Mcgarrity in fight for victory
Former Easter Stages Rally winner Derek Mcgarrity admits he won’t have it all his own way on this week’s event despite prior experience of the route and the fact he will run a two-litre World Rally Car in Antrim.
He will have to contend with a number of rapid R5 drivers over both days of the closed-road meeting as it is the second pointsscoring round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.
These include the Moffett brothers – reigning champion Sam and 2018 opening round winner Josh – Robert Barrable, Desi Henry and Jonathan Greer, who is reverting back to his Citroen DS 3 R5 after a one-off appearance in a Ford Fiesta.
All five were in action on the West Cork Rally on March 17/18, so to give himself a fighting chance, Mcgarrity plans to test in his Subaru Impreza this week.
“You have so many fast R5 drivers who have just completed two days at West Cork, so they are all heading to the Easter Stages Rally pretty much match fit,” said Mcgarrity. “Yes, my car is slightly more powerful, but it is 10 years old now and new R5 cars have closed the gap. Saying that, I will still be giving it a good go.”
Mcgarrity last won the Easter Stages Rally when it ran in 2011 in place of the Circuit of Ireland Rally, also in a Subaru Impreza WRC.
Again, it runs in place of the Circuit of Ireland, which won’t feature again this year for financial reasons.