GREER NEARS NORTHERN IRISH RALLYING TITLE WITH TYRONE STAGES VICTORY
Jonathan Greer strengthened his grip on the Northern Ireland Rally Championship title with victory on Saturday’s Tyrone Stages Rally as he made it three maximum scores from four starts this season.
In tropical conditions, the defending champion completed the closed-road event with 17 seconds in hand over runnerup and fellow Citroen C3 Rally2 driver Cathan McCourt. It was the perfect retort for Greer following his shock retirement on last month’s Maiden City Stages, and means a top-six result is all that he requires on July’s Down Rally to ensure he retains his crown.
“We opened up a gap on the last couple of stages, so we just had to see it through,” said Greer, who moved into the lead on stage two when Desi Henry retired his Ford Fiesta with mechanical issues. “The whole rally went perfectly. The car was fantastic and we had a great race with Cathan all day – it’s great to have two Citroens first and second, so all in all, it has been a very good day,” he added.
Consecutive second-place finishes for
McCourt came despite the Omagh driver using the entirety of the Tarmac event as a test session, with much of his focus spent fine-tuning the front differential on his French car. The gap to him and thirdplaced Peadar Hurson was 27s.
“We came here to learn and the set-up we started with is the one we know we are happy with,” said McCourt. “These are the best two finishes I’ve had in my career, so I’m happy. I have no complaints.”
Before the antepenultimate test, all bets were off as to who would claim the final step on the podium as Hurson in his Ford Fiesta World Rally Car had Garry Jennings breathing down his neck. However, the place was assured when Jennings broke a propshaft following a heavy landing and had to retire.
Results
Organisers: Cookstown Motor Club. When:
June 4. Where: Dungannon, Northern Ireland
Championships: NI Rally Championshjp
Starters: 95.
1 Jonathan Greer/Dai Roberts (Citroen C3 Rally2) 41m26.4s; 2 Cathan McCourt/Liam Moynihan (Citroen C3 Rally2) +17.1s; 3 Paedar Hurson/Damien
Connolly (Ford Fiesta WRC); 4 Daniel Barry/Lorcan Moore (Skoda Fabia R5); 5 Alan Carmichael/Arthur Kierans (Hyundai i20 R5); 6 Derek McGarrity/Graham Henderson (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5); 7 Jason Mitchell/Patrick McCrudden (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 8 Joseph McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 9 Ryan Loughran/Gareth Doherty (Ford Escort Mk2); 10 Aaron McLaughlin/Darren Curran (Ford Fiesta R5). Class winners: Stanley Orr/ Michael Gibson (Ford Escort RS1800); Seamus Goodfellow/Joel McFarland (Honda Civic); Philip White/Sam McMullan (Nissan Micra); Gareth Deazley/Ashley Boulton (Ford Fiesta RS200); Sam Adams/Michael Johnston (Ford Escort Mk2); William Carey/Jimmy Graham (Ford Escort Mk2); Loughran/ Doherty; Paul McKenna/Mark McGeehan (Mitsubishi Lancer E6); Terry Donnelly/Gareth Donnelly (Skoda Fabia S2000); Greer/Roberts; Carmichael/Kierans.