2000 West Coast Championship - Galway MC Competitors Report

Posted: December 2, 2000 12:29 AM

The championship began last March in Galway and saw crews traveling to Dingle, Limerick, Ennis and Skibereen throughout the Summer before last weekend’s trip to Tralee.
On Sunday’s event, run over the 9.5 mile ‘Desmond’s Grave’ stage, Galway’s George Cullen and Dermot O’Gorman in the Tom Hogan Motors/Better Blinds Celica were unlucky not to have taken overall victory when gearbox problems hampered them on the fast and twisty stage. The pair had to settle for second behind Killarney’s Johnny O’Sullivan and Pat Cashman in an Escort WRC.

Other Galway crews securing class results on the day were Gerry Broderick and Neil Pierce (Ardrahan, Swift) 1st in Class 1, Patsy Finnerty and Declan Moylan (Headford, Nova) 2nd in Class 6, David Leonard and Dave Ray (Loughrea, Swift) 3rd in class 5 and Tony Shiel and John Burke (Kilimor, Sierra) 3rd in class 13. These results mean that the Galway crews of Gerry and Marie Broderick in their Grp.N Suzuki Swift have added the West Coast class 1 title to the National title they secured recently. This is the second year in a row that the Broderick husband and wife pairing have taken both titles.

David Leonard and Dave Ray in their Grp.A Nortel Networks Suzuki Swift Gti have taken victory in Class 5 of the 6 round championship. This completes a unique record for Leonard as he becomes the first person to win a championship class as both a driver and co-driver.

The Top Part West Coast Championship prizegiving will take place on Jan 20th in Adare, Co. Limerick when all of the top crews gather for the traditional end of season bash.