement allowed Brian Armstrong and Duncan MacFarlane to take second among the 2WD crews, as well as fifth overall, while Drew Stewart and Liam Regan claimed third in the category and completed the top six overall. Rodney White and Sorcha Kelly took fourth in the Superdrive category with their Sunbeam, while Camillus Bradley and Danny O'Neill sealed sixth after alternator troubles.

The Hankook MSA N.I. Stage Rally Championship now takes a two month summer break before action resumes at Limavady's KPL Utility Services Dogleap Stages Rally. The event marks the series' return to the forests, and the loose-surface rally will take place on Saturday 1 August. More information is available online at the official championship website

DETERMINATION PAYS OFF FOR EMMA

Posted: June 8, 2009 8:59 PM

It has been a frustrating season so far for Emma Mckinstry and Kenny Hull. While they have been encouraged by their pace they have been plagued with bad luck.

Saturday’s Mourne Rally was an event that the pair looked forward to and were hopeful of a good result there. Things started well, Emma’s choice of intermediate tyre proved to be the right one as the rain began on the way to the first stage. Emma emerged from the first Camlough test in third place overall, stage two was cancelled and on stage three Emma admitted to being perhaps a little cautious in the rain and lost some time, dropping back to seventh overall at first service.

Over the second loop of stages Emma and Kenny held station in seventh. On stage seven Emma had a slight overshoot on the first corner, this was the least of Emma’s worries however as the Mckinstry Motorsport Impreza refused to select any gears, leaving the crew stranded for over a minute, which demoted them to seventeenth overall in the standings.

A determined Emma headed into the last four stages with the sole objective of pushing hard and trying to gain a few positions. Unfortunately Emma gained a place before they even reached stage ten as Kenny Mckinstry was forced to retire on the road section with mechanical problems; furthermore the stage was then cancelled due to Raymond Johnston’s accident which didn’t help Emma’s cause.

In the end, Emma’s determination paid off as she and Kenny finished the day in ninth place overall and second in class. Interestingly had it not been for the loss of time on stage seven Emma and Kenny could have finished inside the top five, but such is rallying.

Thanks to Triton Showers, Dunlop Tyres, McGaffin Contracts, Sunoco Fuels, ID Graphics NI and Tom Geraghty Tyres for their continued support and to McKinstry Motorsport for preparing a fantastic car.

Donegal’s Conaghan and Graham Win HASS Drive of the Day Award on the Mourne Rally

Posted: June 8, 2009 8:54 PM

Daniel Conaghan and Trevor Graham from Donegal have become the fourth winners of the 2009 HASS Border Rally Championship Drive of the Day Award.

Driving a Ford Escort, the pair won the highly sought after prize by setting fastest time for a Border Championship registered crew in class 6 on special stage 4 of the Newry based Mourne Rally – round 4 of the 2009 HASS Border Rally Championship.

Daniel and Trevor become the second Donegal competitors to claim the award in 2009 following the success of Noel O’Donnell and Ronan Murrin on the opening round on the Mayo Stages Rally. Meath crews have claimed the other two awards – Thomas Carolan and Declan Smith winning on the Monaghan Stages Rally, while Peter Wilson and Kilmurry took the honours on the Cavan Stages Rally.

The Drive of the Day Award is presented at each of the six rounds of the 2009 HASS Border Rally Championship. Open to all registered championship competitors, a class and stage are selected at random before the start of the rally, with the winner being the fastest crew in the class on that stage to finish the rally.


Danel Conaghan and Trevor Graham won the HASS Border Rally
Championship Drive of the Day Award in Newry
Photo by Brendan Flynn

Video Clips

Posted: June 7, 2009 8:27 PM

Another Great Result For Donagh & Kevin In The Championship Race

Posted: June 7, 2009 8:21 PM

Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan driving the KN Networks backed Evo 9 secured an excellent third overall and second in Group N at the 2009 Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally, round five of the Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

As the crew left the drivers briefing at Modern Tyre Service the heavens opened so it was going to be tricky conditions from the start for Donagh and Kevin to tackle. Donagh and Kevin emerged from the stage one Camlough in 2nd overall and 1st in group N taking 2 seconds from Neil McCance and 3 seconds from Raymond Johnston. Stage two was cancelled due to a problem with the timing equipment so it was on to stage three Big Gullion. Through Big Gullion the Donegal crew were 2nd fastest in Group N but lost 5 seconds to Neil McCance and dropped down to 8th overall and 2nd in Group N just 3 seconds from the Group N lead.

