Duggan and Conway end rally season on a high at Isle of Man
ROB Duggan and Ger Conway concluded their British Rally Championship campaign with a dominant performance on Rally Isle of Man over the weekend.
The Vauxhall Adam crew had already secured the British junior title on last month’s Ulster Rally but their performance over the three-day Manx event was one of their best drives all season. The Killarney-based team finished ninth overall and were the first non-four-wheel-drive competitors across the line and against very formidable competition. It was their fifth category win of the season.
Duggan said: “From the word go it was very tough, tricky and challenging and with the title pressure off I just wanted to go for the win and set a really good pace. It all went according to plan as we had a great weekend. The car was faultless and the Vauxhall team did another fantastic job. To get a win on the Isle of Man is quite special, it’s such a famous rally and to be top two-wheel –drive car, with nothing but R5 car in front, can’t get much better than that.”
Duggan’ brother-in-law, Brian Doherty had a much more difficult weekend in New York. The Glenflesk co-driver was contesting the Black River Rally alongside ex-pat Martin Donnelly but they put their Toyota Corolla World Rally Car of the road towards the end of the rally’s opening stage and retired on the spot.
Keith McCarthy was the top Kerry co-driver on Sunday’s Clare Rally. He guided Limerick man Kenneth Ryan to second in class 11R and 19th overall in a Ford Escort. Tralee’s PJ O’Dowd was two places further back alongside another Limerick driver, Roland Doherty, and won Class Nine in their Vauxhall Nova. To complete the hat-trick, Sean Hegarty, alongside yet another Treaty driver, Keith Lyons, won Class 2 in a Ford Fiesta ST.