Following the disappointment of retiring just two stages from home on last weekend's Roger Albert Clark Rally when a flailing punctured tyre broke a suspension upright, triple British champion Steve Perez was back in action yesterday when he contested the Killarney Historic Rally in Southern Ireland and once again came away with a class win.
Along with co-driver Carl Williamson, Perez, from Chesterfield, was driving the Amigos Tequila-flavoured beer branded Lancia Stratos which had seen him take class victories on the recent Cambrian Rally, Trackrod Rally and Wales Rally GB and after the opening stage, was holding 30th overall and fourth in class.
Despite the damp conditions and a very strong local challenge, the 2003 British Historic, 2004 National ANCRO and 2010 BTRDA champion gradually climbed the leaderboard and by half distance was up to 20th overall and third in class in the iconic BTR-prepared Italian machine of 1974 vintage.
But it was in the second half that Perez upped the pace and with some committed driving, he managed to elevate himself to an impressive 14th overall, fifth historic car and second in class at the County Kerry finish. However, by virtue of the fact that class winners Wesley Patterson and Alan Whyte took the overall win in their Ford Escort RS1800, Steve and Carl netted the victory in the Appendix Class K to round off a successful 2012 season.
Steve said: "The car was faultless and never missed a beat all day long so thanks to the team for their hard work. The wet stages didn't help as they don't really suit the power of the car and it was quite difficult at times, especially as I didn't have the local knowledge that some crews did. It was really good to contest classic stages like Molls Gap, Ballaghbeama and Coolick which are renowned in rallying folklore and to come away with being fifth historic car and a class victory is very satisfying. I'm planning on coming back next year to contest the international event so this has stood us in good stead for then."
In Car
Posted: February 27, 2014 2:56 PM
Colm Murphy & Don Montgomery (Ford Escort MkII) SS1
Car Driver Navigator Make/Model Class
1 Wesley Patterson Alan Whyte Ford Escort RS1800 K
2 Tomas Davies Dai Roberts Ford Escort D5
3 Denis Moynihan Eamonn Hayes Ford Escort Mk1 C5
4 Steve Perez Carl Williamson Lancia Stratos K
5 Steven Smith TBA Porsche 911 C5
6 Mark Falvey Colin Moynihan Ford Escort RS1600 C5
7 Melvyn Evans Sean Mullally Ford Escort Mk2 D3
8 Drew Wylie Dean Beckett Ford Escort D5
9 Todd Falvey Gerard Conway Porsche 911 D4
10 Ray Cunningham Ross Forde Morris Cooper S B2
11 Philip Wylie John Young Ford Escort C3
12 Alan Watkins Simon Duggan Ford Escort RS2000 D3
14 Alan Courtney Paul Soutar Porsche 928 D4
15 Brendan McAree JP McAree Porsche 911 K
16 Owen Murphy Peter Keohane Hillman Avenger C3
17 John Spiers Susanne Niedrum Porsche 911 C4
18 Luke Maccarthy David Hogan Porsche 911 B5
19 Kevin Flanagan Donal Falvey Austin Cooper S C2
20 Mervyn Johnston Wendy Blackledge Austin Cooper S B3
21 Ian Chadwick Stephen Quin Austin Mini B2
22 Fin Mackintosh Mike Bartlett Austin Mini Cooper S B2
23 David Cremin Johnny O'Shea Ford Escort Mk1 C3
24 James Power Declan Kelly Ford Escort Mk1 C3
25 James O'Mahony Kerrie Barry Volvo 144 s B4
26 Tim Lenihan Kieran Crowley Ford Escort Mk1 C2
27 Niall O'Connell Keith McCarthy Morris Cooper S C2
28 Stephen Coffey Mikey Galvin Ford Escort Mk1 C2
29 Pat Looney Emma Looney Ford Anglia C2
30 William Todd Aaron Johnston Morris Mini Cooper S B2
31 Aidan Kennedy Tara Duggan Austin Mini Cooper S B2
32 Joe O'Sullivan Melissa Leslie Ford Escort RS2000 D3
33 Pat Neville Peter Neville Volvo 142 B4
