O'Sullivan leads Rally C'ship after opening round
Fresh from his win in yesterday’s Circuit of Kerry Rally in Dingle, Killarney’s Donie O’Sullivan heads the championship table after the opening event of the 10-round series.
O’Sullivan is also contesting the Circuit of Ireland on Saturday next, and, following the three day Enniskillen event, will decide to concentrate his efforts on either the Pirelli Tarmac series or the Dunlop National Championship.
Yesterday, Jim Harrison led initially but on the third stage, Brandon Creek, his Subaru WRC hit a wall and lost valuable seconds.
He also hit another wall a few metres away. The incidents cost him over 30 seconds and he dropped to third as O’Sullivan took the lead.
At the finish ramp in the Smerwick Harbour Hotel, O’Sullivan and co-driver, Paul Nagle were 22 seconds ahead of former Dunlop National Rally Champions, Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Subaru WRC) with the unfortunate Harrison and co-driver Harvey Bell finishing a further 45 seconds adrift in third place.
Behind the top three, Ray Breen secured one of his best results to date. He was fourth and was followed by a trio of Subaru WRCs - JJ Fleming, Kevin Lynch and Adrian McElvaney.
Gabriel Martin (Mitsubishi) won Group N after a puncture on the penultimate stage cost long time leader Andrew Stewart the top brace of Dunlop class points.
DUNLOP CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS (ROUND 1):
1. D O’Sullivan 20 points
2. N Maguire 18 points
3. J Harrison 16 points
4. R Breen 14 points
5. JJ Fleming 13 points.
