FISHER’SS PECIAL GALWAY VICTORY
The legendary Bertie Fisher is one of the most revered and missed personalities in Irish rallying, and this weekend will mark 20 years since his last Irish Tarmac Rally Championship win of the events that are still active, taking a second Galway International victory in 1999.
Not long after, Bertie, his son Mark and daughter Emma passed away following a helicopter crash in their native County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland.
Despite the tragedy, the Fishers live on through their rallying antics and are still to this day some of the most talked about figures in Irish motorsport. Bertie’s nephew Alastair is targeting victory at this weekend’s event, 20 years after his uncle won.
Driving the famous silver and yellow ‘Tough Mac’ liveried Subaru Impreza, Fisher was boosted on the 1999 Galway International by the previous year’s winner Austin Machale breaking an input shaft on the start of the first stage.
However, Toyota Celica driver Ian Greer led the first half of the event in an epic battle with Fisher, who reclaimed the lead on SS8 of 18.
The going was typically muddy and slippery, with Fisher admitting to conservative tyre choice in the beginning. But in typical style, he hunted down Greer to win by 1m23s. He was helped by an off into a hedge which damaged Greer’s strut.
“It was very tough,” Fisher told MN. “And the conditions were very variable. Fair play to Ian Greer, he went hard.”
Fisher went on to win the Circuit of Ireland on his way to third in the championship, as Ian Greer took the title.