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LinksTom Hogan Motors Stonethrowers Rally - 13 Aug 00
Posted: August 15, 2000 1:20 AM - 13486 Hits
Thanks to Oisin O'Briain
Round 8 - 2000 Dunlop National Championship
Round 6 - South East Stages Championship
Round 6 - 2000 Ford Ka Championship
O’Donovan stars in Tipp but
local hero Meagher takes the win
Frank Meagher emerged as the winner of the eighth round of the Dunlop National Rally today when the local hero won the Clonmel based Tom Hogan Motors Stonethrowers Rally by eight seconds from early rally leader Donal O’Dovonan.
Driving his Eircom.net Toyota Celica, O’Donovan took the rally lead on the third stage when he set the first of three consecutive fastest stage times but a massive last minute charge by Meagher turned the table on the West Cork driver. Meagher going 36 seconds fastest over the final two stages.
Posted: August 15, 2000 1:20 AM
Setting the early pace Meagher recorded the fastest time on the opening stage by just one second from Wexford’s Eamonn Boland. Boland driving a Subaru Impreza WRC then headed the times on following stage before drama struck many of the top crews. On stage three Boland spun and stalled losing 20 seconds, Meagher suffered a puncture while Pete Doughty came to a halt with turbo problems on his Escort WRC. Championship leader Niall Maguire skidded off the road losing several minutes but the Monaghan driver recovered well to finish ninth overall.
In the battle for the championship, fourth place on today’s rally sees Donegal’s Paul Harris reduce Maguire’s lead in the Dunlop backed series to just three points. With only two rounds remaining the battle between the two Subaru drivers looks set to go right to the end.
With Meagher winning from O’Dovonan, Boland, and Harris it was Tim McNulty who took fifth with Tommy Graham rounding off the top 6.
Group N was once again won by Patrick Elliot in his Mitsubishi Lancer while in the Ford of Ireland Ka Championship it was John Carroll who won from James Travers, second being enough for the Kilkenny driver to clinch the title in the one make series.
1. Frank Meagher/Michael Maher (Ford Escort WRC).........1:03.56 2. Donal O’Donovan/Pat Lordan (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD)..1:04.04 3. Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Subaru Impreza WRC)...1:04.40 4. Paul Harris/Eugene O’Donnell (Subaru Impreza Sti).....1:05.05 5. Tim McNulty/Julian Nagle (Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD)....1:05.45 6. Tommy Graham/Anthony Nestor (Ford Escort WRC).........1:06.39 7. George Cullen/Dermot O’Gorman (Toyota Celica GT-Four).1:07.14 8. Cathal Arthurs/Bob Kelly (Toyota Celica GT4)..........1:07.31 9. Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Subaru Impreza 555)....1:07.43 10.Patrick Elliot/Martin Cahill (Mit. Lancer EVO VI)......1:08.45Championship Standings (after Round 8 of 10)
1. Niall Maguire - 101 2. Paul Harris - 98 3. Tim McNulty - 84 4. Patrick Elliot - 74 5. Donal O’Donovan - 69 6. George Cullen - 61
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