Galway Spring
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Millennium Autos Galway Spring Rally 2000
Master McHale
Portumna beckoned again this year and everybody wondered just how well Paul Harris would do against Austin McHale’s Corolla WRC. Over the winter Irelands favourite rally driver had his team busy converting the car to right hand drive and he was out to keep up its winning performance. Harris would lead the challenge on this the second round of the Motorsport Ireland Dunlop National Championship, aided by the Doherty brothers, George Cullen, Ray Breen, JJ Fleming, Dominic Loughran, Tommy Graham, Peadar Hurson and the Celica’s of Tim McNulty and Joe McGurk. Denis Cronin and Anthony O’Halloran would lead the two wheel drive challenge. The Galway MC had also adopted to run with the new four-stage format.
With the day starting off nice and sunny, the opening stage would be hit with a wintery downpour of rain and hail. The stage was fast but also slippy. McHale in the Tom Hogan backed machine got off to a flying start but was matched evenly by the talented terrier from Donegal, Paul Harris in the Natural Foods backed Impreza. George Cullen in the other Hogan backed car was next up six seconds adrift and showing George’s determined attitude this year. The Doherty brothers blew off their winter cobwebs to take fourth ahead of Fleming in the WRC Escort. The first surprise was John Spain in the ex McHale Manta holding sixth place overall in such company. This was all the more credible as fifth gear went on the opening stage. McHale pulled six seconds out of Harris on the second and a further four on the third. This all took place under the watchful eye of Cullen who was still only a few seconds adrift. Reigning champion Niall Maguire was making his first appearance of the year and the conditions were not suiting his battle to conquer left hand drive. Thus Niall was just off the leaderboard over the opening stages. Ray Breen was settling nicely into the Keltech backed Impreza and Anthony O’Halloran who was adopting a cautious approach was threatening Cronins position in the top ten. Already gone was Richard Casey with a slight off, which was just part of the problems that his car was suffering. Peader Hursons very welcome return to the sport lasted only three stages as mechanical problems put paid to the event.
Group N was being led by Cavan’s Patrick Elliott from the Donegal McHugh brothers. Sean Keenan was the early F2 leader from James and Ann Foley. This pair were being closely watched by Dermot McCauley in the Civic and the spectacular Colm Doyle in his Suir Peugeot 306. Declan Wilmott would be one of the next group to go when a wheel parted company and off’s for both Tommy Graham and Rory O’Connor delayed both crews.
Harris pulled a second back on McHale on the fourth and Austin was finding out what Nesbitt did in Ballina, it was had to loose Paul. Paul’s chances were also not being aided by fully active transmission but he still gave it his all. Daniel Doherty’s Keystone Lintels Impreza was now coming more into the fray as he found the competition so intense that he was upping his pace and driving quicker that when he won this event last year. McHale responded in five by extending his lead by six seconds as he continually played with tyre and suspension settings. Another three seconds were gained on the sixth stage and victory was looking like it was in sight. Outside the leaderboard Tim McNutly’s Pierce Celica was holding off the similar car of Joe McGurk. Indeed McGurk posted third fastest time on the third stage as he continues to learn the car. The Ford KA Championship saw John O’Dowd set the initial pace but an off had let James Travers through to hold a comfortable lead to the finish. O’Dowd would hold onto second from last years Cork 20 winner Oliver Stanley.
Up front Doherty was now closing in on Cullen and the pressure told on the last stage as George who had spun on an earlier stage was without reverse gear. As he approached a 90 right he braked too late and had to throw the car into the bend on the handbrake and in doing so clouted a wall. This time loss saw the Doherty’s nip through to third but George was still safe in fourth. Ray Breen had an un-dramatic run to fifth to finish a minute clear of Spain who will hopefully be fit enough to tackle more National rounds. Maguire in the Triton backed Subaru struggled throughout the day but managed to claw his way back up the leaderboard while O’Halloran took a comfortable two litre win from Aidan Walsh’s West Limerick Rally Spares Escort with another Clareman Johnny O’Sullivan third. The Foleys took a slender F2 win from Keenan with John Cullerton wrapping up another 1600 win from Peter Rogers who was only five seconds clear of Rodney Wilton.
McHale lost a second on the penultimate stage to Harris and Doherty and the three drew on the last stage to give Austin his first win of the Millennium. Indeed Austin has now been winning for three decades and will soon return to the Tarmac championship. He was pushed hard all day by Harris and was very happy with the car and is looking forward to Killarney. For Harris it looks like he could be unstoppable in his quest for the Dunlop crown after another mature display.
RESULTS
1 Austin McHale/Brian Murphy Toyota Corolla WRC 49m08
2 Paul Harris/Eugene O’Donnell Subaru Impreza 49m25
3 Daniel and Michael Doherty Subaru Impreza 50m04
4 George Cullen/Dermot O’Gorman Subaru Impreza 50m32
5 Ray Breen/John Purcell Subaru Impreza 51m42
6 John Spain/Peter Egan OpelManta400 52m41
7 Niall Maguire/Joe Downey Subaru Impreza 53m26
8 Anthony O’Halloran/Sean Morriarty Opel Manta 400 53m50
9 Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 53m56
10 Denis Cronin/Helen O’Sullivan BMW M3 54m00