Bioclear Killarney Forestry Rally - 20 Oct 02

Posted: October 21, 2002 10:49 AM

Rain poured down on Sunday morning as the crews left the Riverisland Hotel in Castleisland. The talk from the 80 crews was of the expected slippery stages. It was John McCarthy & Francis Regan who took the lead on the opening stage with a time of 6 mins & 28 seconds over the slippery conditions, four seconds up on the No 1 & 2 seeds, Dermot Kelly and Niall Driver. Eugene Donnelly could only manage 6th fastest time, but was well in the hunt for that national title, beaten by top 2WD through the stage Paul Staunton, and the Escort Cosworth of John Donnelly/Greg McCarthy. First retirement of the rally was Eddie Kinirons and Greg Shinnors in the ex-works Toyota Celica GT-Four. While there was no damage the crew could not get car back on the road after sliding off at a double cautioned right-hander over a bridge, Many of the top crews admitted to having a huge moment at the same location.

Donnelly & Nagle seemed to wake up on the next 2 stages. The were fastest by 3 seconds on SS2 and took 10 seconds out of Dermot Kelly on the long stage 3 to lead by 3 seconds into service at Abbeyfeale. Another 3 seconds behind Kelly was John McCarthy, and all were planning to attack again over the second loop of stages. Kelly & Brennan certainly made there intentions clear, taking 4 seconds out of Donnelly on the next stage to move into a one second lead, the 3rd leader of the rally in 4 stages. Donnelly decided to go for it on the final 2 stages, taking 7 and 10 seconds off Kelly to win by 16 seconds. McCarthy & Regan couldn’t match the pace set by the 2 in front and has to settle for third, a great result for the Fermoy driver who had O’Regan co-driving with him for the first time. John Donnelly and Greg McCarthy who had been 6th at the first service, slid into a dyke on the final stage and lost 20 minutes trying to get out.

Top 2 wheel drive and winner of Class 4 was that blue Escort Mk II driven by Paul Staunton, they were always a few seconds faster than John Reid on the stages but nearly threw it away on the last stage with a 360 degree spin.

Lloyd and Lester Hutchinson in a Mini had a brilliant run to 17th overall and won class 1 by over 4 minutes. Matt Shinnors & Adrian Deasy set the early pace in class 2 but seemed to relax on the second loop to let Billy O’Connell/Derek Power in a Corolla to take the class. Brian Lawlor finished 8 overall and first in class 3.

The best local crew and the winner of the James O’Rourke Memorial Cup was John Hickey with Tralee co-driver Nicholas Burke in the newly built Subaru Legacy.

The Killarney driver only had a second over Jimmy Devane at first service, but Hickey did arrive into service using a Shoelace to operate the clutch! This was fixed in service and when Devane last a minute with suspension problems, the Cup was his. KDMC Chairman Anthony Kelleher with Paul O’Shea on notes finished 28th overall, despite having to do the last 2 stages with no Clutch on the Sunbeam. David Leslie, driving on first rally finished 38th. Co-driven by Mellissa Hennessey, they lost time when they ran out of the road on the 3rd stage, but lucky the damage was only light! Brothers Alan & Tony Dineen in the 1300 Nova finished 5th in class 1. Paul Ahern and Alan Nagle has been up to 4th in the class heading into last stage but slid off on a tightening right hander, no damage but couldn’t get the car back on to the road.

 1 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Nagle (Toyota Celica GT4)	0.48.36
 2 Dermot Kelly/John Brennan (Escort WRC)		0.48.52
 3 John  McCarthy/Francis Regan (Escort WRC)		0.49.23
 4 Niall Driver/Francis Corrigan (Mitsubishi Evo)	0.50.46
 5 Paul Staunton/Bruce Burgess (Ford Escort )		0.50.55
 6 James Murphy/Con Mulcahy (Escort Cosworth)		0.51.26
 7 John Reid/Brendan  Greene (Ford Escort 2.2)		0.52.34
 8 Brian Lawlor/Peter  Kavanagh (Ford Escort MK2)	0.54.09
 9 Jason Roche/Tom Snell (Ford Escort MK2)		0.54.33
10 Michael O Sullivan/Ger Fahy (Ford Escort MK2)	0.55.25
11 Noel Driver/Joe Shinnors Snr (Ford Escort)		0.55.29
12 Ray  Benskin/Martin Godfry (Ford Escort MK2)		0.55.47
13 Michael O Connor/Denis Collins (Ford Escort 2.4)	0.55.54
14 Billy  O Connell/Derek Power (Toyota Corrolla)	0.56.00
15 Matt Shinnors/Adrian Deasy (Ford Escort)		0.56.06
16 John  Hickey/Nicholas Burke (Subaru Legacy RS)	0.56.14
17 Lloyd Hutchinson/Lester  Hutchinson (Mini Cooper S)	0.56.39
18 Michael Tynan/Colin Brady (Vauxhall Astra)		0.56.59
19 Mike O Donoghue/Danny Murphy (Seat Ibizia)		0.57.12
20 Michael  Nevin/Robert Noolan (Ford Escort Mk2)	0.57.29
21 Jimmy Devane/Mike Buckley (Nissan Sunny)		0.57.53
22 Godfrey Kirby/Robert Tynan (Renault Clio)		0.58.01
23 Joe Conway/John Mills (Ford Escort)			0.58.10
24 Danny  McAvoy/Owen Mulcahy (Ford Escort)		0.58.42
25 Tommy Kiely/Mike Cuddihy (Toyota Starlet)		0.58.58
26 Alan Shinnors/George Shinnors (Peugeot 205)		0.59.06
27 Jason  Kelly/Michael Waldron (Peugeot 106)		0.59.47
28 Anthony Kelliher/Paul O Shea (Sunbeam)		1.00.51
29 Aidan Dunlea/Paul Bruton (Peugeot 205)		1.00.53
30 David  Warren/Sean Willoughby (Escort G3)		1.01.23
31 John  Donnelly/Greg McCarthy (Escort Cosworth)	1.01.24
32 John Corrigan/John  Quill (Ford Escort)		1.01.25
33 Danny Creedon/Derry Collins (Toyota Starlet)		1.02.11
34 Coleman Kirby/Stephen O'Riordan (Ford Fiesta)	1.02.31
35 Paddy O Connor/Diarmuid  O Mahony (Ford Fiesta)	1.02.47
36 Tadhg O Conaill/Mossie O Conaill (Peugeot 205)	1.04.14
37 Mark Farrell/David McCormack (Ford Escort)		1.04.42
38 David  Leslie/Mellissa Hennessey (Toyota Corrolla)	1.05.17
39 Noel  Dollery/Liam Hayes (Toyota Starlet)		1.06.20
40 David Murphy/Tim  Foley (Opel Astra)			1.08.14
41 Alan Dineen/Tony  Dineen (Vauxhall Nova)		1.09.39
42 Michael  English/Anthony Fitzgerald (Ford Escort)	1.09.48
43 Eddie  Cronin/Jim Doody (Morris Mini)		1.09.48
44 Mark Kenneally/Arthur Jagoe (Sunbeam)		1.12.16
45 Michael Lenihan/Anthony O Sullivan (Honda Civic)	1.15.07
46 Ted Duggan/Owen Flynn (Ford Escort Mk2)		1.16.22
47 Michael Piggott/Noreen Lehane (Honda Civic)		1.20.00