Donal Healy/Denis O’Donovan take lead in Munster Navigation Trial Championship
Within a few miles of the start in Leap, all the competitors were in difficulty at French’s farmyard where the complex lane network cost them time. Aside from the winners, the Longford/Monaghan combination of Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes (Subaru) managed to traverse the opening section by also dropping three penalty points, the same total as Healy/O’Donovan.
Winners of the opening round of the Munster series Alan Shinnors/George Shinnors (Subaru) were on four penalties with the Leap/Lisavaird pair of Dermot Whelton/Mark McCarthy the best of the rest with seven penalty points. Most of the others had amassed penalties that ran into double — or indeed treble-figure sums.
As the route headed across the N71 for areas around Glandore and Union Hall Healy/O’Donovan didn’t incur any further penalties. It was a similar situation for Duffy/Hughes. However, on the north side of the N71 they incurred 15 penalties near Clounkeen for a wrong departure. As the winners continued their good form they finished with three penalties, even returning to French’s lanes for the final sector.
Meanwhile, Whelton/McCarthy had a tremendous finish, only dropping one more penalty and that was enough to claim second from Duffy/Hughes. Alan Shinnors/George Shinnors lost a chunk of time when their Subaru was stricken on the closing section near Ballyroe and they were forced to skip some three-time points and had to be content with fourth.
The Semi-Expert category was won by Ballydehob natives George Swanton/David Swanton. One of the performances of the event was put in by the West Cork crew of Timothy Hayes/Fineen O’Donovan (Toyota Avensis) who were sixth overall and winners of the Beginner’s class. Former forest rally champion, Ovens driver Owen Murphy (Subaru) and his Togher navigator Daire Hayes, were in difficulty within a few kilometres of the start, when their Subaru was stuck and they had to miss several time points.
A margin of just 0.624 seconds separated the top two teams in the Leinster Motor Club’s 6-Hour Ford Fiesta Endurance Race in Mondello Park. The Southside Motor Factors team of rally crew Neil and Gerard Tohill, former Formula Renault racer Keith Dempsey and US Sportscar Racer Damien Faulkner took the chequered flag just ahead of the Murray Motorsport Team 2 of Hugh Drennan, Dave Maguire, John Farrelly and Rod McGovern.
Last year’s winners Murray Motorsport 1 – Niall Murray, Eoin Murray, Barry English and Michael Cullen - were on pole. However, brake failure at the very first corner saw Niall Murray off into the gravel and although he got back on track to return to the pits, his Fiesta had an altercation with the pit wall following further brake failure. They lost some 26 laps before they rejoined the race.
At the two-hour mark, the Blackchurch Motors outfit, with Kevin O’Hara at the wheel, led the way and at half distance, the Mr. Gearbox team courtesy of Rod McGovern held the advantage.
With two hours remaining, the Plan B team, with Eimear Dooley driving, led Murray Motorsport 2, who had Dave Maguire at the helm.
Then, as darkness fell, US racer Damien Faulkner used his vast experience and kept his composure to guide the Southside Motor Factors team to success ahead of the Murray Motorsport 2 outfit and Keith Dawson drove the Mr. Gearbox Fiesta to third, albeit a lap down.
Elsewhere, Ollie Mellors (Proton Satria Neo) won the Grizedale Rally in Cumbria where he finished one second in front of the Ford Focus WRC of David Wright with the Ford Fiesta of Stephen Petch eleven seconds further behind in third.
The Irish crew of Pauric Duffy/Kevin Glynn (Ford Fiesta R5+) were 16th overall.
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