Character building Wales Rally GB for Breen and Nagle

IT was a turbulent Welsh weekend for Craig Breen and Paul Nagle. Starting the weekend with some impressive times, the Irish crew had a lucky escape on Saturday when they rolled their Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in the Myherin stage. Thankfully, they were unharmed and could keep the car going, but a cracked windscreen hampered their progress.

“Saturday was really disappointing,” said Craig. “Without that mistake I think we could have been fighting at the front. It has been a pleasure to be part of this rally with the Hyundai Motorsport team, with a fantastic car and on the incredible Wales Rally GB stages. We might wonder what could have been possible results-wise, but whatever has happened it’s certainly given me a lot of motivation.”

They recovered to finish eighth overall. They now face an anxious week as Rally Australia entries close next Monday and at the time of going to press Hyundai Motorsport had yet to announce its three-car team for the final round of this year’s World Rally Championship which takes place between November 14 and 17.

Team boss Andrea Adamo was being coy at the Sunday evening press conference in Wales despite the team topping the manufacturers’ standings with just Spain and Australia left to run.

“We complete Wales Rally GB with another podium and still leading the manufacturers’ championship. I can’t say we are happy with the overall result but being top of the standings will give us more commitment, if any more were needed, to be stronger in the final rallies,” he said.

DONEGAL HARVEST RALLY

There is a large number of Kerry entrants in this Saturday’s Donegal Harvest Rally.

Colin O’Donaghue and Sean Collins, fresh from their second overall in the recent Cork ‘20’ Rally will tackle the event in the same 2.4-litre Ford Escort that they drove two weeks ago.

Co-driver, Damian Fleming renews his partnership with Raymond Conlon in their Toyota Corolla.

Dave Slattery/Denis Coffey and Bob Moran/Elaine Ní Shé are two more local crews making the long trip north – they will compete in a pair of Ford Escort Mk2s.

THE LATE TOMMY LEAHY

There was widespread sadness in the local motorsport community with the passing of Tommy Leahy last week.

The Tralee man was a founding member of Kerry Motor Club and held almost every role within the club’s management structure through from the 1970s to the early 2000s.

Although not actively involved in the club in recent years, he was one of the club’s few honourary members and was considered a father-figure within its ranks, especially to competitors and organisers who were involved in the 1980s and 1990s.