Victory on the Mor Oil backed Galway Summer Rally went to Maynooth’s Kevin Barrett & co driver Damien Connolly, as they brought their Triton Showers Subaru Impreza WRC home and a difficult day with tricky conditions due to the persistent rain. Kevin was 6s behind Niall Maguire starting the final stage, but over the 12.45km of that tortuous Kilcoona road Kevin was 12s faster than his rival to win by 6s. It really was the culmination of a very exciting day that saw Barrett in rejuvenated form to score many fastest times, but he also had a few mishaps as well including punctures. He made no mistakes on that final push though and it would be hard to find a more popular winner.
Speaking to Kevin Barrett after the event he was delighted to celebrate his first ever rally win he said. “We had some run through the last stage. We threw away 40s today in certain areas. The car was fantastic though through the difficult conditions. It was a good rally, the win was overdue and I’m just chuffed to bits”.
Niall Maguire was a bit cautious at times of the very slippy conditions. Niall crashed here last year and also he has his thoughts on the National Championship which looks like it will go down to the wire between himself and Patrick Elliott over the final 2 rounds, the Donegal Harvest and Skibbereen.
Local Galway driver Mike Bird and navigator Kevin Keane finished 8th and best Galway crew and took the Conroy Memorial Cup.
Well done to Victor Farrell and all his hard-working Galway Motor Club team for a very successful rally in very difficult conditions.
Results:
1st (3) Kevin Barrett/Damien Connolly/ (Impreza WRC) 1.08/03
2nd (2) Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 1.08/09
3rd (5) Kevin Kelleher/Paddy Robinson (Lancer N) 1.08.23
4th (7) Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Lancer N) 1.11.34
5th (10) Trevor Bustard/Kenny Bustard (Lancer N) 1.11.56
6th (8) Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery (Escort) 1.12.03
7th (4) Garry Jennings/David Moynihan (Lancer N) 1.12.47
8th (9) Mike Bird/Kevin Keane (Impreza WRC) 1.13.06
9th (15) Thomas Cahill/Philip Conneely (Lancer N) 1.13.46
10th (12) Jim McKenna/Thomas Trainor (Starlet rwd) 1.14.28
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