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By: www.neillpics.co.uk
Immediate Release
18th October 2008
F&M Contracts Down Rally 2008
McCloskey wins Down Rally.
Conor McCloskey and Francis Regan sealed victory at this year's
F&M Contracts Down Rally; round nine of the Pacenotes MSA
Northern Ireland Rally Championship, after Championship rival
Sean Devine retired his Impreza WRC one stage before the finish.
Devine, who was trailing event leader McCloskey at the Castlewellan
based event, damaged his Impreza while trying to drive around
another stricken competitor on the Drumkeeragh stage. Although
he was able to reach the end of the test, damaged steering forced
him and navigator Damien Duffin to retire from the event.
Their retirement took the pressure off Conor McCloskey and Francis
Regan, who had led the Rathfriland Motor Club organised event
from the opening stage. Despite stalling their Ford Focus WRC
on stage 4, they had led Devine going into that fateful Drumkeeragh
test. In the end, they went on to spray the victory champagne
at the finish in Castlewellan's lower square, with Cathal and
Eoighan Rogers winning the production class with second overall
and John Walker and Dessie Wilson in third place.
Top 2-wheel drive performance of the day came from the Mark 2
Escort of James Kennedy and John Rowan who finished a fine seventh
overall ahead of the 1400 Toyota of Shane McGirr and Niall Donnelly
in ninth. Indeed McGirr would have been within 1 second of Kennedy
had it not been for a 30 second road penalty being added to his
overall time.
Best of the local finishers was Damien Hynds and John Magilton
in 8th, Emma McKinstry and Kenny Hull in 13th after a day of mechanical
woes, Downpatrick's Christian Cochrane and Conor Lavery in 19th,
and a class and Championship win for John and Gavin Devlin in
21st. Castlewellan's Micheal McMullan and Barry Savage survived
to finish a creditable 26th overall on only their second event.
In NI Championship terms, the overall result sees Devine and McCloskey
enter the final round of the season on equal points, ensuring
the championship battle will go down to the wire in Ballymena.
Championship regulations state that competitors may discount their
three lowest scores from their championship tally. Devine has
three no-scores, while McCloskey has two, but taking his lowest
score of eight points into account, both men enter the final round
on a total of 84 championship points.
Round 10 takes place in two weeks time with the Ballymena based
Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally.
Top ten results:
1. Conor McCloskey / Francis Regan - Ford Focus WRC
2. Cathal Rogers / Eoighan Rogers - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
9
3. John Walker / Dessie Walker - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
9
4. PJ Gillespie / Mary O'Kane - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
5. Alan Carmichael / Ivor Lamont - Mitsubishi Evo 9
6. Cyril Doherty / Graham Henderson - Subaru Impreza
7. James Kennedy / John Rowan - Ford Escort Mk2
8. Damien Hynds / John Magilton - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
9. Shane McGirr / Niall Donnelly - Toyota Starlet
10. Glenn Williamson / Keith McAvoy - Ford Escort Mk2
Ends
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