The next three stages were a repeat of the first 3 Camlough, Wee Gullion and Big Gullion. During this loop Donagh and Kevin lost another 16 seconds to McCance but there was still a lot to play for in the race for Group N honours. Donagh commented at service that “We lost a few seconds with a semi-stall at the start of one of the stages and a clutch problem seems to be manifesting itself within the car.” Even with the time loss the crew were still 6th overall and 2nd in Group N.

On stage seven Donagh was fastest in Group N and took a second back from McCance. The time was good enough to move them to 5th overall and only 1 second from Trevor Moore (fourth overall) although he is still being slowed by some clutch troubles. Through stages eight and nine Donagh and Kevin set some good times and moved 5 seconds ahead of Trevor Moore and Ray Fitzpatrick.

Stage ten saw the Donegal crew get a nominal time due to the stage being stopped because of an accident so it was on to stage eleven before the final service halt. On stage eleven Donagh Kelly and Trevor Moore set the same time so it was going down to the wire.

On stage twelve Donagh took 21 seconds from Moore and going into the final stage he was 26 seconds ahead in the race for third. Stage thirteen was unlucky for Donagh and Kevin as they stalled and lost around 20 seconds but still held on to 3rd overall by just 7 seconds. At the finish the crew were pleased to get 2nd in Group N and more points for the championship. They are looking forward to the first gravel event of the season, the Dogleap Stages Rally. As we enter the half way point of the season it is very tight at the top of the Sunoco Fuels Group N championship with only one point separating the top three crews.

Thanks again to the 2009 sponsors, KN Network Services, Donnelly Bros. Dungannon, Prime Tyres and Swan Plant Hire and for there continued support, Shell Racing Fuels, Pirelli Tyres and Vehicle Services Motorsport (www.vsmsport.com).

Full Results and Times, and Rally Bulletins

Posted: June 7, 2009 7:41 PM

HASS Border Series Wide Open As Competitors Head To Newry

Posted: June 4, 2009 12:15 PM

The halfway-point may have been reached, but it would take a brave person to predict the overall winners of the 2009 HASS Border Rally Championship.

As competitors head for round four of the championship, the Newry & Mourne Rally, the class based series is once again providing many twists and turns, with new faces appearing at the top of the leaderboard after each event so far this year. As always, consistency will prove to be the key, and with recent championships having been decided on tie-breaks, a strong finish in every round of the series could be vital.

A well-known name sits as joint leader of the HASS Border Championship after round 3 in Cavan. Niall Maguire and co-driver Enda Sherry have recorded a second in class in Mayo and a brace of overall victories on the last two rounds in Monaghan and Cavan. Currently on 29 points, the Monaghan crew aren’t entered in Newry, which may allow their rivals to steal an all-important championship advantage.

Also on 29 points and sharing the overall lead after round three are Thomas Carolan and Declan Smith in a class 9 Ford Escort. The Meath duo have matched Magure and Sherry score for score so far, with a second in class in Mayo and wins in Monaghan and Cavan. In addition they claimed the HASS Border Championship Drive of the Day Award in Monaghan. A good result in Newry may well see them lead the HASS series going into the final two rounds.

Another crew to watch ar the Donegal pairing of Daniel Conaghan and Trevor Graham who are currently just one point behind the series leaders on 28 points. Despite a difficult event on the Cavan Stages the class 12 Escort crew still managed to bring their Escort home third in class. Having come close to winning the title last year, expect to see Daniel and Trevor to be right in the hunt for championship honours as the season develops.

In fourth overall on 26 points is the class 5 Micra piloted by Jonny Leonard and Jackie Donaldson. The Fermanagh crew have done all that can be asked of them so far with three class wins from three, but lack of competitors in the category have meant a restriction on the maximum points available for their efforts.

