Motorsport: Lambert sets hot pace in Birr

Tipperary duo, Jimmy Lambert and James Coleman, in their Suirway Lifts liveried Ford Escort are the early leaders of the Birr Single Stage Rally, jointly sponsored by Dooley’s Hotel & Garahy Tractors.

Winners of the Wexford event last December, they justified the tag of pre-event favourites with a finedrive through the wet and slippery stage.

On the 10-mile stage in the Killyon/Clareen area,they finished with a stage time of seven minutes and

45 seconds.

Their performance gave them a seven second advantage over second placed, Rodney Wilson

Peter Leahy (Escort 1600).

One of the drivers of the first stage came from Fermanagh’s, Garry Jennings and his Cork co-driver,

David Moynihan (Peugeot 106), they are just a second behind Wilson/Leahy. Mervyn Wedlock, also in an Escort, slots his Escort into fourth place (7 minutes 58 seconds).

In wet conditions, Gordon Percy, in yet another Escort, is the best of the local drivers, he’s fifth - a mere second ahead of John Nolan with David Percy another two seconds further adrift.

The top 10 is completed by Gordon Rogers/Peter McEntee; James Foley/Andrew Cullen and David James/Ron Guha (Escort).

1. Jimmy Lambert/James Coleman (Escort) 7M. 45S.

2. R. Wilson/P. Leahy (Escort) 7M. 52S.

3. Garry Jennings/David Moynihan (Peugeot 106) 7M.

53S.

4. Mervyn Wedlock/P. Shaw (Escort) 7M. 58S.

5. Gordon Percy/Joe Shinnors (Escort) 7M. 58S.

6. John Nolan/John Smithwick (Escort) 7M. 59S.