The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Team mates turned rivals for Killarney Historic Rally
DRIVER Rob Duggan and co-driver Ger Conway are a formidale team, they are the outgoing British junior rally champions and are one of the fastest rally crews ever to come out of Kerry.
Last year they won the modified section of the the Rentokil Intial Killareny Historic Rally and while they are both back for 2017 and are both chasing victory, they will be doing so in separate rally cars.
Duggan is the top seed in the modified rally and while outings this year were limited he will still start as favourite. His last rally was the Imokilly Stages in July but that should not hinder the former Billy Coleman award winner. On this occasion he will be co-driven by his sister Tara.
In the meantime, Conway starts as one of the favourites in the proper historic section. He is back in the passenger seat of Denis Moynihan’s Ford Escort Mk1. The Millstreet man is marking his first outing since winning this rally three years ago. Moynihan and Conway have proven to be a sucessful combination in the past too, having won the Historic element of the Rally of the Lakes, among other events, in recent years.
Other locals sure to make a mark include former Lakes winners Denis Cronin and Helen o’Sullvan in a new Ford Escort. Pat Looney will be hoping to turn in another good showing following his great run in 2017, this time he has Tom Kelliher on the notes and not daughter Tara. Todd Falvey is another local favourite in his emaculate Porsche.
In the modified section apart from Duggan crews like Charlie and Johnny Hickey in their Rentokil Intial Escort will feature amonst the front runners, just like uncle and nephew team Ed Murphy and John Carthy. Keeping in the family, Kevin O’Donoghue has daughter Aoife on pace note duty while Mike Nelligan has son Colin on board.
Vincnet O’Shea, Tadgh O’Sullivan, Kevin O’Sullivan, Cyril Wharton, Jason Costelloe and John Hickey all steer a variety of Ford Escorts.
Calling a winner in this year’s Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally is an impossible task given the strength of the entry.
Several former winners, past champions and rally stars form a far afield as the USA, have entered Ireland’s only dedicated rally for historic specification cars.
Leading the field away will be last year’s overall winner Ryan Barrett in his Ford Escort Mk2. The Tyrone man surprised many with his pace on the 2017 event in what was his first attempt at the rally.
Welsh man Melvyn Evans drove his way in to the Irish motorsport history books a few years ago when he became the first overseas driver to win the Irish national rally championship.
He is also a past winner of the Killarney historic rally and will bring a newly built Ford Escort Mk2 to the event.
Former Irish forestry champion Owen Murphy wheels out a Talbot Sunbeam for the event after spending the year driving a Skoda Fabia S2000 in national events.
Tomas Davies is a regular visitor to Killarney, usually in a modern Ford Fiesta R5 but has chosen a BMW M3 as is trusted steed for this weekend.
Fellow Welsh man Gareth Lloyd, a class winner on this event as both a driver ad co-driver starts at eight while continuing with the overseas tourists, Shawn Rayner returns from England in another Escort. From the USA AND Donegal, rally legend Seamus Burke will drive a BMW M3.
The quality continues down through the entry list with the likes of multiple British champion Jim McRae at 14
The rally gets underway at 8am on Saturday morning with a run over the traditional Moll’s Gap classic followed by a run over Beallaghbeama. This loop is repeated before crews tackle.
Meanwhile, London-based Killarney man , Mick Smith, celebrated his 70th birthday by contesting the Kortrijk Rally in Belgium over the weekend in his Chrysler Avenger.