Driving a class 10 Corolla, John Kelly and Adrian Flynn are also well in the hunt for overall honours, the Monaghan men with two class wins and a fourth to their credit. They share the position with the Subaru of Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally who came very close to taking overall victory on the last round in Cavan.

Of course in each of the classes there are battles being fought, with among those currently holding the advantage in their respective categories including Brendan Corcoran from Mayo in class 2, Pakie and Calum Duffy from Longford in class 3, Donegal’s Danny McBride in class 4, Adrian McElhinney from Donegal in class 6 and Antrim’s Roger Kennedy and Wendy Blackledge in class 7.

In class 11 Anthony Hand and Emmet Sherry were joint overall leaders before the Cavan Stages Rally but a significant accident on the first stage meant an early exit. The rapid Monaghan driver suffered a broken wrist in that incident, but both driver and co-driver will hopefully be out again soon to resume their championship bid.

Other class leaders include Cavan’s Russell Woods and Martin Byrne who lead class 13 after a fine result on their home event. Donegal’s Peter and Laura Greene hold the advantage in class 14 while Andrew Mackarel and Richard Cassidy are the leaders in class 15.

Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan Head To Round 5, The Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally

Posted: June 4, 2009 9:20 AM

This weekend Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan will make the trip to Newry for the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally, round five of the Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship, which kicks off this Saturday 6th June.

The crew hope to get more valuable points for the championship campaign but will face stiff competition from Mark Massey, Neil McCance and Raymond Johnson all driving Mitsubish Evo 9’s.

On the previous round the KBB Doors Tour Of The Sperrins it was Johnson that took top points which has moved him into the lead of the Sunoco Fuels Group N category but Donagh is only six points behind and is looking for another good result this weekend to help with the championship campaign.

The action kicks off on Saturday at 9.30am with 13 challenging stages and 44 stage miles for Donagh and Kevin to complete.

Thanks again to the 2009 sponsors, KN Network Services, Donnelly Bros. Dungannon, Prime Tyres and Swan Plant Hire and for there continued support, Shell Racing Fuels, Pirelli Tyres and Vehicle Services Motorsport (www.vsmsport.com).

Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally kicks into gear this Saturday!
(Updated Report - Late Entry Kenny McKinstry)

Posted: June 3, 2009 3:05 PM

The Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally, round five of the Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship, kicks off this Saturday from the Modern Tyre Service depot in Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry!

The event, which marks the midpoint of the televised Hankook series, sees Derek McGarrity lead the field away in his Subaru Impreza WRC. The Glengormley pilot, who currently leads this year's championship, narrowly lost out on victory at the 2008 Mourne event.

That win was secured local driver Peadar Hurson. He has decided not to defend his Mourne title, and with the 2008 winner absent from this year's entry list, McGarrity is the odds on favourite to claim victory. He took a last gasp win at the recent KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally, and is on course for securing another N.I. championship title.

Kenny McKinstry and Denis Biggerstaff hold second and third places in championship terms, and McKinstry starts at number two this weekend. He was unsure if he was going to continue with the championship but submitted a last minute entry for the event.

Biggerstaff, on the other hand, has called time on his campaign, leaving McGarrity and McKinstry to fend off challenges from the likes of George Robinson and Ray Brammer. Another former champion, Glenn Allen, will also return to the series with his Toyota Corolla WRC.

In the Sunoco Fuels Group N category, Mark Massey also makes a return after his round four accident. He was among a handful of drivers battling for the outright win until he slipped off the road on the final stage. Massey will face stiff competition from Neil McCance, although the Comber driver will be very wary of the scenery after losing a battle with a tree stump a couple of years ago.

Enniskillen's Raymond Johnston will also be among the pacesetters. He claimed maximum class points at round four, propelling him into the lead of the Group N championship. Donagh Kelly will also be looking to build on his points tally as he only lies six points adrift of Johnston.

Trevor Moore is the current leader of the Superdrive two-wheel-drive category and he will be bidding for another points haul at the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally. He will have plenty of competition for the top spot, with a large contingent of 2WD men, including the local Armstrong family, among the contenders.

