Statoil Galway International Rally - 21-22 Feb '98

Posted: February 28, 1998 2:55 PM

CARS
The entry in Galway was one of the strongest seen at a Rally in Ireland since the Group B era!
Bertie Fisher had a new Subaru Impreza 555 (R555 FEL), as opposed to a WRC Version, Fisher believing the 4 door narrow car would be more suitable to the narrow Irish Roads, the car was in fact the last 4 door shell to be built by prodrive (No. 061). Fisher had usual co-driver Rory Kennedy on the Notes.
However the car was complete with all the latest tricks, active diffs lastest suspension, even the gear change buttons on the Steering Wheel.

Stephen Murphy and Eamonn Boland came to Galway with their new M-Sport Escort WRC's, the second WRC for Boland in less than a year! Both cars sporting the latest 6 speed seq. Gear Boxes, as well as being Right hand drive examples.
Bolands new car (R14 FMC) also sported a change of colour for the Wexford Man: Black compared with his usual Yellow.

McHale/Murphy and Nesbitt came to Galway with their well developed Ex-TTE Celicas (ST185 Examples); waiting for new Corrolla WRCs perhaps??, while David Greer was on a rare outing in his example. Jimmy McRae (a past winner of the event) was out in a Porsche 911 4WD. Nesbitt had Cork Man James O'Brien on the notes.

Charlie Donnely and Ian Greer were in ST165 Celicas this being Greer's last outing before switching to an ST185 Example. Just outside the Top 10 was Paul Harris in his Subaru Legacy, and John McClusky in the highest seeded Escort Cosworth.

Group N in Ireland over the past number of years has been Subaru dominated. However, were things about to Change? Pat Kirk and Eugene Meegan were just 2 drivers to start the event in Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV's, a total of 4 starting the event. Derek McGarrity started the event in a Group N Escort Cossie, waiting for the Evo V to be Homologated before taking the wheel of one of the beasts. Brendan Kelly was in David Greer's Black Impreza for the event.

2 Metro 6R4s started this years event, Seeded 18 and 19 in the hands of Ray Breen/Podge Newe and Declan Wilmott/Jim Casey.

Route
This year being the 25th running of the event, the Galway Motor Club ran the Saturday Stages to the west of Galway in Connemara, using a rolling loop of Stages. This caused problems with spectators, as access to stages was very limited, (People crowding around the start and finish of stages) and with an estimated 20,000 people in the one area, severe traffic problems also occourred.
A early start for the crews on Saturday morning, with the crews leaving Parc Ferme from 8:00am.

SS1, Seanaféistín, the longest stage of the event at 12 miles was also the bumpiest, this was followed by Cashel and the Ultra fast Lough Inagh Stage, followed by Service in Maam Cross.
SS4 and SS5 were SS2 and SS3 repeated followed by SS6 lough Nafooey, an Old Circuit of Ireland Stage.
The 2nd service of the days was then had in Maam Cross before the crews tackled the final 3 stages of the day, SS7 a repeat of SS3 & 5, SS8 a repeat of Lough Nafooey, and the bumpy Seanaféistín.

After service in the Car park of the Galway Shopping Centre, the Sunday action began with the short Spectator stage on the outskirts of Galway City, followed by 3 stages repeated, Laragh, Elm, and Tiaquinn, with service after the first loop in Athenry Mart. These stages were similar to the stages used last year, being fast but very slippery.

Saturday dawned overcast and wet. It didn't seem to bother Bertie Fisher as he was fastest on a very bumpy first stage with a time of 9:45, even passing Austin McHale on the stage. For McHale the opening stage was a disaster, when the wiper on the drivers side came off after only 3 miles of the stage - he was lucky to lose only 36 seconds to Fisher. Second fastest was a surprise - Paul Harris seeded at number 11 found himself the only other driver to break the 10 min mark, he set a time of 9:59, to Boland on 10:06, Donnelly on 10:11.
However the real heros of the stage were the local Walsh brothers who in fact live in the area, they completed the stage in 11th spot, with a time of 10:29...in their 2.0 Mark 2 Escort!

Over the next 2 stages McHale started his charge back, although with the top cars breaking the bogey time on SS2 and 4, his caused wasn't helped. Also on a charge was Stephen Murphy, on his first rally since last May, a slow start not helped by a bad tire choice left the Statoil WRC on the wrong side of the top ten. Jimmy McRae was showing that he is still a force in Rallying firmly in the Top ten.

In Group N after a slow Start, Brendan Kelly passed the early leader Pat Kirk to lead over night.

