O’Riordan looks hot for West Cork Rally

Knowing that every second counts, Midleton’s Daragh O’Riordan is favourite to win the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally this weekend.

After losing last year’s rally by 1.3 seconds, he admitted he hadn’t paid any great attention to the town stage during the reconnaissance. It will be run on two occasions tomorrow with O’Riordan’s Subaru WRC expected to have the advantage over both, and indeed the other 14 stages of the Clonakilty event.

Even though a Group N car has never won the rally, Colm Ring, Kevin Kelleher and Alan Ring all fancy their chances. Limerick ace Murphy (Subaru) and his Cork co-driver Don Montgomery, led for a time last year but problems with the exhaust thwarted their efforts.