Kerry double at Rally Poland

THERE was a double Kerry celebration on the finish ramp of Rally Poland last weekend as both engineer Richard Browne and co-driver Noel O’Sullivan brought home trophies from the latest round of the World Rally Championship.

The eventful rally was won by Norwegian Andreas Mikklesen who overtook long-time leader Ott Tanak after the Estonian’s Ford Fiesta suffered a puncture during the latter stages on Sunday.

It marked Mikkelsen’s second win at the sport’s highest level , to add to his Rally Spain win last October and his Kerry engineer Browne who played a key-role in both wins.

Browne told The Kerryman: “He drove absolutely flat out all day Friday and Saturday, and kept the pressure on Ott Tanak on Sunday. The weather made the road position a bit of a lottery, and Ott got a puncture. We also had a puncture on that stage, but a slow puncture, and it held up to finish the stage. I think everyone feels for Ott, he drove the perfect rally, with no mistakes, and he was very unlucky to hit the stone, but that’s rallying”

O’Sullivan was on pace duty for Fermanagh’s Jon Armstrong in the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy section of the rally, a one-make series for junior drivers that runs within selected European rounds of the WRC.

They held the lead through Friday’s opening leg but were thwarted on Saturday stages, that ran alongside the Russian and Lithuanian borders, when their Fiesta suffered electrical problems forcing the engine into rode mode during runs over the high-speed Polish tests.

They fought back over the final four stages on Sunday to claim the class win on only their third outing at this level.

Armstrong said: “What an amazing feeling to win a round of the World Rally Championship against some of the best drivers in the world . Thanks to Noel who did a perfect job all week and everyone else who has supported us and got us this far.”

The result propelled them in second place in the series ahead of Rally Finland in a few weeks.

Beaufort’s Diarmid Falvey finished fifth on Saturday’s Lurgan Park Rally in County Down alongside Derek McGarrity in their Fiesta World Rally Car.

Closer to home, Alan Ring was the top Kerry finishers in the Trimbased ALMC Rally on Sunday. The Castleisland man brought his Ford Fiesta home in 12th position. Brother and sister, Andrew and Tara Duggan were second in the junior section in their Escort. The event marked a return to form for Donegal driver Declan Boyle who scored his first Triton Showers National Rally Championship win since the Circuit of Kerry in April.

Looking ahead to this weekend , Rob Duggan and Ger Conway continue their British Junior Rally Championship campaign with the Nicky Grist Rally in mid-Wales on Saturday and Sunday in their Vauxhall Adam.