Barrable’s good show in Czech event

Irish drivers, Robert Barrable and Keith Cronin had contrastingfortunes in their respective outings in the Barum Czech Rally Zlin (Czech Republic) and Rallye Terre de Lozere (France).

Barrable, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Saturday, finished fifth overall in round nine of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. On the seventh stage, he lost time with an overshoot and on stage nine, his Skoda Ireland ended up in a field for some 40 seconds.

The rally was marred by a fatal accident when a competing car went off the road and hit a number of spectators that allegedly, were in a prohibited zone, one spectator was killed and another seriously injured. The results of the rally were based on those at the end of S.S. 13 – with Juho Hanninen (Skoda) taking victory. His main rival, Jan Kopecky (Skoda) retired on S.S. 13 with engine troubles. Series leader, Andreas Mikkelsen, who led the rally from the fourth until the seventh stage where his Skoda suffered one of two punctures, was eighth.