White and O’brien win rally and championship
Dougie Hughes Memorial Clare Rally
Organiser: Clare Motor Club When: September 15 Where: Ennis, Co. Clare Championships: West Coast Rally Championship Stages: 9 Starters: 95.
Overcoming very slippery conditions, Roy White and co-driver James O’brien (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) won the Dougie Hughes Memorial Clare Rally and duly clinched the West Coast Rally Championship.
After nine stages they finished 15 seconds in front of the Ford Fiesta R5 of Daniel Cronin/jj Cremin who were a late entry. Pacesetters on a few occasions,
Ian Barrett and his co-driver
Paul Magee (Darrian T90) were 38.2s further behind in third.
There was little between
Barrett and White on the opening stages with the former leading by a fraction until White took advantage on SS3, particularly on the latter section where shiny Tar meant Barrett wasn’t prepared to gamble and fell 5.2s behind with Cronin third.
Barrett regained a slight lead on SS5 but White had top spot back after SS6 to lead by 6.7s with
Cronin his nearest rival. White went on to claim the spoils and the regional title with Cronin, despite some rear wing damage after he slid wide on SS8, taking second.
Barrett’s car finished in safe mode after the ECU overheated. Ian Roche (Subaru Impreza) survived a major off-road excursion to take fourth from Declan Mccrory, who grew in confidence with his left-hand-drive Fiesta R5. Aidan Wray (Mitsubishi Lancer E10) won Group N.
Results
1 Roy White/james O’brien (Ford Fiesta RS WRC);
2 Daniel Cronin/jj Cremin (Ford Fiesta R5) +15s; 3 Ian Barrett/paul Mcgee (Darrian T90 GTR); 4 Ian Roche/ Anthony Nestor (Subaru Impreza); 5 Declan Mccrory/ Stephen O’hanlon (Fiesta R5); 6 Aidan Wray/kieran Mcgrath (Mitsubishi Lancer E10); 7 John Bonner/paddy Mccrudden (Ford Escort Mk2); 8 Niall Moroney/elgan Davies (Impreza); 9 Paul Barrett/kevin Reilly (Fiesta
R5); 10 Denis Moynihan/martin O’brien (Fiesta R5).
Class winners: Keith Naughton/damien Murphy (Honda Civic); Niall O’connell/tommy O’connor (Citroen C2 R2 Max); Michael Ormond/paddy King (Civic); Wray/mcgrath; Mccrory/o’hanlon; Shay Laheen/kerrill Dempsey (Escort Mk2); Niall O’sullivan/sean O’crowley (C2); Gavin Thornton/mark Baynes (Toyota Corolla); Kieran Hayes/andy Purser (Peugeot 205); Sean Moran/jonathan Keane (Escort Mk2); Bonner/mccrudden; Roche/nestor; Cathal Nolan/ Emel Mcnamara (Civic); Jake/aaron Lennon (Civic); Maurice/stephen Meskell (Escort); James Murphy/john Brennan (Fiesta RS WRC).