Hurson lands Summer Rally after setting a winning pace

FORMER National rally champion Peadar Hurson (Subaru WRC) took a start to finish victory in the 4×4 Exporter Galway Summer Rally, the penultimate round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

The Warrenpoint driver and his Monaghan co-driver Damien Connolly finished the nine-stage event with a winning margin of one minute and 9.1 seconds. Monaghan’s Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru WRC) took second spot with Donegal’s Declan Gallagher/Ryan Moore (Toyota Starlet) a fraction of a second behind in third.

The top local crew was that of Tom Flaherty/Patrick Curley (Escort), they finished 16th overall and fourth in Class 14.  Another local crew, Paul Curley/Jason Ollerenshaw (Subaru WRC) were five places further behind in general classification.

Outgoing national rally champion Declan Boyle crashed out on the opening stage, his Ford Fiesta WRC slid off and the impact with the Galway scenery damaged the front right wheel and suspension. Meanwhile, Peadar Hurson set the pace and led the Subaru WRC of Alan Ring by 14.6 seconds.

The Warrenpoint driver also dominated the remaining stages of the loop and arrived at the Athenry service with a lead of 32.5 with Maguire into second place – 1.8 seconds ahead of the Subaru of Steve Wood. Rally leader Hurson admitted he was cautious through the second stage where he clipped a bale and knocked off the left hand wing mirror. Maguire was untroubled in second while Wood admitted he found it difficult to find the braking points.

Fourth placed Roy White had an issue with the brakes during the second stage, but it was sorted prior to the start of the final stage of the loop. Gallagher led the two-wheel drive category in fifth spot with Alan Ring, having chosen the wrong tyres, completing the top six.

Meanwhile, Ed O’Callaghan punched in a strong time on S.S. 3 and occupied seventh in a top ten that featured the Fiesta R5 of Daniel McKenna and the Escorts of Chris Armstrong and Jonathan Pringle.

Paddy McVeigh in the ex-Patrick Elliott Subaru WRC was 11th. In Group N, following the demise of Aidan Wray with a clutch problem, Gary Cairns (Mitsubishi) led the way from Trevor Bustard and Paul Barrett. Meanwhile, Kevin Barrett withdrew his Subaru at the service due to suspension problems, earlier, smoke filled the cockpit of the car on the third stage.

On the second loop of stages, Hurson extended his lead to 51.8 seconds: “I’m taking it steady, not taking any chances,” he said at the Athenry service as he marvelled at the performance of Declan Gallagher, quickest through S.S. 5, who slotted his Toyota Starlet into second spot – 2.8 seconds ahead of the Subaru of Niall Maguire.  A 7.7 second margin covered Gallagher, Maguire and Ring with the latter gaining slightly on Maguire.

White was trouble free in fifth with Ed O’Callaghan (Escort) posting the second fastest time on S.S. 6, a fraction of a second behind Hurson, completing the top six. Wood lost between 15 and 20 seconds when he spun his Subaru as he exited a right hand junction near Attymon, he dropped from third to seventh. The remaining places in the top ten were annexed by Daniel McKenna (Fiesta R5) and the Escorts of Chris Armstrong and Jonathan Pringle, who spun on S.S. 5.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.