Donnelly wins Cavan Rally

Derry’s Eugene Donnelly and co-driver Paddy Toner, dominated the Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally from start to finish.

Sun, 25 May, 2003 - 20:45

Derry’s Eugene Donnelly and co-driver Paddy Toner, dominated the Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally from start to finish.

Following the nine special stages of this, the fourth round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, their Subaru WRC amassed a 39 seconds winning margin over the similar car of Jim

Harrison/Harvey Bell.

Reigning Dunlop champions, Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin, also in a Subaru WRC were third – 16

seconds adrift with pre event championship leaders, Michael Barrable/Dermot O’Gorman finishing fourth to complete a Subaru WRC quartet, the latter retain their lead in the Dunlop series.

Adrian McElvaney, also in a Subaru WRC finished fifth for the third time in four rounds of the Dunlop

series - he remarked that this particular fifth was his toughest.

Armstrong had alternator difficulties en-route to sixth with Alan Nesbitt best of the rest in seventh. Norman Armstrong (Escort) won the rear wheel drive category where his former navigator,

Mervyn Wedlock, driving a Ford Escort to second in the rear wheel drive category and 10th overall.

In Group N, Willie Fannin punched in two fine performances on the closing two stages to win ahead of Dominic Loughran (Mitsubishi).

1. E. Donnelly/P. Toner (Subaru WRC) 1h. 23.15s.

2. J. Harrison/H. Bell (Subaru WRC) 1h. 23m. 54s.

3. N. Maguire/P. McLaughlin (Subaru WRC) 1h. 24m. 10s.

4. M. Barrable/D. O’Gorman (Subaru WRC) 1h. 25m. 13s.

5. A. McElvaney/P. Goodman (Subaru WRC) 1h. 25m. 36s.

6. D Armstrong/H. Blackburn (Escort WRC) 1h. 25m. 37s.

7. A. Nesbitt/E. Sherry (Toyota Celica) 1h. 28m. 00s.

8. N. Armstrong/P. McEntee (Ford Escort) 1h. 30m. 05s.

9. W. Fannin/B. McCabe (Mitsubishi) 1h. 30m. 28s.

10. M. Wedlock/P. Smith (Ford Escort) 1h. 30m. 36s.