DUNLOP NATIONAL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 5 PREVIEW - SEPAM TIPPERARY STONETHROWERS RALLY. Preview courtesy of Dunlop proud sponsors of the National Rally Championship DUNLOP DAY 5: DUNLOP SET FOR TIP TOP EVENT IN CLONMEL Following its mid-summer recess the Dunlop National Rally Championship resumes on Sunday next with the Clonmel based Sepam Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally, the fifth round of the popular series. Defending champion Donegal’s Declan Boyle (Subaru WRC), who clinched the Dunlop series with outright victory in Clonmel some twelve months ago, returns with a different agenda - to keep his current bid on track. With two non-finishes he has little or no room for error in his bid to retain the magnificent Vard Memorial Trophy. Trailing current leader Paddy McVeigh by twenty points Boyle, who won the opening two rounds in Kerry and Mayo, knows that he has to claim the major share of Dunlop points in Clonmel to stay in the hunt. He is one of six drivers that could claim the title and even though he has already dropped two rounds, he has the potential to succeed. The Tipperary entry is fascinating with eleven World Rally Cars in the top fifteen. So far, Boyle’s main rival out on the stages is Welsh driver Hugh Hunter (Subaru), ironically, he cannot afford any slip up either – after non-finishes in Mayo and the Circuit of Munster. Hunter recently won the non-championship ALMC Rally and should be in contention in Clonmel. Consistency is very much the key to Paddy McVeigh’s status as Dunlop championship leader. Scoring in all four rounds to date, the Tyrone driver leads overseas driver Steve Wood, also in a Subaru WRC, by five points, both are in action on Sunday. Last year, Cork driver Darragh O’Riordan (Ford Fiesta WRC) led the event until he crashed on the fourth stage. It will be interesting to see how he will fare against the Dunlop regulars on this occasion. Meanwhile, Roy White (MG ZR) is the top local driver, he finished second to Boyle in Clonmel some twelve months ago, a similar result this time around would again be a major achievement. White went on to finish third overall in the Dunlop series in 2013. Another driver expected to set a strong pace is Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC), indeed, his battle with Boyle should prove interesting. Former Dunlop Group N champion, Kerry driver Alan Ring will compete in the Mel Evans hired Subaru WRC. It will be his third outing in the car having already finished second in Rally of the Lakes in Killarney and the Raven’s Rock Rally in Waterford. Like Alan Ring, Cork’s Kevin Kelleher also annexed the Dunlop Group N title, he will compete in a Subaru WRC – the car that won in Clonmel in 2011 in the hands of Conor McCloskey. Maynooth’s Kevin Barrett (Subaru WRC), who gained his first Dunlop finish of the year on the last round, completes the top ten. Elsewhere, Wexford’s James Stafford (Darrian T90) is the two wheel drive exponent while Eoin Doyle (Ford Focus WRC) and reigning Irish Forest Rally champion Michael O’Brien (Ford Focus WRC) are also on the 130 plus entry list. In Group N, Josh Moffett (Mitsubishi) has opposition from Shane Maguire, Neil Tohill and Gus Kearney in the Sepam liveried Mitsubishi while Killarney’s Derek Daly debuts the ex-Alan Ring Mitsubishi. Meanwhile, Cavan’s Gary Kiernan heads an ultra-competitive Mk. 2 Ford Escort contingent that also features Frank Kelly, Mike Quinn, Jonathan Pringle, Mickey Conlon, Mickey Curran, Sam Smyth, James Coleman and Vivian Hamill. Pringle, a former winner of the Dunlop Mk.2 Champions Trophy, will debut a new car, Tyrone’s Vivian Hamill leads the current campaign. In the Dunlop Junior Championship, the current top four - Clare’s Niall OSullivan (Citroen C2), Roscommon’s Cormac Phelan (Citroen C2 R2), Cavan’s Damian OReilly (Ford Escort) and Limerick’s Ger Lyons (Honda Civic) are all competing on Sunday’s nine stage event. So too is Kerry’s PJ O’Dowd (Talbot Sunbeam), leader of the Dunlop Historic Championship. EVENT DETAILS: Organising Club: Tipperary Light Car & Motorcycle Club. Clerk of the Course: John Ward. Rally Headquarters: Clonmel Park Hotel, Clonmel. Tel: 05261 88700. First Car Away: Clonmel Park Hotel. 09.00 S.S. 1, 4 & 7: Giant’s Grave - 10.00, 12.30 & 15.00 S.S. 2, 5 & 8: Lisnamuck - 10.30, 13.00 & 15.30. S.S. 3, 6 & 9: Neddans - 11.00, 13.30 & 16.00 Service: Powerstown Racecourse: 11.30 & 14.15. Finish Ramp: Clonmel Park Hotel. 16.40. Top 10 Starters: 1. D. Boyle/B. Boyle (Subaru WRC) 2. H. Hunter/M. Glennerster (Subaru WRC) 3. P. McVeigh/G. McElhinney (Subaru WRC) 4. S. Wood/K. Moriarty (Subaru WRC) 5. D. ORiordan/T. McDaid (Ford Fiesta WRC) 6. R. White/J. OBrien (MG ZR) 7. D. Kelly/K. Flanagan (Ford Focus WRC) 8. A. Ring/A. Deasy (Subaru WRC) 9. K. Kelleher/G. Conway (Subaru WRC) 10. K. Barrett/S. Mullally (Subaru WRC) Dunlop National Rally Championship (Provisional Positions after Round 4): 1. Paddy McVeigh 60pts; 2. Steve Wood 55pts; 3. Roy White 49pts; 4. Declan Boyle 40pts; 5. Hugh Hunter 38pts; 6. Sam Moffett 36pts; =7. Michael O’Brien & Vivian Hamill 26pts. 9. Daniel Barry 23pts, =10. Tommy Doyle & Frank Kelly 22 pts. The 2014 Dunlop National Rally Championship: 1. Mayo Rally (Ballina) March 9th. Winners: D. Boyle/B. Boyle (Subaru WRC) 2. Circuit of Kerry (Tralee) April 6th. Winners: D. Boyle/B. Boyle (Subaru WRC) 3. Carlow Rally, May 11th. Winners: H. Hunter/A. Marchbank (Subaru WRC) 4. Circuit of Munster June 1st. Winners: S. Moffett/J. OReilly (Ford Fiesta WRC) 5. Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally, August 10th. 6. Galway Summer Rally, August 31st. 7. Clare Rally, September 21st. 8. Donegal Harvest Rally, October 11th.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 11:07:40 +0000
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