Ford Ka Championship - Round 5 Stonethrowers

Posted: August 9, 1999 5:01 AM

The Stonethrowers Rally developed into one of the greatest battles of the Championship to date with the top five competitors separated by only fourteen second after nearly 100 miles of close competition. The lead between Derek Daly and Pat Quinlan changing four times during the course of the day. Derek Daly took the lead after the first loop of stages, Quinlan then replied by putting in a stunning drive on the second loop of stages to take the lead by a mere three seconds. Quinlan held the lead going into the final stage where Derek Daly pulled out all the stops to take victory by just two seconds, one of the closest finishes in Irish Rallying history.

Ian Chadwick still maintains his Championship lead after a difficult day when he made the wrong tyre choice on a number of stages, which cost him a higher finish. Ian actually tied for third place with rising star Paddy Byrne from Bray however Ian secured the place as he had the highest number of fastest times on the day.

Fourth placed Paddy Byrne produced one of his best drives of the season and scored his highest finish to date of fourth place having suffered a run a bad luck in recent rounds, he was only ten seconds of the pace.

BOYZONE STAR CRASHES OUT.

Boyzone star Shane Lynch crashed out on Stage 1 of the Stonethrowers rally in Clonmel, a very deceptive junction caught out Shane, 1 mile into the first stage of the rally. His Ford KA left the road and slammed into a wall at high speed causing too much damage to continue. Shane was very grateful that the Ford KA is such as a strong car in what proved to be a very big accident

I cant believe it, I hit a unseen rock on the inside of a corner that launched me into the air. We hit a stone wall with the back of the car the wheel the car was too badly damaged to continue said a disappointed Shane.

The Stonethrowers Rally was Shanes first home event as Shane has only competed in the forests in the UK to date. Having really enjoyed himself during the weekend Shane has vowed to return soon to the Irish Ford KA Championship.

Results:

1st	Derek Daly/Jakes Kelly		Killarney	 .00
2nd	Pat Quinlan/Joe Doolan		Clonmel		 .02
3rd	Ian Chadwick/Hugh Giles		Cork		 .09
4th	Paddy Byrne/Bruce Burges	Wicklow		 .09
5th	James Travers/Niall Keogh	Kilkenny	 .14
6th	Oliver Stanley/Diarmuid Falvey	Durrow		 .49
7th	Keith Colton/Pat Lowbridge	Tullamore	1.33
8th	Paul Callan/Barry Goodman	Dundalk		1.52
9th	Ken Lyons/Paddy McDonnell	Limerick	1.58
10TH	Gerry Casey/Vincent Collins	Castlebar	3.35
11TH	John Carroll/Terence OShaughnessy Kilkenny	3.48
12TH	Gus Kearney Jnr./Andrew Kearney	Clonmel		6.09

DNF	Shane Lynch/Andy Bull		Dublin	DNF
DNF	Liam Denning/Paul Molloy	Dublin	DNF
DNF	Barry Barrable/Trevor Hamilton	Dublin	DNF
DNF	Michael Lillis/Paul Kenny	Dublin	DNF