WOOD WINS IN WEXFORD
Organiser: Wexford MC When: September 9/10 Where: County Wexford Championships: South East Stages Rally Championship Stages: 15 Starters: 110.
Steve Wood and Keith Moriarty emerged victorious in Wexford for the second year running, following a controlled and measured drive over the two-day event.
Conditions didn’t strictly adhere to the region’s reputation as the sunny South East but a quality entry for the event more than made up for that.
Wood (Subaru Impreza S10 WRC) laid down his marker on Saturday morning’s first loop to lead by 12 seconds from Ian Barrett’s Ford Fiesta RS WRC, with the Fiestas of Stephen Mccann and Joe Connolly the only impostors in the gaggle of Ford Escort Mk2s behind. Local legend Liam Howlett was having intercom problems with a brand-new helmet in one of those Escorts, as Gary Kiernan and Ryan Moore (Escort Mk2) headed the modified crews.
Wood and Moriarty held a 41-second advantage over Barrett and co-driver Eoin O’flaherty come the overnight halt.
Barrett shot out of the traps on Sunday morning to pull five seconds back, but Wood wasn’t to be flustered and turned up the wick over the next few tests, eventually winning by 40 seconds. It was a fine drive, with Wood and Moriarty giving a lesson in how to control a rally from the front.
Kiernan and Moore took the final podium spot, with Mccann and Damien Fleming a further 18 seconds back in fourth. Connolly’s Fiesta held seventh with a plethora of Escorts either side, as plenty of local competitors finished strongly.
There were tight battles throughout the field, with only three seconds separating the 16th, 17th and 18th placed crews after two days of rallying.
Howlett was the unfortunate victim of a puncture followed by a blockage on the ninth stage, which meant that he and co-driver John Mcgrath ended up back in the late-20s.
Walter Ainsworth and Lorraine Nixon were the sole Historic finishers in their beautiful Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1, while the Cork crew of Eamonn Mccarthy and Eric Calnan took the Junior spoils in a Honda Civic, ahead of Killian and Conal O’sullivan in another Civic. Results 1 Steve Wood/ Keith Moriarty (Subaru Impreza S10 WRC) 1h53m37s; 2 Ian Barrett/ Eoin O’flaherty (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +40s; 3 Gary Kiernan/ Ryan Moore (Ford Escort Mk2); 4 Stephen Mccann/ Damien Fleming (Fiesta S2000); 5 John Bonner/ Jonathan Mcgrath (Escort Mk2); 6 Richard Moore/ Brian Halligan (Escort Mk2); 7 Joe Connolly/ Richard Connolly (Fiesta); 8 Kyle Mcgettigan/ Dale Mcgettigan (Escort Mk2); 9 John Reddington/ Lorcan Moore (Escort Mk2); 10 Leon Galvin/ Ger Foley (Escort Mk2).
Class winners: Barry Hennessy/ Steven Scallan (Honda Civic); Tomas O’rourke/tomas Scallan (Civic); Ray Kirwan/ David Busher (Civic); Neil Tohill/ Gerard Tohill (Mitsubishi Lancer E9); Mccann/ Fleming; Wood/ Moriarty; Tommy Kelly/ Mark Furlong (Escort); John Barry/ Eddie Byrne (Austin Mini Cooper); Nigel Molloy/ Paul O’leary (Escort); James Bradley/ Maria Kehoe (Civic); John Pettit/ Michael Coleman (Escort); Quentin Park/ George Tinsley (Escort); Galvin/ Foley; Kiernan/ Moore; Andrew Blackburn/ Seyyan John (Impreza); Ainsworth/ Nixon; Michael O’mara/ Denise Rowan (Civic); Mccarthy/ Calnan.