Stewart edges close finish in Mourne Rally
The pair were level after nine of the 13 stages. David Armstrong (Ford Escort) was seven seconds further behind in third.
On the first stage, a relatively short test, David Armstrong (Ford Escort) and Andrew Mullen (Mitsubishi) set identical times with Derek McGeehan (Mini WRC) just three seconds behind, the latter co-driven by Monaghan’s Damien Connolly was on his first competitive outing on tarmac in several years and was using the rally as a test for next month’s Down Rally.
The second stage, the longest of the rally, saw Mullen open up a three second lead over McGeehan with Armstrong another second behind. By the completion of the opening loop of three stages, Stewart was eight seconds in front of McGeehan with Mullen a second further behind in third.
On the repeat loop, the lead changed once more with Mullen a mere two seconds ahead of Stewart followed by Armstrong and McGeehan.
The trio of stages were repeated once more and by the end of S.S. 9, Stewart and Mullen shared top spot with McGeehan some eleven seconds adrift in third.
Problems during reconnaissance meant that Mullen’s knowledge of the remaining four stages – a double run over a reversal of two of the earlier stages – wasn’t as detailed as he would have wished.
On Stage 10, Stewart took advantage and opened up a seven second lead, they recorded the same time on S.S 11, the rally leader then added six seconds on the penultimate stage and was able to slacken his pace on the final test to take his first win of the season. Armstrong and Alastair Cochrane (Ford escort) were next with McGeehan having to settle for fifth – he remarked that his Mini WRC was unsuited to the very tight stages. Championship leader, Derek McGarrity (Subaru WRC) was a non-starter.
Meanwhile, Trevor Culbert (Ford Escort), co-driven by Ray Fitzpatrick won the Portlaoise based Heartlands Rally, finishing ten seconds ahead of Sam and Alan Smyth. Last year’s winner, David Condell (Ford Escort), who was co-driven by Ken Blanche, were 33 seconds further behind in third.
On the opening stage, Colbert posted a time that was two seconds ahead of late entry, Mike Quinn (Ford Escort) with John Hendy (Toyota Corolla) four seconds further behind. Hendy set the pace on the second stage and joined Culbert at the top of the leaderboard. Quinn was very much in contention and was only a second in arrears. Sam Smyth occupied fourth – some ten seconds off top spot. Trevor Mulligan (Ford Escort) was amongst the retirements.
On the repeat of the pair of stages, Colbert edged four seconds ahead of his rival, who found that the second stage wasn’t as suited to his car in comparison to the first stage. Quinn remained in third but slipped twelve seconds off the top of the leaderboard. Smyth, David Condell and Brian Brogan were next. Out on S.S. 5, Hendy retired his Toyota Corolla with a burst sump. The sixth and final stage was cancelled after Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery crashed their Ford Escort and the emergency services were deployed. The remaining crews received a scratch time for the stage, Smyth, who was quickest through S.S. 5, took second spot – ten seconds behind winner, Culbert.
In the Severn Valley Rally in Wales, Limerick’s, Joe Shinnors (Vauxhall Nova) finished second in class. The rally was won Bob Ceen (Subaru WRC), who finished 35.1 seconds in front of the Mitsubishi of Tom Naughton.
Cork racer, Matt Griffin and his team mate, Duncan Cameron in their M-Tech run Ferrari 458 Italia finished fourth after the two hour, fifth round race in the British GT3 Championship at Rockingham. They had qualified off-pole.
In the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park, the Honda Yuasa Racing Team of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden took the spoils with Neal winning two of the three races while Shedden won the day’s second race.
In Mondello Park, the Formula Vee race was won by Ray Moore, who took the chequered flag ahead of Lee Newsome and Dan Polley.
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