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Dungiven’s
Kevin Lynch victorious at Saturday's
McGrady Insurance Bishopscourt Stages Rally! - Lynch’s
Subaru steamroller keeps on rollin’! Dungiven’s Kevin Lynch emerged from Saturday’s McGrady Insurance Bishopscourt Stages Rally with another win under his belt! Based at the race circuit just outside Downpatrick, the KPL backed S9 Subaru pilot, who had Martin McNicholl calling the notes, set fastest times on each stage to take another emphatic win over his rivals. Lynch started rallying less than four years ago and has accumulated an impressive list of trophies in a short space of time, including two Northern Ireland Championship titles. In fact, excluding events which the Dungiven driver decided not to enter, victory at Bishopscourt marked his 11th N.I. championship win on the trot. He hasn’t finished out of the top spot since retiring from the Lakeland Stages Rally in 2004, and as winner of the opening two rounds of this year’s series, the successful businessman is already on course for taking a third title home to Dungiven. "I’ll probably do the full championship if I don’t sell my cars!" Lynch told Championship Co-ordinator, Kieran O’Neill, at the finish. "We had another good run today and the car performed faultlessly. I sold my tarmac car before the rally so I wasn’t sure if I’d be here - but here I am!" Fastest on all five stages, Lynch arrived at the Bishopscourt finish line with 24 seconds in hand over Glenn Allen’s Toyota Corolla WRC. Allen initially played second fiddle to Raymond Johnston but the Subaru pilot jarred his back after the jump on stage two. A problem with the rear suspension resulted in a very heavy landing and he pulled over immediately. An ambulance was sent to the Fermanagh man’s aid, the stage was cancelled and Johnston was taken to hospital as a precaution. Johnston’s trouble also caused problems for Feckin' Irish Whiskey Skoda Octavia WRC pilot, Denis Biggerstaff. The Dromara driver, who is a former British rally cross and N.I. rally champion, switched from his regular Subaru to test the Skoda. It was the same car that Bangor’s Michael Curran used to finish second overall at the opening round of the series but lady luck was not on Denis’ side this time. "It’s a mighty machine,” Denis said after the event. "But on the first lap of stage one I couldn’t get my brain in tune with the car. I felt like I was holding on to the steering wheel with my legs hanging out through the back window! But we were getting the hang of it and had a better run over the second lap. Then when stage two was stopped we pulled over and I switched the anti-lag off. The engine just died and refused to restart again!" Denis,
who was co-driven by his 17-year-old son Stuart, could have been a contender
for a top three placing but his retirement allowed Glenn Allen and Martin
Doherty to fight for the remains. In the end, Allen finished second
with Martin Doherty taking his Subaru home just seven seconds behind
the flying Corolla. Derek McGarrity, a former Northern Ireland and Irish
Tarmac Champion, was calling the notes for the Lifford man and it proved
to be a successful Completing the top five, Strabane’s Sean Devine and Damien Duffin brought their Subaru Impreza home in fourth position with Navan’s Paddy White and Graeme Stewart fifth, also in a Subaru. Production category (Group N) Antrim’s Martin Elliott entered the Bishopscourt Stages Rally determined to leave with a maximum points haul under his belt. After narrowly losing out at the opening round of the series by one tenth of a second, only the top spot would suffice. The victor on that occasion was Greyabbey’s Dickie Curran and once again the Mitsubishi pilot was in the midst of the tussle for outright Group N honours. But this time, it was a three-way battle as Limavady’s Richard Hogg also joined the fray! It was a closely fought match between the leading trio but in the end, only one man could win. On stage two, Martin Elliott overhauled early leader Dickie Curran and never looked back. A superb run through stage five saw him seal the victory while Richard Hogg came through to take second ahead of Dickie Curran in third. Taking fourth in category and tenth overall, Kircubbin’s Stephen Kelly, with Sam Paul on the notes, enjoyed their run in their Evo 5 Lancer. Superdrive sponsored two wheel drive category Crumlin’s Rodney White was the hot tip for Superdrive two wheel drive victory and he failed to disappoint. In a superb giant-killing display, the Talbot Sunbeam pilot had a brilliant run to take the honours and ninth overall, in front of an array of four wheel drive machinery! It was truly an awesome display of driving ability, as the nimble ‘beam’ humbled the opposition. Ballymena’s Mervyn Williamson and George Hamilton finished second in category and 17th overall with their Escort, while Antrim’s James Kennedy and James McCullough were third and 19th overall. Next event - KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins Round three of the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship takes competitors to the Sperrins district for the KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins. Formerly a forestry event, this year’s Magherafelt and District Motor Club organised rally takes a brand new format as crews will face eight tarmac stages. Based from Maghera’s Walsh’s Hotel, the event kicks off at 10am on Saturday 20 May. ENDS. Top ten results / class winners 1
Kevin Lynch (Dungiven)/Martin McNicholl (Subaru Impreza WRC) 31m 10.0s Class
1: James Coulter/Ian Kidd (Peugeot 106) Championship standings after round two 1
Kevin Lynch (32), From
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