Carlow drivers back in action in Mondello Park
Catherine Kelly in full flight in Mondello Park.
Tuesday February 23 2010
AFTER A long winter break the Irish Rallycross Championship returned to Mondello Park for round five of the 2009/2010 championship. Carlow Car Club presided over the event with a strong entry of 77 competitors taking part.
A dense fog on the morning of the event resulted in a late start until the fog cleared and there was 100% visibility on the circuit for competitors, the usual four laps per heat had to be reduced to three laps per heat to ensure that all the heats and finals could be run within daylight hours.
Despite this the event ran very well under the supervision of COC for the day Seamus Hobbs and his team. Supercar driver Tommy Graham with his Supercar Fiesta and as always put in another superb drive on the day to secure his current overall standing in the championship.
The Bunclody Motors Rallycross team Andrew Morris and teammate Paul Pascoe were out in force, Andrew who went into the event tied third overall in the championship with David Dempsey managed to get the edge on Dempsey by finishing second in class 1, second in the supercar final and two points ahead of his rival. Paul Pascoe finished 4th in class 1 in the Subaru Impreza. In the stockhatch class veteran Noel O'Brien had a troublesome day having distributor problems resulting in him missing heat 2. William Cecil had a good run in the stockhatch class; Robert Comerford and Seamus Curran were hot contenders in their class securing them valuable points for their bid in the Jondal Junior Rallycross Championship. The pair are currently second and third in class for the championship. The rallycar class was dominated by Carlow Car Club members; Jack Deegan took class 9a spoils along with spoils in the Rallycar A final, Pat Murphy in second, Pat also qualified for the final but fail to finish due to mechanical problems.
Fergal Bowes in his newly acquired Peugeot was third in class, third in the Rallycar A final. It was 4th all round for Danny Calnan in class 9a and Rallycar A final. Thomas Rafferty dominated class 9 in his Vauxhall Nova; he also qualified for the Rallycar A final finishing second. Catherine Kelly competed in her first ever Rallycross event and finished 3rd in class 9 also securing her maximum points in her class for the club championship of which the event was a counting round. Peter O'Brien finished 4th in class 9 securing his current standing of second in class for the Rallycross Championship.