By second service McHale was back up to second, 32 seconds behind the flying Fisher. It might have been more, on SS6 Fisher spun fishing the stage with a time of 8:45 to McHale 8:36. Harris was still third, holding off Nesbitt and Boland. Nesbitt with new co-driver James O'Brien on the notes, was taking it easy, after a troublesome '97, he needed to start '98 with a finish.

With SS7 not run due to spectator problems and Fisher taking 3 seconds off McHale on SS8 despite both spining on the same Hairpin, McHale might have thought that his wouldn't be able to make it a sixth win. However on the last stage of the day (A re-run of SS1) he took 6 seconds off Fisher and was over a minute faster than his run a few hours earlier, the Toyota stopping the clocks on 9:13. However, the stage ended Paul Harris' Great run, the Donegals Man's Legacy didn't finish the stage, the Engine in his Legacy cried enough. This gave Nesbitt third place and Boland 4th overnight. For Don Wilmott the rally will be remembered for the wrong reason, a huge off left the Metro 6R4 upside down in a Connamera bog!

Leaderboard End Day 1

 1. B. Fisher/R. Kennedy (Subaru Impreza 555)........59.13
 2. A. McHale/B. Murphy (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD)....59.48
 3. A. Nesbitt/J O'Brien (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD).1:01.03
 4. E. Boland/D. Morrissey (Ford Escort WRC).......1:01.15
 5. S. Murphy/MJ Morrissey (Ford Escort WRC).......1:01.59
 6. H. Doherty/M. Gibson (Subaru Impreza 555)......1:02.04
 7. I. Greer/D. Beckett (Toyota Celica GT4)........1:02.28
 8. J. McRae/C. Patterson (Porsche 911 4WD)........1:02.27
 9. C. Donnelly/E. Donnelly (Toyota Celica GT4)....1:02.48
10. D. Greer/V. Fergus (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD)...1:04.01

At service in Galway on Sunday Morning, a slight water leak was found on Fisher's Impreza, which may result in a power loss. Another Impreza with problems was Hugh Martin Doherty's Example, a small leak from a crack in the Gearbox casing was letting fumes into the Car.

It's been said that "McHale always goes better on the second Day". Despite losing 2 more seconds to Fisher on the Spectator Stage, once the real stages started Fisher's lead started to fall. Despite a spin or 2 on the slippery conditions, McHale pulled back 8 seconds on SS11 and 9 on SS12.

On SS13 the pressure paided off when on a very slippery square right, the Silver Impreza slid wide, and hit a pillar, breaking a wheel and the damaging the suspension. A minute and the lead was lost. Murphy was also on a charge, fifth over night, and now on Bolands tail. In Group N, Brendan Kelly hit a pole with his Impreza, this gave Pat Kirk the lead, but Turbo Problems sidelined his Evo IV to leave the Escort of Derek McGarrity the class winner.

As if the huge crowds who followed the stages on Sunday hasn't had enough drama, there was more to follow.
On the final stage, Jimmy McRae who was lying 7th going into the last stage clipped a bridge wall and retired.

Going into the last corner, Boland had only 1 second to spare over Murphy -- only Stephen Murphy when off on the last corner dropping 4 mins and 3 places to Eight.

 Final Results

1. A. McHale/B. Murphy (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD)..1:45.00
2. B. Fisher/R. Kennedy (Subaru Impreza 555)......1:46.05
3. A. Nesbitt/J O'Brien (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD).1:47.27
4. E. Boland/D. Morrissey (Ford Escort WRC).......1:47.39
5. I. Greer/D. Beckett (Toyota Celica GT4)........1:49.56
6. C. Donnelly/E. Donnelly (Toyota Celica GT4)....1:50.25
7. H. Doherty/M. Gibson (Subaru Impreza 555)......1:50.31
8. S. Murphy/MJ Morrissey (Ford Escort WRC).......1:52.27
9. D. Greer/V. Fergus (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD)...1:52.41
10.J. Harrison/H. Bell (Ford Escort RS Cosworth)..1:54.39

Gp N:
D. McGarrity/V. Carruthers (Ford Escort RS Cosworth)
Top 2WD
D. Smith/P. Flanagan (Escort Mk2 2.4)
F2
S. Keenan/S. O'Riordan (Opel Astra GSI)

Retirements:

SS16 J. McRae (Porsche 911 4WD)..........(Suspension Damage)
SS15 Doherty (Subaru Legacy RS)..........(Reason Unknown)
SS8  Harris (Subaru Legacy RS)...........(Engine)

Leaders:

SS1-SS13....Fisher 
SS13-SS16...McHale