Nutt proves a cracker in Killarney Historic Rally

MAINTAINING his remarkable run of success on the Killarney Historic Rally, Dessie Nutt, co-driven by Geraldine McBride in a Porsche 911, won his fifth title when he finished the ten-stage event a minute and twenty one seconds ahead of the similar Porsche of John Keatley/Maurice Beckett.

The Post Historic category was won by John and Christy Farrell (Escort) while Welsh duo, Phil Collins/Howard Davies (Escort) won the Classic category.

Nutt charged through the opening stage at Molls Gap and instantly opened up a lead he was never to forfeit. He was 13 seconds quicker than Keatley, the only other driver to have won this event since its inception. Two of their protagonists hit trouble, Philip Wylie hit his MGB off a wall and into retirement, while Drexel Gillespie’s Lotus Cortina had to stop with a distributor malady that cost him several minutes and put him out of contention.

By the first service in Castletownbere, Nutt had stretched his advantage to 34 seconds as Keatley spun on the Tim Healy Pass. Another contender, Steve Perez was expected to mount a serious challenge, however, he took time to adjust to the Irish roads as his Porsche developed brake problems. Following the run over Cod’s Head. Ardgroom and Tim Healy Pass, Nutt, with a string of fastest times was well clear of his only rival as Mervyn Johnston (Mini), Perez and Limerick’s Connie Ward (Mini), who had to contend with an overheating problem, followed behind.

Over the closing stages although Nutt slackened his pace, he duly picked up his fifth Killarney victory. Keatley took second with both Johnston and Ward moving ahead of Perez on the final stages.

Like Historic winner, Nutt, John Farrell, co-driven by his brother, Christy, led the Post Historic category from the start. An eight second advantage from Molls Gap paved the way for a dominant ten second win over the Escort of Martin Freestone with and the Mini Cooper of Ray and Elaine Cunningham, with Lloyd and Lester Hutchinson (Mini) another 23 seconds in arrears in third. Cunninghams’ plight wasn’t helped when their Mini Cooper developed a misfire.

Meanwhile, in the popular Classic category, Phil Collins took the honours after early leaders, Philip Shaw and Donie O’Sullivan had difficulties. Not surprisingly, local driver, O’Sullivan was quickest through Molls Gap as he extricated a five second lead over Shaw with Collins and another local driver, Tom Randles in third, a mere second adrift. Unfortunately, Randles crashed on the second stage as O’Sullivan was being given a stern test by Shaw, who had moved to within a second of the leader.

Shaw took up the lead role after S.S. 4, Cod’s Head with Phil Collins and O’Sullivan completing the top three. By S.S. 6. Healy Pass, Shaw extended his advantage over Collins to 22 seconds but O’Sullivan lost considerable time with a puncture that damaged the steering. Shaw retired with clutch trouble and Collins took control of the category, setting the fastest time on three of the four remaining stages to win by 90 seconds from O’Sullivan, who was quickest on the final stage, Dereendarragh. Wesley Patterson overcame a broken manifold to claim a fine third.

Almost doubling his advantage of the third and final run, Eddie Kinirons (Toyota Celica) won the Carlow Rallysprint at Mondello Park where he was some five seconds ahead of the Mitsubishi of Mark Courtney. Another Mitsubishi, driven by Joe Murray, was third.

World Rally Champion, Marcus Gronholm won the Michelin Race of Champions in Gran Canaria after he defeated Frenchman, Sebastian Loeb in a dramatic final that went down to the wire in the best of three at the Circuito Ciudad Deportiva at Telde.

In the Junior Race of Champions, Fermanagh’s, Niall McShea lost out to eventual winner, Francois Duval who defeated local ace, Fernando Suarez in the final. USA won the Nations Cup.

Emmett Queenan (17), from Frenchpark, County Roscommon, beat off the challenge of Ireland’s best eight karters for the use of a Van Diemen Formula Ireland car throughout the 2003 Formula Ireland season. The announcement was made at yesterday’s final day of the Motorsport International. This season, Queenan swept all before him in the 125 National Karting Championship wining all seven regional, national and single event championship titles on offer, from the sixteen races he contested, he won nine.

Irish Motorsport honours its top performers at the Alfa Romeo sponsored Awards for Excellence in Irish Motorsport that takes place at the Conrad Hotel, Dublin today. The Young Rally Driver and Young Racing Driver of the Year awards are set to be the highlight of the day.