Crowning glory for Breen and Roberts
Not only did the former Billy Coleman award winner have to win the event, he also had to deliver a string of fastest stage times to gain the necessary points (one for every fastest stage time) to overhaul pre-event series leader, Estonian, Egon Kaur.
Fellow Irish driver, Alastair Fisher helped Breen initially by splitting him from his title rival.
However, the Tyrone driver slid down the order and Kaur moved into second.
On Saturday’s final leg of six stages, the pressure mounted on Breen after Kaur set the fastest time on the day’s opening test. It meant that Breen had to set the quickest times on all the remaining stages.
He had a close call on S.S. 14 when he only managed to beat Kaur by a second. He kept his composure and duly posted the top times on all the three stages of the final loop.
In a nail biting finish, both drivers ended with the same points total, however, Breen got the title verdict as he had set more fastest times than Kaur over the season.
A delighted Breen admitted: “it’s the most amazing feeling to get here after all the effort we’ve put in all year.
“We’ve finished level on points but we’ve got it on stage wins so we’re thrilled. I think belief is the main thing.
“I’ve got a fantastic group of people back in Ireland that follow me and believe in me just about as much as I believe in myself.
“We left it until the last stage of the last rally to get that finally. To do it is just amazing.”
The prize has given the Waterford man most of next season’s WRC budget where he will campaign his Ford Fiesta S2000. The Irish crew of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (MINI WRC) had to be content with fourth in the main event after they slid into a drain on the final stage.
Rally winner, Jari Matti Latvala (Ford Fiesta WRC) finished three minutes and 42.9 seconds ahead of Mads Ostberg, Henning Solberg in a privately- entered M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta was third.
Meanwhile, Sebastien Loeb, who had already clinched an eighthsuccessive world title after Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen bowed out, was powerless to avoid a head-on collision with a road car that ended his participation.
Meanwhile, in the Banna Resort Kerry Mini Stage Rally, the Cork crew of Banteer’s, Barry Meade (Ford Escort) and his Millstreet co-driver, Liam Moynihan took a 12 secondvictory over the Kerry/Clare crew of Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery (Ford Escort), who secured the Top Part West Coast Championship.
Brian O’Mahony/Richard Talbot (Metro 6R4) were third.
On the opening stage, Kilflynn, Quinn took a four second lead over the Mitsubishi of top seed, Alan Ring with Meade a further two seconds in arrears.
Shane Maguire (Subaru), Quinn’s only Top Part title rival, was fourth with Ed O’Callaghan (Escort) fifth. Brian O’Mahony (Metro 6R4) backed off after he thought he had sustained a puncture.
Elsewhere, Liam McCarthy (Toyota Corolla WRC) lost time when he hit a chicane bale.
Meade opted for a slick tyre for the second stage at Ardfert and the repeat of Kilflynn.
He moved into a three second lead after S.S. 2 and increased the margin to six by the finish of S.S. 3. Quinn slotted into second with Ring 12 seconds further behind as he lost out of the fast sections of the stage. O’Mahony was three seconds further behind in a top six that also included Monaghan’s, John McQuaid (FordEscort) and his Tralee co-driver, Seamus O’Connor.
Maguire retired after his Subaru caught fire, luckily and with the help of several other competitors using their fire extinguishers, damage was minimal.
Meade stretched his advantage to 11 seconds prior to the final stage and went on to claim his first outright victory.
Quinn took second with O’Mahony third. Fourth placed Ring lost time when his Mitsubishi suffered a misfire on the closing stages.
O’Callaghan, McQuaid and McCarthy completed the top seven.
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