T&D Rallying Press Release - 2002 Dingle Peninsula Circuit of Kerry Rally

Posted: April 10, 2002 7:27 AM

Although Tom and Diarmuid actually finished second in class on the Kerry Motor club organised event, they claimed the points for first place, as the Class winners, David and June Long, chose not to register for the championship.

A puncture on stage two, the Connor Pass, put paid to any chance of a Class win for the T&D Rallying team. "Our time on the second run over the Pass was fifty seconds quicker than the first, so that gives some idea as to how much time we lost with the puncture," said Tom. "It definitely cost us the class win, and about four places in the overall results. We lost another ten seconds or so when we were delayed at one of the hairpins on the Minard Bridge stage. There was another car stopped there, and ours stalled briefly while I went down through the sequential 'box. Other than that, we had a perfect run. We were the quickest two wheel drive car on one of the final stages."

Two other Class 14 crews, who were expected to mount strong challenges, failed to finish the event. Ed Synan and David Doherty retired on stage one with rear axle trouble, while KDMC members, Willie and Marie Power, crashed later in the rally.

The next round of the 2002 Dunlop National Rally Championship is the Monaghan Rally on April 21st