MacHALE BACK ON TOP ON GALWAY SHOWDOWN
After a lapse of almost 12 years the name MacHale is back at the helm in Irish rallying following Gareth’s victory in the Galway Summer Rally, the penultimate round of the National Rally Championship.
The 42 year-old, guided by another Irish motorsport luminary Brian Murphy, took a 15.2-second victory over the Skoda Fabia R5 of Andrew Purcell and Andy Hayes. Top seed Robert Barrable and co-driver Paddy Robinson (Ford Fiesta Rally2) were 7s further behind in third.
The early initiative was taken by David Guest (Ford Fiesta Rally2) who led MacHale by 5s after two stages, while a third stage (SS2) fell victim to stage set-up issues. Monaghan’s Brendan Cumiskey (VW Polo GTi R5) was 1.4s further back followed by the trio of Peadar Hurson (Fiesta WRC), Purcell and Barrable. With his Toyota Starlet briefly lapsing onto three cylinders on the road section, Richard Moffett kept his composure to head the two-wheeldrive category.
Purcell was best through SS4 as MacHale ensconced himself as rally leader, albeit only a second ahead of Guest, who subsequently ran out of road and beached his unmarked Fiesta in the Athenry scenery on SS4. MacHale gained almost 10s on SS5 and with a marginal return on SS6, was 13.8s clear of Cumiskey at the final service. A pursuing Purcell was just a second further behind, despite an overshot on stage five. Barrable was fourth but reckoned his performance wasn’t reflected in the times.
Both Cumiskey and Hurson retired on SS7, the former rolling his VW Polo GTi R5 and the latter with a rear differential issue. MacHale went on to claim his first win since the 2010 Cork 20 International Rally: much has changed during his sabbatical but perhaps it was fitting that his win was in Galway, scene of the many triumphs of his father and rally legend Austin. Purcell netted second after times were amended following the Cumiskey incident with Barrable dropping back to third. Moffett (fourth) won the two-wheel-drive category and rival Gary Kiernan (Ford Escort) took the King of the Mk2s. Results
Galway Summer Rally
Organiser: Galway Motor Club. When: August 28. Where: Athenry, Co. Galway Championships: National Rally Championship; West Coast Rally Championship, Border Championship. Stages: 9 Starters:
149. 1 Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (VW Polo GTi R5) 51m49.6s; 2 Andrew Purcell/Andy Hayes (Skoda Fabia R5) +15.2s; 3 Robert Barrable/ Paddy Robinson (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 4 Richard Moffett/Darragh Kelly (Toyota Starlet); 5 Gary Kiernan/Paul Sherdian (Ford Escort); 6 Gareth Sayers/Gareth Gilchrist (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 7
Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (VW Polo GTi R5); 8 Joe McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 9 Conor Murphy/Sean Collins (Escort); 10 Patrick McHugh/Pauric O’Donnell (Escort). Class winners: Stephen Gallagher/Sara McFadden (Honda Civic); Casey Jay Coleman/Adam Coffey (Fiesta); Paul McHugh/Amy Shiel (Honda Integra); Sayers/Gilchrist; Eamonn Barrett/ Adrian O’Gorman (Escort); Colin Fitzgerald/Ian McCarthy (Escort);Des Lyons/Ashling McArdle (Civic); Conal Hegarty/Declan Boyle (Toyota Corolla); Ryan McArdle/Ronan Comerford (Escort); Johnny Jordan/Paddy McCrudden (Starlet); Moffett/Kelly; Brian Comiskey/Declan Campbell (Subaru Impreza); Michael Carbin/ Dean O’Sullivan (Mitsubishi Lancer E8); James Power/Hannah Power (Escort); Ross Forde/ Arron Forde (Escort); Mark Fox/Calum
Maguire (Civic).