BARRETT SETS SIGHTS ON TOP-THREE NATIONAL FINISH
Paul Barrett reckons an Irish National Rally Championship top-three finish is possibile following a strong haul of points from the recent Galway Summer Rally, where he made his debut in the ex-Cathan McCourt Citroen C3.
Having made the switch from an older generation Ford Fiesta R5 he said: “It’s definitely a big step-up and while there isn’t a massive difference in terms of power, the chassis is more solid and the car is a lot more positive on the road. I feel very confident in it and I know the pace is there.”
Although he struggled on the opening stages, it was more to do with the way the car was set up.
“The brake bias was more to the rear of the car and on heavy braking into a chicane, the back end locked up and the car snapped on me, I just had time to correct it and got through the chicane,” he said. “That unnerved me for a while but my times improved towards the end as I became more familiar with the car.”
The Donegal Harvest
Rally (October 8) brings the curtain down on the series and presently Barrett is fifth overall in the series. “I think it’s possible to finish higher,” he said.
“I am nine points away from third place so I need a good result in Donegal.”