GREER CONTINUES WINNING FORM IN NI
Jonathan Greer made it a hat-trick of victories around Bishopscourt race circuit and, in the process, extended his advantage in the Northern Ireland Rally Championship.
Relying once again on Citroen Racing machinery, it was Greer’s third-straight success at the County Down venue which played host to the second round of the five-round championship.
Co-driven by Niall Burns, Greer barely put a wheel wrong and completed the six stages 22 seconds ahead of his nearest challenger.
The only setback that Greer encountered on a day when sunshine eventually made way for rain occurred on the third stage as a backmarker failed to pull over and momentarily blocked his path.
Organisers had incorporated passing places into the 6.6-mile test but Greer estimated he lost five or so seconds before he could safely steer his C3 Rally2 around them.
“It was a very challenging day,” said Greer. “We managed to open up a small gap after two stages before the time we lost on stage three and the arrival of rain made things difficult for us again. From that point on it was just a case of avoiding making mistakes and putting in consistent times.”
While victory was a formality, there was drama in the battle for the runner-up spot. A quickest time by Gareth Sayers, combined with Derek McGarrity hitting the rear of Desi Henry’s stricken Citroen C3 and nudging it over the finish line, elevated Sayers two places to second overall.
One of the most successful people to compete at Bishopscourt, with more than a dozen first place finishes to his name, McGarrity started the rally in search of a win knowing that it would put him right back in the title fight mix. As it was he had to settle for third spot.
With the costly misfire cured that denied him a podium result at the opening round at Kirkistown three weeks earlier, McGarrity and Graham Henderson trailed Greer by 3.7s at the halfway point.
However, he had no answer for the pace being set by the pre-event favourite and soon lost touch in the afternoon before the incident with Henry’s newly acquired car proved decisive.
Making his first appearance in the new Northern Ireland Championship season, the parts failure that stuck Henry’s French car took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive debut for him.
Northern Ireland champion Stuart Biggerstaff signed off in fifth with a gutsy display considering he had to limp through most of SS2 with a suspected broken differential on his Ford Fiesta R5.
In the two-wheel-drive battle, a giant-killing performance by Stephen Whitford and Jonny Hart in their Nissan Micra put them ahead of the more potent Ford Escort Mk2 of Adrian Grant. The difference was 6.8s, with the husband-and-wife duo of James and Heather Kennedy a further 3.6s adrift in third in their Ford Escort Mk2.
Results
Organiser: Ballynahinch And District Motor Club When: March 11 Where: Bishopscourt Starters: 85 Finishers: 72
1 Jonathan Greer/Niall Burns (Citroen C3 Rally2) 38m42.7s; 2 Gareth Sayers/Gareth Gilchrist (Ford
Fiesta Rally2) +22s; 3 Derek McGarrity/Graham Henderson (VW Polo GTi R5); 4 Desi Henry/Paddy Robinson (Citroen C3 Rally2); 5 Stuart Biggerstaff/Anthony Nestor (Ford Fiesta R5); 6 Joseph McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 7 Ian Dickson/Kenny Bustard (Ford Fiesta R5); 8 Michael McGarrity/Damian Garvey (Ford Fiesta R5); 9 Derek McGeehan/Mark O’Connor (Mini JCW WRC); 10 Jason Dickson/Shane Byrne (Ford Fiesta R5). Class winners: Jimmy Mills/ Ashley Trimble (Ford Escort RS1800); Conor Wilson/Katie Wilson (Ford Fiesta Rally4); Stephen Whitford/Jonny Hart (Nissan Micra); Robert Erwin/Andrew Wilson (Toyota Corolla); David Christie/Alastair McComb (Ford Escort Mk2); James Kennedy/Heather Kennedy (Ford Escort Mk2); Adrian Grant/Olivia Chambers (Ford Escort Mk2); Nicky McCaughey/Graeme Stewart (Mitsubishi Lancer E9); Barry Fitzsimons/Ryan Kearney (Subaru Impreza); Sayers/Gilchrist.