Rally Ireland looms large on horizon

Published 16 Jan 2009 12:00 0 Comments

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A flying Richard Cathcart taking part in Evo Challenge Swansea Bay Rally in July2008.

Rallying

It was a rallying year that promised much for local competitors, but ultimately delivered little in the way of championship success. Alastair Fisher, Garry Jennings and Richard Cathcart all set out with realistic chances of clinching series victories, but despite some notable highlights during the year, none topped the standings.

Garry Jennings started the season hoping to regain the Group N Irish Tarmac title, but a third place finish on the opening round in Galway was as good as it got for the Ballinamallard driver, and he abandoned his title attempt before the season reached the halfway stage. Consolation came on the St Angelo based Print Factory Stages Rally, where he took a hard fought victory in his Mitsubishi.

Alastair Fisher was taking on two championships in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy. In addition to defending his Irish title, he was also seeking to go one better than last year"s second placed finish on the British version of the series. Both championship challenges were to fall short however. A mixture of early season mechanical failures and accidents saw him quickly drop out of contention in the British series, and although he was always towards the top of the Irish standings, a final round victory was not enough to retain his crown, losing in a tiebreak after matching the points total of Welsh rival Elfyn Evans.

Performance of the year - Alastair Fisher wins System Signs Clubman Stages Rally

Alastair Fisher took a break from his Fiesta championship commitments to compete in the Lough Navar based System Signs Clubman Stages Rally, and emerged victorious to record the Fiesta"s first ever outright rally success. In horrendous weather conditions the Trillick driver withstood the challenge of the Escort of Stewart Clarke to take a memorable win with almost 30 seconds to spare.

Performer of the year - Richard Cathcart

Richard Cathcart swapped his Group N Subaru for a Mitsubishi in a bid to win the prestigious Mirsubishi Evo Challenge, but despite some memorable performances his challenge ended in controversial circumstances. Despite mechanical problems during the season he had proved himself the quickest driver in the competitive series and was favourite to take the title with two events remaining on the calendar. However, he withdrew from the series following uncertainy over the prize and comments from the championship organisers that cast aspirations on the ability of the series contenders. Despite his failure to capture the championship his performances catapulted into the public eye as a driver with the ability to challenge for outright victories. This was demonstrated by his performance on the Lakeland Stages Rally, where he piloted a new car to the top of the leaderboard ahead of all the Northern Ireland Championship regulars.

Others to shine - Howard Clarke & Niall McShea

There was also rally success for Howard Clarke and Niall McShea during the year. Clarke took an early season victory on the Fivemiletown Spring Rally, while McShea"s success came further afield. The former Production World Rally Champion had another restricted season, but he put in a commanding performance on his American debut to win the New England Forestry Rally.

One to watch in 2009 - Rally Ireland

Having been ranked as the second best event of the 2008 World Rally Championship on its debut, Rally Ireland returns to the county at the end of January after a 14 months absence as the opening round of the 2009 series, ensuring global interest will be bigger than ever. Fermanagh has managed to secure a higher profile in the hosting of the event, with pictures of the ceremonial start in the centre of Enniskillen set to be beamed around the world. The stage mileage within the county has also been boosted, with local volunteers playing a key role in the organising of the event. On the competitive front, Niall McShea and Richard Cathcart will both he hoping to repeat their memorable 2007 performances, while inaugural winner Sebastian Loeb will once again start as firm favourite for victory.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 01 Jan 09

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