Willie Coyne clinches Irish Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park title at Mondello
Coyne was the pre-event favourite and having won two heats earlier in the day he was well on course to follow his brother, who won the title in 2009.
Even though his Vauxhall Nova developed driveshaft trouble on the third heat and he failed to finish, Coyne’s double heat feat gave him pole position for the Modified final.
Needing only a top four finish to claim the title, it was no surprise when he went into championship mode.
Rather than getting involved in a race at the front he stayed out of trouble and came home third to claim the spoils.
There was a surprise in the Supercar final as Noel Greene (Mitsubishi) beat the Ford Fiesta Supercar of Derek Tohill, who had qualified on pole.
Tohill, stalled his Fiesta on the start line and the entire field passed him before he could make his getaway.
Making a great recovery he went on to finish second and well ahead of third placed Kildare’s Padraig Leeson (Vauxhall Corsa). Shane Bell (Subaru) won the Rallycar class.
Meanwhile, the Cork Startrek Navigation Trial in Shanballymore was decided on a tie-break with victory being awarded to Limerick pair Alan and George Shinnors (Subaru).
They finished the event, round two of the national series and the opening round of the Munster Championship with three penalties – all collected in the Ballyhoura forest complex during the first section.
It was a similar experience for the Cork crew of Donal Healy/Denis O’Donovan (Toyota Starlet), albeit incurring the penalties at an earlier location that was enough to deny them victory.
Two other Cork crews were third and fourth respectively — Dermot Whelton/Mark McCarthy (Subaru) finished with four penalties also incurred in Ballyhoura while top seeds Owen Murphy/Daire Hayes (Subaru) finished the 80-mile route with six penalty points.
The Novice section went to Ciaran Sheridan/Conor Boylan (Subaru) while Burnfort’s Patrick Murphy and Shanballymore’s Mikey Walsh (Subaru) had victory in the Beginner’s class.
The Cavan Autocross at Latton Quarry was won by Oldcastle’s Christopher Snow (Honda Civic), who beat Cavan’s Joe Smith (Escort) by a second.
Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel won the Race of Champions Trophy at the former Olympic Stadium in London as he beat four-time finalist and Le Mans specialist Tom Kristensen.
Saloon drivers Andy Priaulx and Jason Plato joined up to give Team England 1 victory in the ROC Nations Cup final over Team Germany’s Sebastian Vettel and Nico Hulkenberg.
Nxt year’s Quality Hotel West Cork Rally in Clonakilty will have International status.The two-day event has been included as a round of the inaugural FIA Celtic Rally Trophy (albeit subject to FIA World Motorsport Council approval early next month) along with the Rally of the Lakes, the Ulster Rally and the Rally Isle of Man.
The 1986 event that was won by the late Frank Meagher (Ford Escort) was run under an International permit.
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