Late car switch can’t halt Eves’ title march in Antrim

Organiser: Ulster AC When: August 17/18 Where: Country Antrim Stages: 11 Starters: 42

Kevin Eves strengthened his bid to retain the Modified Irish Tarmac Championship crown after winning the Ulster National Rally ahead of Camillus Bradley and Alan Smyth.

Despite it being Eves’s first rally in a Ford Escort Mk2, which he hired for the event, his only slip up was on Torr Head where he spun in slippery conditions. Eves dominated on Saturday, winning the day’s opening four stages, as he got to grips with the new machinery.

Last year’s winner Bradley had to settle for second place, 17.6s behind Eves. Bradley enjoyed his pace on the stages but admitted Saturday’s tyre choice was difficult, putting the wrong rear tyres on for one of the stage loops. That was a common theme from drivers on Saturday, who had to decide on tyres in a service park 40-miles away from the Doraville stage.

Mitsubishi Lancer E10 driver Smyth had been leading the rally after the first two slippery stages on Friday afternoon but couldn’t keep up with the rapid Escorts once conditions settled.

Eves’s championship challenger, John Bonner, finished fifth, picking up third in the Modified points, staying in the title hunt. Bonner is six points behind, with one round remaining.

Youtube star Frank Kelly had been in the mix after the opening stage but his rally was cut short after mechanical gremlins forced him to retire his Escort after stage two.

Ernie Graham and Andy Johnson had a dingdong Historic battle in their respective BMW M3 and Vauxhall Chevette. Graham eventually came out on top, 36.1s ahead. Results 1 Kevin Eves/ Chris Melly (Toyota Corolla) 1h38m40s; 2 Camillus Bradley/ Crawford Henderson (Escort Mk2) +17.6s; 3 Alan Smyth/ Mac Kierans (Mitsubishi Lancer E10); 4 Kyle Mcgettigan/ Dale Mcgettigan (Escort Mk2); 5 John Bonner/ Denver Rafferty (Escort Mk2); 6 John Devlin/john Mccarthy (Escort Mk2); 7 JR Mcdaid/ Liam Mcintyre (Escort Mk2); 8 Stanley Mckeown/ Nigel Gourley (Escort Mk2); 9 James/ Heather Kennedy (Escort Mk2); 10 Fintan Mcgrady/ Gavin Campbell (Escort). Class winners: Robert Mckelvey/ Declan Campbell (Mitsubishi Lancer E8); Eamon Mclaughlin/ Stephen Smith (Vauxhall Nova); Ronan Lynn/ Niall Mckeegan (Honda Civic); Andrew Bustard/ Mo Downey (Ford Escort Mk2); Devlin/ Mccarthy; Eves/ Melly; Smyth/ Kierans; John Adams/ Noel Watt (Escort Mk2); Ernie Graham/ Will Graham (BMW M3).