On last Sunday's Sean Conlon Forest rally, Cork driver Owen Murphy steered his Mitsubishi with military precision to a dramatic victory on the final test at Kilworth. It was Murphy's first rally win and puts the former Billy Coleman Award winner into an immediate lead in the 2011 Valvoline Forest Rally Championship.
Murphy and co-driver James O'Brien were third overall at the start of the final test behind John Reid and Andrew Purcell. Reid had led from the start but the Dubliner spun his Corolla WRC in the early kilometers of Kilworth and it cost him 37 seconds and the rally lead.
In a repeat of last year's rally, Reid finished second overall. Andrew Purcell, who was second-most of the day behind John Reid, also succumbed to the Kilworth challenge when he slipped off the road and into retirement.
Frank Kelly moved from fourth to third in his Escort Mk2, the Moy man fortunate to finish after two driveshaft failures.
Mitsubishi Evos occupied the fourt, fifth and sixth places in the hands of Ian Cochrane, Vincent McAree and Liam Ryan. Seventh overall was claimed by Alistair Fisher who was giving his new Fiesta R2 its first rally run in advance of the WRC Academy series. The junior category was claimed by Mallow driver Derek Butler at the wheel of a Honda Civic.
The six-stage rally was hosted by the Tipperary MC, and was based in Mitchelstown. It ran faultlessly thanks to the efforts of COC Tom Dunne and his team. Sixty-four crews started (nine more than 2010) and there were forty at the finish control. The principal retirements were Andrew Purcell, Adrian Hetherington, Sarah Moynihan, and Colin Britton. Britton was fastest on stage 3 and just three seconds off the lead at the time of his 'off'.
Others destined not to see the chequered flag were Enda McNulty (Evo) and Mark Donnelly (C2R2). Andrew Fanning was also hors de combat when a drive shaft failed in the Ford Ka on stage five. The Cahir man was leading Class 1 from the start.
Top Ten Results Sean Conlon Memorial Rally:
1 Owen Murphy/James O'Brien Mitsubishi Evo 9 45:01
2 John Reid/Enda Shiels Toyota Corolla WRC 45:16
3 Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan Ford Escort Mk2 47:24
4 Ian Cochrane/Ray Fitzpatrick Mitsubishi Evo 47:31
5 Vincent McAree/JP McAree Mitsubishi Evo 47:45
6 LiamRyan/Aidan Burke Mitsubishi Evo 48:13
7 Alistair Fisher/Daniel Barrett Ford Fiesta R2 48:49
8 Shane McGirr/Niall Connolly Toyota Starlet 49:10
9 Patsy Keenan/Martin Brady Mitsubishi Evo 49:23
10 James Coleman/Michael Hally Ford Escort Mk2 49:34
Rally leaders: SS1 to 7 John Reid, SS8 Owen Murphy
Stage winners: J Reid 3, O Murphy 2; C Britton 1
Class winners: 2WD Frank Kelly, Class 2 Mick Nevin, Class 3 Shane McGirr, Class 4 Ray Benskin Jnr, Class 5 Frank Kelly, Class 6 Mark Murphy, Class 7 John Reid,Class 8 Owen Murphy and Class 9 (Junior) Derek Butler.
Valvoline Championship points; O Murphy 21, J Reid 19, Frank Kelly 18.
Next Round of Valvoline Forest Rally Championship is Saturday 5th March, Wm Loughman Carrick-on-Suir Rally.