The event has also attracted a few Montgomery Motorsport Historic crews. It is "touch and go" for Alan Jardine to make the start after his Loughgall Rally accident a little more than one week ago. But Jardine has been working hard and his Mark 1 Escort is almost pristine once again. Nonetheless, he will have a tough job on his hands to beat Phillip Hunter, who already has three victories to his name.

Vehicle scrutiny will take place at Modern Tyre Service from 6.30pm on Friday 5 June, and the rally will start in earnest on Saturday morning at 9.30am. Crews will tackle 13 stages, with repeat runs through Camlough, Wee Gullion and Big Gullion, before finishing at Bellini's Bar and Restaurant in Newry at approximately 5.20pm.

Top 10 seeds
1 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Subaru Impreza WRC)
2 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC)
3 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Toyota Corolla WRC)
4 George Robinson/Tommy Speers (Subaru Impreza WRC)
5 Neil McCance/TBA (Mit. Lancer Evo 9)
6 Raymond Johnston/Rodney Hicks (Mit. Lancer Evo 9)
7 Richard Cathcart/Martin Brady (TBA)
8 Mark Massey/Andrew McVeigh (Mit. Lancer Evo 9)
9 Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Mit. Lancer Evo 9)
10 Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Subaru Impreza WRC)

Seeded Entry List:

Posted: June 3, 2009 3:01 PM

Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally kicks into gear this Saturday!

Posted: June 2, 2009 11:58 AM

The Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally, round five of the Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship, kicks off this Saturday from the Modern Tyre Service depot in Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry!

The event, which marks the midpoint of the televised Hankook series, sees Derek McGarrity lead the field away in his Subaru Impreza WRC. The Glengormley pilot, who currently leads this year's championship, narrowly lost out on victory at the 2008 Mourne event.

That win was secured local driver Peadar Hurson. He has decided not to defend his Mourne title, and with the 2008 winner absent from this year's entry list, McGarrity is the odds on favourite to claim victory. He took a last gasp win at the recent KBB Tour of the Sperrins Rally, and is on course for securing another N.I. championship title.

Kenny McKinstry and Denis Biggerstaff hold second and third places in championship terms but both drivers have called time on their campaigns. Instead, number one seed McGarrity will have to fend off challenges from the likes of George Robinson and Ray Brammer, while another former champion, Glenn Allen, is set to return to the series in his Toyota Corolla WRC.

In the Sunoco Fuels Group N category, Mark Massey also makes a return after his round four accident. He was among a handful of drivers battling for the outright win until he slipped off the road on the final stage. Massey will face stiff competition from Neil McCance, although the Comber driver will be very wary of the scenery after losing a battle with a tree stump a couple of years ago.

Enniskillen's Raymond Johnston will also be among the pacesetters. He claimed maximum class points at round four, propelling him into the lead of the Group N championship. Donagh Kelly will also be looking to build on his points tally as he only lies six points adrift of Johnston.

Trevor Moore is the current leader of the Superdrive two-wheel-drive category and he will be bidding for another points haul at the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally. He will have plenty of competition for the top spot, with a large contingent of 2WD men, including the local Armstrong family, among the contenders.

The event has also attracted a few Montgomery Motorsport Historic crews. It is "touch and go" for Alan Jardine to make the start after his Loughgall Rally accident a little more than one week ago. But Jardine has been working hard and his Mark 1 Escort is almost pristine once again. Nonetheless, he will have a tough job on his hands to beat Phillip Hunter, who already has three victories to his name.

Vehicle scrutiny will take place at Modern Tyre Service from 6.30pm on Friday 5 June, and the rally will start in earnest on Saturday morning at 9.30am. Crews will tackle 13 stages, with repeat runs through Camlough, Wee Gullion and Big Gullion, before finishing at Bellini's Bar and Restaurant in Newry at approximately 5.20pm.

Entries Still available
84 Entires received to date - Unseeded entry list available

Posted: June 2, 2009 11:56 AM

Entries are still available for the Mourne Rally
There are 84 in to date and a full seeded entry lidt will be on club site from Tuesday Night.

