Switch pays off for Morris as he sweeps to success

facility’s access roads and the warm, dry conditions were ideal for the rear-wheel-drive Darrian.

Morris adapted immediately, going 10 seconds faster than McGonigle on the first stage and he went on to build a 19-second gap over the first four stages. McGonigle responded with two fastest times over the final two stages but could only narrow the gap by four seconds.

Damien Tourish finished third in his Escort but almost behind the winner with Darren McKelvey taking fourth in his Mitsubishi and John Bonner fifth in another Escort. Marc Massey rounded out the top six in a WRC Ford Focus.

Meanwhile, Colin Calder got the better of daughter Heather in the British sprint championship double header at Kirkistown over the weekend.

The Scottish duo came to Northern Ireland as joint leaders of the series in the mighty Gould GR55 they share, but it was dad Colin who dominated on both days, setting fastest times in the timed runs and taking first place in the championship run-offs.

However, he wasn’t able to match the circuit record set by Heather on her way to the British title in 2017, his fastest run of 102.82 almost a second slower.

Terry Holmes in his Lola was third on Saturday ahead of the Pilbeam of John Morgan and the Dallara of Northern Ireland championship leader Adrian Pollock.

Stewart Robb was third in his Pilbeam yesterday with Gerard O’Connell fourth in his Radical ahead of the Firehawk of Nicholas Algar.

In the British Formula Three championship there was a moment of history yesterday when Jamie Chadwick became the first woman driver to win a round of the series.

The 20-year-old from Bath took victory at Brands Hatch having only joined Douglas Motorsport, owned by Ulsterman Wayne Douglas, last month.