Ford Focus Championship - Round 3 Clare Stages Rally

Posted: September 23, 2002 10:08 AM

Colm really threw down the gauntlet on the next stage not only setting fastest Focus stage time but also recouped all the lost time to take the joint lead with Stanley. Stanley responded magnificently, setting fastest stage time on fifth stage of the day to move into four-second lead. Murphy once again was fastest on stages six and seven turning a four second deficit into a eight second advantage. However his great rival Stanley responded setting fastest time on stage eight to reduce Murphy's lead to just two seconds heading into the ninth and final stage of the day. Both crews threw caution to the wind but half way through the stage Stanley clipped a rock breaking a driveshaft and coasted to a halt. Colm cruised home to his first victory of the season to move him into joint second position in the 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship, just one point in arrears to series leader Hamilton Bell (Hillsborough).

Cathal O'Reilly (Cavan) in the Autotech Body shop Ford Focus endured difficult day to set one fastest Focus stage time to secure an excellent second position overall. Gabriel Martin (Dublin) in the Colton Motors Ford Focus put the setbacks of the previous rounds to rest securing his first podium position of the season.

"I am absolutely over the moon, after the disaster of Ulster I had to win here today. We had a great battle all day with Oliver and Cathal but I said from the very beginning that the battle would go down to the last stage. The Championship is so close you cannot afford to relax for a split second. I am really looking forward the next round of the series," said Colm.

"Once again the 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship is proving to be one of the highlights of the 2002 Irish Motorsport season with three different winners from the first three rounds, we are all watching with great excitement who will take victory on the next round of the series in Cork", said Declan Foley, Focus Brand Manager, Ford Ireland.

"The closeness of the 2002 Ford Focus Rally Championship is underlined with three crews currently lying in joint second position and sixth position overall, with two rounds still to go the Championship battle will go down to the wire" said Tom Collins, Championship Director.

POS.	NAME		TIME
 1	Colm Murphy	0.00.00
 2	Cathal O'Reilly	0.00.41
 3	Gabriel Martin	0.02.03
 4	John Foley	0.00.13
 5	Ken Lyons	0.00.02
 6	Hamilton Bell	0.01.37
 7	Brendan Kelly	0.00.33
 8	Oliver Stanley	DNF

Points after Round 3
POS.	NAME		POINTS
 1	Hamilton Bell	57
 2	Oliver Stanley	56
 -	Cathal O?Reilly	56
 -	Colm Murphy 	56
 5	John Foley	42
 6	Gabriel Martin	38
 -	Ken Lyons	38
 - 	Brendan Kelly	38