Top entries to date - Derek MGarrity, Glenn Allen, Kenny Mckinstry, George Robinson, Emma McKinstry, Neil McCance, Raymond Johnston, Trevor Moore, full list of entires recieved can be viewed on the club website

Club Statement on 2009 Mourne rally format

Posted: June 2, 2009 11:48 AM

For the 2009 rally season in Northern Ireland, Newry and District motor club were the nominated by the ANICC rallies committee to run a closed road stage rally should a road closing order become available in 2009. Unfortunately in April the club was notified by the Department of Regional Development that of the 10 available road closing orders, 7 were allocated to motorcycle road races and 3 to motor rally’s, the Circuit, the Ulster and Rally Ireland.

On receipt of this disappointing news Newry and District motor club then applied to Motor Sport Ireland for permission to run a stage of the 2009 Mourne rally in Motor Sport Ireland jurisdiction using the ‘Cooley Mountain’ stage. Our application was considered at the Motor Sport Ireland rallies committee meeting on the 20th April 2009 and the committee approved our application subject to 5 conditions. Condition 3 was that ‘Motorsport Ireland safety requirements in respect of competitor personal safety equipment must be complied with’. This was clarified with Motor Sport Ireland, by the ANICC and MSA, to mean that although the Mourne rally will be running under an MSA permit, all competitors would be required to wear a HANS device whilst competing on a stage in Motor Sport Ireland jurisdiction.

The committee of Newry and District motor club considered this situation at its meeting on Tuesday 5th May and having listened to the views of its competitors the committee concluded that for this year it would not increase the financial burden on competitors by making the wearing of HANS devices compulsory on the 2009 Mourne Rally. This means that Newry and District motor club will not include the ‘Cooley Mountain’ stage in this year’s event.

However the club has overcome this disappointment and introduced an exciting new format to the 2009 Mourne Rally which will provide competitors with 44 miles of challenging tarmac stages in a configuration that has never been used before. The event will incorporate the classic Slieve Gullion and Camlough mountain stages with servicing centralised in Newry and a spectacular town centre finish, all being televised by RPM.

Newry and District motor club has a reputation for running excellent rallies and together with our fantastic sponsor, Modern Tyres, this year’s Mourne rally will be one not to be missed we look forward to welcoming you to a fantastic weekend of rallying.

Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally Gets Into Gear

Posted: May 20, 2009 8:48 AM

At a press launch today at Modern Tyre Service in Newry, Des O’Loan from Newry and District Motor Club outlined plans for the forthcoming Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally on Saturday 6th June. Modern Tyre Service will continue their sponsorship of the event for the third year, Modern Tyre Service are Northern Irelands largest independent tyre retailers with 26 depots province wide which includes two located in Newry.

The rally will start from Modern Tyre Service in Carnbane Industrial Estate. The Newry and District Motor Club have introduced an exciting new format to the 2009 event which will provide competitors with 44 miles of challenging tarmac stages in a configuration that has never been used before. The event will incorporate the classic Slieve Gullion and Camlough mountain stages with servicing centralised in Newry at Carnbane Industrial Estate and a spectacular town centre finish, all being televised for UTV by RPM.

The event is a round of the Hankook Northern Ireland Rally Championship and the HASS Southern Ireland Border Championship, the club is expecting an entry of over 100 cars with some of the leading championship contenders competing. Scrutiny will take place at the premises of Modern Tyre Service in Carnbane Industrial Estate on Friday evening which will be open to the public. Regulations and entry forms for the event are now available from the clubs website. (Below)

Remarking at the launch, Des O’Loan said “I am delighted to have Modern Tyre Service on board for a third year, they continue to help raise the profile of the event and we value their continued sponsorship this year.”

Commenting at the launch Stephen Shaw Sales and Marketing Manager for Modern Tyre Service said “We are delighted to be involved in sponsoring the rally for the third year. The event provides us with an excellent opportunity to remind local motorists of the professional service provided by Modern Tyre Service through our network of province wide depots which includes two based in Newry”.

Newry and District motor club have a reputation for running excellent rallies and together with their fantastic sponsor, Modern Tyre Service, this year’s Mourne rally will be one not to be missed. The event organisers and sponsors look forward to welcoming you to a fantastic weekend of rallying.

Regulations / Details

Posted: January 1, 2009 12:01 AM

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