34 Leslie Branagan Graham Randall Morris Cooper S C2
35 Edward Hallahan Barry Murphy Ford Escort Mk1 C2
36 John Kenny Kevin Lyons Ford Escort Mk2 B1
37 Thomas O'Brien Colin O'Brien Austin Mini C1
38 Aidan O'Connor Ian Regan Ford Escort C3
39 Philip McKibbin Padraig Brick Ford Cortina B3
40 Mikey Walsh Johnny Curran Talbot Sunbeam D2
41 Colin McDowell Ian Evans Morris Mini C1
42 Pat McDonagh Mike Meade Ford Cortina B3
50 Frank Kelly Liam Brennan Ford Escort Mk2 19
51 Fergus O'Meara Diarmuid Lynch Ford Escort Mk2 19
52 Martin McGee Denis O'Mahony Ford Escort 19
53 Pat Donegan TBA Ford Escort Mk2 19
54 Colm Murphy Don Montgomery Ford Escort 19
56 Kevin O Donoghue David Randles Ford Escort Mk2 19
57 ED Murphy John McCarthy Ford Escort 18
58 Barry Ryan Mark Wiley Ford Escort Mk2 17
59 Vincent O'Shea Brian Hickey Ford Escort 19
60 Charlie Hickey Johnny Hickey Ford Escort RS 18
61 Trevor Mulligan Sean Hayde Ford Escort Mk2 19
62 Llyod Huchinson Willie Fitzpatrick Austin Mini 13
63 David Condell Alan Keena Ford Escort 19
64 Paddy Kiernan James McCarville Ford Escort Mk2 18
65 George Condell Declan Stafford Toyota Starlet RWD 18
66 Joseph Connolly John J Connolly Ford Escort RS Mk2 19
67 Walter Dick Mark O'Sullivan Ford Escort 18
68 Adrian Randles Shane McCarthy Ford Escort Mk2 18
69 John Hickey John McCarthy Lotus Talbot Sunbeam 17
70 Mervyn Wedlock Damien McCabe Ford Escort 18
71 Liam Howlett John McGrath Ford Escort RS Mk2 18
72 Ken Lyons Jennifer Lyons Ford Escort Mk2 18
73 James Cassidy Declan Smith Ford Escort 15
74 Tadhg O Sullivan Colin O Donoghue Ford Escort Mk2 18
75 Paul Fitzgerald Pierce Doheny Ford Escort Mk2 17
76 Brendan Brosnan Tommy Commane Ford Escort Mk1 15
77 Paudie O'Callaghan Dan Murphy Toyota Starlet RWD 16
78 Con Lucey Noel Fleming Ford Escort Mk1 15
79 Eoin Woods Cathal McGrath Ford Escort Mk2 18
80 Cyril Wharton Helen Duggan Ford Escort Mk2 15
81 Seamus Doyle Kevin Barry Ford Escort Mk2 18
82 Allan Mackay MO Downey Ford Anglia WRC 18
83 Patrick Randles Jimmy Murphy Ford Escort mk2 19
84 Jeremiah Flynn Jason Barry Ford Escort Mk2 18
85 Noel O'Sullivan Nicholas Burke Ford Escort Mk2 16
86 Edward Gibbons Des Flynn Hillman Avenger 14
85 PA Bellew Seamus Cooke Ford Escort Mk2 16
88 Denis Hickey Timmie Brosnan Ford Escort 15
89 Cyril Kerr TBA Ford Escort Mk2 17
90 Johnny Fitzgerald Niall Lynch Ford Escort Mk2 15
91 Tom Relihan Maurice McElligott Ford Escort 18
92 Donie McCarthy Henry Reidy Ford Escort Mk2 15
93 Mike Garahy Sean Henehan Ford Escort 14
94 John O'Keeffe Eoin O'Leary Ford Escort Mk2 15
95 Emmet Cronin Mossie O'Connell Ford Escort 16
96 Gary Kiernan James Fulton Ford Escort 14
97 Jonathan Courtney Paul McGlinchey Ford Escort Mk2 15
98 Jerry O'Callaghan Jonathan O'Callaghan Toyota Starlet RWD 15
99 David Fleming Mark Horgan Austin Mini 13
100 Fergus Hurley Eric Deane Ford Escort Mk2 17
101 Colin Fitzgerald Brian Doherty Ford Escort 14
102 Keith Naughton Brendan Behan Ford Escort RS Mk2 19
103 Eamonn Barrett Ken Kenneally Ford Escort 13
104 Jim Cronin TBA Ford Escort Mk2 15
105 Simon Evans Barry Faul Austin Mini Cooper 13
106 Michael McNamara Bobby Archbold Ford Escort Mk2 17
107 Gerard Hodgins TBA Opel Manta 18
108 Anthony Whelton Noel Crowley Ford Escort Mk2 17
109 Nigel Molloy Natalie Molloy Ford Escort Mk2 14
110 Terry Carmody Don Bosco Rogers Ford Escort 17
J1 Leon Galvin Enda Kennedy Ford Escort J1
J2 Colin Roche Noel O Sullivan Jnr Toyota Starlet RWD J1
J3 John O'Flaherty TBA Toyota Starlet RWD J1
J4 Brian Slattery TBA Ford Escort Mk2 J1
J5 Simon Greene Brendan Greene Ford Escort Mk2 J1
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