Breen strengthens 2019 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship hopes with Wastewater Solutions UAC Easter Stages Rally win
Craig Breen & Paul Nagle (Ford Fiesta R5) justified their favourites tag to make it three wins out of three in the 2019 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. They took victory by just over 18 seconds in the Wastewater Solutions UAC Easter Stages Rally having built up a lead over the opening days six stages and managed that lead throughout the second days nine stages. Despite that, the dry and fine conditions meant the pace was very hot and Breen couldn’t afford even a slight mistake with Desi Henry, Jonny Greer and Callum Devine all keeping the pressure on right till the end. Henry eventually took second on the last loop as steering problems cost Devine and Greer clipped a bank with valuable seconds lost in both instances. Alastair Fisher had to be content with fifth place having started slowly, and although the times were better on the second day he had too much ground to make up.
Sam Moffett in sixth place was another to start slowly by his standards and was unable to make any headway during the weekend, finishing almost a minute behind Breen. Meirion Evans had a solid run to seventh place as the young Welsh driver took his best result of the championship to date. Josh Moffett had led early on but electrical problems cost him a lot of time towards the end of the first day and he eventually had to settle for a subdued eighth place just six seconds clear of Manus Kelly who gained his first top ten finish since the switch over to the Hyundai. William Mavitty took top Group N championship points after a great battle with Andy Davies while William Creighton was top 2WD finisher in his Peugeot 208 R2.
Provisional Championship Points after Round 3
1 – Craig Breen 51
2 – Alastair Fisher 36
3 = Josh Moffett & Jonny Greer 24
5 – Desi Henry 22
6 – Callum Devine 18
Damian Toner extended his lead in the Modified Championship with a strong showing that saw him home in 12th overall and top 2WD car to finish. He had over four minutes to spare over Gerard McQuaid with the modified driver doing his championship chances no harm at all with his best points score so far this season. Craig MacWilliam took top points in the Historic Championship which is enough to move him into second place overall in the series. Adrian Kermode took second registered crew as Andy Johnson suffered a second day puncture to drop him to third place.
ULSTER AC WASTEWATER SOLUTIONS EASTER STAGES RALLY AT DUNDROD, CO ANTRIM (ROUND 3 OF PIRELLLI/EARS MOTORSPORT IRISH TARMAC CHAMPIONSHIP):
1 Craig Breen/Paul Nagle (Ford Fiesta R5) 1h 09m 51s,
2 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5) 1h 10m 09s,
3 Jonny Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Ford Fiesta R5) 1h 10m 12s,
4 Callum Devine/Brian Hoy (Ford Fiesta R5) 1h 10m 19s,
5 Alastair Fisher/Gordon Noble (Ford Fiesta R5) 1h 10m 33s,
6 Sam Moffett/James Fulton (Ford Fiesta R5) 1h 10m 45s,
7 Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson (Hyundai i20 R5) 1h 11m 36s,
8 Josh Moffett/Keith Moriarty (Ford Fiesta R5) 1h 12m 53s,
9 Manus Kelly/Rory Kennedy (Hyundai i20 R5) 1h 12m 59s,
10 Stuart Biggerstaff/Anthony Nestor (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h 13m 47s.
MODIFIED SECTION:
1 Alan Carmichael/Arthur Kierans (Hyundai i20 R5) 1h 13m 27s,
2 Damian Toner/Mick Coady (Ford Escort) 1h 14m 19s,
3 Mickey Conlon/Martin Byrne (Ford Escort) 1h 16m 14s.
HISTORIC SECTION:
1 Craig MacWilliam/Trevor Hamilton (Ford Escort) 1h 24m 47s,
2 Adrian Kermode/Paula Swinscoe (Porsche 911) 1h 24m 56s,
3 Andy Johnson/Jim McSherry (Vauxhall Chevette) 1h 26m 23s.
NATIONAL B RALLY:
1 Alan Smyth/Mac Kierans (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10) 1h 15m 01s,
2 Camillus Bradley/Crawford Henderson (Ford Escort) 1h 15m 27s,
3 Sean Devine/Elaine Ni She (Ford Fiesta R5) 1m 15m 40s.
LIMERICK M C LOOSE SURFACE AUTOCROSS AT BALLYQUIN BRIDGETOWN, CO CLARE (ROUND 1 OF FIVE STAR CATERING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP):
Best time of day (Special): Anthony Culleton (Semog) 2m 58.9s.
Best time of day (Saloon): Matt Shinnors (Impreza) 3m 12.3s.
Class winners: William Meade (Nova), Mike Casey (Peugeot 205), Steven Cafferty (Civic), Gerard O’Connell (Celica), Mike O’Connor Jnr (Lancer Evo), Ben Walsh (Speedcar), Nicky Hegarty (Honda Special), Cian Walsh (Peugeot 205), Mossie Costelloe (Micra), Paul Furlong (Semog).
