GREER AND BREEN BATTLE ON KILLARNEY HISTORIC
Jonny Greer and Niall Burns guided their Sierra Cosworth 4x4 safely through the final stage to clinch a first-ever victory on the Killarney Historic Rally.
Greer’s win came after a magnificent battle with the Sierra Cosworth of Craig Breen/Paul Nagle, who bowed out prior to the start of the final stage with a broken drive. For six stages they had traded times and were level on two occasions including prior to what should have been the decisive stage, a third run over the iconic Molls Gap.
For the second year in succession, Alan Ring (Subaru Legacy) and Adrian Deasy took the bridesmaid spot - this time 30.6s behind the winners with
Cathan McCourt and Liam Moynihan (Ford Escort) third.
It was tight and tense with just seven tenths of a second between Breen and Greer with McCourt and Ring in close proximity and all within two seconds after the opening run over Molls Gap.
Greer drew level after Ballaghbeama and went 1.2s ahead by the completion of the loop at Kilgobnet where Ring was quickest to slot into third, four seconds off top spot.
Breen’s liking for ‘The Gap’ paid dividends as he regained top spot, 3.2s ahead of Greer but a spin for Breen on Ballaghbeama brought Greer to within a second and with the best time on SS6 they were level once more. A recurring misfire meant Ring lost touch with Welshman Neil Williams (Escort) slotting into fourth ahead of McCourt.
At the final service, and as a precaution, Breen’s Sierra was fitted with a differential kindly loaned by the Greer team. As throngs of spectators waited for the final showdown, Greer was first to appear and completed the stage for victory. The Sierra of his Breen had ground to a halt between the arrival control and stage start with broken transmission.
McCourt’s fastest stage time allowed him reel in Williams for third and they were followed by Fergus O’Meara (Escort), Donagh Kelly (BMW M3) and Ray Breen (Subaru Legacy). Meanwhile, taking the lead on the second stage, Kevin Eves (Toyota Corolla) won the Modified category from Daniel McKenna and Johno Doogan’s Escorts. Results
Organiser: Killarney & District Motor Club When: December 3 Where: Killarney Co. Kerry
Championships: Irish Tarmac Historic Rally Championship, Southern 4 Rally Championship, Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship Stages: 7 Starters: 150. 1 Jonny Greer/Niall Burns (Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4) 59m07.5s; 2 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Subaru Legacy) +30.6s; 3 Cathan McCourt/ Liam Moynihan (Ford Escort); 4
Neil Williams/Anthony O’Sullivan (Ford Escort); 5 Fergus O’Meara/Mikie Galvin (Ford Escort); 6 Donagh Kelly/Rory Kennedy (BMW M3); 7 Ray Breen/Damien Morrissey (Subaru Legacy); 8 Tom Clark/Alistair Wyllie (Ford Escort); 9 Melvyn Evans/Sean Hayde (Ford Escort); 10 Harry Hunt/Steve McPhee (Ford Escort). Class winners: Breen/Morrissey; Colin McDowell/ Bryn Pierce (Austin Mini); Tom Slattery/Helen Slattery (Lotus Cortina); Peter Neville/David Mannion (Volvo 142); Ed Colton/John Fogarty (Hillman Avenger); Trevor Wilson/Paul Mulholland (Porsche 911); Stanley Orr/Michael
Gibson (Ford Escort); David O’Brien/Niall O’Brien (Ford Escort); Alan Watkins/Eoghan McCarthy (Ford Escort); Williams/O’Sullivan; Liam Regan/Glyn Thomas (Skoda Estelle); Clark/Wyllie; Kevin Flanagan/Mark Reilly (Austin Mini Cooper); Patsy McDonagh/Leigh
Cavanagh (Ford Escort); Tommy McDonagh/ Seaghan Hickey (Ford Escort); Noel O’Sullivan/Nicholas Burke (Ford Escort); Kevin O’Connor/Mike Breen (Talbot Sunbeam); Jason Black/Karl Egan (Toyota Starlet); Daniel McKenna/Andrew Grennan (Ford Escort).